ALCS Game 6: Stayin' Alive!

Sox: 4 Rays: 2

The Sox have forced another Game 7! Beckett was just Beckett enough to win this game for the Sox, with the help of four kick-ass innings from the 'pen (Oki for 2, then Masterson, then Paps). His velocity was down, but he was able to gut it out and locate his pitches well, with two exceptions leading to homers by Upton and Bartlett. The latter was a very unlikely source, having a grand total of ONE home run for the entire regular season. A disruption of routine between the third and fourth innings when the home plate ump came out of the game due to being injured at the top of the third on a foul tip by Tek ultimately lead to Beckett coming out after five. Tito took him out just to be on the safe side in this do-or-die game and the move paid off with the 'pen shutting the Rays down for the last four.

Youk started the Sox scoring off in the second with a solo shot to left center, answering Upton's homer in the first and tying the score. He drives in the second run an inning later with a ground out to short, scoring Pedey. Tek finally breaks his 0-for-the-ALCS by going yard in the sixth and breaks another tie (the Bartlett homer in the fifth). Papi singles to right center and knocks in Coco, who hit his third single of the game two batters ago. Pedey had reached on an errant throw by Bartlett and tripped over the bag, preventing him from taking second on the error. Coco, Drew, & Papi each had multiple hits in the game and Youk was responsible for the first two runs. A lot of guys were stranded on base, but enough scored to win the game, thanks to an improved outing by Beckett and stellar work by Oki, Masterson, & Paps.

TBS goofed big-time when technical difficulties kept most of the first inning off the air. I turned the TV on a few minutes after eight to see some sitcom instead of the game, which made me none too pleased, but at least I didn't miss the Sox scoring any runs. First the endless Frank TV ads, now this?

Tomorrow night...another year, another Game 7. Lester takes the mound, hoping for a better outing than Monday night at Fenway. He's in a rematch with Matt Garza and both teams have their backs against the wall. The prize: A date with the Phillies in the Fall Classic. Can the Sox do it again? Let's hope TBS doesn't pull any more technical difficulties stunts because it's gonna be a good one...

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!