The Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians 11-2 in Game 7 of the ALCS behind second baseman Dustin Pedroia’s five RBIs.
Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched five solid innings, Manny Ramirez drove in his 14th run of the postseason and the Boston Red Sox led the Cleveland Indians 3-2 after six innings Sunday night before breaking the game open late.
Boston was trying to complete its comeback from a 3-1 deficit and reach the World Series for the first time since they won it in 2004.
Cleveland last played in the World Series in 1997 when it lost in seven games to the Florida Marlins. The Indians haven’t won the championship since 1948. Only the Chicago Cubs have waited longer, last winning in 1908.
Jake Westbrook allowed leadoff hits to Boston in each of the first four innings but was bailed out by three double plays. Then he breezed through a perfect fifth and sixth, striking out four of the six batters.
Matsuzaka had a much better start, giving up just a single to Casey Blake through three innings. He retired Asdrubal Cabrera, the leadoff hitter in the fourth, then allowed a double to Travis Hafner, breaking an 0-for-16 slump with 10 strikeouts.
After Victor Martinez grounded out to Matsuzaka, Ryan Garko doubled in the Indians’ first run.
Dice-K, the $103 million pitcher who lasted just 4 2-3 innings in each of his other two playoff starts, barely got through the fifth.
Kenny Lofton led off with a single off the left-field wall but was thrown out at second by Ramirez. That throw took on great importance when the next two batters, Franklin Gutierrez and Blake singled, putting runners on first and third.
Grady Sizemore’s sacrifice fly cut the lead to 3-2. Then Cabrera struck out when he swung at and missed an 82 mph changeup. Matsuzaka pumped his fist as he strode briskly off the mound to applause from teammates and fans.
He gave up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Hideki Okajima took over and pitched a perfect sixth.
For Boston, Ramirez singled in a run in the first, another scored on Julio Lugo’s double-play grounder in the second and the third scored on Mike Lowell’s sacrifice fly in the third.
The Red Sox signed Matsuzaka to a $52 million, six-year contract after paying $51.11 million to the Seibu Lions, his former team, for the right to negotiate with him.
Before the game, Indians pitcher Paul Byrd responded to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday that he had used human growth hormone. He said that he used it for a medical condition but that he never injected the banned drug without a doctor’s prescription.
Byrd, the Game 4 winner, was available to pitch in relief Sunday. So was Josh Beckett, who won Games 1 and 5 for Boston.
Teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a series just 10 times. The 2004 Red Sox were the last to do it when they lost the first three games of the ALCS to the New York Yankees then won four straight before sweeping St. Louis in the World Series.
The Indians took three of the first four games, then Boston won 7-1 behind Beckett before returning home for a 12-2 victory Saturday night when J.D. Drew hit a grand slam and drove in five runs and Curt Schilling pitched seven solid innings.
Boston got a break in the first when Ramirez’s hard shot took a bad hop and went off shortstop Jhonny Peralta’s glove for an RBI single. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis started the inning with singles before David Ortiz struck out.
Then Ramirez drove in his 14th run, most in this year’s playoffs, and 10th of the ALCS as Youkilis scored from second. Lowell followed with a single, but Drew grounded into a double play.
Another double play cut short a potential big inning for Boston.
Jason Varitek led off the second with a double off the Green Monster and took third on Jacoby Ellsbury’s single. Lugo grounded to Peralta, who started a double play as Varitek scored.
Youkilis started the third with a double, the third leadoff hit off Westbrook. He advanced on a ground out. Ramirez was walked intentionally before Lowell hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Gutierrez.
It was the biggest game of Dice-K’s career that has included several others.
In the 1998 Japanese national high school championship, he pitched a 17-inning complete game in the quarterfinals and a no-hitter in the finals. He was a member of Japan’s Olympic teams in 2000 and 2004. And in March 2006, he was the MVP of the first World Baseball Classic, won by Japan.
He went 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA during the regular season and struggled at the end. Then he lasted just 4 2-3 innings in each of his first two playoff appearances. In Game 3 of the ALCS, he was charged with four runs in the Indians 4-2 win that gave them a 2-1 lead.
Westbrook, 6-9 with a 4.32 ERA, got the win in that game, allowing two runs in seven innings.
Source: www.sportingnews.com
