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  It wasn't supposed to end like this. The storybook comeback that began in the 7th inning of Game 5 was supposed to be capped by a brilliant Jon Lester performance in the clinching Game 7 victory at Tampa Bay. Except no one gave Matt Garza and the Rays the script. While Lester pitched well enough to win, the Rays were able to get to him for three runs after the 3rd inning and that was all they would need because the Sox offense was shut down by Garza most of the night. When Dustin Pedroia hit a solo homer in the first to give the Sox the early lead it looked like it was going to be another great night, but that was the only hit they would get for a while. BOX SCORE: Rays 3, Red Sox 1Garza is good, but this game underscored the Red Sox problems - they need more consistent hitting in the middle of the order. Specifically, they need a big-time cleanup hitter to replace Manny Ramirez and they need to get David Ortiz back healthy and putting fear into opposing pitchers. This team is still well-positioned to contend for the championship for the next several years, but with the Rays suddenly a force to be reckoned with, the Yankees still the Yankees and the Blue Jays' strong pitching, the lineup definitely needs an upgrade to hang in the toughest division in baseball. With the uncertainty of Mike Lowell, the Sox may go after Mark Teixeira to play first and have Youk go back to third. They could use a new shortstop too and will likely need a new catcher. Unfortunately Jason Varitek couldn't duplicate his Game 6 heroics in a couple of big spots in Game 7. But he shouldn't have been batting anyway. As usual, Terry Francona let Tek bat in the 7th with runners on first and third with two outs, and with a runner on first in the 9th with one out. There is no logical explanation for him batting in these two huge situations. The guy had one lucky hit in the series, was batting about .115 for the entire playoffs and has been a pig at the plate since May. Francona's biggest fault is his loyalty no matter what the situation and that was the problem again with Tek. Even with a lefty pitching, you have to go to Sean Casey or even Jed Lowrie with the game on the line in the 7th. Maybe have Jacoby Ellsbury try to lay down a bunt in the 9th too. At least try everything you can instead of sending Tek up there to waive at the ball. If this was Tek's last game for the Sox, it has been a great career for him in Boston. Despite his struggles this season he will always be loved and will go down with Carlton Fisk as the greatest catcher in the history of the franchise. It would be nice to keep him around as a backup if they can find a decent starting catcher, but that's not so easy these days. One thing that was obvious in this series is that the Red Sox were beaten by a better team. The Rays deserve to be the American League champs. So now there's a big void in out lives and the team is left to pick up the pieces and figure out their next move. It was a very good year. Even with all the injuries and the ridiculous Manny drama, the team was able to persevere and make it to within one game of the World Series where they likely would have beaten the Phillies. If everybody can get healthy - especially Beckett and Papi - and Theo Epstein can make a couple of key acquisitions like he always does, the Sox should be right back in the thick of it next season.
 (AP Photo) It's on to Game 7 where anything can happen. Josh Beckett wasn't his usual dominating playoff self Saturday night, but he had just enough to get through 5 innings and give the Sox a chance to win. Considering the way he's been pitching and his obvious health problems, it was a great performance. Even bigger though was the two scoreless innings of releief tossed by Hideki Okajima. Okie Doke has been at his best just when we needed it and last night was no exception. Those two innings allowed Terry Francona to stick to the game plan of only using Okajima, Justin Masterson and Jonathan Papelbon out of the bullpen, and set things up for Game 7 where all the top relievers will be able to go two innings if necessary. BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Rays 2The Sox showed a lot of heart by bouncing back every time the Rays scored. First, Kevin Youkilis hit a home run in the 2nd to match the 1st inning homer by B.J. Upton (we might have to start walking this guy every time). Then after the Rays tied it in the bottom of the 5th, Jason Varitek awoke from his slumber to hit a line drive homer which turned out to be the game-winner. I don't think there could have been a more surprising hero in this one. Tek has been so pathetic. Every time he gets up you're hoping he just walks or gets hit by a pitch. But he somehow got the bat through the zone this time and came up with one of the biggest hits of the season. The Sox added an insurance run on a David Ortiz single and the bullpen hung on from there. It's nice to see Big Papi finally contributing and just in time. Coco Crisp had another excellent game with 3 hits and a walk. He was on base all night and has taken over the leadoff spot from Jacoby Ellsbury. Having Ells on the bench is actually a huge luxury and may come into play late in Game 7. J.D. Drew continues to hit the ball hard and Mark Kotsay continues his all-around solid play at the plate and in the field. So it all comes down to Sunday night, Jon Lester vs. Matt Garza. With experience and history on our side, I like the Sox' chances.
     (AP Photos) Unbelievable! Just when you think you've seen it all the Sox rise from the dead and a 7-0 deficit with 2 outs in the 7th inning to beat the Rays 8-7 and force a Game 6 in the ALCS. The quiet assassin J.D. Drew came through again. First he belts a 2-run bomb in the 8th to make it 7-6 then with 2 out in the 9th and runners on second and 3rd he rips the game-winner over the head of the right fielder and sends Fenway into a frenzy. The grand slam against the Indians last year is still the biggest hit of his Red Sox career, but these two and the 2-run homer off Francisco Rodriguez in Game 2 of the ALDS have to rank right up there. BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Rays 7Coco Crisp had the best at-bat of his Red Sox career with 2 outs in the 8th, fouling off pitch after pitch until he finally ripped a single into right to score Mark Kotsay with tying run. Coco also had a huge hit in the 7th when it was 7-0 to keep the inning alive for Dustin Pedroia who singled in the first run and set up David Ortiz for his big moment. And finally Big Papi came through with a 3-run shot to right to make it 7-4. That was the moment that we started to believe this could really happen. From there Drew took over the game. Daisuke Matsuzaka looked like he had decent stuff, but he gave up three big home runs to fall behind 7-0. Dice-K may be needed in a relief in a possible Game 7 so it probably wasn't a terrible thing that he didn't throw a ton of pitches in this game. Down 5-0, Terry Francona brought in Manny Delcarmen to start the 7th after Hideki Okajima pitched 2 scoreless innings. Delcarmen inexplicably walked the first two batters and had to be pulled. This time Francona didn't mess around and made the move to Jonathan Papelbon. That was a huge move for the Sox. Even though Paps gave up a 2-run double to B.J. Upton (can anyone get this guy out?), he was able to give the Sox two huge innings and keep the game close. It was especially important that he shut down Tampa in the 8th after the Sox had cut the lead to 7-4. That gave the offense more confidence and a chance to keep the pressure on. Mark Kotsay had a big game too coming up with a huge 2-out double before Coco's game-tying hit. Kotsay also made a couple of nice plays at first and has really come up big filling in at first with Mike Lowell out for the season. Now it's on to Tampa where hopefully Josh Beckett can regain his playoff form. The only guys who should be pitching at this point should be the starter, Okajima, Justin Masterson and Papelbon.
 This one was over before it started. Tim Wakefield, who probably shouldn't have been pitching at all, gave up two homers in the first as any thoughts of the Sox evening this series faded quickly. Everyone was worried how the knuckleballer would fare against the suddenly potent Rays lineup and they predictably hammered him. Like Mike Timlin, Wakefield was a good pitcher for a long time for the Sox, but those days are over. Neither one of them should be on the roster let alone pitching in a must-win game. In hindsight, the Sox probably should have started Justin Masterson and hoped the bullpen could come through after five or six innings. BOX SCORE: Rays 13, Red Sox 4It probably didn't matter anyway because the offense is just pathetic right now. They had one chance to make a game out of it when Mark Kotsay singled in the 2nd inning putting runners on first and third with one out, but Coco Crisp, who for some reason was batting 7th in the order, hit into a double play and the game was basically over from there. I was all for Coco playing for the slumping Jacoby Ellsbury, but he has to either bat leadoff or ninth. Why would he be batting 7th? You want a guy with some pop batting 7th. Even Kevin Cash, who led off the next inning with a home run, would have been a better choice, but it should have been Jed Lowrie. Now the Sox have to come up with another miracle comeback. After 2004 and 2007, I never count them out, but this series just doesn't have the feel that the others did. Last year against the Indians you could feel the Sox getting the momentum and the Indains buckling under the pressure. I'm not sure the Rays will blow this one. But, if Dice-K can pitch like he did in Game 1 and send the series back to Tampa, and Josh Beckett can be the Beckett of old, then all the pressure will be on the Rays and Jon Lester would be pitching in Game 7. That seems so far away though Let's just hope we are still playing baseball this weekend.
 (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) This wasn't supposed to happen. Jon Lester's run of scoreless innings in the postseason came to a screeching halt Monday as the Rays jumped on him for 5 runs and routed the Sox at Fenway. All the fans, myself included, expected Lester to right the ship like he has so many times this season, and it looked like the Red Sox expected it as well. It's hard to believe a team with as much playoff experience as the Red Sox may have been looking past any playoff game, but what other explanation can there be? BOX SCORE: Rays 9, Red Sox 1Lester just didn't have much from the start, but he did find a way to pitch into the 6th inning and give the team a chance to come back. But the bats didn't come alive again, and now there has to be genuine concern about the lack of offense, especially the lack of big hits. Jacoby Ellsbury looks like he's trying to hit a home run on every swing instead of just trying to get on base. I'll be very surprised if Coco Crisp isn't in center field on Tuesday. David Ortiz continues to try to pull every pitch instead of just going with the pitch to the opposite field, and his lack of power is alarming. Although Mark Kotsay has looked good in this series, the rest of the bottom of the lineup, Jason Varitek in particular, is pathetic. Even Kevin Youkilis struggled Monday night. Dustin Pedroia is tearing the cover off the ball, but he and Jason Bay can't do it all. The team has to start getting some clutch hits now or it won't matter who's pitching, the season will be over. Paul Byrd pitched in mop-up duty as Terry Francona apparently wanted to save the rest of the bullpen for Tuesday. maybe that will payoff as the bulpen will likely be need with Tim Wakefield going in game 4. This game did have a similar feeling to Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS when the Yankees handed our asses to us 19-8 setting up the historic comeback. Let's hope this blowout will have the same effect on the team.
 (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) What an unbelievable game. This one was every bit as good as a Red Sox-Yankees game, except for the ending of course. As tough a loss as this was, the Sox did what they needed to do in splitting the two games in Tampa and now they have their Ace Jon Lester ready to go in Game 3. There was so much to talk about in this one. The best things were Dustin Pedroia breaking out of his slump in a big way, Kevin Youkilis continuing his torrid postseason, Jason Bay doing everything that Manny would be doing and more, and Coco Crisp having a very nice game. Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon were great in relief again, but this one went too many innings. BOX SCORE: Rays 9, Red Sox 8 (11 innings)There were some very troubling signs Saturday night too. Something must be wrong with Josh Beckett. He's a shell of himself and maybe shouldn't be pitching at all. Jacoby Ellsbury is all of a sudden in a horrific slump again, David Ortiz is trying to pull every pitch and has seemingly lost his power, and Jason Varitek is lost at the plate once again. With all that being said, the biggest blunder of the night has to be bringing in and sticking with Mike Timlin. Timlin was a very good pitcher at one time - like in 1992 - but he's throwing batting practice to these guys now. I was shocked when he was put on the roster and totally deflated when I saw him in the game in the bottom of the 11th. Even though the ump was brutal all night and missed two huge strike calls that would have helped Timlin, there's no way he should have been in that game. And then when the Rays had guys at 2nd and 3rd with one out why wouldn't Terry Francona give Paul Byrd a chance? You knew Timlin couldn't get out of it. Not that Byrd is a stud, but at least try someone else. Just another example of Francona being too loyal to a guy that just doesn't have it anymore. Monday's game is gigantic now. Hopefully Lester will be as good as he has been and the Sox will regain control of the series. I expect Ellsbury to be benched with Coco leading off and playing center. One last thing to mention ... is Sean Casey still on this team? Why doesn't he play at all? I would have pinch hit him instead of Drew for Varitek to lead off the 9th and then had Drew pinch hit for Ellsbury with Coco on 2nd and two outs.
 Game 1 was a huge victory for the Red Sox as Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched like the big game pitcher we thought he would be. What an outstanding effort to take a no hitter into the 7th and pitch into the 8th in the biggest game of the year. That was the guy that was the MVP of the World Baseball Classic. It was pretty scary when he loaded the bases in the 1st, but at this point even when he gets in trouble we expect him to get out of it -- and he usually does. BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, Rays 0The offense did just enough to get the win. Youk's double in the 1st would have wrapped around the pole at Fenway. The big bounce off the turf cost the Sox a run. Tropicana Field is brutal. From the catwalks and wires, to the low lights and the crappy turf, everything about that place is a joke. Jed Lowrie came up with another big RBI and Mark Kotsay continues to make plays and make Theo Epstein look like a genius for seemingly getting him out of nowhere in late August. I would have liked to have seen Hideki Okajima start the 8th instead of coming in with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. I was surprised Francona left Dice-K in. Justin Masterson came up huge and Jonathan Papelbon looks as good as ever this postseason. If Josh Beckett can regain his dominant playoff form and the Sox get to Scott Kazmir, Boston could easily end up taking both games in Tampa. And if that happens, you have to feel good with Jon Lester going in Game 3 at Fenway.
   (AP Photos) What a way to end it! In typical Red Sox fashion, they get contriubtions from everybody and rookie Jed Lowrie drives home Jason Bay with the winning run in the 9th to send the Sox to the ALCS. None of the 9th-inning heroics would have been possible if not for the performance of Jon Lester. What a big-time, clutch pitcher he is turning out to be. Seven more shutout innings against the supposed best team in the American League have cemented his reputation as the new Ace of the Boston Red Sox. Lester has supplanted Josh Beckett as the best pitcher on the team. When he goes out there, as a fan I feel like we have a great chance to win and I'm sure the players feel the same way. Even Beckett says Lester is the best pitcher on the team. BOX SCORE: Red Sox 3, Angels 2The Sox got big contributions from the entire roster in the ALDS, and will need a similar effort to beat the Rays. Mark Kotsay had a great game, hitting the ball hard a couple of times and making a couple of really nice catches. His shot down the line in the 9th would have won it except for a great catch by Mark Teixeira. Normally that might have deflated a team that had just surrendered a 2-run lead and had lost momentum, but not the Red Sox. Lowrie hit the next pitch into right field and the celebration was on. He has come up with big hits all season and he did it again on Monday. And Jason Bay has done so many things to help this club win since he got here that he's arguably the MVP of the team since Aug. 1. It was great to see Dustin Pedroia finally get something going with an RBI double off the wall in the 5th. You know Dustin won't get down on himself and I expect he'll have a big ALDS. Now it's on to Tampa where the Rays pose a huge challenge. They are a very good team that won 10 of 18 vs. the Sox this season. They have excellent starting pitching and a solid bullpen, but didn't we say that about the Angels too? The Red Sox have scrambled their rotation a bit, but they are well positioned for a long series. Dice-K will start Game 1 in Tampa followed by Beckett in Game 2, Lester will pitch Game 3 in Fenway with Tim Wakefield slated to pitch Game 4. I think this was the best possible rotation considering the off days and rest needed and it lines up Beckett for Game 6 and Lester for Game 7 if necessary. The big key to the series is the Red Sox experience and confidence. You can't replace that, especially in the postseason. It will be a tough series, but I expect the Red Sox to win in 6.
 Last night's game was one of those long, agonizing nights at Fenway. On the one hand, the Sox had no business even being in the game as the Angels gave them a 3-run gift on Ellsbury's pop up in the 2nd. On the other hand, they had so many chances and probably should have won the game, but ultimately couldn't come up with the big hit. BOX SCORE: Angels 5, Red Sox 4 (12 innings)The two biggest concerns from last night were Josh Beckett's poor performance and the continued lack of production from Dustin Pedroia. The Sox can't win without either of these guys. Every time Pedroia hits the ball hard it's right at somebody. Hopefully he'll bust out of it tonight. Beckett just didn't look like his usual dominant playoff self. The team says the injury didn't affect him. Maybe some added rest will help. The other thing that was obvious last night is that Mike Lowell probably shouldn't be playing. He's a great player and it's admirable that he's trying to give it a go with his injury, but he's not the same guy at the plate or in the field and might be hurting the team more than helping. I'd like to see Sean Casey (remember him) at first tonight with Youk playing third. Game 4 is a must win situation. There's no way the Sox want to go back to Anaheim for Game 5, especially with Dice-K on the mound. Jon Lester has been brilliant all season and needs to come up with one more big performance. A couple of timely hits might help too.
 J.D. Drew came through with his second biggest night in a Red Sox uniform as the Sox took complete command of the ALDS Friday night, and we were there to see it. First he came up with a huge 2-out single in the 1st scoring David Ortiz and extending the inning for Jason Bay who followed with a mammoth 3-run homer to center. As great as Manny Ramirez has been for the Dodgers, Bay has been just as good for the Sox. His two home runs in two postseason games have answered any questions that anyone might have had about his lack of experience in the postseason or in big games. BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Angels 5Daisuke Matsuzaka was his usual self getting in and out of trouble but still giving the Sox a chance to win. The Angels were able to claw back into the game and tied it 5-5 in the bottom of the 8th. Justin Masterson pitched well to get out of a jam in the 7th and Jonathan Papelbon was huge in the 8th allowing just one run to score after coming in with no outs and a man on third. Big Papi led off the 9th with a double of Angels record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez, setting the stage for Drew's heroics. Aftre Youk made an out, Drew stepped to the plate and we were just hoping for a single to take the lead. But J.D. put the same swing on the ball that he did when he hit the grand slam in last year's ALCS against the Indians and it was the same result. A bomb to dead center giving the Sox a 7-5 lead and sending the Red Sox fans in Anaheim into frenzy. All the Angels fans around us were in shock and wanted to kill us. We were going nuts. Paps finished off the Angels in the 9th for a 6-out save and the Sox were headed home with a stranglehold on the series.
 We made the trek to the Big A Wednesday and we couldn't have scripted Game 1 any better. Lester dominates, Ellsbury is all over the bases and making diving catches, Jason Bay hits a bomb, Youk makes a great play in the 8th to preserve a 2-1 lead, Lowrie gets a big hit and Big Papi drives in the insurance run in the 9th, and Paps strikes out the side to end it. Sounds good to me. That was how the Red Sox were able to take Game 1 and take control of the ALDS. It was a great game from the start and had the feel of a playoff game. Jon Lester was outstanding and would have held the Angels scoreless if not Jed Lowrie's error. As long as Beckett is OK, it may have turned out to be a good thing to have him pushed back to Game 3 and Lester open the series. Lester has become an Ace and as good of a big game pitcher as anyone. BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Angels 1Jacoby Ellsbury keyed everything from the start with a leadoff double. Even though the Sox wasted that opportunity, it was a good sign for the offense. He ended up going 3-for-5 with 2 doubles, a run, an RBI and 2 steals. He was on base all 5 times and was in the middle of everything all night. Ellsbury has started the last seven postseason games and the Sox are 7-0 in those games. They also have now beaten the Angels in 10 consecutive playoff games. The defense in the 8th was incredible. Ellsbury's diving catch on Teixeira's pop up to lead off the inning turned out to be huge as Guerrero and Hunter singled right after that, but Kevin Youkilis' play to throw out Guerrero at third was even bigger. We had a perfect angle on Youk's play and he almost made a spectacular diving catch that likely would have been a double play, but then he just pounced on the ball, got up and fired it to Mike Lowell at third all in one motion and Guerrero was out by 10 feet. Jonathan Papelbon looked strong in the 9th consistently hitting 95 and 96 mph. The bullpen will be rested, ready (and probably needed) for Game 2 with Dice-K on the mound. No matter what happens in Game 2 the Sox can win this series at home, but it would be huge if Dice-K could come up with one of his better outings and send it back to Boston with a chance to sweep.
 As the Red Sox prepare to open their title defense in Anaheim Wednesday night, we here at Boston's Tenth are confident that our boys of summer will come up big in their quest for back-to-back titles. The Angels have the best record in the league and had their way with the Sox during the regular season, but this is a whole different animal. The Red Sox have dominated the Angels in recent postseason series including a sweep in the ALCS last season, and until Los Angeles can get the upper hand in this series, Boston should be considered the favorite. Consider the fact that everyone was concerned when the news came out about Josh Beckett having to be pushed back to Game 3 because of a strained oblique muscle. Normally news like that about your Ace and one of the best postseason pitchers of all-time would send shock waves throughout the clubhouse, but not with this team. They just move Jon Lester - who might end up being even better than Beckett - to Game 1 and follow that with a guy who is 18-3 and has an ERA under 3.00 for Game 2. Lester and Dice-K are the keys to this series though. If they can go deep into the games and get the Sox off to a good start the Angels will be the ones panicking when they get to Fenway for Games 3 and 4. The top of the Red Sox order also must come up big and there's no reason to think they won't. Jacoby Ellsbury finished the season on fire, raising his average to .280, and Dustin Pedroia may be the best hitter in the league. If they do what they did in last year's playoffs there will be no stopping the Sox again. Word Wednesday morning was that J.D. Drew says he's 100% and will start and Mike Lowell is in the starting lineup as well. That should be a big boost to the club too. Despite the lingering questions in the bullpen - Jonathan Papelbon has to get his head on straight - the Sox look to be in good position. I look for Lester to be dominant in Game 1 and the Sox to roll from there and take this series 3-1.
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