ALCS 4: Spiders 7, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 000 003 000 - 3  8  1
Spiders - 000 070 00x - 7  9  0

Now we get the pitcher's duel. For 4.5 innings, anyway.

Then Blake banged a solo dong and about an hour later, it seemed, Cleveland had sent 12 men to the plate against Wake and MDC, scoring seven runs on seven hits.

The Red Sox charged right back -- making ALCS history when Youkilis, Ortiz and Ramirez hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. But that was it for the bats. The Red Sox managed only one more base runner in the final three+ innings -- and he was erased within two pitches on a double play.

Off-day Wednesday and then it's Beckett/CC on Thursday.

All we got to do is win three games. ... Last two at home, with Andrew Daisuke bringing the MFing hammer.

Red's got his battle gear on already:

Let them stoke their fires and crank their music and point at us and laugh as we were forced to the back of the bus. We sat and watched and observed and absorbed and kept quiet. And when the time was right ...

One game away from elimination? F@#k that noise. We prefer to think of you guys as three games away from elimination.

***

Tim Wakefield / Paul Byrd

Wakefield has not pitched in a game since September 29, although he did toss a 77-pitch simulated game last Tuesday.

Spiders v Wakefield and Red Sox against Byrd (I wouldn't mind seeing Lyndon tonight, but Coco is 5-for-11).

Curt Schilling:

We haven't had our backs against the wall all year, until now, because during all that panic stuff about the division at the end of the [regular season], we were never in danger of missing the playoffs. We're down, 2-1. I think this is our first true character test, given our lead all year.

Ortiz, rating how his right knee feels on a scale of 1-10:

Zero. ... This is a do-or-die situation. I've got to put whatever behind me. If I keep thinking about my knee, my knee, my knee, it's only going to make it worse. We don't have that much room that we can be thinking about it. ... Unless I can't get out of my bed, I've got to keep on playing.

In addition to a strong start from Wakefield, the bats need to show up. Half the lineup is still in a trance: Varitek and Pedroia are both 4-for 25 in the post-season and Drew is 5-for-22. Against Cleveland, Julio Lugo is 2-for-11 and Crisp 3-for 12.

Damn, wasn't it just a few days ago this team looked like it was set to steamroll through the playoffs? Varitek will sit tonight in favour of Doug Mirabelli, who hasn't had an at-bat since September 30 and only 10 ABs since August 17.

So we need bats and six good innings from Timmeh, then we have Beckett and Schilling kicking off a best 2-of-3 with the last two games at home. I like the sound of that, so ...