My Josh! Boston Red Sox Are Making Another Comeback

On the back of 11 strikeouts by their ace pitcher, Boston eased to a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field. While most would have had Beckett leading his team to an ALCS lifeline, few would not have noticed the manner in which the Tribe succumbed to a morale-sapping defeat.

It was only a couple of years ago when the Red Sox achieved a memorable World Series win on the back of an amazing comeback ALCS series win over the New York Yankees. A few years before that in '99, they also created history by doing the same. To the same team they face this year in their attempt to reach another World Series Championship.

After breaking clear in the sixth inning with a Kevin Youkilis triple off the glove of a despairingly diving Grady Sizemore, it was disconcerting to see the comeback team of the season, the Cleveland Indians, surrendering meekly in the innings that followed. While any team would have found it hard getting to Beckett, who equalled his post-season high of 11 strikeouts in a game, the Indian bats seemed to let down their vociferous home support when it mattered most. Star players like Sizemore and Kenny Lofton could not find their groove in a collected sense, not working Beckett to a maximum. In fact, the Red Sox No. 1 started worked his way through at least 8 innings of no-frills baseball.

The game had its fair share of controversy. With two outs and a man on first base in the third inning, Manny Ramirez blew the first pitch from C.C. Sabathia deep to right-center field. The baseball ricocheted off the yellow line on the fence that lined the wall, and there was a long moment of confusion and appeal from the Red Sox as they believed it should have been called a home run. However, the umpires made the call with the rules of Jacobs Field, which supposedly rules that only balls that travel over the yellow line would be ruled home runs. Despite Red Sox manager Terry Francona disputing the decision, the umpires stood firm. Yet, the Tribe could not take advantage of this let-up.

Perhaps the off-day had disturbed the Indians' momentum coming into this game. But looking into the eyes of the players, it seemed like they knew something was up tonight. The media had been filled with talk of another Boston series comeback in the making, and not on how Cleveland was on the cusp of a long-awaited World Series return. Again, C.C. Sabathia, the Indians' corresponding ace pitcher, had a poor post-season outing. How long could Cleveland survive on their bats alone, without their best 2 pitchers delivering any sort of pitching form?

Now, the momentum has shifted to the Red Sox. Surely buoyed by their commanding win over a team they struggled to put any runs through in the past 3 games, they now return to Fenway Park which would be bristling with energy and anticipation. Players such as David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez have been there before, and the nucleus of the previous World Series team is still intact. Perhaps the Cleveland Indians are pretenders to the throne - the real comeback kings are now coming home and showing them how it is truly done - when it matters most.