Your Game 1 matchup in the American League Championship Series? Small vs. Clement. That might never materialize, but, at this moment, each is his team's best starter. Small, nothing shy of the Yankees' savior, improved to 6-0. Clement is 13-3, and the Sox are 20-7 when he pitches (they're 59-48 when anybody else does).
This game was close only because of the defense -- three Boston errors helped Baltimore to four unearned runs, including two in the ninth against closer Mike Timlin.
All of that shifted the postgame focus, which should have been on employee No. 30. Clement, for a significant span this summer (July 1 to Aug. 5), was a run-an-inning pitcher (30 1/3 IP, 31 ER) and had difficulty keeping the ball in the yard (7 HR).
In five starts since, he's 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA and two home runs allowed.
''I have no answer for why I struggled," said Clement, who was hit in the head with a Carl Crawford liner at Tampa amid that difficult span. ''It's all about grinding."
Perhaps the best thing Clement has done of late is keep the ball in the park. That influenced Terry Francona to send Clement back out for the eighth.
''He's proven that because his stuff moves so much he's got a pretty good chance of keeping the ball in the ballpark," Francona said.
Timlin closed it for Clement, though it wasn't easy. B.J. Surhoff touched Timlin for a leadoff single, but Timlin came back to whiff Eric Byrnes. Luis Matos then grounded to shortstop Edgar Renteria, in a way that had Renteria moving toward second base for what looked like an easy double play. But Renteria rushed it and lost the ball, putting two on with one out.
''A little too quick," Francona said. ''Trying to get two before we got one."
Renteria's 24th error, most by any shortstop in the majors and 19 more than Orlando Cabrera, opened the door for Brian Roberts's RBI double and Mora's sacrifice fly. That required Timlin to face Tejada with the tying run on third. But Timlin -- who on this night became the first pitcher in the 105-year history of the Red Sox to make 70 appearances in three seasons -- went ahead, 0 and 2, and got the star shortstop to fly out to end it.
Timlin is on pace for 85 appearances, an incredibly tall order for someone age 39.
''We have to be careful," acknowledged pitching coach Dave Wallace.
