CLEVELAND -- The silence that marked the Red Sox clubhouse after last night's game was different than that which marked the room the night before.
Instead of calm confidence coming from a five-game winning streak and dominant starting pitching that was one notch better than that of the Indians, this quiet was more about anger and disappointment.
Twice, the Red Sox ran into ugly outs in dropping a 1-0 decision a night after beating Cleveland, 1-0, behind Daisuke Matsuzaka.
"I missed a sign, [screwed] it up, and it cost us the game," Alex Cora said of the missed hit-and-run sign that led to Jason Varitek being caught off first base for the second out of the eighth inning. "[Fausto Carmona] is pitching a great ballgame. They put on the hit and run, I miss the sign. Probably that was the game right there."
Probably not, in reality. But there was that other play, which just might have been the game (and with it another game in the standings to the streaking Yankees, winners over the Royals last night).
Coco Crisp had broken through with a single after 5 1/3 innings of no-hit ball by Carmona, then moved to second on a ground out by Dustin Pedroia. David Ortiz came to the plate. With the shift on, Ortiz singled to short right field, where second baseman Josh Barfield gloved the ball with no time to get Ortiz at first. But Crisp was rounding third, trying to tie the score.
But he slowed down, just steps from the plate. Why? Not sure. Crisp walked away from reporters after the game, choosing to put on his shirt in a hallway. Catcher Victor Martinez, who applied the tag, also didn't stick around in the Indians clubhouse.
"I knew I had no play at first base," Barfield said. "I was watching Coco all the way. I just made the throw to the plate."
And got him. Or not, depending on your viewing of the replay, or which of the 29,614 in attendance you asked. What is clear, though, is that Crisp had enough time to make it home before the tag. What is also clear is that Manny Ramírez was not close to home plate to indicate to Crisp whether to slide. That, though, is not out of the ordinary for Ramírez.
"I just think Victor had the plate blocked," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It's a weird play because of where they're playing. The infield takes a step back. Coco had a chance to score. In that type of game, [we] take our chances."
The plays somewhat obscured outstanding pitching performances from Carmona and Josh Beckett, both of whom went eight innings. It was a game that mirrored the Matsuzaka-C.C. Sabathia pitchers' duel Tuesday night.
