"We've been here before," said catcher Jason Varitek, whose two-run home run in the seventh accounted for Boston's only runs. "This team needs to go out and continue to grind."
Kenny Lofton, who at age 40 was brought back to Cleveland for a third go-round with the Tribe, hit a two-run home run in the second inning, his first since returning to the Indians in late July. The Indians strung together two singles, a wild pitch, a walk, and a force play to score twice more in the fifth.
"He's got some magic in his body right now," said Indians first baseman Ryan Garko of Lofton.
The Sox, meanwhile, failed to score despite loading the bases with no outs in the second, Varitek popping out on a backup cutter and Coco Crisp hitting into one of three double plays induced by Indians starter Jake Westbrook.
The Sox, who also hit into three double plays in Game 2, have hit into seven double plays in the first three games, the most ever by any team in the first three games of an LCS.
"That's the way the game is," said Crisp after a night in which Westbrook registered 14 ground ball outs in 6 2/3 innings. "You have to take advantage of your opportunities, especially right now."
How hard did Matsuzaka, who was charged with all four Indians runs, take this one? Long after the game, he was still in uniform, sitting in front of his locker, alternately staring blankly ahead or covering his face with his pitching hand.
"I feel bad for him," Timlin said.
The outcome notwithstanding, Francona said he is not deviating from his plan to have Tim Wakefield pitch Game 4, eschewing the option of bringing back Josh Beckett on short rest to set him up for a possible Game 7 on regular rest.
"If we don't think it was the best thing to do, I don't see why all of a sudden it becomes the better thing to do," Francona said.
