Three days ago the Sox were on the brink of elimination, down, 3-1, to the muscle-flexing Tribe. But Boston pummeled Cleveland's 19-game winners, C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, in back-to-back blowouts and the locals are nine innings away from making more history and earning a ticket to the 103d World Series, which starts Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies.
Three years ago it was Schilling oozing blood into his sock against the Yankees. This time it's the Indians who are bleeding.
"It just has to stop and it has to stop tonight," said Cleveland manager Eric Wedge. "They need to go to bed tonight with a clear head and think good thoughts. They have experienced a lot. It's another step for us, but it's not completely unchartered. We handle these things pretty well."
"We're excited," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "We'd be crazy not to be excited to have a Game 7 at Fenway. We get to play. I'm glad we're playing at home. As far as the game goes, the momentum will be with both starting pitchers. What happened tonight won't dictate tomorrow."
Last night's game was over before the end of the third. On the heels of their season-saving 7-1 win in Cleveland Thursday, the Sox blasted to a 10-1 lead before making a second out in the third inning. It was then that the aptly named Aaron Laffey was summoned for mopup duty in a game that could have sent the Indians to the World Series for only the third time since 1948.
The emergence of Drew as Mr. October was sprinkled with irony. The passive right fielder has been a target of Sox fans since he came aboard for $70 million last winter and did little during the season to change opinions that he is overrated and overpaid. It was a mind-numbing moment for most of the Nation to see Drew crush a 3-1 pitch in the first inning and round the bases with the third grand slam in Sox postseason history.
"It was a great feeling," said Drew. "It has been a tough year. I just wanted to go into the playoffs and have good at-bats."
