It was over. We were getting ready to lower the storm windows and put baseball to bed for the long New England winter.
And then the reeling Red Sox dug down and found the lost magic of recent Octobers. They recovered from a 7-0, seventh-inning deficit to stun the Tampa Bay Rays, 8-7, in the fifth game of the American League Championship Series. It was as wild, wacky, and wonderful as anything that's happened at Fenway Park in this century. Which is saying a lot.
In the proud tradition of the Cowboy Uppers, Idiots, gypsies, tramps, and thieves who carried this team to a couple of world championships, the 2008 Sox staved off elimination with one of the great comebacks of October lore.
The Sox won in the ninth at 12:16 this morning when J.D. Drew roped a single over the head of Rays right fielder Gabe Gross with two on and two outs. It was the 11th walkoff win in Red Sox postseason history: The first in which the Sox trailed by seven runs in the seventh.
"I've never seen a group so happy to get on a plane at 1:30 in the morning," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "In the first six innings we did nothing. They had their way with us in every way possible. And then this place became unglued and we've seen that before . . . That was pretty magical."
The series resumes in St. Petersburg, Fla., tomorrow night with the Sox still trailing, three games to two, but the catatonic Rays have to be doubting themselves after watching their World Series tickets dissolve in Fenway's midnight madness. If you are a Rays fans, you have to worry. The young bucks choked the way few have choked before. They were inches from a clean getaway, a Fenway sweep that would have embarrassed the defending world champs and elevated the Tampa team to elite status. And they coughed it all up in three ridiculous innings.
"Nobody feels worse than the guys in our bullpen," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "It's one game, it's a loss. Obviously we were in pretty good position and we gave it up. Of course, we're upset and we don't like losing that game. But to dwell on it does no good whatsoever."
The comeback came out of nowhere. The Sox trailed, 7-0, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and appeared to be rolling over like obedient canines. Going back to Game 3, they'd been outscored, 29-5, in three games at their ancient yard. It looked as though it was going to be an embarrassing finish.
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