What they did benefit from were such things as a three-run, seventh-inning home run by the previously dormant David Ortiz; a two-run, eighth-inning home run by Drew; a clutch 10-pitch Coco Crisp at-bat that culminated in a tying line single to score Mark Kotsay; a nine-pitch Kevin Youkilis at-bat that resulted in a combo infield single/Evan Longoria throwing error; and, after an intentional walk to the righthanded-hitting Jason Bay, the Drew line-drive winner over the head of right fielder Gabe Gross, who appeared to be paralyzed by a screamer hit directly over his head.
They also got two innings of relief from Jonathan Papelbon, who, after giving up a two-run, Wall-job double that brought the final two Tampa Bay (inherited) runs, shut them down in the eighth. Finally, they got another clutch pitching performance from 23-year-old Justin Masterson, who got out of a ninth-inning jam by getting the very dangerous Longoria to bounce into an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play.
It all added up to an utterly improbable victory that really and truly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and now sends them back to St. Pete for more baseball.
"I've never seen a group so happy to get on a plane at 1:30 in the morning," said Terry Francona.
Yup, it was 7-zip Rays after six innings, and the joint was downright funereal. The Red Sox, down, three games to one, to the Rays in this American League Championship Series, were nine outs away from a sad, embarrassing end to the season. Once again a starting pitcher had given them nothing. The folks up in the press box were totaling up both the wondrous Tampa Bay offensive stats and the shameful Red Sox stats. The Rays were going to the World Series, and that was that.
"In the first six innings, we did nothing," Francona said. "And they had their way with us in every way possible. Then this place came unglued. I've seen it before. Because of the situation we were in, it was pretty magical."
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