Red Sox Rally to Tie World Series at Two Games Apiece

Boston shows grit in what is shaping up into a thrilling Fall Classic

By Russ Reed

AP / Winlow Townson

Once again, the Boston Red Sox had their backs to the wall. Down 1-0 in the top of the fifth inning with their starting pitcher effectively out of gas, the Sox looked like they were destined to fall down 3-1 to the Cardinals with a Game 5 in St. Louis.  Not to mention that all of this was happening after losing Game 3 in the bottom of the ninth on an obstruction call.  But Boston showed as much resiliency as they have all season and fought back to knot up the series.

David Ortiz, one of the most clutch players in postseason history, sparked Boston’s offense by hitting a leadoff double into the right-center gap.  After back-to-back walks, struggling shortstop Stephen Drew drove in Ortiz on a sac fly to left field to tie the game at one.

The injured and fatigued Clay Buchholz was then relieved by Felix Doubront, who pitched two innings of relief the night before.  Yet Doubront was solid, surrendering only one run in 2 2/3 innings.

In the midst of that stretch, Jonny Gomes got his first hit of the World Series, and it couldn’t have been any bigger.  Interestingly enough, Gomes wasn’t even supposed to start Game 4, but Shane Victorino’s late scratch from the lineup opened up the leftfield spot with Daniel Nava having to move to right. 

With two outs in the top of the sixth, Cardinals starter Lance Lynn gave up a single to Dustin Pedroia and walked David Ortiz.  Lynn was then pulled for right-handed sinker-ball pitcher Seth Maness.  Maness had a 2-2 count on Gomes but left the fifth pitch of the at-bat up.  Gomes took immediate advantage and launched a three-run shot into the Red Sox bullpen beyond the leftfield fence.

But the three-run lead did not last for long.  After allowing his first hit of the night, Doubront was pulled for left-handed reliever Craig Breslow, who is having a rough World Series. Breslow surrendered a hit to the first batter he faced, which plated a run for St. Louis, and walked the next batter to put the tying run on base.  Breslow was then pulled without recording an out, but Junichi Tazawa got Matt Holliday to ground out to end the inning.

After a scoreless top of the eighth, Red Sox manager John Farrell sent scheduled Game 6 starter John Lackey to the mound to bridge the gap to closer Koji Uehara.  After getting Matt Adams to ground out, Lackey got Yadier Molina to hit a grounder to third, but rookie Xander Bogaerts threw wide of the bag and Molina advanced to second on the error.  To make matters worse, Lackey then threw a wild pitch that advanced Molina to third with one out.

However, Lackey settled down and jammed John Jay on a 2-0 count to get him to pop-up to short.  Then he got 2011 World Series MVP David Freese to ground out to Stephen Drew at short to end the inning without any damage.

Boston then went three up and three down in the top of the ninth, so Uehara had to come in to get the save.  Daniel Descalso led off the inning for the Cardinals and grounded out to second, and then Allen Craig came up to pinch-hit for the pitcher’s spot.  Craig hit a line shot into right that one-hopped the wall, but only managed a single due to his foot injury.  Yet, the tying run was now at the plate.

Rookie second baseman Kolten Wong was immediately sent in to pinch-run for the injured Craig.  

Uehara settled down and got leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter to pop out to second, and that would bring Carlos Beltran, one of the greatest postseason hitters of all-time, up to the plate.  But in a shocking turn of events, Uehara took the bat out of Beltran’s hands by picking Wong off at first base to end the game.

Of all the come-from-behind wins the Red Sox had all season, this one took the most guts in my mind.  After taking Game One, Boston literally threw the next two games of the World Series away and was in position to fall behind three games to one.  This win was a result of a complete team effort, but let us give credit where credit is due.

David Ortiz went 3-3 with a walk, scored two runs, and got his teammates going with an emotional speech in the dugout mid-game.  Jonny Gomes never got down on himself, took advantage of his opportunity to play, and fought in his at-bat against Maness until he got a mistake to capitalize on. 

Felix Doubront gave his team solid innings out of the bullpen back-to-back nights without surrendering much damage.  Starting pitcher John Lackey was willing to be available for an appearance out of the bullpen three games away from his scheduled Game 6 starts.  Finally, closer Koji Uehara didn’t panic after surrendering a hard hit, and had the presence of mind to pick off a young but dangerous base-runner.

After such a gutsy win to tie the World Series 2-2, tonight’s Game 5 has the feel of being a must-win.  For the Cardinals, a loss would mean that they would have to win two games in a row on the road in a hostile environment.  If the Red Sox drop Game 5, they also would have to win two in a row, and although they would have home-field advantage, they haven’t beaten the Cardinals twice in a row in this series thus far.  Buckle up folks, and get ready for first pitch in a few hours.

Battle of the Bullpens (Extra Point's 1,000 Post!)

The World Series may come down to who can win in the late innings.

By Russ Reed

I don’t think anyone saw this type of season coming for Koji Uehara, including the man himself.  The 38-year-old Japanese closer had an incredible season for the Boston Red Sox, displaying incredible control and pitch-sequencing to make up for his lack of an electric fastball.  Uehara walked only nine batters in 74.1 innings pitched in the regular season, a remarkable achievement.

AP Photo

In addition, Uehara has performed slightly better in the postseason, as hard as that seems.  After posting a 1.09 ERA and a 0.57 WHIP during the regular season, he bettered each mark thus far in October with a 1.00 ERA and a 0.56 WHIP.  Uehara went on to win MVP of the ALCS, recording three saves, a win, and nine strikeouts.  His only blemish of the postseason came on a walk-off, solo-home run from Tampa Bay’s Jose Lobaton in Game 3 of the ALDS.

However, the entire Red Sox bullpen has picked it up since the start of the postseason.  The Boston bullpen, made up of seven pitchers including Uehara, have combined for a 0.84 ERA, 28 strikeouts and a .209 batting average against in 32 innings of relief this postseason.

The Red Sox hit only .202 as a team in the ALCS, and if the struggles continue, it will put a lot of pressure on the bullpen to keep up the stellar work in the World Series.  In addition, the return of Allen Craig for St. Louis will add more fuel to the fire.  Sources say Craig will be used in a DH role in games at Boston and will most likely come off the bench in home games.  If that’s the case, there will be a lot of pressure on Red Sox relievers on the road in the late innings of close games.

On a similar note, the Cardinals’ bullpen could also have a big impact on who ends up winning the title.  In the ALCS, the Red Sox struggled mightily against Tigers starters.  But Boston did end up scoring 11 of its 19 runs off of Detroit’s bullpen.

And as good as Detroit’s starting rotation was, St. Louis is as good, and might be better.  The Cardinals have a proven postseason starter in Adam Wainwright, and NLCS MVP Michael Wacha has done an incredible job.  The rookie right-hander has gone 3-0 in 21 innings pitched with 22 strikeouts and a 0.43 ERA.

Given this, the Red Sox could easily struggle once again with starting pitching and might have to rely on roughing up the Cardinals bullpen to win games.  Yet, that might not be so easy, as high-velocity arms in the St. Louis bullpen has posted a combined 1.80 ERA in 30 innings of work and held opponents to a .177 batting average in the postseason. 

The five highest-octane arms have an average fastball velocity ranging from 90.4 to 97.6 mph.  Both rookie closer Trevor Rosenthal and setup man Carlos Martinez can touch triple-digits, and have a bunch of capable situational relievers as well, including lefties Kevin Siegrist and Randy Choate.

This may turn out to be a battle of the bullpens, but whatever the case may be, I cannot wait for Wednesday night and the start of what I anticipate to be a very competitive World Series.

Fluke or Dynasty?

By Katy Williams

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

For baseball fans, especially those in San Francisco, the image of the Giants hoisting the World Series trophy earlier this week is still fresh in our minds.

This Giants team was nothing short of remarkable. They were down to the Reds 0-2 and came back. They proved themselves again when they were down to the Cardinals 3-1. And then, through a remarkable turn of events that could not have been predicted, the Giants swept the mighty Detroit Tigers right out of the World Series.

The Tigers were led by their bats all season, complete with a lineup featuring Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. The Giants meanwhile hit fewer homeruns in the regular season than any other team, and their best hitter, Melky Cabrera, was suspended for the second half of the season.  On paper, this series shouldn’t have even been a contest. Or was it?

For San Francisco residents, the black and orange victory parade earlier this week wasn’t anything that they hadn’t seen before. Just two years ago, the team marched down these same streets, hoisting the same trophy for their loyal fan base.

A good, but not great, team can win one World Series through a combination of luck, timing and good fortune. But they can’t win two in a three-year span. This feat pushes a team almost to dynasty status, and dynasties don’t happen on accident.

So could this Giants team be a dynasty? They certainly have the pitching to back up that claim. Hardly anyone can argue against the combination of Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Ryan Vogelsong. And if Tim Lincecum is able to restore even some of his old two-time Cy Young self next season, this team will continue to be lights-out on the mound.

The Giants also have a manager and team leader capable of taking them through the season with the focus on winning at the right time, like they did this season. With Bruce Bochy at the helm and Buster Posey behind the plate, the Giants are more than capable of overcoming adversity and making smart decisions in tough spots.

Are the Giants a dynasty? Not just yet. But don’t sleep on them next season.

Not Enough Gas

The Tigers are on the brink of elimination heading into Game 4

(AP Images/Michael Silverman)

By Jesse Doughtery

The Detroit Tigers were shut out twice in the entire 2012 regular season, and so far in the World Series, they have matched that number. 

Down 3-0 to the Giants, the Tigers have given us every indication that they will not capture the franchise’s first World Series crown since 1984. 

Aside from Verlander’s Game 1 blunder, the Tigers’ pitching has been far from the problem. In Game 2, Doug Fister yielded one run in six innings pitched en route to a 2-0 Detroit loss. In Game 3, Anibal Sanchez yielded two runs over seven innings en route to another 2-0 Detroit loss. Even with their backs against the wall, Tigers manager Jim Leyland is still rightfully confident in his starting staff. 

“I have total confidence in anybody we send out there,” said Leyland in an MLB.com interview. “When you send out Verlander and Fister and Sanchez and Scherzer, you know, you feel pretty good. You feel pretty good about any of those pitchers.”

But the Tigers offense has been lackluster, anything but clutch, and above all else, unproductive.

For an offense that finished top 10 in the league in both hits (8th) and batting average (6th), and just outside the top 10 in runs (11th), we all thought they could shoulder enough production to compliment a pitching staff that has mowed down opponents throughout the post season. 

But now we are all being told to think again.

The Tigers plated three runs in Game 1, but that mediocre offensive effort was overshadowed by an uncharacteristic start by ace Justin Verlander, where he gave up five earned runs in only four innings pitched.

Since Jhonny Peralta’s hollow home run in the ninth inning of Game 1, the Tigers have been shut out for 18 straight innings at the hands of Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong, and a solid Giants bullpen. 

When asked by MLB.com about their team struggles this World Series, members of the Tigers’ lineup have different things to say. 

“It’s baseball,” said catcher Alex Avila. “A little bit of them making good pitches, and us not taking advantage of mistakes.”

“They’ve played outstanding defense,” added outfielder Andy Dirks. “They’ve got guys making players all over the field. That’s just the way it goes.”

And when asked about his personal struggles Prince Fielder said, “I’m just trying to get a good pitch to hit. I’m just unfortunately not getting it on the barrel.” 

Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder have combined to hit 3 for 19 with two walks. Cabrera hitting .267 and Fielder an astounding .188. Without those two bats the Tigers are going to have a hard time climbing back, but as the team’s manager Jim Leyland is refraining from pointing any fingers. 

“Maybe I need to be a little more creative,” Leyland said to ESPN.com. “Like I said, we talk about us. We don’t talk about individuals. So basically, as a team, as manager, coaches and team, we’ve obviously got to do a little better.”

The Tigers haven’t shown anything to lead us to believe that they can pull of an unprecedented comeback, but if there’s a chance, it has to all come together. 

Now. 

From Comeback Kids to Favorites

The San Francisco Giants are one game away from winning a world champhionship

By Katy Williams

The Giants will win the World Series….But only if they lose a few games first

(AP Photo/Mark Terrill)

Once again, the Giants are the comeback kids. The improbable team that never seems to quit came back last week against the Cardinals, winning three straight games. This is the second time in the playoffs they have come back and won three straight games to clinch a series.

Now, the only thing separating the Giants from winning their second World Series in three seasons is a Detroit Tigers team thought was thought to be loaded with triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera and reigning Cy Young award winner and MVP Justin Verlander. And so far, they don’t seem to be putting up much of a fight.

After the Tigers swept the Yankees, they had a lot of time off while waiting for the Giants to finish off the Cardinals in seven games. In the first two games of the series, the rust has definitely shown, especially on offense. The Tigers have only scored three runs, and their bats aren’t showing any sign of heating up any time soon.

At this point, the only thing that could really separate the Giants from victory is themselves. When their bats are connecting, they can put a lot of runs on the board. And when their pitching is in the zone, they can easily keep runners off the bases.

If the first three games are any indication, the Giants are more than capable of doing both of these things in this series. After Barry Zito, Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Volgelsong completely mesmorized the Tigers’ lineup, the Giants are now up 3-0, and their ace Matt Cain has yet to take the mound. At this rate, the World Series won’t even return to San Francisco for the last two games.

But if the Giants were to drop a few games in Detroit? They have proven that the comeback is their specialty. This team does not have a panic button, they are even keeled and focused no matter the game situation, which is the single most important factor that will push them through to winning the World Series.