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Beckett Keeps Boston Alive; Series Goes Back To Fenway

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By TOM WITHERS The Associated Press

Published: October 19, 2007

CLEVELAND - Back to Boston they go. Just the Red Sox being the Red Sox.

Josh Beckett, blocking out everything but Jason Varitek's target, dominated the Cleveland Indians for the second time and Manny Ramirez drove in the go-ahead run with a 390-foot single as the Red Sox stayed alive in the AL Championship Series with a 7-1 win Thursday night in Game 5.
Kevin Youkilis set the tone with a first-inning homer off C.C. Sabathia. The Red Sox, trailing 3-2, sent the best-of-seven series back to Fenway Park to continue a season that was on the brink of being canned for the cold New England winter.

The Red Sox - and Beckett - have done this before. And clearly, Ramirez & Co. cared.

In 2004, Boston rallied from an 0-3 deficit to win the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees and went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight for its first World Series title since 1918.

The Red Sox forced a Game 6 on Saturday night, and will start one of October's brightest stars, Curt Schilling, who has a 9-3 record in 17 career postseason starts, against Fausto Carmona.

Beckett, the calm, cool and cocky 20-game winner, ignored a shrilling crowd, some chirping from Indians outfielder Kenny Lofton and even the appearance of an old girlfriend to deny Cleveland fans a chance to see their first pennant-clinching win at home.

The 27-year-old Beckett, who beat Cleveland in the opener, once again came through with the stakes at their highest.

The right-hander allowed only a run in the first, and five hits in eight innings. He struck out 11, walked one and was around the plate with almost every one of his 109 pitches.

In 2003, he pitched a two-hitter for Florida in Game 5 of the NLCS as the Marlins rallied from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Chicago Cubs. Then, pitching on just three days' rest in Game 6 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, he allowed only five hits in a 2-0 win and was picked as MVP.

If the Red Sox can win two more, he may have another trophy for his mantle.

The Indians could do little against Beckett, who rarely shook off a sign from Varitek and kept hitters guessing with a rocket fastball and a knee-buckling curve.

Boston added three runs in the eighth on three walks, a throwing error by reliever Rafael Perez, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly.

Tempers flared briefly in the fifth when Beckett and Lofton screamed at each other. Cleveland's outfielder had flipped his bat to the ground after what he thought was ball four, and when Beckett retired him on a fly ball to left, the pair exchanged words as both benches and bullpens emptied. No punches were thrown, and if Lofton was trying to rattle Beckett, he failed.

Beckett struck out Franklin Gutierrez looking before Casey Blake singled and went to third when Grady Sizemore's bouncer squirted through. But Beckett fanned Asdrubal Cabrera on three pitches, and the rookie smacked his bat on the plate in disgust.

For Sabathia, the Indians' ace and leader, it was more disappointment. He allowed four runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings, his third straight subpar performance this month.

Sabathia was angry with himself following Game 1 for not being more aggressive with Boston's hitters, and when he couldn't put David Ortiz away with two outs in the third, Ramirez made him pay.

A day after he rankled Red Sox fans by saying 'Who cares?' if Boston were to lose, the enigmatic slugger struck back.

Ramirez sent Sabathia's first pitch to center, where Sizemore went back to the wall. But as he reached up, Ramirez's shot caromed back onto the field.

Ortiz scored easily, but Ramirez, thinking his shot was long gone, was only rounding first when the Indians retrieved the ball. Boston manager Terry Francona argued it should have been a two-run homer, but after a brief meeting, the umpires kept Ramirez at first.

Whatever the outcome, it was Manny being Manny - again.

The funky, fun-loving outfielder irritated some of the Indians when he posed to admire a homer in Game 4, even though his 451-foot shot had only brought Boston within 7-3.

The Indians insisted it wasn't intentional, but the club invited country singer Danielle Peck, an ex-girlfriend of Beckett's, to sing the national anthem and 'God Bless America' on the night her former beau took the mound.

Peck was a fill-in for another singer, but her appearance didn't seem to break Beckett's concentration.

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