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Red Sox Dust Off Tribe

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By JIMMY GOLEN The Associated Press

Published: October 22, 2007

BOSTON - Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dustin Pedroia and these Boston Red Sox are taking a sweet streak into the World Series, too.

Boston charged to its third straight win, completing yet another October comeback by overpowering the Cleveland Indians 11-2 Sunday night in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series behind a new pair of rookie Sox.

Matsuzaka pitched five solid innings, Pedroia drove in five runs and the Red Sox - helped by a key blunder by an Indians base coach - finished off their rally from a 3-1 deficit.

Having ended their 86-year title drought in 2004 after digging out of a 3-0 hole against the Yankees in the ALCS, the Red Sox now have a date with Colorado in the World Series. The Rockies, who have won 10 in a row and 21 of 22, will come back from a record eight days off for Game 1 at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.

While Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and ALCS MVP Josh Beckett helped Boston advance, the Indians only added more misery to a city that hasn't celebrated a World Series championship since 1948.

The Indians were a double-play grounder from winning the crown at Florida in 1997. They appeared to take control of this series with three consecutive victories, but aces C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona failed to close it out.

Jake Westbrook pitched valiantly in Game 7, and still the Indians came up short. They had a chance to tie it at 3 in the seventh inning, but third-base coach Joel Skinner mistakenly held up speedy Kenny Lofton as he rounded the bag.

With runners at the corners, Casey Blake grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Then, the Red Sox blew it open. Pedroia, who homered earlier, hit a three-run double and Kevin Youkilis launched a bottle rocket, a two-run drive off the giant Coke bottle above the Green Monster.

Boston finished it off in style, with center fielder Coco Crisp racing back into the center-field triangle to catch Blake's drive for the final out before crashing into the wall.

Westbrook allowed leadoff hits to Boston in each of the first four innings but was bailed out by three double plays. Then he breezed through a perfect fifth and sixth, striking out four of the six batters.

Matsuzaka had a much better start, giving up just a single to Blake through three innings. He retired Asdrubal Cabrera, the leadoff hitter in the fourth, then allowed a double to Travis Hafner, breaking an 0-for-16 slump with 10 strikeouts.

After Victor Martinez grounded out to Matsuzaka, Ryan Garko doubled in the Indians' first run.

Dice-K, the $103 million pitcher who lasted just 4 2/3 innings in each of his other two playoff starts, barely got through the fifth.

Lofton led off with a single off the left-field wall but was thrown out at second by Ramirez. That throw took on great importance when the next two batters, Franklin Gutierrez and Blake singled, putting runners on first and third.

Grady Sizemore's sacrifice fly cut the lead to 3-2. Then Cabrera struck out when he swung at and missed an 82 mph changeup. Matsuzaka pumped his fist as he strode briskly off the mound to applause from teammates and fans.

He gave up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Hideki Okajima took over and pitched a perfect sixth.

For Boston, Ramirez singled in a run in the first, another scored on Julio Lugo's double-play grounder in the second and the third scored on Mike Lowell's sacrifice fly in the third.

The Red Sox signed Matsuzaka to a $52 million, six-year contract after paying $51.11 million to the Seibu Lions, his former team, for the right to negotiate with him.

Teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a series just 11 times. The 2004 Red Sox were the last to do it when they lost the first three games of the ALCS to the New York Yankees then won four straight before sweeping St. Louis in the World Series.

The Indians took three of the first four games, then Boston won 7-1 behind Beckett before returning home for a 12-2 victory Saturday night when J.D. Drew hit a grand slam and drove in five runs and Curt Schilling pitched seven solid innings.

Boston got a break in the first when Ramirez's hard shot took a bad hop and went off shortstop Jhonny Peralta's glove for an RBI single. Pedroia and Youkilis started the inning with singles before Ortiz struck out.

Then Ramirez drove in his 14th run, most in this year's playoffs, and 10th of the ALCS as Youkilis scored from second. Lowell followed with a single, but Drew grounded into a double play.

Another double play cut short a potential big inning for Boston.

Jason Varitek led off the second with a double off the Green Monster and took third on Jacoby Ellsbury's single. Lugo grounded to Peralta, who started a double play as Varitek scored.

Youkilis started the third with a double, the third leadoff hit off Westbrook. He advanced on a ground out. Ramirez was walked intentionally before Lowell hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Gutierrez.

Dice-K went 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA during the regular season and struggled at the end. In Game 3 of the ALCS, he was charged with four runs.

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