CLEVELAND — It’s beginning to look like Rockies fans planning to hit the road for the World Series can forget about “Paaking the car in Haarvard Yaad,” chowing down some clam “chowdah” in Faneuil Hall or recreating Paul Revere’s famous late-night ride.
Speaking of clocks striking midnight, it appears the bell is about to toll for the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, after a third straight loss to the Cleveland Indians.
Using a combination of big blasts and tantalizing floaters, the Tribe sent 12 men to the plate in a seven-run fifth inning, turning what was a taut pitching duel into a 7-3 victory Tuesday night at Jacobs Field. The AL Central champs have three chances to get the one win necessary to join Colorado next week in the showdown for major-league baseball’s championship.
“I think we tend to sneak up on some people,” said Paul Byrd, who parlayed his old-school, lindy-hop windup into his second postseason win. “I could talk about so many areas of our team … all the way across the board, I think we can beat teams in different ways.”
Byrd said the only disappointing facet of the evening was his performance in the top of the sixth, when Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz hit back-to-back homers against him after his teammates’ 35-minute barrage. Byrd was pulled for Jensen Lewis, who promptly gave up a homer to Manny Ramirez.
It marked the third time in the 2007 playoffs that the Red Sox have hit at least two consecutive homers, leaving Byrd to crack about his ability “to give up some flyballs with the best of them.”
Even so, the blasts weren’t enough to chill the Cleveland mojo. If the Red Sox are to extend the best-of-seven series, they’ll at least have the right man on the mound Thursday, ace Josh Beckett. And Boston does have a little bit of experience in coming back from 3-1 deficits in the ALCS, doing just that to beat the Yankees in 2004.
“There are some guys in there who have been in this situation before,” Boston manager Terry Francona said.
But that miracle seems so long ago, and time clearly hasn’t been the Red Sox friend, particularly when it comes to pitchers. Apart from Beckett, no Boston starter has made it beyond the fifth inning.
There are some who felt the Cy Young Award candidate should have been on the mound Tuesday, but early in the game Tim Wakefield did a pretty good imitation of a stopper. For three innings, the 41-year-old had a no-hitter, baffling Cleveland with his knuckleball. And while Wakefield eventually gave up a double in the fourth, he was still locked up with Byrd in a scoreless tie entering the bottom of the fifth.
That changed with the first batter when third baseman Casey Blake belted a homer to left. With one out and runners on first and third, Youkilis juggled and eventually dropped a foul ball by Asdrubal Cabrera. Moments later, the second baseman hit a baby liner that deflected off of Wakefield’s glove, scoring a another run.
After a third score, Jhonny Peralta extended the inning with a three-run homer. The seventh and final run scored when Blake blooped a single just in front of a diving Coco Crisp.
“If we can stop the bleeding it gives us a chance,” Francona said of the missed plays and close calls. “We did come back, but we dug ourselves a pretty big hole.”
Not only on Tuesday, but overall as well. And on Thursday, the Indians may just be sprinkling the last shovelful of dirt.
Notes. The three Boston homers in the sixth was the first time the feat had been accomplished in a League Championship Series. Three Yankees – Tim Raines, Derek Jeter and Paul O’Neill – did it against the Indians in the 1997 division series. … Ramirez extended his record with his 24th postseason homer. Ten of those have come in LCS play, another record. He also has a 14-game LCS hitting streak.
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
