BOSTON — A World Series that in many ways has seemed more dream than reality for the Rockies and their fans since the team won the National League pennant a week ago finally began to crystallize Sunday night at Fenway Park.
The first chapter in the ultimate story of Colorado’s 2007 season will be written here against the Boston Red Sox. One of baseball’s most storied franchises, the Olde Towne team added to its legend in the American League Championship Series, overcoming a 3-1 deficit to oust the Cleveland Indians.
After the 11-2 series-clinching victory, Red Sox manager Terry Francona was asked how his team, the core of which was present three years ago when Boston overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees in the ALCS, has been able to manufacture such resilience.
“I don’t know. I do think that in games of huge magnitude, our guys don’t get overwhelmed,” Francona said. “It’s a good feeling, having Jason Varitek behind the plate, seeing (series MVP Josh) Beckett out there and (veteran pitcher Curt) Schilling. They do what they’re supposed to do.”
From that perspective, the eventual outcome perhaps seemed inevitable. The Red Sox not only had history on their side, but some serious momentum as well. Over the last three games they outscored Cleveland 30-5.
Meanwhile, the Indians, already reeling from sub-par performances in Games 5 and 6 and losing a chance to close out the series at home in the first of those two contests, were further roiled before they could even take the field for the finale. Early Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that one of their mainstays, pitcher Paul Byrd, had allegedly spent $25,000 to purchase human growth hormone.
“My medical history should not be the focus of today,” Byrd said before the game.
To their credit, the Indians did not allow that to happen, or shrivel up under the pressure. Jake Westbrook flirted with serious trouble early but, assisted by three double plays, turned in six strong innings, allowing just three runs.
That gave Cleveland the chance to stage a rally that, in some ways, would have rivaled the Rockies’ run to the Series on the improbability scale. But instead, the dark cloud that has hovered over the Indians’ heads for most of the last four days finally opened up, sending down a deluge of woe.
That was most evident in a pair of pivotal plays involving left fielder Kenny Lofton, neither of which turned out in the Indians’ favor.
Trailing 3-1 in the fifth inning, Lofton singled off the left-field wall. Trying to stretch the hit into a double, he was thrown out by Manny Ramirez, although replays indicated it was the wrong call. Cleveland followed with two more hits but scored only once.
With one out in the seventh, Lofton reached second when shortstop Julio Lugo dropped a pop fly to left. The next hitter, Franklin Gutierrez, hit a smash down the third-base line that caromed off of one of the odd-angled walls. It appeared as if the speedy Lofton would have scored the tying run, but he was held up by third-base coach Joel Skinner. On the next pitch, Casey Blake hit into an inning-ending double play.
“It’s a tough corner out there,” Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said of Skinner’s decision. “It’s tough to read if it’s ricocheting back to the shortstop or to left-center.”
In the bottom of the inning, Blake booted a grounder by Jacoby Ellsbury. Two batters later, Dustin Pedroia homered to left, giving the Red Sox some much-needed breathing room. Soon thereafter, nearly a full week after the Rockies had popped the cork on their pennant, Boston did the same.
For the third time in team history, the team had come back from the brink, catapulting it into a date with Colorado. The World Series will begin Wednesday night at Fenway.
“Obviously, they have a great team; they’ve won I don’t know how many in a row,” Pedroia said. “But we’re excited about the opportunity to face them. We get to keep playing.”
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
