GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: AL: CLEVELAND (3-2) at BOSTON (2-3)

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - MID INNING UPDATE
PLAY: J Ellsbury in left field.
SITUATION: 0 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 2
BOSTON 12 TOP, 9TH

DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: T Hafner (.136, 0-FOR-3)</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - MID INNING UPDATE
PLAY: C Crisp in center field.
SITUATION: 0 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 2
BOSTON 12 TOP, 9TH

DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: T Hafner (.136, 0-FOR-3)</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - MID INNING UPDATE
PLAY: A Cora at shortstop.
SITUATION: 0 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 2
BOSTON 12 TOP, 9TH

DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: T Hafner (.136, 0-FOR-3)</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - PITCHING CHANGE
BOS: ERIC GAGNE (0-1, 13.50) STARTING THE 9TH
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 2, BOSTON 12

DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: T HAFNER (.136, 0-FOR-3)</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - MID INNING UPDATE
PLAY: E Gagne relieved J Lopez.
SITUATION: 0 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 2
BOSTON 12 TOP, 9TH

DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: T Hafner (.136, 0-FOR-3)</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">AL FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CLEVELAND 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 2
BOSTON 4 0 6 0 0 0 0 2 x 12 13 0 (FINAL)

BATTERIES: CLE - FAUSTO CARMONA, RAFAEL PEREZ (3RD), AARON LAFFEY (3RD), JOE
BOROWSKI (8TH) AND VICTOR MARTINEZ

BOS - CURT SCHILLING, JAVIER LOPEZ (8TH), ERIC GAGNE
(9TH) AND JASON VARITEK

HOME RUNS: CLE - VICTOR MARTINEZ (1) OFF CURT SCHILLING IN THE 2ND, 0 ON

BOS - J.D. DREW (1) OFF FAUSTO CARMONA IN THE 1ST, 3 ON</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">AL FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CLEVELAND 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 2
BOSTON 4 0 6 0 0 0 0 2 x 12 13 0 (FINAL)

BATTERIES: CLE - FAUSTO CARMONA, RAFAEL PEREZ (3RD), AARON LAFFEY (3RD), JOE
BOROWSKI (8TH) AND VICTOR MARTINEZ

BOS - CURT SCHILLING, JAVIER LOPEZ (8TH), ERIC GAGNE
(9TH) AND JASON VARITEK


WP - CURT SCHILLING (1-0)
LP - FAUSTO CARMONA (0-1)
SAVE - NONE

HOME RUNS: CLE - VICTOR MARTINEZ (1) OFF CURT SCHILLING IN THE 2ND, 0 ON

BOS - J.D. DREW (1) OFF FAUSTO CARMONA IN THE 1ST, 3 ON


TIME: 3:09 ATT: 37,163

PROBABLES:</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">CLEVELAND (2) VS BOSTON (12) - FINAL

CLEVELAND ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
G Sizemore cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 .208
A Cabrera 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 .240
T Hafner dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .130
V Martinez c 4 1 2 1 0 1 0 .348
R Garko 1b 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 .300
J Peralta ss 2 0 0 1 0 1 1 .261
K Lofton lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .217
T Nixon rf 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 .429
C Blake 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .318

Totals 31 2 6 2 0 5 10

BATTING: 3B - R Garko (1, C Schilling). HR - V Martinez (1, 2nd inning off C
Schilling 0 on, 0 Out). SF - J Peralta. RBI - V Martinez (3), J Peralta (8).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - T Hafner 1. GIDP - G Sizemore. Team
LOB - 3.

FIELDING: E - A Cabrera (1, throw); R Garko (2, throw). DP: 1 (J Peralta-R
Garko).


BOSTON ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
D Pedroia 2b 4 2 2 0 1 0 0 .292
K Youkilis 1b 4 2 3 1 1 0 0 .478
D Ortiz dh 4 1 1 0 1 1 2 .368
E Hinske pr-dh 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
M Ramirez lf 2 1 0 1 2 1 4 .421
C Crisp cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143
M Lowell 3b 4 1 2 1 1 0 5 .292
J Drew rf 5 2 3 5 0 1 1 .381
J Varitek c 3 0 0 0 2 0 1 .182
J Ellsbury cf-lf 5 1 1 1 0 1 4 .200
J Lugo ss 4 1 1 2 0 1 0 .182
A Cora ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Totals 35 12 13 11 8 5 17

BATTING: 2B - D Pedroia (2, F Carmona); J Lugo (2, R Perez); D Ortiz (3, J
Borowski). HR - J Drew (1, 1st inning off F Carmona 3 on, 2 Out). SF - M
Ramirez. RBI - J Drew 5 (5), J Ellsbury (1), J Lugo 2 (2), K Youkilis (5), M
Ramirez (9), M Lowell (7). 2-out RBI - J Drew 4, M Lowell. Runners left in
scoring position, 2 out - M Lowell 1, J Ellsbury 2. GIDP - D Ortiz. Team LOB -
8.

FIELDING: DP: 1 (D Pedroia-J Lugo-K Youkilis).


----------------------------------------------------
CLEVELAND - 010 000 100 -- 2
BOSTON - 406 000 02x -- 12
----------------------------------------------------

CLEVELAND ip h r er bb so hr era
F Carmona (L, 0-1) 2 6 7 7 4 2 1 16.50
R Perez 1/3 3 3 2 1 0 0 45.00
A Laffey 4 2/3 1 0 0 1 3 0 0.00
J Borowski 1 3 2 2 2 0 0 4.50

BOSTON ip h r er bb so hr era
C Schilling (W, 1-0) 7 6 2 2 0 5 1 5.40
J Lopez 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 18.00
E Gagne 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.71

F Carmona pitched to 3 batters in the 3rd.

Pitches-strikes: F Carmona 63-33; R Perez 16-9; A Laffey 52-33; J Borowski
22-12; C Schilling 90-60; J Lopez 8-5; E Gagne 9-7. Ground balls-fly balls: F
Carmona 3-1; R Perez 0-1; A Laffey 6-5; J Borowski 0-3; C Schilling 8-8; J
Lopez 2-1; E Gagne 2-1. Batters faced: F Carmona 15; R Perez 5; A Laffey 16; J
Borowski 8; C Schilling 26; J Lopez 3; E Gagne 3.

UMPIRES: HP--Dana Demuth. 1B--Randy Marsh. 2B--Kerwin Danley. 3B--Brian
Gorman. LF--Paul Emmel. RF--Gary Cederstrom.

T--3:09. Att--37,163.
Weather: 67 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 13 mph, out
to right.</div>

 

Drew bashes Red Sox into Game Seven showdown with Indians

<h3>BOSTON 12, CLEVELAND 2</h3>BOSTON (Ticker) -- Thanks to much-maligned J.D. Drew, CurtSchilling didn't need to come up "big" again.


Drew hit a first-inning grand slam off Fausto Carmona and addedan RBI single in a six-run third as the Boston Red Sox won theirsecond straight game, 12-2, over the Cleveland Indians onSaturday to force a deciding Game Seven of their American LeagueChampionship Series.


Schilling, considered perhaps the best postseason pitcher ofall-time, allowed two runs over seven strong innings for the RedSox, who will send Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound Sunday nightagainst Game Three winner Jake Westbrook.


The winner will advance to the World Series against the ColoradoRockies.


Schilling entered 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 17 postseason starts.But at 40 years of age with a diminishing fastball and a subparGame Two outing, a full house at Fenway Park was wonderingwhether the pitcher who won Game Six of the 2004 ALCS againstthe New York Yankees on a gimpy ankle could rise to the occasionone more time.


But Drew made it all a moot point.


The Boston right fielder, who opted out of his contract with theLos Angeles Dodgers after last season and signed with Bostonfor five years and $70 million, was the subject of intensescrutiny by the Boston media and fans during a regular season inwhich he needed a hot finish to post a mediocre .270 averagewith just 11 homers and 64 RBI.


Finding himself on the bench in favor of Bobby Kielty for GamesOne and Five of this series with tough lefthander C.C. Sabathiaon the mound, Drew entered this game just 7-for-27 with threeRBI in the postseason.


Carmona, who hadn't allowed a hit in five career at-bats toDrew, fell behind 3-1 before throwing a fastball right down themiddle of the plate that Drew launched into the first row of thecenter field seats, giving the Sox a quick 4-0 lead. It wasDrew's second hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring positionthis postseason.


Carmona, who won 19 games during the regular season to earn CyYoung Award consideration and dominated the Yankees for nineinnings in his ALDS contest, continued to live throughnightmares at Fenway Park.


The 23-year-old Carmona came into the game having allowed nineruns, seven walks and seven hits in five innings over threecareer games here, including four runs in four-plus innings in aGame Two start.


Carmona walked Manny Ramirez and MIke Lowell to lead off thethird and was replaced by Rafael Perez after yielding an RBIsingle to Drew.


But the Red Sox weren't done in the third, as rookie JacobyEllsbury, who started in place of slumping Coco Crisp in centerfield, lined a run-scoring single to left before Julio Lugodoubled inside the third base line, plating Drew and Ellsburyfor an 8-1 lead.


Perez walked Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis followed bylining a pitch off the left field wall, plating Lugo. Youkilisgot caught in a rundown between first and second, and Pedroiascored when the Boston first baseman was hit in the helmet by athrow from second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera.


Carmona was charged with seven runs, six hits and four walks intwo-plus innings. Perez was charged with three runs and threehits in one-third of an inning.


Boston capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth offCleveland closer Joe Borowski.


Schilling, who was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3innings in Game Two, yielded six hits with no walks and fivestrikeouts as he improved to 4-0 in elimination games during hiscareer.


The righthander pitched a perfect first inning - surviving afoul home run by Grady Sizemore - before yielding a leadoffhomer to Victor Martinez in the second that cut the deficit to4-1.


The Indians threatened to cut further into the lead in thethird, when former Red Sox Trot Nixon and Casey Blake led offwith singles. But Schilling got a pair of flyouts by Sizemoreand Cabrera and a groundout by slumping Travis Hafner, who wenthitless for a 10th straight at-bat.

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
AL
CLEVELAND 2
BOSTON 12 FINAL</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLEVELAND (2) AT BOSTON (12) - HOW THEY SCORED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOSTON 1ST: D Pedroia reached on infield single to second. K Youkilis
reached on infield single to shortstop, D Pedroia to second. D Ortiz walked,
D Pedroia to third, K Youkilis to second. M Ramirez struck out swinging.
M Lowell flied out to right. J Drew homered to center, D Pedroia, K Youkilis and
D Ortiz scored. J Varitek walked. J Ellsbury grounded out to pitcher. (4
Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 0, BOSTON 4.

CLEVELAND 2ND: V Martinez homered to right. R Garko struck out swinging.
J Peralta grounded out to third. K Lofton flied out to left. (1 Run, 1 Hit,
0 Errors) CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 4.

BOSTON 3RD: M Ramirez walked. M Lowell walked, M Ramirez to second.
J Drew singled to center, M Ramirez scored, M Lowell to second. R Perez relieved
F Carmona. J Varitek flied out to center, M Lowell to third. J Ellsbury
singled to left center, M Lowell scored, J Drew to second. J Lugo doubled to
left, J Drew and J Ellsbury scored. D Pedroia walked. K Youkilis singled to
left, J Lugo scored, D Pedroia to third, D Pedroia scored on throwing error by
second baseman A Cabrera. A Laffey relieved R Perez. D Ortiz grounded out to
first, K Youkilis to second on throwing error by first baseman R Garko.
M Ramirez walked. M Lowell flied out to right. (6 Runs, 4 Hits, 2 Errors)
CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 10.

CLEVELAND 7TH: R Garko tripled to deep center. J Peralta hit sacrifice fly
to right, R Garko scored. K Lofton grounded out to second. T Nixon lined out
to right. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 2, BOSTON 10.

BOSTON 8TH: J Borowski relieved A Laffey. D Pedroia flied out to center.
K Youkilis walked. D Ortiz doubled to left, K Youkilis to third. E Hinske ran
for D Ortiz. M Ramirez hit sacrifice fly to center, K Youkilis scored.
M Lowell singled to center, E Hinske scored. J Drew singled to center, M Lowell
to second. J Varitek walked, M Lowell to third, J Drew to second. J Ellsbury
lined out to shortstop. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 2, BOSTON 12.</div>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLEVELAND (2) AT BOSTON (12) - EVENT LOG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cleveland Starting Lineups -- G Sizemore CF, A Cabrera 2B, T Hafner DH,
V Martinez C, R Garko 1B, J Peralta SS, K Lofton LF, T Nixon RF, C Blake 3B,
F Carmona RHP.

Boston Starting Lineups -- D Pedroia 2B, K Youkilis 1B, D Ortiz DH, M Ramirez LF,
M Lowell 3B, J Drew RF, J Varitek C, J Ellsbury CF, J Lugo SS, C Schilling RHP.

Umpires -- Dana Demuth (HP), Randy Marsh (1B), Kerwin Danley (2B),
Brian Gorman (3B), Paul Emmel (LF), Gary Cederstrom (RF).

Gametime Weather: 67 degrees, Partly Cloudy, wind out to right at 13 mph.


CLEVELAND 1ST: G Sizemore grounded out to shortstop. A Cabrera grounded
out to second. T Hafner struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
CLEVELAND 0, BOSTON 0.

BOSTON 1ST: D Pedroia reached on infield single to second. K Youkilis
reached on infield single to shortstop, D Pedroia to second. D Ortiz walked,
D Pedroia to third, K Youkilis to second. M Ramirez struck out swinging.
M Lowell flied out to right. J Drew homered to center, D Pedroia, K Youkilis
and D Ortiz scored. J Varitek walked. J Ellsbury grounded out to pitcher.
(4 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 0, BOSTON 4.

CLEVELAND 2ND: V Martinez homered to right. R Garko struck out swinging.
J Peralta grounded out to third. K Lofton flied out to left. (1 Run, 1 Hit,
0 Errors) CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 4.

BOSTON 2ND: J Lugo struck out swinging. D Pedroia doubled to left center.
K Youkilis reached on infield single to shortstop, D Pedroia to third. D Ortiz
grounded into double play, shortstop to first, K Youkilis out at second.
(0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 4.

CLEVELAND 3RD: T Nixon singled to right. C Blake singled to left, T Nixon
to second. G Sizemore lined out to right. A Cabrera flied out to right,
T Nixon to third. T Hafner grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 4.

BOSTON 3RD: M Ramirez walked. M Lowell walked, M Ramirez to second.
J Drew singled to center, M Ramirez scored, M Lowell to second. R Perez relieved
F Carmona. J Varitek flied out to center, M Lowell to third. J Ellsbury
singled to left center, M Lowell scored, J Drew to second. J Lugo doubled to
left, J Drew and J Ellsbury scored. D Pedroia walked. K Youkilis singled to
left, J Lugo scored, D Pedroia to third, D Pedroia scored on throwing error by
second baseman A Cabrera. A Laffey relieved R Perez. D Ortiz grounded out to
first, K Youkilis to second on throwing error by first baseman R Garko.
M Ramirez walked. M Lowell flied out to right. (6 Runs, 4 Hits, 2 Errors)
CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 10.

CLEVELAND 4TH: V Martinez singled to left. R Garko flied out to left.
J Peralta struck out swinging. K Lofton grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 1 Hit,
0 Errors) CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 10.

BOSTON 4TH: J Drew flied out to left. J Varitek flied out to right.
J Ellsbury flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 1,
BOSTON 10.

CLEVELAND 5TH: T Nixon singled to right. C Blake flied out to left.
G Sizemore grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, T Nixon out
at second.(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 10.

BOSTON 5TH: J Lugo grounded out to shortstop. D Pedroia grounded out to
second. K Youkilis grounded out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 10.

CLEVELAND 6TH: A Cabrera popped out to second. T Hafner struck out
swinging. V Martinez struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 10.

BOSTON 6TH: D Ortiz struck out looking. M Ramirez grounded out to third.
M Lowell singled to deep left. J Drew struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 1 Hit,
0 Errors) CLEVELAND 1, BOSTON 10.

CLEVELAND 7TH: R Garko tripled to deep center. J Peralta hit sacrifice fly
to right, R Garko scored. K Lofton grounded out to second. T Nixon lined out
to right. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 2, BOSTON 10.

BOSTON 7TH: J Varitek flied out to center. J Ellsbury struck out swinging.
J Lugo grounded out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 2, BOSTON 10.

CLEVELAND 8TH: J Lopez relieved C Schilling. C Blake flied out to right.
G Sizemore grounded out to second. A Cabrera grounded out to second. (0 Runs,
0 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 2, BOSTON 10.

BOSTON 8TH: J Borowski relieved A Laffey. D Pedroia flied out to center.
K Youkilis walked. D Ortiz doubled to left, K Youkilis to third. E Hinske
ran for D Ortiz. M Ramirez hit sacrifice fly to center, K Youkilis scored.
M Lowell singled to center, E Hinske scored. J Drew singled to center, M Lowell
to second. J Varitek walked, M Lowell to third, J Drew to second. J Ellsbury
lined out to shortstop. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 2, BOSTON 12.

CLEVELAND 9TH: C Crisp in center field. J Ellsbury in left field. A Cora at
shortstop. E Gagne relieved J Lopez. T Hafner flied out to center. V Martinez
grounded out to pitcher. R Garko grounded out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits,
0 Errors) CLEVELAND 2, BOSTON 12.</div>

 

Drew bashes Red Sox into Game Seven showdown with Indians

<h3>BOSTON 12, CLEVELAND 2</h3>BOSTON (Ticker) -- Thanks to much-maligned J.D. Drew, CurtSchilling didn't need to come up "big" again.


Drew hit a first-inning grand slam off Fausto Carmona and addedan RBI single in a six-run third as the Boston Red Sox won theirsecond straight game, 12-2, over the Cleveland Indians onSaturday to force a deciding Game Seven of their American LeagueChampionship Series.


Schilling, considered perhaps the best postseason pitcher ofall-time, allowed two runs over seven strong innings in whatcould have been his last performance for the Red Sox, who willsend Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound Sunday night against GameThree winner Jake Westbrook.


"Game Seven is do-or-die," Schilling said. "You can't ask formore than that. We're going to lean on Daisuke and I believehe'll do something special."


The winner will advance to the World Series against the ColoradoRockies.


Schilling, who is a free agent after the season, likely will notbe re-signed.


"This is a special place," Schilling said about Boston andFenway Park. "I have been blessed to play for this organization,these fans."


Schilling entered 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 17 postseason starts.But at 40 years of age with a diminishing fastball and a subparGame Two outing, a full house at Fenway Park was wonderingwhether the pitcher who won Game Six of the 2004 ALCS againstthe New York Yankees on a gimpy ankle could rise to the occasionone more time.


But Drew made it all a moot point.


"We needed tonight's game," Drew said. "We needed a goodperformance out of Schilling and we got it."


The Boston right fielder, who opted out of his contract with theLos Angeles Dodgers after last season and signed with Bostonfor five years and $70 million, was the subject of intensescrutiny by the Boston media and fans during a regular season inwhich he needed a hot finish to post a mediocre .270 averagewith just 11 homers and 64 RBI.


Finding himself on the bench in favor of Bobby Kielty for GamesOne and Five of this series with tough lefthander C.C. Sabathiaon the mound, Drew entered this game just 7-for-27 with threeRBI in the postseason.


Boston loaded the bases in the first on infield hits by DustinPedroia and Kevin Youkilis and a walk to David Ortiz, butCarmona struck out Manny Ramirez and retired Mike Lowell on ashort fly to right field.


But Carmona, who hadn't allowed a hit in five career at-bats toDrew, fell behind 3-1 before throwing a fastball right down themiddle of the plate that Drew launched into the first row of thecenter field seats, giving the Sox a quick 4-0 lead.

"In the first inning, Carmona almost got out of it," Bostonmanager Terry Francona said. "J.D. came up with a great swing."

"In that situation with the bases loaded, I just tried to stayhard up the middle," Drew said.


It was Drew's second hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoringposition this postseason.


Carmona, who won 19 games during the regular season to earn CyYoung Award consideration and dominated the Yankees for nineinnings in his ALDS contest, continued to live throughnightmares at Fenway Park.


The 23-year-old Carmona came into the game having allowed nineruns, seven walks and seven hits in five innings over threecareer games here, including four runs in four-plus innings in aGame Two start.


Carmona walked Ramirez and Lowell to lead off the third and wasreplaced by Rafael Perez after yielding an RBI single to Drew.

But the Red Sox weren't done in the third, as rookie JacobyEllsbury, who started in place of slumping Coco Crisp in centerfield, lined a run-scoring single to left before Julio Lugodoubled inside the third base line, plating Drew and Ellsburyfor an 8-1 lead.


Perez walked Pedroia and Youkilis followed by lining a pitch offthe left field wall, plating Lugo. Youkilis got caught in arundown between first and second, and Pedroia scored when theBoston first baseman was hit in the helmet by a throw fromsecond baseman Asdrubal Cabrera.


Carmona was charged with seven runs, six hits and four walks intwo-plus innings. Perez was charged with three runs and threehits in one-third of an inning.


Boston capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth offCleveland closer Joe Borowski.


Schilling, who was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3innings in Game Two, yielded six hits with no walks and fivestrikeouts as he improved to 4-0 in elimination games during hiscareer.


The righthander pitched a perfect first inning - surviving afoul home run by Grady Sizemore - before yielding a leadoffhomer to Victor Martinez in the second that cut the deficit to4-1.


The Indians threatened to cut further into the lead in thethird, when former Red Sox Trot Nixon and Casey Blake led offwith singles. But Schilling got a pair of flyouts by Sizemoreand Cabrera and a groundout by slumping Travis Hafner, who wenthitless for a 10th straight at-bat.


"(Pitching coach John Farrell) keeps saying stay pitch-to-pitch.I stayed pitch-to-pitch," Schilling said about the thirdinning. "If you can't stay in the moment, bad things canhappen. I just focused on the next pitch."

 

Re: AL: CLEVELAND (3-2) at BOSTON (2-3)

DiceK will start game 7 with Beckett being available for the game.</p>

 

AL: CLEVELAND at BOSTON

<div class="pre">AL FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CLEVELAND 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 2
BOSTON 4 0 6 0 0 0 0 2 x 12 13 0 (FINAL)

BATTERIES: CLE - FAUSTO CARMONA, RAFAEL PEREZ (3RD), AARON LAFFEY (3RD), JOE
BOROWSKI (8TH) AND VICTOR MARTINEZ

BOS - CURT SCHILLING, JAVIER LOPEZ (8TH), ERIC GAGNE
(9TH) AND JASON VARITEK


WP - CURT SCHILLING (1-0)
LP - FAUSTO CARMONA (0-1)
SAVE - NONE

HOME RUNS: CLE - VICTOR MARTINEZ (1) OFF CURT SCHILLING IN THE 2ND, 0 ON

BOS - J.D. DREW (1) OFF FAUSTO CARMONA IN THE 1ST, 3 ON


TIME: 3:09 ATT: 37,163

PROBABLES: CLE - JAKE WESTBROOK (1-0, 2.70)
BOS - DAISUKE MATSUZAKA (0-1, 7.71)</div>

 

Drew bashes Red Sox into Game Seven showdown with Indians

<h3>BOSTON 12, CLEVELAND 2</h3>BOSTON (Ticker) -- Thanks to much-maligned J.D. Drew, CurtSchilling didn't need to come up "big" again.


Drew hit a first-inning grand slam off Fausto Carmona and addedan RBI single in a six-run third as the Boston Red Sox won theirsecond straight game, 12-2, over the Cleveland Indians onSaturday to force a deciding Game Seven of their American LeagueChampionship Series.


Schilling, considered perhaps the best postseason pitcher ofall-time, allowed two runs over seven strong innings in whatcould have been his last performance for the Red Sox, who willsend Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound Sunday night against GameThree winner Jake Westbrook.


"Game Seven is do-or-die," Schilling said. "You can't ask formore than that. We're going to lean on Daisuke and I believehe'll do something special."


The winner will advance to the World Series against the ColoradoRockies.


"We're excited, crazy not to be," Boston manager Terry Franconasaid. "Game Seven at Fenway, we're excited. I'm sure they aretoo."


"Just wasn't in the cards for us tonight," Cleveland managerEric Wedge said. "It's still two games, you see a lot in aseven-game series."


Schilling, who is a free agent after the season, likely will notbe re-signed but talked about the rousing ovation he receivedafter walking off the mound.


"This is a special place," Schilling said about Boston andFenway Park. "I have been blessed to play for this organization,these fans."


Schilling entered 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 17 postseason starts.But at 40 years of age with a diminishing fastball and a subparGame Two outing, a full house at Fenway Park was wonderingwhether the pitcher who won Game Six of the 2004 ALCS againstthe New York Yankees on a gimpy ankle could rise to the occasionone more time.


But Drew made it all a moot point.


"We needed tonight's game," Drew said. "We needed a goodperformance out of Schilling and we got it."


The Boston right fielder, who opted out of his contract with theLos Angeles Dodgers after last season and signed with Bostonfor five years and $70 million, was the subject of intensescrutiny by the Boston media and fans during a regular season inwhich he needed a hot finish to post a mediocre .270 averagewith just 11 homers and 64 RBI.


Finding himself on the bench in favor of Bobby Kielty for GamesOne and Five of this series with tough lefthander C.C. Sabathiaon the mound, Drew entered this game just 7-for-27 with threeRBI in the postseason.


Boston loaded the bases in the first on infield hits by DustinPedroia and Kevin Youkilis and a walk to David Ortiz, butCarmona struck out Manny Ramirez and retired Mike Lowell on ashort fly to right field.


But Carmona, who hadn't allowed a hit in five career at-bats toDrew, fell behind 3-1 before throwing a fastball right down themiddle of the plate that Drew launched into the first row of thecenter field seats, giving the Sox a quick 4-0 lead.

"That was huge," Francona said. "They had a chance to wiggle outof that. J.D. came up with a great swing."


It was Drew's second hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoringposition this postseason.


"In that situation with the bases loaded, I just tried to stayhard up the middle," Drew said.


Carmona, who won 19 games during the regular season to earn CyYoung Award consideration and dominated the Yankees for nineinnings in his ALDS contest, continued to live throughnightmares at Fenway Park.


The 23-year-old Carmona came into the game having allowed nineruns, seven walks and seven hits in five innings over threecareer games here, including four runs in four-plus innings in aGame Two start.


Carmona walked Ramirez and Lowell to lead off the third and wasreplaced by Rafael Perez after yielding an RBI single to Drew.

But the Red Sox weren't done in the third, as rookie JacobyEllsbury, who started in place of slumping Coco Crisp in centerfield, lined a run-scoring single to left before Julio Lugodoubled inside the third base line, plating Drew and Ellsburyfor an 8-1 lead.


Perez walked Pedroia and Youkilis followed by lining a pitch offthe left field wall, plating Lugo. Youkilis got caught in arundown between first and second, and Pedroia scored when theBoston first baseman was hit in the helmet by a throw fromsecond baseman Asdrubal Cabrera.


Carmona was charged with seven runs, six hits and four walks intwo-plus innings. Perez was charged with three runs and threehits in one-third of an inning.


Boston capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth offCleveland closer Joe Borowski.


Schilling, who was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3innings in Game Two, yielded six hits with no walks and fivestrikeouts as he improved to 4-0 in elimination games during hiscareer.


The righthander pitched a perfect first inning - surviving afoul home run by Grady Sizemore - before yielding a leadoffhomer to Victor Martinez in the second that cut the deficit to4-1.


The Indians threatened to cut further into the lead in thethird, when former Red Sox Trot Nixon and Casey Blake led offwith singles. But Schilling got a pair of flyouts by Sizemoreand Cabrera and a groundout by slumping Travis Hafner, who wenthitless for a 10th straight at-bat.


"(Pitching coach John Farrell) keeps saying stay pitch-to-pitch.I stayed pitch-to-pitch," Schilling said about the thirdinning. "If you can't stay in the moment, bad things canhappen. I just focused on the next pitch."

 

Drew bashes Red Sox into Game Seven showdown with Indians

<h3>BOSTON 12, CLEVELAND 2</h3>BOSTON (Ticker) -- Thanks to much-maligned J.D. Drew, CurtSchilling didn't need to come up "big" again.


Drew hit a first-inning grand slam off Fausto Carmona and addedan RBI single in a six-run third as the Boston Red Sox won theirsecond straight game, 12-2, over the Cleveland Indians onSaturday to force a deciding Game Seven of their American LeagueChampionship Series.


Schilling, considered perhaps the best postseason pitcher ofall-time, allowed two runs over seven strong innings in whatcould have been his last performance for the Red Sox, who willsend Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound Sunday night against GameThree winner Jake Westbrook.


"Game Seven is do-or-die," Schilling said. "You can't ask formore than that. We're going to lean on Daisuke and I believehe'll do something special."


"The man (Schilling) knows how to handle his business in asituation like that and he did what he normally does," Red Soxslugger David Ortiz added.


The winner will advance to the World Series against the ColoradoRockies.


"We're not comfortable, we're confident (about Game Seven),"Ortiz said. "This is it. This is it. This is where you want tobe. (Sunday), the best team is going to win, which ever teammakes the best moves."


"We're excited, crazy not to be," Boston manager Terry Franconasaid. "Game Seven at Fenway, we're excited. I'm sure they aretoo."


The Indians will try to avoid losing the series after leadingthree games to one.


"Just wasn't in the cards for us tonight," Cleveland managerEric Wedge said. "It's still two games, you see a lot in aseven-game series."


"The game just got out of hand so early but that happens," addedIndians third baseman Casey Blake. "Now, we're both in the sameposition and it's do or die for each team. We've got one gameleft in the series. We've got to prepare like we've preparedall year, just kind of expecting to win."


Schilling, who is a free agent after the season, likely will notbe re-signed but talked about the rousing ovation he receivedafter walking off the mound.


"This is a special place," Schilling said about Boston andFenway Park. "I have been blessed to play for this organization,these fans."


Schilling entered 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 17 postseason starts.But at 40 years of age with a diminishing fastball and a subparGame Two outing, a full house at Fenway Park was wonderingwhether the pitcher who won Game Six of the 2004 ALCS againstthe New York Yankees on a gimpy ankle could rise to the occasionone more time.


"He worked off his fastball and mixed in his other pitches,"Boston catcher Jason Varitek said. "He got better. Those longcouple of first innings slowed him down and he started to getcranked up a little again."


But Drew made it all a moot point.


"We needed tonight's game," Drew said. "We needed a goodperformance out of Schilling and we got it."


The Boston right fielder, who opted out of his contract with theLos Angeles Dodgers after last season and signed with Bostonfor five years and $70 million, was the subject of intensescrutiny by the Boston media and fans during a regular season inwhich he needed a hot finish to post a mediocre .270 averagewith just 11 homers and 64 RBI.


Finding himself on the bench in favor of Bobby Kielty for GamesOne and Five of this series with tough lefthander C.C. Sabathiaon the mound, Drew entered this game just 7-for-27 with threeRBI in the postseason.


Boston loaded the bases in the first on infield hits by DustinPedroia and Kevin Youkilis and a walk to Ortiz, but Carmonastruck out Manny Ramirez and retired Mike Lowell on a short flyto right field.


But Carmona, who hadn't allowed a hit in five career at-bats toDrew, fell behind 3-1 before throwing a fastball right down themiddle of the plate that Drew launched into the first row of thecenter field seats, giving the Sox a quick 4-0 lead.

"That was huge," Francona said. "They had a chance to wiggle outof that. J.D. came up with a great swing."


"Poor Fausto," Blake said. "That was a tough inning on him. Theyhit that one ball hard. 3-1 (count), he had to come to him andyou've got to give J.D. credit for hitting it but that wastough. I think it would've been a whole different ballgame ifhe'd gotten out of it right there."


It was Drew's second hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoringposition this postseason.


"In that situation with the bases loaded, I just tried to stayhard up the middle," Drew said.


Carmona, who won 19 games during the regular season to earn CyYoung Award consideration and dominated the Yankees for nineinnings in his ALDS contest, continued to live throughnightmares at Fenway Park.


"I felt great, even better than the last time I pitched,"Carmona said. "I was calm and better than the first time. Itjust so happened it didn't work out my way."


The 23-year-old Carmona came into the game having allowed nineruns, seven walks and seven hits in five innings over threecareer games here, including four runs in four-plus innings in aGame Two start.


Carmona walked Ramirez and Lowell to lead off the third and wasreplaced by Rafael Perez after yielding an RBI single to Drew.

But the Red Sox weren't done in the third, as rookie JacobyEllsbury, who started in place of slumping Coco Crisp in centerfield, lined a run-scoring single to left before Julio Lugodoubled inside the third base line, plating Drew and Ellsburyfor an 8-1 lead.


Perez walked Pedroia and Youkilis followed by lining a pitch offthe left field wall, plating Lugo. Youkilis got caught in arundown between first and second, and Pedroia scored when theBoston first baseman was hit in the helmet by a throw fromsecond baseman Asdrubal Cabrera.


Carmona was charged with seven runs, six hits and four walks intwo-plus innings. Perez was charged with three runs and threehits in one-third of an inning.


Boston capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth offCleveland closer Joe Borowski.


Schilling, who was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3innings in Game Two, yielded six hits with no walks and fivestrikeouts as he improved to 4-0 in elimination games during hiscareer.


The righthander pitched a perfect first inning - surviving afoul home run by Grady Sizemore - before yielding a leadoffhomer to Victor Martinez in the second that cut the deficit to4-1.


The Indians threatened to cut further into the lead in thethird, when former Red Sox Trot Nixon and Blake led off withsingles. But Schilling got a pair of flyouts by Sizemore andCabrera and a groundout by slumping Travis Hafner, who wenthitless for a 10th straight at-bat.


"(Pitching coach John Farrell) keeps saying stay pitch-to-pitch.I stayed pitch-to-pitch," Schilling said about the thirdinning. "If you can't stay in the moment, bad things canhappen. I just focused on the next pitch."

 

Drew bashes Red Sox into Game Seven showdown with Indians

<h3>BOSTON 12, CLEVELAND 2</h3>BOSTON (Ticker) -- Thanks to much-maligned J.D. Drew, CurtSchilling didn't need to come up "big" again.


Drew hit a first-inning grand slam off Fausto Carmona and addedan RBI single in a six-run third as the Boston Red Sox won theirsecond straight game, 12-2, over the Cleveland Indians onSaturday to force a deciding Game Seven of their American LeagueChampionship Series.


Schilling, considered perhaps the best postseason pitcher ofall-time, allowed two runs over seven strong innings in whatcould have been his last performance for the Red Sox, who willsend Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound Sunday night against GameThree winner Jake Westbrook.


"Game Seven is do-or-die," Schilling said. "You can't ask formore than that. We're going to lean on Daisuke and I believehe'll do something special."


"The man (Schilling) knows how to handle his business in asituation like that and he did what he normally does," Red Soxslugger David Ortiz added.


The winner will advance to the World Series against the ColoradoRockies.


"We're not comfortable, we're confident (about Game Seven),"Ortiz said. "This is it. This is it. This is where you want tobe. (Sunday), the best team is going to win, which ever teammakes the best moves."


"We're excited, crazy not to be," Boston manager Terry Franconasaid. "Game Seven at Fenway, we're excited. I'm sure they aretoo."


The Indians will try to avoid losing the series after leadingthree games to one.


"Just wasn't in the cards for us tonight," Cleveland managerEric Wedge said. "It's still two games, you see a lot in aseven-game series."


"The game just got out of hand so early but that happens," addedIndians third baseman Casey Blake. "Now, we're both in the sameposition and it's do or die for each team. We've got one gameleft in the series. We've got to prepare like we've preparedall year, just kind of expecting to win."


Schilling, who is a free agent after the season, likely will notbe re-signed but talked about how he felt as he left the gameto a rousing ovation.


"How incredibly blessed I am, how - I mean, those are themoments you don't ever forget," he said. "God gave me a chanceto play professional baseball, which is a gift beyond anythingyou'd ever dream of. But to play in this environment, in thisstadium in front of these people, you know, I would argue thatyou'll never hear home-field advantage being pooh-poohed againstin this city."


Schilling entered 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 17 postseason starts.But at 40 years of age with a diminishing fastball and a subparGame Two outing, a full house at Fenway Park was wonderingwhether the pitcher who won Game Six of the 2004 ALCS againstthe New York Yankees on a gimpy ankle could rise to the occasionone more time.


"He worked off his fastball and mixed in his other pitches,"Boston catcher Jason Varitek said. "He got better. Those longcouple of first innings slowed him down and he started to getcranked up a little again."


But Drew made it all a moot point.


"We needed tonight's game," Drew said. "We needed a goodperformance out of Schilling and we got it."


The Boston right fielder, who opted out of his contract with theLos Angeles Dodgers after last season and signed with Bostonfor five years and $70 million, was the subject of intensescrutiny by the Boston media and fans during a regular season inwhich he needed a hot finish to post a mediocre .270 averagewith just 11 homers and 64 RBI.


"He did not have the year - I'm sure he's not real proud of theyear he had, but if it were anybody else, any of you, any of themedia here, any of the fans that have railed on him for sixmonths in the situations he's been in, you wouldn't producebecause you'd be squeezing the bat, you'd be stressed,"Schilling said. "I think part of his personality that goes bothways with people, that upsets people and makes people haveconfidence in him is his ability, he is the definition of "evenkeel."


"I mean, he doesn't snap, he doesn't get too high, too low. Hejust goes up and he plays the game. And tonight that wins thegame, that won the game. In a situation where he could haveeasily been pressing, and he didn't, and it was huge and it wasexciting to see."


Finding himself on the bench in favor of Bobby Kielty for GamesOne and Five of this series with tough lefthander C.C. Sabathiaon the mound, Drew entered this game just 7-for-27 with threeRBI in the postseason.


Boston loaded the bases in the first on infield hits by DustinPedroia and Kevin Youkilis and a walk to Ortiz, but Carmonastruck out Manny Ramirez and retired Mike Lowell on a short flyto right field.


But Carmona, who hadn't allowed a hit in five career at-bats toDrew, fell behind 3-1 before throwing a fastball right down themiddle of the plate that Drew launched into the first row of thecenter field seats, giving the Sox a quick 4-0 lead.

"That was huge," Francona said. "They had a chance to wiggle outof that. J.D. came up with a great swing."


"Poor Fausto," Blake said. "That was a tough inning on him. Theyhit that one ball hard. 3-1 (count), he had to come to him andyou've got to give J.D. credit for hitting it but that wastough. I think it would've been a whole different ballgame ifhe'd gotten out of it right there."


It was Drew's second hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoringposition this postseason.


"In that situation with the bases loaded, I just tried to stayhard up the middle," Drew said.


Carmona, who won 19 games during the regular season to earn CyYoung Award consideration and dominated the Yankees for nineinnings in his ALDS contest, continued to live throughnightmares at Fenway Park.


"I felt great, even better than the last time I pitched,"Carmona said. "I was calm and better than the first time. Itjust so happened it didn't work out my way."


The 23-year-old Carmona came into the game having allowed nineruns, seven walks and seven hits in five innings over threecareer games here, including four runs in four-plus innings in aGame Two start.


Carmona walked Ramirez and Lowell to lead off the third and wasreplaced by Rafael Perez after yielding an RBI single to Drew.

But the Red Sox weren't done in the third, as rookie JacobyEllsbury, who started in place of slumping Coco Crisp in centerfield, lined a run-scoring single to left before Julio Lugodoubled inside the third base line, plating Drew and Ellsburyfor an 8-1 lead.


Perez walked Pedroia and Youkilis followed by lining a pitch offthe left field wall, plating Lugo. Youkilis got caught in arundown between first and second, and Pedroia scored when theBoston first baseman was hit in the helmet by a throw fromsecond baseman Asdrubal Cabrera.


Carmona was charged with seven runs, six hits and four walks intwo-plus innings. Perez was charged with three runs and threehits in one-third of an inning.


Boston capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth offCleveland closer Joe Borowski.


Schilling, who was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3innings in Game Two, yielded six hits with no walks and fivestrikeouts as he improved to 4-0 in elimination games during hiscareer.


The righthander pitched a perfect first inning - surviving afoul home run by Grady Sizemore - before yielding a leadoffhomer to Victor Martinez in the second that cut the deficit to4-1.


The Indians threatened to cut further into the lead in thethird, when former Red Sox Trot Nixon and Blake led off withsingles. But Schilling got a pair of flyouts by Sizemore andCabrera and a groundout by slumping Travis Hafner, who wenthitless for a 10th straight at-bat.


"(Pitching coach John Farrell) keeps saying stay pitch-to-pitch.I stayed pitch-to-pitch," Schilling said about the thirdinning. "If you can't stay in the moment, bad things canhappen. I just focused on the next pitch."