Red Sox To The World Series

Posted by Edge on October 22nd, 2007 filed in Sports

The Red Sox added  to their legacy of intriguing comebacks Sunday night at Fenway Park, while the Indians’ collapse was the latest in a long line of Cleveland’s great heartbreakers.

The Red Sox finished their improbable climb from a 3-1 deficit in the American League Championship Series, knocking off the Indians 11-2 in Game 7 to advance to the World Series for the second time in four years.

Boston will play host to Colorado in Game 1 on Wednesday night, looking for another title after ending an 86-year drought in 2004.

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Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, the $100 million Japanese import who lost Game 3 in Cleveland, pitched five strong innings for the win, allowing two runs and redeeming himself for his previous postseason flops.

“He pitched his heart out,” manager Terry Francona said. “There were some tough innings.”

Said Red Sox slugger David Ortiz: “We’ve been down before, and we know how to come out. So all the new kids around, they’re seeing the older guys, how we keep it together.”

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia homered and drove in five runs, while relievers Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon finished it off with four scoreless innings as the Red Sox broke open the game late.

“The veteran guys instilled a belief in us,” Pedroia said. “The season’s almost over, we’re down 3-1, and you get that sense of urgency.”

The comeback marked the 11th time in postseason history a team had climbed back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. It was the third time Boston had done it, having also done so in the 1986 ALCS against California and the ‘04 ALCS against the Yankees.