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The Red Sox Will Start their Comeback

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Abstract

The last time the Boston Red Sox were in the AL Championship Series, they came back to win the pennant. Tonight, they start their ace and probable Cy Young winner Josh Beckett to begin the comeback.

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Tonight’s game

The last time the Boston Red Sox were in the AL Championship Series, they came back to win the pennant. Tonight, they start their ace and probable Cy Young winner Josh Beckett to begin the comeback. Though there was much debate over whether he should have started game 4, there is no arguing that game 5 will be his tonight. He is undefeated so far in the postseason as has been dominant. Quite a contrast to Indians starter CC Sabathia.

Beckett is familiar with rallying from a 3-1 deficit. While with Florida, he struck out 11 and tossed a two-hitter in Game 5 of the 2003 NLCS against the Chicago Cubs as the Marlins won 4-0 before taking Games 6 and 7. The right-hander had another strong playoff effort when he allowed just two runs and four hits over six innings to beat C.C. Sabathia in a 10-3 victory on Friday in the ALCS opener. This will be the first road start in this postseason for Beckett, who excelled away from Fenway Park in 2007 when he was 11-2 with a major league-best 2.18 ERA.

On the opposite end of the effectiveness spectrum lies Sabathia. He was battered for eight runs over 4 1-3 innings in Game 1, and has issued 11 walks in 9 1-3 innings in the postseason. The left-hander has claimed to be too excited to pitch in his last two outings.
Sabathia has also lost his last three home starts to Boston, posting a 6.87 ERA in the process. He was unable to solve Manny Ramirez in Game 1, as the Red Sox slugger went 2-for-2 with a walk against him. Ramirez is 6-for-13 with two homers and seven RBIs in the series.

Although Ramirez is swinging a hot bat, Boston has managed to score in just two of its last 24 innings in the series. The Red Sox have five runs in that span -- a two-run homer by Jason Varitek in Game 3 and three straight solo homers by Youkilis, David Ortiz and Ramirez in Game 4.

So clear cut advantage tonight to the Sox. Take them and win with them.

Good luck with your action tonight!

by Johnson