ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -From the verge of elimination to the brink of another World Series.
That path seems to suit the resilient Boston Red Sox just fine.
“We’ve gotten ourselves into a lot of predicaments and fortunately we’ve had the ability to get out of them,” manager Terry Francona said.
“I think the best way to go about it is play the game at hand. We do it all year, and there’s no reason to change that philosophy now because that’s the way.”
No one’s been better at staging improbable comebacks in the postseason than the Red Sox, who improved to 9-0 under Francona in AL championship series elimination games with a 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Saturday night.
The victory forced Game 7 Sunday night, with left-hander Jon Lester pitching for Boston against right-hander Matt Garza.
“There’s been a lot of talk about them being champions,” Rays designated hitter Cliff Floyd said. “We have to take it from them. They’re not going to give it away. They’re always poised in tough situations.”
ending champs became the eighth team to force a winner-take-all seventh game of an LCS after trailing 3-1. The 1986, 2004 and 2007 Red Sox also are among that group, Boston is the only club to do it more than once.
And, this year’s dramatic finish wouldn’t have been possible if they hadn’t also rallied from a 7-0 deficit over the last three innings of Game 5 to stave off elimination two nights before.
At stake, a matchup with Philadelphia in the World Series, starting Wednesday night at the home of the AL champion.
“We’re doing a great job team-wise battling. We’re playing against the best team in baseball, I believe, and we’re right there in there,” Boston’s Coco Crisp said.
“We should’ve played each other in the World Series. I’m not taking anything away from the Phillies, but the way we’re playing (each other) right now, that’s what it should be.”
Jason Varitek and Josh Beckett, who have both struggled this postseason, keyed Saturday night’s win.
Varitek’s first hit of the series, a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, snapped an 0-for-14 slide for the Red Sox captain, whose leadership on the field and in the clubhouse remains important to the team.
“I don’t think I could, from our side, think of anything more appropriate. I mean, our whole dugout went crazy,” Francona said.
ust a big run, it was a huge run. The way it happened, and as hard as he’s worked, it meant a lot to everybody.”
Beckett, meanwhile, rebounded from two subpar playoff starts to limit the Rays to a pair of solo homers and four hits overall in five innings. Three Red Sox relievers held Tampa Bay hitless the rest of the way, with Jonathan Papelbon finishing up for his third save this postseason.
Beckett was not the dominant pitcher he was a year ago when he became the first Red Sox pitcher to win four games in a single postseason, however he gave Boston what it needed.
And a chance to pull off a stunning comeback in the ALCS for the third time in five years.
The Red Sox won four straight after falling behind the New York Yankees 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS. They won three in a row to overcome a 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Indians in last year’s ALCS.
Both times they went on win the World Series.
“I thought he threw with a lot of guts. It’s not vintage Josh Beckett, but he also proved who he is, and again … he gave us what we needed,” Francona said. “I don’t think it was real easy for him at times, but he pitched with a lot of composure and a lot of guts.”
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