'Big Game' James

Apparently, ALCS games don't count as big.

(Don't Fear) The Reaper

So it appears there will indeed be more cowbell: Game 6, Saturday night at the Trop.

I almost gave up on this game, at around 3.30am, with the Rays up 5-0 and a huge 9am meeting looming large, but I'm glad I didn't, as I got to see nothing less than the second-biggest comeback in postseason history. That's why they play the games, folks - it ain't ever over until it's over...

I had my doubts yesterday - and even after last night's magic there's still a mountain to climb - but for today at least, I'm ten feet tall and bulletproof.

Pick your cliché

"Win or go home", "Backs to the wall", "One game at a time". They're all being said, and, as is often the case with clichés, they're all true.

The rational me really doesn't know whether this team has what it takes to climb out of the hole they've dug for themselves, but the optimistic anything's-possible-in-baseball me keeps remembering other seasons and other deep holes they climbed out of.

The Sox seem to be in the right frame of mind for the game. If the bats turn up and Daisuke does his thing, a flight back to Tampa for Game 6 could be on the cards.

"The least marketable skill in America"

If you need to stay loose before the game, may I suggest you check out Batting Stance Guy's 2008 Playoff Red Sox.

Genius.

(Hat tip: Fire Brand of the American League).

Rant (continued)

MEMO

To: TBS
Cc: Bud Selig
Re: ALCS

Dear TBS,

I know you think these images of kids asleep in the stands are cute, but ask yourselves this question: why are they asleep in the first place?

BECAUSE SOME TV BASEBALL MARKETING GENIUS DECIDED THAT THE BEST TIME TO START PLAYOFF GAMES IS AFTER 8PM ET! Way to go, morons...

On behalf of future generations of non-fans I'd like to say: "Thanks for nothing."

Iain

He said, he said

Rational Iain: You know, we had no business even being in the 11th inning. Josh Beckett - Commander Kick-Ass himself - gave up 8 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. It's a miracle we even made it that far.

Tired, Grumpy, Been-Up-All-Night, Saw-This-Coming-A-Mile-Off Iain: Hey, go take your cheery, it's-October-baseball disposition and stick it where the sun don't shine.

RI: The Sox showed great character to claw their way back - they never gave up.

TGBUANSTCAMOI: Yeah, except when they sent Timlin in to pitch. Five stellar scoreless innings from the bullpen and the game ends walk, walk, intentional walk, sac fly.

RI: Well, he did get a couple of horrendous calls.

TGBUANSTCAMOI: He should never have been in there to even get those calls. I'd rather have seen Paul Byrd in there. Shit, I'd rather have seen Sean Casey in there.

RI: C'mon - you're being a little harsh on the guy.

TGBUANSTCAMOI: Harsh?! You think this is harsh? Wait 'til the coffee kicks in and I'll show you harsh. I go to bed at 10 to be up in time for the game. Thanks to our noisy neighbours, I get to sleep at about 11.30. Wake up at 2. Switch on the TV, only to find the cable channels are playing up and I've got a frozen image of a football game from earlier in the evening. Settle for watching the game on the laptop. Sit through five innings of dross from Beckett. Watch the Sox claw their way back into the game. Then, after 5+ hours of baseball, at around 7.15 on a Sunday morning, when any reasonable human being would be tucked up in bed dreaming of café au lait and warm brioche, what do I get? MIKE FREAKIN' TIMLIN, THREE BASE ON BALLS AND A WALK-OFF SAC FLY!

RI: Hmmm...I can kinda see your point.

TGBUANSTCAMOI: You'll see it even clearer if you don't piss off and leave me alone.

RI: So, you're not putting on your happy face for this gorgeous, Indian summer Sunday in Paris?

TGBUANSTCAMOI: Indian summer means sunshine. Sunshine means rays. So, erm, no.

RI: We'll get 'em tomorrow at Fenway.

TGBUANSTCAMOI: Stay well away from me if we don't...

Crystal bollocks

I look at the image above and see eggs; Dan Shaughnessy looks at it and sees chickens, all fully hatched.

This article doesn't bother me so much from the "don't jinx the Sox" angle (although, like any baseball fan, that did cross my mind) as it does from the "look at the facts" angle. Shaughnessy compares this Sox team to the '04 team and talks about the unstoppable run it went on. What he singularly fails to see is that before going on that unstoppable run, they managed to find themselves down three games down to the Yankees. I'm just curious to know, since the Sox themselves proved you can come back from 0-3 in the ALCS, what magical prediction tools Shaughnessy is using to write the Rays off after a single loss.

I know I should be celebrating and focusing on all the positives of winning Game 1 at the Trop, but minor jet-lag and major fatigue have got me all grumpy this morning , and Shaughnessy's smug piece of pseudo-journalism just pushed the wrong buttons. Hopefully I'll be back later, this time with my happy face on.

Vote now!

Apologies to those who might feel I'm harping on here, but this was just too good to pass up:

Smash and grab

Outside of Vladimir Guerrero (who I liked way back when he played for the Expos), I don't like the Angels, and never have. I get particularly wound up by Francisco Rodriguez, so this:

(Getty images)

leading to this, is sweet.

It looked like the Angels were going to claw their way back into the game, but in the ninth the Sox not only kicked 'em squarely in the nuts but also proceeded to steal their lunch money, which is about as good as it gets at 7.30 on a Saturday morning.

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This just occurred to me: K-ROD is DORK spelled backwards. No comment...

Three wishes

In order:

1) Sox sweep the Angels in three.

Always the most satisfying outcome of any series. Would allow the Sox to rest up before the next series.

2) Sox win in four.

Still good. Would allow the Sox to clinch at Fenway and still give them time to rest before the next series.

3) Sox in in five.

Would have Red Sox Nation biting its nails until Wednesday, but I have to confess - in case the gods of baseball are listening - that this is my secret favourite wish of the three, because on Wednesday night I'll be in Washington, D.C. on business, and instead of watching the game alone in my living-room at 3am I could go and cheer the Sox on somewhere like this.

Damn statistics

The Sox may have defeated the Angels last night, but they can't defeat the stats:

(MLB.com)

Gentlemen - time to start evening up that ALDS record...

Oops

(photo: AP)

I read somewhere yesterday (but can't for the life of me remember where) that the Angels and their attitude could basically be summed up in the idea of always trying to go from first to third. It's therefore a little ironic that they blew themselves out of a potential big 8th inning when Vlad tried to do just that.

That mistake kept the Angels' tally at one, and that was all Meesrs. Lester, Masterson and Papelbon needed. Great pitching, a two-run home run from Jason Bay, a highlight-reel catch from Ellsbury and Game 1 was in the bag.

I had hoped the Sox would steal at least one in Anaheim, so it's a great result. To do it in the first of the two games is even better, as it puts the Angels on the back foot for Friday's Dice-K / Santana matchup.

Can't wait for that one. Bring it on.

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Note to any lip-readers out there: although I was able to decipher John Lackey's full-screen "Fuuuuck!!" after being taken out of the game, I couldn't make out what Masterson said to the 2nd base umpire after Ellsbury's catch. Whatever it was, it had them both smiling. If anyone out there can help me, I'd love to hear from you.