Calm down everybody. Did you learn nothing in 2004? Being down 2-1 to the Indians isn’t much different than being up 2-1. They’re still the Indians. And the Red Sox are still the better team.
Tim Wakefield is just too good a guy to lose tonight. Wasn’t 2003 enough? Logical? No. But I’m running with it.
And there is no way the bats stay cold against Byrd. Unless, of course, J.D. Drew (2-for-10 career vs. Byrd) is in the line-up. Kielty is a career 10-for-30 against the Byrd-man. Easy choice?
Other career stats vs. Byrd:
Lowell .400 (8-for-20)
Lugo .400 (4-for10)
Papi .308 (8-for-26)
Coco .455 (5-for-11)
Tek .389 (7-for-18)
And that last one begs to let the Captain catch and keep Dougie a fixture on the bench.
Tonight is the night the Red Sox take back the series. A sound thrashing at the Jake to even things at 2-2, and we’re back to Beckett and Schilling. It just has to be. Meanwhile, the Rockies can sit around drinking Coors Light and playing Jenga while all of their 21-out-of-22 momentum fades away.
Strap ’em on, boys, this is what you play for.
