After winning Game One of the 2008 American League Championship Series on the road in Tampa, the Boston Red Sox started Game Two at Tropicana Field looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead back to Boston and the home fans at Fenway Park. At several points throughout the game it looked like they would do just that, but the Red Sox squandered the lead three times and eventually allowed the Tampa Bay Rays to claw their way through in the 11th inning.
Overtime
The high scoring 9-8 game lasted a huge five hours and 27 minutes, with Fernando Perez tagging from third base to score off a B.J. Upton sacrifice fly at 1.34 a.m. EST on Sunday morning. J.D. Drew was unable to make the crucial throw from right field to catcher Jason Veritek at home plate. Having been stung on his throwing shoulder by a 95 mile per hour fastball from Grant Balfour during the series opener on Friday, Drew did not have the necessary arm power and the two-hopper bounced to the left of home plate as Perez slid home to finally end the game.
Pitching woes
As much as the scoreboard run total suggested offensive productivity from both teams’ batting corps, the main story from Saturday night’s game was suspect pitching – especially from Boston’s superstar Josh Beckett who looked a very different Josh Beckett to the man heralded as one of the greatest post season pitchers in history.
Calling the bullpen
Not lasting even 5 innings, Beckett gave up eight earned runs and was unable to hold on to 2-0, 3-2 and 6-5 leads before Red Sox manager Terry Francona finally called it a day and picked up the phone to summon the Boston reserves. After the game, Francona admitted: “We wanted Beckett to get through that fifth and set up our bullpen, and it didn’t work.”
Funny idea of “fine”
When he was interviewed after the game, Beckett repeatedly insisted "I'm fine," which only the most faithful of Red Sox nation could have believed. The ace pitcher’s health has been in contention ever since a strained oblique muscle near the end of the regular season hampered his usually fiery fastballs. A Boston newspaper reported on Saturday that Beckett had received an injection to dull the pain in his arm before the Red Sox started their division series match up against the LA Angels – and a quick glance at the pitch-speed stats from Saturday night’s game confirms that all is not well with Beckett’s fastballs.
Slowing down
During the regular season, Beckett’s average fastball zipped towards the batter at just under 95.5 miles per hour. On Saturday night, the home runs hit off his fast balls were 91 mph (B.J. Upton) and 93 mph (Cliff Floyd). His final pitch of the evening, a 90 mph fastball allowed Evan Longoria a double. Longoria had previously homered off an 87 mph Beckett changeup in the first inning.
Back to Boston
In the postgame interviews, Beckett sounded as if there was no doubt he would pitch in Game Six when his spot in the rotation comes up again. The problem for him might be that Francona and the rest of the Red Sox staff have lost faith in his ability to turn on the heat in the post season. Before these playoffs started Beckett was 6-2 in his playoff career with an ERA of under 2.00. He has now allowed 12 runs on 18 hits in less than 20 innings. Game Three of the series will be played at Boston's Fenway Park on Monday. Jon Lester will take the mound for the Bosox, who luckily for them is providing the post-season resolve that Boston will need to progress to the World Series. Beckett will have to do better next time.