2007 ALCS Game 5 BOS@CLE

When Josh Beckett stepped on the mound of Jacobs Field on Oct. 18, 2007, he must felt a lot of pressures on his shoulders, because the Red Sox was facing the elimination, trailing 1-3 in the American League Champion Series to the Cleveland Indians. After Beckett won the first game, the Red Sox stumbled: the bullpen blew the save in the second game, the batters fell asleep in the third game, and veteran knuckle ball specialist Tim Wakefield collapsed in the fourth game. Thus, there was no way for the Red Sox to let the fifth game go. Beckett’s opponent was also one of the Cy Young Award candidates, big left hander C.C. Sabathia, who had won 19 games during the 2007 season, and had been the loser of the first game of this series.

With the elimination on step away, the Red Sox did their best: Youkilis hit a first inning homerun to make the one-nothing lead, however, the Indians tied the game at the bottom of the first inning by Hafner’s double play hit. Manny Ramirez then hit a line drive that hit the very top of Jacobs Field’s center field wall at third inning, however, that was ruled as a RBI-single instead of two run homer. Red Sox scored two more runs at the seventh and three more at the eighth. Meanwhile, Beckett pitched eight solid innings, allowed only five hits, gave up a run, walked one, and struck out eleven.

The Indians tried to fight back at the ninth, but in vain. For Jonathan Papelbon came in and closed the game. Now, both teams all knew that the series could have to go to Fenway for a sixth game, and for Red Sox fans and players, they wished the miracle in 2004 could happen again.