Byrd, Bats haunt Red Sox!
January 15, 2008Buckeyes defense rises to the challenge
January 15, 2008The End Is The Beginning Is The End
I will not overreact…I will not overreact…I will not overreact. Ok, last night was a little tough to swallow. I had nothing but confidence we were going to take care of business. It didn’t happen. And you know what? That’s ok. Like our buddy Manny being Manny said, “It’s not like the end of the world.” Thanks for the advice Manny.
So where do we go from here? What now? It’s simple. We put our faith into our OTHER 19 game winner….you know, that that actually HAS come up big for us once in the playoffs so far. I’m hoping our coaches are pounding confidence into Fausto’s head, telling him not to be scared of Boston’s lineup. When Fausto pitches with confidence, he is virtually untouchable…every bit as dominant as Beckett was last night. I just worry that what happened to Fausto in Boston in 2006 is in his head a little bit. I would just remind him that no matter how imposing Manny and Ortiz are, keep in mind that even the best hitters in the history of this game only got a hit 30% of the time. The odds are in your favor, young man. Throw strikes, pitch your game, and challenge them to beat you.
In all reality, we knew this Boston team was not going to be scared of a 3-1 deficit against us, especially with Fenway coming for Games 6 and 7 and Beckett pitching Game 5. They’ve been here before. Plus, the Indians have now lost 7 of their last 8 series clinching games. The Red Sox know this. But you know what? Losing 3 straight to Boston in ’99 means nothing to this Indians team. These kids seem unfazed by anything other than that Beckett smirk. To be sure, Game 6 will not be easy, facing a Curt Schilling who is searching for redemption. I look for a tight, close game tomorrow.
I’ll post some more links later this afternoon, and look for an official Game 6 preview and prediction probably tomorrow morning. I’ll tell you one thing….my prediction will not be 11-2 in either direction.