ALCS Game 5 Liveblog

I refuse to give up on my Sox.  At least until they are behind in the third or fourth inning tonight...

Pregame - I have never had less faith in a Sox team.  I feel like its Game 7 in 2003 and we just watched the Yankees tie it off Pedro.  I just knew the game was over.  I've had that feeling since Timlin stepped on the mound in Game 2 of this series.  I just want that feeling to go away.  I may have to wait until next year.

- Wind is blowing like crazy.  I think that helps us.  We could use some funky plays as the weaker team.

Top 1st - Dice K starts Iwamura 2-1.  Man, please don't let this be one of those nights.  His ball has plenty of movement and seemingly good velocity though.  Can't complain about that.  First of many full counts of the night.

- Base hit Iwamura.  Do you get nervous?  Or do you hope that these guys do what the Yankees did in 03 and just stop hitting.  I'm thinking nervous, but how can guys stay as hot as these next three (Upton, Longoria, and Pena).

- Well I was totally wrong about that.  BJ Upton is a manimal.  Jesus.

- Okay, settle down everyone.  Dice K sure did.  Inning over and ONLY down 2-0.

- Two thoughts.  1. It's amazing how the Rays seem to be a team perfectly built for Fenway Park.  They have great righthanded power, a phenomenal defensive outfield, and their one lefty hits the ball opposite way very well.  The Red Sox, on the other hand, have Papi trying to pull everything, Drew hitting to a large right field, warning track power Youkilis, and on and on.  2. Why have none of the Devil Rays been put on their ass in this series.  If you remember correctly, knocking down and brushing back a few of the Yankees in 04 got them started on their slide.  The Rays seem to be waaaaay too comfy in the box for my liking right now.

Bottom 1st - Normally you are pleased when a player in the 2 hole hits the ball on the ground and moves over the leadoff hitter so that you have one out and a runner with speed on second base.  I say normally because it happened tonight and that just means you have Ortiz up with a runner on base and one out, which is like saying a runner on base with two outs.  He strikes out and what could be a good run producing inning now becomes a struggle.

- Thankfully Youkilis walks and Bay will actually have a shot to get us some runs.

- Bay pops out...inning over.  GRRRR!!!

Top 2nd - Dice K gets Old Man Floyd to ground out and then makes a sharp play on Navarro.  If only that first inning homer had been two feet lower.  If that ball hits the wall, it's only one zero and it feels much better.  Dice K looks like maybe just maybe he'll settle down a bit here.  We desperately need him to do so.

- Loses Gross grossly on a walk but gets out of the inning.  Dice K...Dice K...Dice K.

Bottom 2nd - Encouraging at bat by Drew even though he grounded out.  He was staying through the ball longer and looking to drive it up the middle to opposite way.  He hit the ball hard to short.  Let's get three more at bats like that form JD

- Lowrie now gets a shot. He needs a base knock here.  Let's get this thing rolling.

- Jed hits the ball hard, right at Upton.  Good looking at bats from the boys but looking good isn't nearly enough.

- Varitek up, inning over, right?

- On another note, Kazmir's pitch count is up to 35 after two innings.  Hmmmmmm.

- Varitek gets hit. WHAT A GIFT!  Now Kotsay can get out and the top of the order will have a chance to get something going in the 3rd.

- Or not.  Base Knock Kotsay.  Every ball hit hard in this inning.  Maybe Crispy can keep us rolling here.  The crowd needs to be woken up.  Is woken even a word?

- Crisp smokes one foul and it's 1-2.  Here comes the weak looking swing strikeout Coco has made famous in his three years in Beantown.

- Hey, I called that one.  Late swing on an outside offspeed pitch.  Granted, Kazmir has thrown 45 pitches, but this isn't working the way it is supposed to.

Top 3rd - Obviously important for the Dice Man to get Iwamura here.  No baserunners for Upton please.

- Kotsay dives, snags, flips, and Dice K makes a nifty play covering the bag.  One out.  Drill Upton here please.

- Upton singles and that makes you feel like you're victorious as a pitcher.  Interesting that my boy Ron Darling said they should put one on his hip too.  Great minds think alike.

- And the victory feeling goes away first pitch on a two run home run by Pena.  This really is the Ray's year isn't it?

- Holy Cow.  Longoria just hit one too.  I tried everyone.  I really tried.  I'm done.  Hopefully some miracle will happen here and I'll be back to talk to you about Game 6 but really, I don't see that happening.