Red Sox Come Back to Beat Tampa Bay in Game 5 | Josh Beckett to Pitch Game 6

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The Boston Red Sox proved that the ALCS is still very much alive with a thrilling 8-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays tonight. Tampa Bay led 7-0 heading into the bottom of the 7th inning, but the Red Sox rallied to score 7 runs over the next two innings and then won the game on a JD Drew RBI in the bottom of the 9th inning.

The Red Sox victory tonight forces the series back to Tampa Bay for Game 6 on Saturday, when Captain Clutch Josh Becket, a consistent playoff stalwart before this season, takes on James Shields. I love James Shields and I love this Tampa Bay team. Once my beloved White Sox were eliminated by the Rays, they became my surrogate team to root for in this year’s playoffs. And I know that Josh Beckett struggled mightily in his last outing. However, if you had a gun to your head and had to pick a winner of this game could you possibly pick against Josh Beckett?

One bad ALCS start does not erase the indelible memories of Josh Beckett dominating the New York Yankees as a rookie for the Marlins, or the many clutch postseason starts he has made for the Red Sox. Tampa Bay has proven that they will not wilt underneath the pressure of the moment, and that they are more than capable of reaching the World Series. Personally, I just don’t think they can do it against Josh Beckett again (assuming he doesn’t, you know, come down with a blister on his finger in the first inning or something — and yes, I still hold some bitterness from past fantasy baseball seasons.)

A Red Sox victory would force a decisive Game 7 on Sunday and pit John Lester against Matt Garza. I’m not making any predictions on a game that isn’t guaranteed, but I have this bad feeling that Tampa Bay missed their shot to close the Red Sox out tonight. The heart and experience of a champion is difficult to overcome once they have some momentum. The Red Sox now have momentum, and it will take everything these young Tampa Bay Rays can muster to close this series out even though they are at home.

Now, you may be asking, what does the Red Sox-Rays series have to do with Midwest sports? Well, let’s get to that.

While doing a random perusal of ESPN.com after the game ended, I noticed the picture to your right, and I have to say that I take exception to the headline used by ESPN.com tonight. The headline: “Don’t Stop Believing.” I’m not quite sure, but if memory serves me correct I believe another baseball team nicknamed “the Sox” already used that phrase to describe a thrilling playoff run.

Yes, the Chicago White Sox — back in 2005. For proof, or just for a pleasant trip down memory lane for White Sox fans, click on this beautiful link right here. You can also see the incomparable Steve Perry singing live at the White Sox World Series rally by clicking on this cheesy, but still exciting for White Sox fans, link here.

I realize that the Red Sox had nothing to do with ESPN.com’s headline choice. But there is a part of me that sees this as some sort of jinx for the Red Sox. “Don’t Stop Believing” will forever be linked in the baseball world to the White Sox 2005 championship run. Who did the White Sox beat in the first round of the playoffs in 2005 during their run of supreme of belief? The Red Sox. And every White Sox fan I have talked to is pulling for the Rays now that the White Sox are out of the playoffs. Thus, the karmic power of “Don’t Stop Believing” is now directed towards the Rays, not the “other Sox”.

If anyone should be branded with label of unyielding belief, it should be the Rays. They believed enough to overcome a franchise history of complete failure to reach the spot they are in now. And I just have this feeling that such second-hand association with this sublime phrase is going to be counter-productive for the Red Sox. Am I making sense? Probably not. But I think the Red Sox may just have won the series with their victory tonight, and I don’t want to see it happen. So now I’m grasping for straws to make myself believe that James Shields and (ugh) Matt Garza can overcome Josh Beckett and John Lester.

Plus, I manage this blog with one simple philosophy: anytime I can pimp the White Sox winning the World Series and justify playing a cheesy video of Steve Perry, I do it. Mission accomplished.

Now let’s just hope the Rays can go out this weekend and accomplish their mission. Because who the hell really wants to see the damn Red Sox and their annoying fans win another World Series?

[tags]boston red sox, tampa bay rays, chicago white sox, mlb, baseball, steve perry[/tags]

Tags: baseball, boston red sox, Chicago White Sox, MLB, steve perry, tampa bay rays

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