Posted on 10/16/2004 2:20:36 PM PDT by GraniteStateConservative
Bronson Arroyo got an extra day to think about the biggest start of his career, and the biggest game of the Boston Red Sox's season.
After Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez couldn't get the Red Sox a win against the New York Yankees in the first two games of the AL championship series, Arroyo will take the hill for Game 3 at Fenway Park.
Stumbling home in an 0-2 hole and with Schilling possibly done for the series, the Red Sox are hoping the familiar surroundings of Fenway Park help get them back in the ALCS.
Arroyo was set to get Boston back in the series Friday night, but a steady rain and a bad forecast for the rest of the evening forced Major League Baseball officials to postpone the game.
The National Weather Service forecast called for mostly cloudy skies for Saturday night, with a 50 percent chance of showers and 10-15 mph winds. The temperature was expected to dip into the 40s.
The Red Sox felt good going into the first two games of their showdown against New York with Schilling rested and ready for Game 1, and Martinez going in Game 2. The Yankees, though, wasted little time in shaking that confidence, knocking a hurting Schilling out after three innings in a 10-7 win Tuesday night, and continuing their mastery of Martinez on Wednesday night in a 3-1 victory.
That leaves Arroyo, who has pitched well against the Yankees but has only three games of playoff experience, to possibly save the Red Sox's season.
``If we're not able to overcome some adversity,'' Boston manager Terry Francona said, ``we're not a good enough team.''
Francona's club will have ample opportunity to test that theory. The Red Sox announced Thursday that Schilling, a 21-game winner, would not make a scheduled Game 5 start due to an ankle problem.
Schilling did throw for about 15 minutes in the bullpen Friday, but not at full strength. Twice, he stopped to tweak his shoe as about nine Red Sox officials, doctors and trainers kept a close eye on him.
There was no immediate announcement on his availability, but his session did raise some optimism.
``He actually did pretty well -- well enough where we're just leaving the door open for his season not to be over,'' Francona said. ``But that's the extent of it right now.''
If Arroyo can't give his team a chance to beat the Yankees on Saturday, however, Schilling's health could be a moot point. No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in a postseason series.
``I don't feel the weight of the entire season,'' Arroyo said. ``I obviously feel a lot of pressure from this series. But, you know, we're not down 3-0, but obviously we're backed into a corner and there's going to be a huge, huge game.''
The Red Sox are already facing some bleak history after dropping the first two games. The last 13 teams to take a 2-0 lead in league championship series play have advanced. New York hasn't blown a 2-0 lead since the 1981 World Series, winning 14 of 16 series overall when it has taken the first two games.
The Red Sox will pin their hopes on their home park and Arroyo's decent work against the Yankees this season. The 27-year-old right-hander didn't get a decision in four starts against Boston's archrivals in 2004 and posted a 5.25 ERA, but the Red Sox won each game and he pitched at least into the sixth inning every time.
The Red Sox won Arroyo's last 10 starts, including a six-inning, two-run effort in a 3-2 victory at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 17, his last outing against New York.
In Arroyo, Boston will be counting heavily on one of its lower-profile pitchers, and that's because of the Game 2 performance of two of the Yankees' most overlooked players. Jon Lieber outpitched Martinez by allowing three hits and one run in seven innings, and John Olerud hit a two-run homer as the Yankees won 3-1 on Wednesday.
Lieber's outstanding performance came one night after Mike Mussina retired the first 19 batters in defeating Schilling.
``I knew coming into this game what Pedro has done in the past in situations like this, so there was no room for error,'' said Lieber, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery but has been New York's most dependable starter since the All-Star break.
New York's fragile rotation has given the team a boost in the postseason, and the Yankees hope to get a third straight strong start as 39-year-old Kevin Brown takes the mound. Brown has battled numerous health problems this season, including a self-inflicted broken left hand and a bad back that could be an issue Saturday, but his work on the road in the postseason was a likely factor in Yankees manager Joe Torre giving him the ball.
Brown is 5-0 with a 2.44 ERA in six playoff starts on the road, including allowing one run and eight hits over six innings in an 8-4 win at Minnesota in Game 3 of the division series on Oct. 8.
Brown's fearless approach, intensity and experience also make him a logical choice to start at raucous Fenway, where the Yankees have had little success this season. New York went 3-7 in Boston this season, while the Red Sox went 55-26 at the hitter-friendly park, the second-best home record in the AL behind the Yankees.
Boston is counting on Fenway, the site of Games 3, 4 and 5, to help revive its slumbering lineup, which failed to score in the first six innings in either of the first two games. Leadoff hitter Johnny Damon, who drove in 94 runs this season, is 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in the series.
``I'm the catalyst of this team,'' he said after Game 2. ``I'm the guy on this team that gets us going, gets on base and creates some havoc, but I haven't been able to do that.''
Known for their resilience, the Red Sox aren't discouraged by the results of the first two games or Schilling's health problems.
``This team wasn't built around one player. We're fine,'' first baseman Kevin Millar said. ``This is where heroes are made.''
Ping!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo RED SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've recovered from being a Massachusetts (moved to Florida) liberal long ago (grew up and learned to think) but am a lifelong and loyal Red Sox fan!!!
Yankee fans here might disagree on which is sadder-- that you used to be a liberal or that you're currently a Red Sox fan.
Game Time: 7:30 pm EDT
TV: FOX
Pitching Matchup: B. Arroyo vs. K. Brown
You know what is really sad is living in MA and being both a conservative and a Yankee fan. :)
Four more years might not apply, but FOUR IN A ROW!!!! sure does. Go SOX!!!!!
I'm leaving for the ballpark right now.
BoSox Good!
Botox BAD!
Are you rooting for Roger? Looks like he got better the last few innings.
I heard Kerry's favorite Boston pitcher of all time is Sandy Koufax.
The Dodgers would of been almost unbeatable if Karl Spooner didn't hurt his arm. Faster than Koufax according to Drysdale.
GO SOX!!!!!
If they go to the World Series, my brother invited me. He's got tickets.
He's there now.
Yes!! 4-2 Astro's bottom of the 8th. 3 more outs and Roger whipped them nasty Red birds.
Roger who? Surely you don't mean that arm-for-hire, back-stabbing, prima donna, shut-it-down-if-I-have-a-problem-with-mgmt, head-hunting, bat-shard-throwing SOB, Roger CLEMENS.
I think that's one of the few things Red Sox and Yankee fans can agree on!
Any Yankee or ex-Yankee is always a friend of mine, no matter where they came from or where they went.
Roger WINS! And he didn't hit anybody either!
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