Fallen
| ALCS Game 4: October 16, 2007 | |||
| Red Sox | 3 | L: Tim Wakefield (0-1) | ALDS: 3-0 ALCS: 1-3 |
 Indians |
7 | W: Paul Byrd (2-1) | ALDS: 3-1 ALCS: 3-1 |
| Highlights: Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez all crushed homers in the sixth inning. The rest of the team went 3-for-22... oh, wait, that’s not exactly a highlight. Well, Wakefield struck out seven... but he gave up five runs. Jon Lester pitched a brilliant three innings of relief... in a losing effort. | |||
I feel like a pet owner who abandoned her charge.
Saturday morning I left for a conference in Toronto thinking all was well with my team. They had picked apart Cleveland’s pitching in a first-game, Gagne-proof lead. Boston’s postseason chances appeared hale and hearty. Just left them some dry food and water -- all should have been well.
Overnight their spirit transformed from that of an independent, self-confident cat to that of a fawning, needy sugar glider. Postseason success dies because of short outings by starts and lack of baserunners from all parts of the lineup; sugar gliders give up the ghost when they get too lonely.
Youkilis, Ortiz, and Ramirez were companionless on their jaunts around the bags.
As I made my return to Boston and am dreading to find the corpse of the club’s World Series hopes curled and silent on the kitchen floor.
I saw signs of hope in the Massachusetts landscape. The verdure was stained here and there with rustles of crimson. I could have sworn I saw the shape of two socks somewhere near Ikea.
Try as I might, craning my neck as if I were in a right field grandstand seat, I still couldn’t see Fenway from my side of the plane.
Just as the Red Sox may not see Fenway again, at least not in ALCS action.
Win Thursday. Thursday’s child has far to go.
