Indians Close in on Series Berth: They Pounded Tim Wakefield in a Seven-Run Fifth That Brought Them

Oct 17, 03:37 AM

Current Headlines: By Jim Salisbury, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Oct. 17--CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians are starting to look like a team destined to play in the World Series.

The Indians took a commanding three-games-to-one lead in the American League Championship Series with a 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 last night at Jacobs Field.

Game 5 will played tomorrow night and it should be a great one.

Not only will both teams send their aces -- C.C. Sabathia for Cleveland and Josh Beckett for Boston -- to the mound, but the stakes will be high and the tension palpable.

The Indians will be playing to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1997.

The Red Sox, one loss from winter vacation, will be trying to save their season.

Of course, the Red Sox have a little experience in that department. Three years ago, they were down three games to none to the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series. They staged a historic comeback, won four in a row in that series, then won four more in the World Series.

"We know where we are," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "There are guys in [the clubhouse] who've been in this situation before, and the best way to go about our business is to play the next game. If you look ahead, it can get overwhelming. Play the game in front of us -- that's all that matters right now."

The Sox are hoping to reprise their 2004 magic, but it won't be easy.

The Indians are on a roll. They have won three in a row in the series, all in different fashion. They won an 11-inning thriller in Game 2, got an excellent pitching performance from Jake Westbrook in Game 3, and rode a seven-run fifth inning in Game 4.

Righthander Paul Byrd, who allowed two runs over five-plus innings, got the win. Relievers Jensen Lewis and Rafael Betancourt teamed on four innings of one-run ball behind Byrd.

The Indians' bullpen has allowed just one run in the last 13 innings -- and it gets to rest today.

Meanwhile, Boston's starting pitching -- save for Beckett -- has gone south. The starters (Curt Schilling, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield) have failed to get through the fifth inning in the last three games, all losses.

Before the series began, Francona made it clear that he was going with a four-man rotation of Beckett, Schilling, Matsuzaka and Wakefield.

Beckett threw only 86 pitches in his Game 1 victory Friday night and that left open the possibility of his pitching last night, in Game 4, on three days rest. If he did that, he could have lined up to pitch a possible Game 7 on his regular four days of rest.

After his team lost Game 3 on Monday night, Francona was asked if he'd use his ace, Beckett, instead of Wakefield in Game 4.

Francona held firm. Wakefield was his Game 4 pitcher. Beckett goes in Game 5.

"We wouldn't be where we're at without Tim Wakefield," Beckett said before last night's game. "He won 17 games for us. I think he deserves to start."

Nonetheless, Francona will be second-guessed for not pitching Beckett.

Wakefield, 40-year-old knuckleballer, was abused for five runs in 42/3 innings.

Wakefield was on the mound when the Indians began a seven-run fifth inning. Cleveland sent 12 men to the plate in the half-inning, which lasted 35 minutes.

This was Wakefield's 10th career postseason start, but just his first of this postseason. He was left off the roster in the first round of the playoffs because of stiffness in his back and, before last night, hadn't pitched since Sept. 29.

Wakefield cruised through the first four innings before enduring a major beating in the fifth.

The seven-run ambush began with a solo homer by Casey Blake. Things continued to go the Indians' way when Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis could not hold on to a difficult foul pop-up by Asdrubal Cabrera, who then singled off Wakefield's glove for a run.

With two outs, Wakefield gave up an RBI single to Victor Martinez. Out went Wakefield and in came Manny Delcarmen. The first batter he faced, Jhonny Peralta, drove a three-run homer to right. Kenny Lofton then singled, stole second and scored on Blake's second hit of the inning.

After the long half-inning in the dugout, Byrd went back to the mound with a 7-0 lead in the sixth. He didn't exactly lock it down. Youkilis and David Ortiz hit back-to-back homers to make it 7-2. Lewis came on and allowed a long homer to Manny Ramirez to make it 7-3.

Lewis recovered and got three outs in the sixth. He then pitched a scoreless seventh before Betancourt got the final six outs.

Contact staff writer Jim Salisbury at 215-854-4983 or jsalisbury@phillynews.com.

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