Red Sox on Verge of Series Sweep: Boston Led By 6-0 After Five Innings, Held Off a Colorado Comeback

Oct 28, 03:41 AM

Current Headlines: By Jim Salisbury, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Oct. 28--DENVER -- There appears to be no stopping the Boston Red Sox this postseason. They've won games on both coasts. They've won at mile-high altitude. They've won with their backs to the wall and while leading comfortably in a series.

One more win and the Sox will have to stop playing this season. But at least they will do so as World Series champions.

Boston moved to within a victory of its second title in four years with a 10-5 conquest of the Colorado Rockies in Game 3 of the World Series last night at Coors Field. The Red Sox have won six consecutive postseason games after being down by three games to one in the American League Championship Series. They lead the World Series, three games to none, and will look for a sweep behind lefthander Jon Lester tonight.

The Red Sox are the 23d team to win the first three games of a World Series. The previous 22 have won it, 19 in sweeps.

"They've been able to get outs, make plays, and score runs more consistently than we have," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "You don't want to overreact. We need to show up, get ready to play, and win Game 4."

The Rockies, who had won 21 of 22 entering the World Series, scored just two runs in the first two games. They had hoped that playing at home -- where they were 42-15, including playoffs, since June 2 -- would turn their fortunes around.

But the Red Sox erupted for six runs in the third inning against starter Josh Fogg. The Rockies, who battled back to make it a one-run game in the seventh, could not fully extricate themselves from that hole.

Righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed just one hit through the first four innings, but he faded quickly and was touched for a pair of runs in the sixth. Leftfielder Matt Holliday cut Boston's lead to 6-5 with a three-run homer in the seventh.

The Red Sox' bats came alive again in the eighth. Rookies Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, who combined for seven hits, keyed a three-run rally with RBI doubles against Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes.

Matsuzaka became the first Japanese-born pitcher to win a postseason game when he beat Cleveland in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. He is now the first Japanese-born pitcher to win a World Series game.

Fogg had gone 3-0 during the 21-1 roll that put the Rockies in the World Series, but he did not carry over that success into his first World Series start.

It was 45 degrees at the foot of the Rocky Mountains when Fogg threw his first pitch. The righthander gave up a pair of infield hits to Ellsbury and Pedroia but navigated his way out of trouble. He did it again in the second inning, when he stranded a runner at second.

There was no getting around Boston's minefield of a batting order in the third, when the Red Sox sent 11 hitters to the plate. Fogg allowed seven hits in the inning, including three doubles.

Boston's big inning started with three consecutive hits -- a double by Ellsbury, a single by Pedroia, and an RBI double by David Ortiz.

With runners on second and third and no outs, Hurdle, trying to set up a double play, decided to load the bases by having Fogg walk Manny Ramirez intentionally.

Mike Lowell, who drove in 120 runs during the regular season, made the Rockies pay with a two-run single up the middle, making it 3-0.

Fogg finally retired the sixth batter of the inning, J.D. Drew, and Holliday threw out Ramirez trying to score on a hit by Jason Varitek. But Fogg couldn't get the third out. He walked No. 8 hitter Julio Lugo, then allowed a two-run single to his counterpart, Matsuzaka.

Ellsbury capped the uprising with an RBI double, chasing Fogg from the game.

Denver was filled with excitement over hosting its first World Series game. Wearing Rockies purple, fans filled the city streets long before the first pitch. It was a carnival atmosphere. The carnival, however, went out of business in the third inning. Blame the Red Sox' bats for that.

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

-----

To see more of The Philadelphia Inquirer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.philly.com.

Copyright (c) 2007, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.