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Seven-run fifth powers Indians past Red Sox

Oct 17, 2007 - 5:46 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Three games in a row the Boston Red Sox have failed to get five innings out of their starting pitcher. Three games in a row the Cleveland Indians have taken advantage.

The Indians scored seven runs in the fifth inning Tuesday en route to a 7-3 victory over the Red Sox in Game Four of the American League Championship Series.

Casey Blake and Jhonny Peralta homered in the decisive frame and starter Paul Byrd shut down the Boston offense for five innings for Cleveland, which opened up a commanding three games to one lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series.

"We had the big inning, Byrdie gave us a chance to win the ballgame, and the bullpen was able to finish it off," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said..

Game Five is here Thursday.

"It's an amazing feeling, I've never been closer (to the World Series) in my career," Byrd said. "It was a magical night for me and the Indians' fans. "We want to put the series away at home, but they're a good team so we're not taking anything for granted."

After Boston took the opening game of the series, 10-3 last Friday, the Indians have put on a clinic in wearing down pitchers, knocking out Curt Schilling in Game Two, Daisuke Matsuzaka in Game Three and Tim Wakefield on Tuesday, all after 4 2/3 innings.

"They have all been one pitch away from getting out of it," said catcher Jason Varitek. "We know where we are," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "A lot of these guys have been in this situation before. We can't look ahead, we just have to play the game ahead of us."

Only 10 times in postseason history has a team down 3-1 rebounded to win the series. Boston, which overcame a 3-0 deficit to the New York Yankees, was the last.

With the game scoreless, Blake led off the fifth with a solo blast to left field on a knuckleball that Wakefield left up in the zone.

"He gave me a knuckleball up that I could hit," Blake said. "Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. I was just trying to hit it up the middle."

The 41-year-old righthander had not pitched since the final week of the regular season, sitting out the ALDS against the Angels due to an injury to the back of his right shoulder. If he was rusty, it did not show early as he cruised through the first 3 2/3 without allowing a hit.

"It didn't affect me at all," Wakefield said of the layoff. "I felt fine physically. I felt fine."

"When it's working, it's awfully tough," Blake said of Wakefield's knuckleball. "He really had us shut down the first four innings. You're swinging at 68 or 70 (mph) and the ball's moving. You either get jammed, swing and miss or get lucky and do what I did."

But Blake's blast opened the floodgates for the Indians, as Franklin Gutierrez followed with a single before Wakefield hit Kelly Shoppach with a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs.

"I felt like I was controlling the ball," Wakefield said of the fifth inning. "It was good, but it wasn't like the second, third, and fourth innings."

After Grady Sizemore grounded into a fielder's choice, Asdrubal Cabrera created the turning point of the game on a seemingly innocent ground ball on the infield.

The rookie chopped a soft line drive that was headed straight for second baseman Dustin Pedroia and an inning-ending double play. But Wakefield got a glove on the ball, slowing it up just enough to allow Gutierrez to score and Cabrera to reach safely. Wakefield struck out Travis Hafner, but Victor Martinez followed with a single to chase the Boston starter.

"It's a reaction play," Wakefield said of Cabrera's hit. "It's one of those things where if I let it go it's a double play, If I catch it it's a double play."

Righthander Manny Delcarmen was the first man out of the bullpen, and he surrendered a three-run homer to Peralta to put Cleveland on top, 6-0.

"I wasn't trying to do anything special," Peralta said. "I was trying to hit it up the middle. I put a good swing on it. It felt great to hit a home run there. It really helped the team."

The Indians added one more run in the frame when Kenny Lofton single, stole second and scored on Blake's second hit of the frame.

"The formula that we used tonight, bringing in Manny Delcarmen behind (Wakefield ), is something we've done a lot just because of the differential in speed, giving the hitters a different look," Francona said. "He fell behind 2-1, that's when he really elevated a ball that Jhonny caught up with."

Wakefield, who came into Tuesday's start with a 4-5 record and a 6.12 ERA in his postseason career, was charged with five runs and five hits while walking two and striking out seven.

That was plenty of support for Byrd, who started 17 of the first 19 batters he faced with strikes. The veteran righthander was lifted after allowing back-to-back homers to Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz to open the sixth. He was charged with two runs and six hits in five-plus innings while striking out four and not issuing a walk.

"I went out there and my goal going in was to move the ball in and out," Byrd said. "I think sometimes (Boston) can scare people and shy away from throwing the ball in thinking, they're going to hit another home run."

It was the second Game Four win of the postseason for Byrd, who also won the ALDS clincher against the Yankees.

Rookie Jensen Lewis came out of the bullpen first for Cleveland and allowed a homer to Manny Ramirez, making the Red Sox the first team in ALCS history to hit back-to-back-to-back blasts, but that was all they could muster against the staunch Indians bullpen.

The winner of the ALCS will advance to the World Series to play the Colorado Rockies, who swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS.

The Red Sox will try to stay alive in Game Five behind ace Josh Beckett, who has won two starts already in this postseason, including Game One against Cleveland.

"There is no one better for us," Boston third baseman Mike Lowell said of Beckett. "It's kind of ironic how it worked out."

The Indians are on the brink of their first trip to the World Series since losing in seven games to the Florida Marlins in 1997.