• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Ellsbury, Pedroia lead Red Sox to 3-0 lead

Oct 28, 2007 - 7:48 AM By Jim Keller PA SportsTicker Baseball Editor

DENVER (Ticker) -- On a night that was suppose to showcase the Colorado Rockies, a pair of Boston Red Sox rookies stole the spotlight.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia combined for seven hits, four doubles, four RBI and three runs out of the top two spots in the lineup to lead the Red Sox to a 10-5 victory over the Rockies on Saturday night.

The game lasted a World Series-record 4 hours, 19 minutes at a chilly Coors Field, giving the Red Sox a commanding three games to none World Series lead.

"Nothing is over yet," Boston catcher Jason Varitek said. "We have to continue with that mindset and go about doing what we have been doing and not change a thing."

Ellsbury bookended a six-run third inning with a pair of doubles and doubled in an insurance run in the eighth, and Boston survived a rare meltdown by their bullpen en route to moving within one win of their seventh World Series title.

"(Ellsbury and Pedroia) were off the charts today," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "We have to find a way to slow them down."

The first rookies to bat in the top two spots in the order in World Series history, the duo also set a record for most hits by two rookies in a Series game.

"They were on base all night. Did exactly what you hope your Nos. 1-2 hitters will do," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "It created a lot of opportunities early."

After going 86 years without a world championship, the Red Sox can wrap up their second title in four years with a win here Sunday. No team in World Series history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit.

"We're in ground-breaking territory," Hurdle said when informed that all 22 teams to fall behind 3-0 have lost. We have to find a way to go out and win Game Four. No need to over-react. We just have to find a way to win a ballgame."

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched brilliantly into the sixth and singled in two runs for the Boston, which has won seven straight World Series games, the second longest streak to the Cincinnati Reds' run of nine straight from 1976-90.

After getting pasted, 13-1 in Game One, and nudged 2-1 in Game Two at Fenway Park, the Rockies returned to Coors, where they had won 42 of their last 57 games, hoping to make a series of it against the heavily favored Red Sox.

They were greeted by a vocal sellout crowd waving white towels, but the Red Sox took the fight out of the Rockies and the pent up enthusiasm away from the crowd early.

After Boston wasted infield hits by their top-of-the-order hitters in the first and could not score after Julio Lugo legged out a double with two outs in the second, they pretty much took the Rockies out of the series by sending 11 batters to the plate in the third inning.

"Huge inning that's for sure," Boston third baseman Mike Lowell said. "We were able to get to Fogg early which was important. This is not a place where one- or two-run leads hold up well."

Ellsbury led off the big uprising by lining a shot just past third baseman Garrett Atkins and using his blazing speed to just beat a throw for a double. Pedroia, attempting to sacrifice, laid down a perfect bunt in front of the plate and beat it out for a single.

"The thing about our lineup I feel that I have to get on base with Dustin behind me," Ellsbury said. "He's going to do the job and move runners. You've got to like your chances when you get on."

David Ortiz then lined Fogg's first pitch into the right field corner for a double, plating Ellsbury. Colorado intentionally walked Manny Ramirez to load the bases, but Fogg fell behind Lowell 2-1 before the Sox third baseman lined a base hit up the middle, scoring two runs with his ninth hit in 16 at-bats with runners in scoring position this postseason.

J.D. Drew popped out for the first out of the inning and Ramirez made the second out, getting thrown out at the plate after Jason Varitek singled to left field. Fogg carefully pitched around Julio Lugo to load the bases for Matsuzaka, who entered the game 0-for-4 as a hitter in the major leagues.

With Fogg getting a chance to get out of the inning with just three runs, Matsuzaka grounded a first-pitch single into left field, scoring two more runs.

"We didn't want to let Lugo hit," Hurdle said. "We got the pitcher up with two outs, that's what we wanted. That swing of the bat provided some discomfort."

"He always said he was a good hitter," Francona joked. "We'll take RBI from anybody."

Ellsbury then capped the uprising with his second double of the inning, a liner to left-center that dropped just in front of diving center fielder Cory Sullivan.

"He's got a ton of talent," Lowell said. "He sticks to his game plan at the plate and doesn't get caught up in the moment. He's matured a lot since coming up here."

Fogg, who beat the Sox on June 13, allowing two runs on five hits, departed after that hit, being charged with six runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Matsuzaka, who struggled down the stretch, looked more like the pitcher Boston paid over $100 million to bring over from the Far East. The Japanese pitcher was 15-12 during the regular season, but pitched to a 7.16 ERA over his last 10 starts. He did not get out of the fifth in his first two playoff starts but won Game Seven of the American League Championship Series against Cleveland by allowing two runs in five frames.

Following strong performances by Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling, Matsuzaka carried a shutout into the sixth and left after being charged with two runs, three hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.

"Best life on fastball in quite some time," Francona said. "He pitched very well."

"He was very good," Atkins said. "He keeps you off-balance with his offspeed stuff. You never know what you are going to get."

After yielding a single to Kaz Matsui on the first pitch of the first, Matsuzaka did not yield another base hit until Yorvit Torrealba led off the fifth with a single to center field. He yielded a one-out pinch single to Seth Smith, but the first of two big plays by Lugo at shortstop kept the Rockies off the board.

With runners at first and second, Lugo fielded a chopper deep in the hole between third and shortstop and got the force at third. He had no other play. Matsuzaka induced Troy Tulowitzki to pop to short to end the threat with a 6-0 lead intact.

Matsuzaka lost the strike zone in the sixth and was relieved after his second walk of the inning, to Atkins. Javy Lopez entered and yielded run-scoring singles to Brad Hawpe and Torrealba to cut Boston's edge to 6-2 before Mike Timlin entered and got out of the mess with a little luck and another great play by Lugo.

Pinch hitter Ryan Spilborghs flied out to the fence in dead center - another five feet and it would have been a one-run game - before Lugo made a leaping catch of a line shot by pinch hitter Jeff Baker to end the sixth.

After Matsui led off the seventh with a bunt single down the third base line, stole second and advanced to third on a base hit up the middle by Troy Tulowitzki, Boston manager Terry Francona summoned Game Two hero Hideki Okajima.

But the Japanese lefthander threw a first-pitch fastball right down the middle of the plate and Holliday sent it well over the 415-foot marker in center field to cut the Rockies' deficit to 6-5 and brought out cheers of "MVP, MVP."

It was the fifth postseason blast for Holliday, the National League batting champ and RBI leader, and the first run Okajima had allowed in 9 2/3 frames this fall.

"He's a big-time player," Hurdle said. "He's coming into his own, improving each year."

"He hit it a long way," Francona said. "He's done it against a lot of people."

The Boston bullpen had not allowed a run in 5 2/3 innings in the Fall Classic and its last eight frames of the American League Championship Series.

Helton followed Holliday's blast with a base hit, but Okajima rebounded and retired the next three batters - two on strikeouts to escape.

Boston then jumped on Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes for three runs in the eighth. Lugo worked a one-out walk and moved to second on a single by Coco Crisp, who entered a frame earlier on a double switch. Ellsbury then doubled down the right field line just in front of a sliding Hawpe to score Crisp. Pedroia then provided the dagger with a two-run double down the right field line.

"Huge hit. Try to add on some runs," Pedroia said. "No lead is safe, especially against them. It was a big inning."

"We came back from adversity," Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon said. "We were able to get three more runs and ended up winning the inning. That was very important to get that cushion going into the final innings."

Ellsbury finished with four hits - three doubles - and Pedroia had three hits.

Papelbon got the last out of the eighth after Manny Delcarmen recorded two outs and allowed two baserunners, and the closer logged the ninth for his second save of the series and third in the postseason.