History Drew The Same Conclusion For The Boston Red Sox in ALCS Game Five

With two outs, runners on the corners, and trailing 7-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning Dustin Pedroia "The Destroia" squared up against Grant Balfour.  After taking two balls before being fanned by two fastballs Pedroia started fouling off pitches, waiting for the perfect one. 

With the count full, Pedroia ripped one into right field allowing Jed Lowrie to easily score from third. 

As vitamin water dripped off of his perfectly manicured beard Big Papi settled in to the batters box.  Booed in his previous plate appearances of the evening, Papi knew he had to come up big.  After watching Balfour stick to his fastball throughout the inning Ortiz wasted no time, jumping on the second pitch of his at bat and crushing it over the right field wall to put the struggling Red Sox within three.

Papelbon, who came on in relief of Manny Delcarmen in the top of the seventh, came back out for the eighth to help the Sox tread water as their offense started to produce.  The fireman was able to retire the side in 12 pitches and allow the offense to go back to work.

Jason Bay was the lead off man for the Red Sox, but as he looked to get things going in the eighth Tampa Bay's Dan Wheeler delivered walked him in four pitches.  JD Drew dug in at the plate and decided to be like fellow slugger David Ortiz, he swung for the hills on pitch two that went into the bleachers behind the right field wall and put the Sox within one. 

After a double by Mark Kotsay, Coco Crisp got what Terry Francona referred to as, "probably the best at bat he's had as a Red Sock."

On the tenth hit of his at-bat Crisp drove one into right field, just over the head of Gabe Gross, allowing Mark Kotsay to score from second base leveling the score at seven a piece.  Confident in his speed, and that Gross was going to try to throw home, Crisp tried to advance to second but was tagged out to end the inning.

Justin Masterson came on for the ninth and was able to keep the score at seven all, allowing a hit and a base on balls.

J.P. Howell came out in the ninth for Tampa Bay and relieved Dan Wheeler.  With two outs Kevin Youkilis launched a rocket down the third base line, Evan Longoria scooped it and made a bad throw to first. 

The ball bounced in the dirt before going into the glove of first basemen Carlos Pena.  Pena closed his eyes and held his breath while trying to scoop the throw out of the dirt, but in his follow through action tossed the ball behind him and into the stands allowing Youkilis a ground rule double on the play that should have ended the game. 

One of Boston's clutch hitters in the ALDS, Jason Bay, was the next batter up to the plate.  But in a rather interesting call, which was being referred to as part of Joe Maddon's "unconventional play," Bay was given an intentional walk.  Rather than trying their luck on the 0-3 Bay, Tampa Bay liked their chances better with the 1-3 JD Drew who had come up with the big two run homer in the previous inning. 

After being fanned on a 3-0 count, JD Drew drove one deep in to right field over the head of Gabe Gross.  Catcher Dioner Navarro was on his way to the dug out before Drew even reached first, which left more room for the Boston Red Sox to greet Kevin Youkilis as he scored the game winning run from second base.

Boston's eight run, come-from-behind, victory was the biggest postseason rally since 1929.  In a post game interview Boston skipper Terry Francona said, "I've never seen a group so happy to get on a plane at 1:30 in the morning in my life."

Both teams head back to St Petersburg, Florida for Game Six at Tropicana Field.  First pitch is scheduled for 8:07 ET, and it will be a match-up against Josh Beckett and James Shields.