ALCS Game Six: "Big Lame" James Can't Stop the Captain and His Red Hot Sox

Boston fans were unsure which Beckett had shown up to the yard for ALCS Game Six in Tampa Bay. After striking out his first batter of the night, Akinori Iwamura, Beckett gave up a home run to B.J. Upton on a full count. But that didn't seem to phase him.

Coco Crisp didn't charge the mound to give James Shields a right hook, but Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek teamed up on "Big Game" for a couple of combo shots.

Beckett delivered a performance, showing signs of promise that the Beckett of old was back. Josh went five innings, with four hits, two runs, one base on balls, and three strikeouts. His fastball was light on the mustard, only registering in the low 90s, but he was able to utilize his curveball and command the strike zone to keep Tampa Bay batters off balance.

With the score still 1-0, Kevin Youkilis responded with a leadoff home run in the top of the second inning that leveled the score at one a piece. Youkilis came up big again in the top of the third with an RBI groundout that scored Dustin Pedroia from second base, putting the Sox up 2-1 over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa Bay got their last hit of the night in the form of a Jason Bartlett dinger in the bottom of the fifth, evening the score at two a piece.

In the top of the sixth, with the score tied at two and Jason Varitek at the plate, I got a phone call from an old friend, a diehard Yankee fan. At first I wasn't going to answer, but then decided I would ask him how his Yankees were doing so far this postseason.  As he's uttering out, "Doesn't the old dog know when to just roll over and die?"

A line I'm sure he'd been rehearsing since the second inning. Jason Varitek drove himself out of a 1-for-14 slump and earned his first hit of the series, when he went yard off James Shields' 107th pitch of the evening. It was El Capitan's first four bagger in his last 61 plate appearances. His last fence buster was on Sept. 15 against, none other than, the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Shields was relieved by J.P. Howell after Coco Crisp followed up Tek's gopher ball with an infield single to second base. Boston's next batter, Dustin Pedroia, reached on a throwing error by shortstop Jason Bartlett. Pedroia was held at first on the error, but Crisp was able to make it to third.  With ducks on the corners, Big Papi took the plate and was able to bloop one into right center, scoring Crisp from third and putting Boston up 4-2.

Hideki Okajima started the bottom of the sixth in relief for Beckett, and what a relief he has been this postseason. After struggling through much of the regular season, Oki has only allowed four hits and two runs over nine innings pitched this postseason and is posting a 2.00 ERA. Clutch. Oki pitched two no-hit innings, giving up one base on balls, and earned one K against the dangerous Carlos Pena.

Masterson came out for the eighth and went one strong inning with one strikeout before turning it over to the executioner, Jonathan Papelbon, who earned the save in eight pitches.

Boston won Game Six with a final score of 4-2, forcing a Game Seven at 8:07 ET Sunday, Oct. 19.

Beckett earned his first W in six weeks, and the Red Sox are now 9-1 in postseason games when facing elimination.