Projo Sox Blog

Courtesy Major League Baseball

NEVER COUNT 'EM OUT
The Red Sox have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force a Game 7 of the ALCS or the second consecutive year. The 2008 Red Sox have become the eighth team ever to force a Game 7 of an LCS after trailing 3-1. Six of the seven previous teams coming back from a 3-1 deficit have finished the task in Game 7 and won the LCS. The Red Sox are the only franchise to have accomplished this feat multiple times -- they have now done so four times (1986, 2004, 2007-2008)...The rallying club has won at home four times ('86 BOS, '92 ATL, '96 ATL and '07 BOS) and the rallying club has won Game 7 on the road three times ('85 KC, '03 FLA and '04 BOS). In postseason history, only 11 times has a team rallied from a 3-1 deficit (five times in WS):

BOSOX A TOUGH OUT
The Red Sox have now won nine straight ALCS elimination games. BOS overcame a 3-0 deficit in the 2004 ALCS to beat NYY and then overcame a 3-1 hole vs. CLE in the 2007 ALCS. The Red Sox are now 26-11 all-time in postseason elimination games, including a 13-2 mark in their last 15 such games, with the only losses being Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS and Game 3 of the 2005 ALDS.

GAME 7 RECORDS
Boston is 5-5 all-time (3-1 in LCS play) in a decisive Game 7 (including 1912 World Series Game Eight, as the series featured a tie in Game Two)...The Red Sox were victorious in Game Sevens in the 1903 (at Pittsburgh) and 1912 (actually, Game Eight vs. NY Giants) World Series, along with the ALCS in 1986 (vs. California), 2004 (at New York) and 2007 (vs. Cleveland)...Of Boston's five Game Seven losses, four have come in the World Series (1946 at St. Louis, 1967 vs. St. Louis, 1975 vs. Cincinnati, 1986 at New York Mets), with one loss coming in the ALCS (2003 at New York Yankees).

'TEK TAKES THE LEAD
JASON VARITEK hit his 11th career postseason homer on Saturday, the most ever by a player while catching. Varitek passed the 10 hit by both Hall of Famer Johnny Bench and Javy Lopez. Hall of Famer Yogi Berra hit 12, but nine came as a catcher. The homer was Varitek's first hit of the 2008 ALCS, which broke his 0-for-15 string to start the ALCS. Varitek's 11 postseason homers are tied with Manny Ramirez for second in Red Sox history behind David Ortiz's 12.

NOT-SO-SECRET WEAPON
Red Sox closer JONATHAN PAPELBON pitched 1.0 scoreless inning in Game Six to extend his postseason record for most career scoreless innings to 25.0 over 16 outings. Papelbon has two wins and seven saves in postseason play, and of the 85 batters he has faced, only 16 have reached base via hit or walk.

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