Welcome to Game Seven

By Adam Ulrey

If the Game #7 match up between Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez is anything like Game #3, this will be a donnybrook. Just this past Saturday we saw one of the wildest post-season games of all time. It included seeing 72-year-old Don Zimmer charging after Pedro, only to be thrown to the ground by him. Pedro had no other choice, but it was still horrible to see. Then Manny Ramirez, the biggest baby in baseball, reacted to a pitch thrown by Clemens that wasn't even near him. That started the whole bench clearing brawl. Ramirez is a joke. When he was with the Indians he was notorious for staying on the bench during brawls.

The whole reason we're even having a Game #7 is that Boston came from behind in Game #6 to beat the Yankees 9-6. The Yankees showed two of their most glaring weaknesses, and they both bit them in the butt. First their defense is one of the worst in baseball, and it showed up in this game. With New York leading 6-4 going into the seventh, Nomar Garciaparra, who has been pathetic in the post season, hit a rocket to deep left center. He was going for a triple, only to watch Hideki Matsui throw the ball away to allow Garciaparra to score the fifth run of the game. On two different occasions in the inning Jorge Posada didn't get in front of balls that were in the dirt, and it allowed runners to move up in scoring position. One of those runners crossed the plate to tie the game.

Then there is the other weakness, their bullpen, it killed them today. After watching Andy Pettitte struggle through five innings Joe Torre had seen enough, and sent out Jose Contreras to start the sixth. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings giving up four hits and three runs. Then in the ninth Gabe White gave up a two run homer one deep into the right field upper deck to lefty Trot Nixon to seal the victory. All told the Yankees gave up eight hits and five runs in just four innings. Beside Mariano Rivera, the Yankees bullpen is pretty sad, and boy did it show that today.

On the other hand the much-maligned bullpen of the Bosox has been terrific this postseason. In game six they were outstanding, going 5 1/3 giving up just five hits and one run. Manager Grady Little had a short rope on starter John Burkett, and when he couldn't make through the fourth he started bringing in his bullpen, and before the end of the game he had used five relievers.

The number one offense in baseball this season were the Red Sox, who had been held to just 3.2 runs per game until their game six outburst. This time it was the bottom of the order that finally woke up, with 9 of their 16 hits coming from the bottom five hitters. It was also a break out game for Garciaparra, who had four hits. You can tell from watching these games that this is not your normal looking Red Sox team. You get the impression they could give a rat's ass about the so-called "Curse of Babe Ruth". They're a mixture of what I like to call lunch pail players. They just show up punch the clock and go to work. No flash or flare just good old fashion baseball.

After 162 regular season games and 11 post season games it all comes down to Game #7 for the right to play in the World Series. Not only do we as fans get to see a Game #7, but we get another chance to watch one of the best pitching matchups in the history of baseball. This is game you simply can't miss.