ALCS Home / News / Video / Audio / Photos

"We show up tomorrow and our only objective, our only goal is to win tomorrow," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It starts looking a little daunting if you start looking at too big of a picture, you show up tomorrow and do everything in your power to win tomorrow and keep it simple and then we'll go from there."

The Red Sox could start with scoring first. The Yankees have scored first in all three games and have outscored the Red Sox, 32-16.

Vitals check
A look at key statistics through Game 3 of the ALCS.

Team stats

Digits		Trend	The Deal
ERA	11.52		one word, five syllables -- unacceptable
BA	.280		not good enough when Yanks hit .377
Runs	16		the scoring is there, the timing is not
Fldg %	1.000		the best defense can't stop base hits

Who's hot?

Player	Digits	Trend	The Deal
David Ortiz	.500, 2 R, 8 TB		Ortiz a force but can't do it alone
Jason Varitek	.500, 2 HR,  4 RBI,  4 R		losses overshadowing a fine series

Who's not?

Player	Digits	Trend	The Deal
Johnny Damon	.077, 0 HR, 1 RBI		1-for-13 not going to cut it against NY
Mark Bellhorn	.083, 0 HR, 0 RBI		He has six strikeouts in 12 AB

Behind the numbers
Two -- the number of innings thrown by Red Sox starter Bronson Arroyo and Yankees starter Kevin Brown in a highly anticipated showdown. Arroyo was charged with six runs on six hits during his 60 pitches. Brown gave up five hits and four runs during his 57-pitch effort.

Frozen moment
Red Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera and Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez, former teammates in Montreal, squared off with the bases loaded in the third inning and the result was one of the most exciting plays of the ALCS. Cabrera connected on a 3-2 delivery, the eighth pitch in the at-bat, for a double that scored Varitek and Kevin Millar to tie the game at 6. Bill Mueller, who was at first base, was tagged out at home only moments after Millar scored in a play reminiscent of one by Boston great Carlton Fisk when he tagged two runners out at home plate in 1985 while with the White Sox.

Sunday morning QB
Using Tim Wakefield, the scheduled starter for Game 4 of the ALCS, could be a questionable move because it pushes up Derek Lowe in to the No. 4 spot. Lowe has thrown only 12 pitches during the last two weeks and his inconsistent outings are the reason he was removed from the rotation in the first place. Francona did not show enough confidence in Lowe's ability to stop the Yankees in long relief Friday but now expects the right-hander to shut them down in the most important game of the season on Sunday. Ramiro Mendoza's ineffectiveness in long relief put the Red Sox in a lose-lose predicament.

Sunday morning QB II
When Wakefield walked the struggling Jorge Posada in the fourth inning, it came back to haunt the Red Sox when the next hitter, Ruben Sierra, followed with a two-run triple to put the Yankees up 11-6. Sierra, who has quickly gained a reputation for coming up with a big hit, did it again Saturday.

Varitek extends records
Varitek's effort has never faltered in the ALCS. He hit a home run Saturday, the ninth of his career in postseason play and his fifth in League Championship Series games. Both marks are Boston records.

Last word
"We had the belief this team could do it, but we have not done it." -- Damon

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.