***BOSTON RED SOX DEFEAT TAMPA BAY RAYS TO FORCE A GAME SEVEN***

***LAST CHANCE TEXACO GAME THREE SUNDAY NIGHT AT 8:07pm EDT On TBS & TBS HD***
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Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, the Boston Red Sox took game two of the three "Last Chance Texaco" baseball games by defeating the bedeviled and totally spooked Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 4-2. Josh Beckett started for the defending world champions and relied heavily on his curveball. He was able to control his 92 MPH fastballs too, and he threw 'em where Tampa Bay couldn't hit 'em. He knows how to pitch and he showed that to the world last night in a game that was blacked out for the first 19 minutes on TBS because of a shutdown of a master router, which feeds the signal to we the people. I listened to that 19 minutes on radio and was happy to hear that the Sox tied the game at one and went ahead 2-1 in the second inning. Beckett settled down magnificently after an Upton first inning solo tater and pitched five full, allowing two runs on fours hits, walking one and striking out three. Great job, Josh. The bullpen took over in the sixth inning with the Sox ahead on the strength of a tie-breaking home run by the captain, Jason Varitek, and they held the Rays hitless until Jonathon Papelbon's last pitch. Kudos to Beckett, Okajima, who has been lights out this October, Masterson and Paps...a dominating performance from the Boston 'pen yet again. OH YES! Ned Martin would say "MERCY!" I can hear him now as clear as day.

Youk also homered...he drove in two runs and has also been so clutch. Coco Crisp continued his hot hitting with three safeties and Big Papi and JD Drew had two apiece. Here is what Papi and Rays manager Joe Maddon had to say after the do or die game...

"There's nowhere to run," said David Ortiz. "We've been in there before. We know what it takes to win games. It's not easy. It's not like we like to be in that situation. I guess that's the way our destiny has been the past few years that we have won the World Series. It's hard, man. It's not an easy thing to do."

"It's all how we react to the moment, and it's a seventh game," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "So it's not about looking into the past, it's about looking into the future right now. We've got to get ready to play that game tonight."

Peter here, and hey, Joe...you play and we'll take care of the winning. Fair enough? Your team looks shellshocked since the tremendous game five Boston comeback. Sleep on it, Joe. Sleep until Monday if you'd like.

Tonight at 8:07pm EDT on TBS & TBSHD, it'll be Jon Lester, the guy we want to be on the mound for a game seven, facing Matt Garza, who won game three for his team. All Lester has to do is have a typical Lester start and Boston will be heading to (dare I say it?) the World Series once again. Boy, when the Sox are down to elimination games, they have done remarkably well. Down 3 games to none against the Yankees in '04, they reeled off 4 straight wins to play on. Down 3 games to 1 against Cleveland last year, they reeled off seven straight wins to become world champions. Now, yet again, it's a winner take all game, and I have to give the nod to Boston. Only three of the Rays players have been involved in a game seven of ANY kind.

GO JON LESTER, GO BOSTON RED SOX. RSN and RSI have the faith, the faith to believe the unbelievable. To all my readers, enjoy the game tonight...this team has gone through so much bad fortune this year but THEY NEVER QUIT. And neither will I. Here's to faith...it does wonders. As always, BE WELL. You can click on the title of this post for more. Have a wonderful and winning Sunday. Only one more LAST CHANCE TEXACO game to go...it's ours.