The Red Sox Look Like They've Been Here Before

So much for that Game 1 pitching duel we were promised. Josh Beckett threw six innings of four-hit ball to outpitch ( and outbanjo) C.C. Sabathia as the Sox squashed the Indians 10-3. As Beckett rolled — even after giving up that early "wind-homer" to Hafner — Sabathia struggled from the get-go. The Cleveland ace allowed three consecutive singles in the first, and eight runs, seven hits and five walks over just 4 1-3 innings. The game was a snorefest from there on out. Well, at least until Gagne tried to make it interesting. Bless that bispectacled bastard's heart.

As for the BoSox offense? Um, yeah, not bad. Ramirez went 2-for-2 with an RBI single and three walks — two of them with the bases loaded — and Ortiz went 2-for-2 with two walks and a jersey-hit-by-pitch. The numbots tell me those two have reached base a combined 27 times in their last 30 at-bats. I tell you that's crazy.

And oh, while we're here ... Mike O'Malley's cousin reads basegirl: Kevin Youkilis does look like Yukon Cornelius from the Christmas special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"! Good eye.

ALCS Game One: Beckett Was Brilliant [Over the Monster] Mike O'Malley's Bean Balls [Yahoo! Sports]