While it's true the Indians couldn't be expected to win with Sabathia and Carmona (Not Glue) stinking out Fenway and the Jake, their earlier exploits were against the Yanks, not the Angels. But then you knew that.

For a minute or two I faltered in my belief, and actually gave in to the dire reports of all the major sports writers. I did, and I'm truly sorry for my lapse.

Belief is a big thing with us Sox fans, and the team did deliver for us, as they have before, the miracle comeback boys. That the other team wasn't pitching, hitting or running up to to everyone's expectations should have been obvious, as the game was played at Fenway Park, where the miracles of October have happened before.

I hope the Rockies are prepared for the team we deliver to them on Wednesday, because if they do win, it will be a hard and well-fought win, and the Sox won't go out quietly or easily.

Ask the Yankees about that-they might have a few choice words to say.

All I can say is "Go Sox! You can do it!"

We all know how this is going to go. Blosox down 3-0 to come back again. I know MLB isn't rigged but it's not 100% straight up legit either.

King: YOur Chief Wahoo column jinxed the Indians. Don't plan any trips to the Jake any thime soon....

Cleveland was fortunate that game wasn't 7 or 8 to nothing after 3 innings.

Kinda reminded me of the Braves-Cardinals NLCS in 1996. Cards up 3-1, lose last 3 games 32-1.

When the umpire made the wrong call, and Lofton was out at second to begin the fifth(?) inning. Had he been ruled safe, it's likely the Indians tie the game in that inning, too. (And it was just idiotic for Joe Buck to acknowledge that mistake and yet continue to give Ramirez credit for something that happened only in the umpire's imagination.) But that play was also indicative of Lofton's inability to recognize that he's lost a few steps, which probably cost the Indians' some runs on defense, too. Several times in the series Lofton took a center-fielder's route to a fly ball, expecting to catch it, only to see it go past him and turn into a double.

BTW, speaking of defense, anyone else think Peralta is a liability at short, especially for a team full of ground-ball pitchers? He has no range and a weak arm, while Cabrera at second has both those qualities in spades. It seems to me that the Indians should switch them around.

It looks like you are. Victory events are being planned in Colorado already.

I don't know, King, I can't say that I agree with that theory that "on paper" the Sox will be heavy favorites.

On paper, the Rox are the best defensive team ever to play the game, remember? On TV, the Red Sox played a sloppy, sloppy defensive game last night.

On paper, the Rox are RBI machines 3 through 7. They've got blazing speed 1 and 2.

On paper, they beat the Sox (and Beckett) 2 out of 3 in Fenway this year.

Oh yeah, they're gonna bench their number 3 hitter in Coors, right? How can they sit Youkilis when he's hotter than a pistol? He clearly was a better MVP choice than Beckett. There's no way they can play Ortiz in Denver.

And don't you think Holliday, Tulo, and Atkins can feast on the Monster?

Pitching is the story, and Aaron Cook is coming back. You know, the guy who threw a 74-pitch complete game this year. Mix him in with Francis and Jimenez, and the Sox aren't going to have it easy. Swooning over Papelbon? I'll take Manny Corpas all seven days of every week.

There's no guarantee of a Rockie victory; it's baseball, after all. But there's no favorite in this Series.

I think the clear advantage goes to Colorado in this series. There arms are well rested, they were on a roll not seen since the '76 Reds ran the table to win the world series, and they get to play at least two games in a climate that favors their teams makeup.

I also can't wait to see Dice-K and possibly Beckett in the batters box in Colorado. That will be some good comedy. The Rockies have plenty of fire power to plug into the DH, and I think it will haunt the Red Sox plenty in bean town. The Red Sox are exhausted, you can see that. The Indians were more so, making way too many errors in game 7 to be a team on the verge of winning the ALCS. Rockies in 5.

I didn't have a favorite team to watch in this series, but I ended up rooting for Cleveland. Why? Because I really didn't want to watch the Red Sox in another series. You see, we just got a high-definition TV. God, now I can tell that the copious spit that is emitted by Boston's manager has that sickly yellow tobacco-stained color. And I get to see that spray of spit come out of Ortiz's mouth before he steps into the batter's box (every time!)in all its mucus-y glory. And Manny Ramiriez's pine tar covered batting helmet, which looks like it was rolled in dog sh-t. Don't get me started on the dugout floor either. Who knew just how gross they were?

Just to add that both Carmona and Westbrook suffered from poor command early, but that a good fielding SS (and 3b) may have been able to adjust to that. But instead we saw ground ball after ground ball go through the hole at short, with both Blake and Peralta just waving at them. With the Red Sox lineup, those small, bad-lucky-style errors just compound (especially with the miniscule strike zone).

Topper, you are right on.

At what point does Peralta say to himself, “Hmm, maybe I ought to move a couple of steps the left, especially with no one on base”? I guess at no effing point at all.

And you won’t hear me say the bad call at second base cost Cleveland anything (well, the tying run, I suppose, but we lost by NINE). And while I agree, it was irritating to hear Joe Buck bloviating about Ramirez’s amazing play, I do give him and McCarver credit for only spending a couple of minutes on the “video replay” issue. (God forbid it.)

But what REALLY hurt was Skinner stopping Lofton on the way to a certain run. You just have to wonder what the heck he saw – or thought he saw – to make him put up the stop sign. At our house we speculated that Lofton’s un-out at second was somehow in the back of Skinner’s mind and made him unduly cautious. Base coaches are like football centers – no one ever notices them until the screw up – so Skinner will certainly get pounded for the flubbed call. A Fox cameraman actually caught Edge frowning and shaking his head slightly – a stinging rebuke from a guy who’s usually so impassive. In the end, though, the Indians lost by NINE, and I hope anger at Skinner doesn’t deflect what ought to be rage and rail party for Sabbathia and Carmona.

Still, after 45 years as an Indians fan, it’s nothing I can’t stand. Any year the Tribe plays in October is a good year. At least it’s not the evil, rightfully hated Yankees in the Series, which means I can keep rooting for the AL. Let’s go Red Sox (I guess).