Game 7's

JH asked me my thoughts on MLB's ALCS game 7 between Boston and Cleveland...and manalive am I a sucker for any Game 7 in any sport, but especially baseball. An entire season comes down to one game and the pressure and intensity and potential for drama is too much to resist.

The best Game 7 I ever saw was the 1991 NLCS between Atlanta and Pittsburgh. The Braves had moved from last place in the standings the year before to first place and were at home--two outs, bases loaded, Braves down a run in game 7, and Francisco Cabrera's base hit to left scored Sid Bream, who beat Andy Van Slyke's throw by about a foot--and they'd go on to lose to the Twins in the World Series.

Now in Boston Sunday night, folks might look at the final score (Red Sox 11, Tribe 2) and think it was a blowout...but baseball is a game played at blinding speeds and that one split-second decison often changes the entire complexion of the biggest games.

That one key moment in this game: Cleveland down 3-2 in the 7th. Kenny Lofton on 2nd base and one out. Franklin Gutierrez hits a smash down into the left field line very close to being foul. The only guy moving on the play was the speedy Lofton and, even though he's 41 he still moves faster than most players, was given the stop sign by third base coach Joel Skinner. Skinner's split-second decision put runners on first and third and one out, and the next batter Casey Blake hits into an inning-ending double play.

There's your ballgame.

Skinner should've waved Lofton all the way (he did at first) and forced Manny Ramirez to make a perfect throw...which even a great one might not have gotten him. I'd bet that Manny just threw to 2nd anyway to keep Gutierrez out of scoring position. But even if Lofton was thrown out at the plate, the Tribe has 2 outs and a runner at 2nd base (he would've moved on the throw to the plate).

I'd suggest that the Red Sox play everything differently if it's 3-3 in the 7th rather than having a momentum grabbing double play and could be more aggressive at the plate. It was a good game, though. And one that seemed to have Cleveland fighting uphill the entire game. It just wasn't their night.