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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox looked like they were trying to
stamp out 81 years of October failure, all in one night.
In the most-lopsided postseason rout ever, the Red Sox set a
record for runs while beating up the Cleveland Indians 23-7 Sunday
night to force a deciding fifth game in their first-round American League
playoff series.
|  | | Jason Varitek scores ... and so does Darren Lewis. It was that kind of night. |
"We're right back in that hunt now," Red Sox manager Jimy
Williams said. "It's one game for both of us."
John Valentin had two homers, a double and seven RBI as Boston
broke the record for postseason runs set when Lou Gehrig and Joe
DiMaggio led the Yankees to an 18-4 victory over the New York
Giants in Game 2 of the 1936 World Series.
Mike Stanley had five hits and Valentin and Jason Varitek each
had four of Boston's 24 hits -- another postseason record. Trot
Nixon and Jose Offerman each had five RBI and Varitek had a record
five runs as Boston scored in every inning but the sixth.
"Everything that we threw up, they hit," Indians manager Mike
Hargrove said. "Any time you score (23) runs, you got a whole lot
right. And a whole lot wrong is going on for the other team."
The Red Sox, who have not won the World Series since 1918
despite several close calls -- some say it's a curse -- overwhelmed
the Indians less than 24 hours after winning just their second
postseason game in 20 tries.
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GAME 4 AT A GLANCE
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Every game a hero
When it's 23-7, there are plenty of them. John Valentin tied a postseason record with seven RBI and from the final three innings of Game 3 through the first four innings of Game, 4 he was 6-for-7 with 10 RBI. Jason Varitek had four hits and became the first player in postseason history to score five runs.
Key number
Umm ... 23?
Most runs in a postseason game:
23 -- Boston vs. Cleveland, Oct. 10, 1999
18 -- x-Yankees vs. New York Giants, Oct. 2, 1936
16 -- x-Yankees at Pittsburgh, Oct. 3, 1960
15 -- Atlanta vs. St. Louis, Oct. 17, 1996
15 -- x-Toronto at Philadelphia, Oct. 20, 1993
14 -- x-Philadelphia vs. Toronto, Oct. 20, 1993
14 -- Atlanta at St. Louis, Oct. 14, 1996
14 -- Atlanta vs. Philadelphia, Oct. 7, 1993
14 -- x-Atlanta vs. Minnesota, Oct. 14, 1991
14 -- x-Florida at Cleveland, Oct. 21, 1997
(x -- World Series)
Most lopsided games in postseason history:
17 -- Red Sox 23, Indians 6, Oct. 10, 1999
15 -- Braves 15, Cardinals 0, Oct. 17, 1996
14 -- Braves 14, Cardinals 0, Oct. 14, 1996
14 -- Yankees 18, Giants 4, Oct. 2, 1936
13 -- Yankees 16, Pirates 3, Oct. 6, 1960
13 -- Cubs 13, Padres 0, Oct. 2, 1984
Last word
"Tonight was a special night for the Red
Sox."
-- Valentin
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Pitching on three days' rest for the first time in his career,
Indians ace Bartolo Colon allowed seven runs on six hits and a
walk. He left after allowing a two-run homer to Offerman with
nobody out in the second -- the first of Boston's two five-run
innings.
"It was embarrassing. It was humiliating," Indians catcher
Sandy Alomar said. "But the good part about it is that none of
those runs mean anything tomorrow."
The teams return to Cleveland for Game 5 on Monday night, and
with Pedro Martinez nursing a sore back, neither team will have its
ace. Charles Nagy will start for the Indians and Bret Saberhagen
will pitch for Boston.
Only once since the Division Series was added to the playoffs in
1995 has a team won the best-of-5 series after losing the first two
games -- Seattle did it to the Yankees that first year.
And now the Red Sox -- of all teams -- have a chance to make it
two.
The very same Red Sox who lost the 1948 AL pennant in a one-game
playoff with the Indians, and blew a 14½-game lead over the Yankees
in 1978 to lose a one-game playoff on Bucky Dent's home run.
And the very same Red Sox who lost the 1946 World Series after
leading the St. Louis Cardinals three games to two, then blew a 3-2
lead in the '86 Series after the Bill Buckner's notorious Game 6 blunder.
But in the Indians, who haven't won a World Series since 1948
despite making the playoffs in each of the last five years, Boston
may be meeting a team more cursed than itself.
"We had to win. That was our basic position. We had to win or
go home," Williams said. "So now we have another shot against a
good club. Hopefully it works out for us."
After Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the series and came to Boston
prepared to sweep -- especially after the Red Sox lost All-Star
shortstop Nomar Garciaparra for Game 3 -- the Indians return home hoping
merely to move on.
Valentin, who twice committed costly errors at
third base earlier in the series, homered to help Boston win Game 3
and added another in the first inning on Sunday to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.
In the second, Colon gave up consecutive singles to Stanley,
Varitek and Darren Lewis before Nixon banged a double off the wall
in center field to make it 5-2. Offerman followed with a two-run
homer into the screen above the Green Monster to give Boston a 7-2
lead and end Colon's night.
Red Sox starter Kent Mercker, who was making his first career
postseason start after 12 playoff relief appearances, didn't have
much luck, either. He allowed single runs in each of the first two
innings before he was pulled with two out and two on in the second.
But the Boston bullpen came through where Cleveland's couldn't.
Rich Garces relieved Mercker and got Roberto Alomar to ground out
to first base to end the second; Garces went 2 1/3 innings,
allowing one run on one hit and two walks, striking out one to earn
the victory.
And the Red Sox weren't done -- far from it. They added three
runs off Steve Karsay and eight more off Steve Reed to pile up a
15-2 lead after four innings.
Cleveland scored four runs in the fifth inning as four Red Sox
relievers walked five batters. But Rheal Cormier struck out Omar
Vizquel and Roberto Alomar to end the inning.
Boston answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth when
Stanley hit an RBI triple into the gap in right-center field that Manny Ramirez kicked towards center. Varitek followed with a
two-run home run to make it 18-6.
Notes
Although it rained all day, the game started on time. ...
Indians second baseman Alomar and right fielder Ramirez banged
knees on Garciaparra's popup in the first inning. Alomar was able
to catch the ball. ... Valentin is the third Red Sox player to
homer in consecutive playoff games, joining Mo Vaughn in 1998 and
Larry Gardiner in 1916. ... Valentin also made a nifty play at
third base when, while drawn in to protect against a bunt, he
fielded a sharp hopper from Vizquel to end the fourth inning.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cleveland Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
Red Sox vs. Indians series page
Saberhagen to start, but Pedro wants to pitch
Valentin tops Boston's record-setting day
Indians are the ones now on the ropes
AUDIO/VIDEO
 John Valentin and the Red Sox await Game 5.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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