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MARC TOPKINBoston says it has the advantage tonight after A's miss another chance to clinch the ALDS.
BOSTON - The Red Sox kept insisting they had a chance.
Now it would appear they have a pretty good one.
The Red Sox pulled off another dramatic and stunning victory over the A's Sunday, this time 5-4, to pull even in the AL division series. And with Pedro Martinez going to the mound for the fifth and final game tonight in Oakland against A's ace Barry Zito, they're feeling like they already have the advantage.
"I like our chances," Boston's Kevin Millar said. "We're going with the best pitcher in the world. I like it."
The Sox came home after losing the first two games in Oakland spouting the obligatory confidence that the series wasn't over, then went out and proved it.
In both games, the Sox took advantage of Oakland mistakes and mishaps and came through when it mattered most.
Saturday, it was a pinch-hit home run by Trot Nixon in the 11th inning that gave them a 3-1 walkoff win. Sunday, they came back from 1-0 and 4-2 deficits to go ahead when likely team MVP David Ortiz, who was 0-for-16 in the series, ripped a two-run double with two outs in the eighth off A's closer Keith Foulke, then sealed it with a strong outing from their much maligned bullpen.
"It's unbelievable," pitcher John Burkett said. "From thinking you're out of this thing, or maybe might be out of it, but you know this team always fights. To have it pay off is special."
It was something of an unbelievable experience for the A's as well. They came in needing one win to move into the next round, but now find themselves haunted by their recent futile past.
Over the past four postseasons, the A's have lost a record eight straight games when they had a chance to close out a series, leading to three first-round eliminations, with the chance for a fourth tonight.
"We've been in this situation before," said Oakland starter Tim Hudson, who left after one inning with a strained oblique muscle. "It's a test for us, and I think we're going to pass."
The A's didn't play as comically bad as they did Saturday, but hardly looked like champions.
An error by second baseman Mark Ellis preceded Johnny Damon's two-run homer in the third. They started the second with a walk and three singles but got only one run, Eric Byrnes' potential grand slam landing a few feet wide of the foul pole. Jermaine Dye had trouble with the wind and the sun as Ortiz's ball went over his head, and the bad break that the ball didn't bounce over the 5-foot bullpen fence for a ground rule double, which, at least temporarily, would have prevented the go-ahead run from scoring.
"We feel like we have the better team," Hudson said. "We pretty much gave them the games. Without the gifts from us, we'd be celebrating right now."
The Red Sox were doing a pretty good job of it themselves, much to the delight of 35,048 on a glorious Fenway Park afternoon. They got a decent start from crafty veteran Burkett, some spectacular defense all around the diamond, clutch hits from Damon, Todd Walker and Ortiz, and near-perfect relief work, with Scott Williamson getting the final six outs in order.
"This is what we wanted to do, force a Game 5," Nixon said. "I think the momentum those guys had is gone."
"The momentum has certainly shifted now," Walker said. "They came here 2-0 and probably a little confident. The momentum has shifted back in our favor."