BOSTON - J.D. Drew hit a grand slam and an RBI single, rare bright spots in his first season with Boston, and the Red Sox led the Cleveland Indians 10-1 after three innings of Game 6 of the AL championship series Saturday night.
Behind Curt Schilling, the Red Sox were hoping to send it to a Game 7 Sunday night. If it goes that far, Daisuke Matsuzaka will start for Boston against Jake Westbrook - it would be a rematch from Game 3, which the Indians won.
Drew connected for a slam off Fausto Carmona in the first inning. The Boston outfielder singled home a run in the six-run third when the Indians walked four batters, used three pitchers and made two errors.
Boston nearly fell behind in the top of the first when Grady Sizemore hit Schilling's third pitch of the game toward the right-field pole. It was ruled foul and manager Eric Wedge put up a mild protest.
Cleveland's Victor Martinez hit a homer in the second.
The rematch of Game 2 starters featured the 40-year-old Schilling, one of the best postseason pitchers of all time with a 9-2 record and a 2.23 ERA coming into Game 6, against the 23-year-old Carmona, a postseason rookie.
Schilling and Carmona both struggled in Game 2, won by Cleveland 13-6 with seven runs in the 11th. That evened the series before the Indians won the next two games at home 4-2 and 7-3. But the Red Sox brought the series back to Fenway Park with a 7-1 win Friday night.
Drew came through in the first just when the Red Sox risked blowing a bases-loaded, no-outs opportunity after infield singles by Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis and a walk to David Ortiz.
Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell made outs before Drew hit Carmona's 3-1 pitch to left-center field. Sizemore kept drifting back but ran out of room as the ball landed in the camera stand just beyond the wall.
Drew signed a $70 million, five-year contract then had one of his worst seasons - hitting. 270 with a career-low 11 homers that turned fans against him. They were on his side Saturday, roaring when the ball cleared the wall. The usually expressionless Drew pumped his fist once by his side between first and second.
Carmona left with no outs in the third after walking Ramirez and Lowell and giving up Drew's single. Rafael Perez retired Jason Varitek then allowed an RBI single to rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, starting for slumping Coco Crisp, and a two-run double to Julio Lugo.
The last two runs scored in Youkilis' single and a throwing error by second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera.
Schilling, in his fourth year with Boston, is eligible for free agency after the season. Sidelined for seven weeks by tendinitis in his right shoulder, he returned Aug. 6 and finished at 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA.
In Game 2, Schilling allowed five runs in 4 2-3 innings. Carmona, 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA during the regular season, gave up four runs before leaving after Youkilis led off the fifth with a single.
Drew's grand slam was the third in the Red Sox postseason history.
Troy O'Leary hit the first at Cleveland on Oct. 11, 1999, in an 8-6 win in the decisive fifth game of the AL division series after Boston lost the first two games. Johnny Damon connected in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, a 10-3 Red Sox victory that capped their comeback after losing the first three games.
Drew's previous three postseason homers came in 2001 and 2002 with St. Louis. Schilling, then with Arizona, allowed two of them.
Drew connected for a slam off Fausto Carmona in the first inning. The Boston outfielder singled home a run in the six-run third when the Indians walked four batters, used three pitchers and made two errors.
Boston nearly fell behind in the top of the first when Grady Sizemore hit Schilling's third pitch of the game toward the right-field pole. It was ruled foul and manager Eric Wedge put up a mild protest.
Cleveland's Victor Martinez hit a homer in the second.
The rematch of Game 2 starters featured the 40-year-old Schilling, one of the best postseason pitchers of all time with a 9-2 record and a 2.23 ERA coming into Game 6, against the 23-year-old Carmona, a postseason rookie.
Schilling and Carmona both struggled in Game 2, won by Cleveland 13-6 with seven runs in the 11th. That evened the series before the Indians won the next two games at home 4-2 and 7-3. But the Red Sox brought the series back to Fenway Park with a 7-1 win Friday night.
Drew came through in the first just when the Red Sox risked blowing a bases-loaded, no-outs opportunity after infield singles by Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis and a walk to David Ortiz.
Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell made outs before Drew hit Carmona's 3-1 pitch to left-center field. Sizemore kept drifting back but ran out of room as the ball landed in the camera stand just beyond the wall.
Drew signed a $70 million, five-year contract then had one of his worst seasons - hitting. 270 with a career-low 11 homers that turned fans against him. They were on his side Saturday, roaring when the ball cleared the wall. The usually expressionless Drew pumped his fist once by his side between first and second.
Carmona left with no outs in the third after walking Ramirez and Lowell and giving up Drew's single. Rafael Perez retired Jason Varitek then allowed an RBI single to rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, starting for slumping Coco Crisp, and a two-run double to Julio Lugo.
The last two runs scored in Youkilis' single and a throwing error by second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera.
Schilling, in his fourth year with Boston, is eligible for free agency after the season. Sidelined for seven weeks by tendinitis in his right shoulder, he returned Aug. 6 and finished at 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA.
In Game 2, Schilling allowed five runs in 4 2-3 innings. Carmona, 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA during the regular season, gave up four runs before leaving after Youkilis led off the fifth with a single.
Drew's grand slam was the third in the Red Sox postseason history.
Troy O'Leary hit the first at Cleveland on Oct. 11, 1999, in an 8-6 win in the decisive fifth game of the AL division series after Boston lost the first two games. Johnny Damon connected in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, a 10-3 Red Sox victory that capped their comeback after losing the first three games.
Drew's previous three postseason homers came in 2001 and 2002 with St. Louis. Schilling, then with Arizona, allowed two of them.
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