SOX WIN PENNANT! SOX WIN PENNANT!

The Boston Red Sox completed their comeback Sunday night with an 11-2 win over the Cleveland Indians to claim the American League championship for the second time in four years. Trailing 3-1 in the series, the Red Sox scored three runs in the first three innings, then held off the Indians. Clinging to a one-run lead in the seventh, rookie Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run home run over the left field Wall. Hideki Okajima worked two scoreless innings in relief before giving way to closer Jonathan Papelbon with two on and no outs in the eighth inning. Papelbon struck out Travis Hafner, got the dangerous Victor Martinez to ground out and retired Ryan Garko and a fly ball that Jacoby Ellsbury tracked down in front of the bullpen. Boston blew the game open with six runs in the eighth on a double by Mike Lowell, a single by J.D. Drew, a bases-loaded double by Pedroia and a two-run homer by Kevin Youkilis. Papelbon finished the Indians off for his only save of the series. The win went to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who gave up two runs in five innings. Josh Beckett, who won Games 1 and 5, was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. The World Series opens Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

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YouTube | October 22, 2007

Tags:. .hit. .three. .red. .win. .tracked