Byrd Flying High

This is most definitely the perfect October for the unpredictable faces. In what was thought to be a high-octane ballgame turned out to be a pitchers duel-- well at least for the first five innings. Cleveland has been able to do what Boston has not, so far-- completely protect their homefield. As a result, the Indians stormed to a 3-1 series lead Tuesday night at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.

Tim Wakefield was cruising before having everythign implode on him in the bottom the fifth. That was plenty for Paul Byrd and Co. as the righthander turned in five innings of 2-run ball and improved to 2-0 throughout the postseason. The offensive explosion was even enough to endure back-to-back-to-back homeruns by Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez in the top of the sixth inning. The first two homeruns chased Byrd from the game.

Byrd has quietly gone about his postseason while it seems much of the country continues to second guess manager Eric Wedge for not starting C.C. Sabathia. Wedge has continually stated that their plan from the beginning was a four-man rotation. To his credit it has worked out, and now the Indians have their big ace on the mound with a World Series date with Colorado on the line.

Byrd is never domintating at this point in his career, but as a savvy veteran, he still has plenty in the tank to be effective. With Cleveland's bullpen, it does not take eigt innings of one-run ball to give the team a boost. Instead, Byrd relies on two different types of fastballs-- the four seam and two seam-- a slider, curveball, and a changeup to keep the opposing lineup off balance. He will even throw in a a cutter for good measure.

All arms and all stops will be available for Thursday's night game given the off day on Wednesday. Jensen Lewis and Rafael Betancourt were both used for two innings apiece, so they will welcome the day of rest. But guaranteed they will be ready to go in Game 5 with an extra-rested Rafael Perez and Joe Borowski at the back end. If you are a Cleveland fan, you have to feel optomistic about how the arms are stacking up.

When there is thunder there is lighting and that came in the bottom of the fifth for the Tribe. Casey Blake opened up the scoring with a homerun to deep left, later followed up by an Asdrubal Cabrera run-scoring single. The nail in the coffin came courtesy of a 3-run bomb by Jhonny Peralta.

There are many times during the regular season where two teams will engage in an epic battle and a winner will be awarded at the end, but they were not a clear-cut favorite. This happens less and less in October, possibly because the teams are playing seven game series' against eachother. But regardless of the reasoning, there comes a time in each series-- usually-- where it clearly seems like one team has run out of gas. The breaks are not falling their way and their rebuttals quietly slide in despair.

It appears like it has come to that point for the Boston Red Sox. Their best pitcher, Josh Beckett, is suppossedly battling some fatigue issues and was not even available to pitch in Game 4-- even though that was not admitted and was kept under wraps by Terry Francona. their offense is still carrying its load for the most part, but if their starters cannot get out of the fifth or sixth inning, they are not going to be in the ballgames at the end due to the superiority of Cleveland's pitching.

What does that mean? Well besides the fact that is difficult in itself to come from behind late in games, Jonathan Papelbon has suddenly become irrelevant in this series. From here on out, Papelbon may need to find a way to come through with two-inning saves. If that is the case, so be it. He is a professional and will be more than happy to do so. It is not time to worry about pitchers wearing down or their arms fatiguing because, honestly, the only reason all of that is talked about is to get in this position the Red Sox are in now. If Beckett and Schilling in Game 6-- if the series even makes its way back to Boston-- cannot find a way to get the ball to Papelbon in the eigth inning with a lead, they have no chance in coming back in this series.

October is as much about mystique and destiny and all those gushy, feel-good punchlines we throw out there each year as it is about the overall balance of a lineup. Boston looks better on paper, on the offensive side, but it is their pitching that is taking the explosive offense out of the equation. When things are meant to be, they are meant to be. And Paul Byrd is going to continue to take the ball in Game 4 of each series the Indians play in and quietly slip under the radar-- unnoticed until the final box score is printed in the morning newspaper.

I'm sure Byrd doesn't mind either way. Afterall, champagne showers and dreams of championship rings feel the same all the way from the heraldest of heralds to the stealthest of stealths.