"MARTINEZ PITCHED TO FIVE BATTERS IN THE EIGHTH": Rarely does that one line in the boxscore say so much. The Boston Red Sox, like the Chicago Cubs the night before, held a three-run lead with six outs to go before advancing to the World Series. And like the Cubs, and you, and I, the Sox will be watching said Series from their living rooms. To paraphrase Jim Mora, "they gave 'em the game away! They gave 'em the friggin' game!"
The Red Sox were leading 4-2 but Pedro Martinez looked shaky in the 7th, despite escaping with the lead. Sox manager Grady Little, surprisingly, brought Pedro back out to pitch the 8th. And… you know, if you care, you already know the story and I don't need to repeat it. As Jim Caple said, "this is a decision that will haunt Boston fans until even after the Big Dig is complete."