 
10/17/2004 11:54 AM ET
ALCS Game 4 Hot Sheet
Ten topics people are talking about
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| Terry Francona (right) says Tim Wakefield (left) saved the Red Sox bullpen Saturday night. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
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BOSTON -- The American League Championship Series stays at Fenway Park, where the Yankees and
Red Sox will play Game 4 at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. Here is what people around the ALCS are talking
about:
1. Ouch! In more ways than one
Not only did the Red Sox get blown out in Game 3 by a score of 19-8 to fall into an 0-3 deficit in the
ALCS, but slugger David Ortiz ran gingerly to first base, possibly tweaking his back, although he did go 3-for-5. On the Yankees side, however, first baseman John Olerud fouled a ball off his instep and was replaced by Tony Clark.
2. Don't ever give up
No baseball team has ever rebounded from an 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series, but Sox manager Terry
Francona didn't want to get too far ahead of himself after Saturday night's drubbing. "We have to try to
keep it simple," Francona said. "We show up tomorrow and our only objective, our only goal, is to win
tomorrow. It starts looking a little daunting if you start looking at too big of a picture. You show up
tomorrow and do everything in our power to win tomorrow and keep it simple, and then we'll go from
there."
3. Wake up to a Lowe reality
Francona was forced to use knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, his proclaimed Game 4 starter, in relief in Game
3, changing the Boston pitching rotation for the rest of the series. "We got ourselves into a bind," Francona
said. "It was getting ugly. Because Wake did what he did, we were able to stay away from (setup man
Mike) Timlin and (closer Keith) Foulke. We got into a position we didn't want to get in. Wake really picked
us up. When we win [Sunday], we'll have Wake to thank for that." Derek Lowe will get the ball for Game 4.
4. No more 'daddy'
The ALCS started in New York with Yankees fans' not-so-creative reaction to Pedro Martinez calling their
team his "daddy" a few weeks earlier. But fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it,
the "daddy" chant won't be heard anymore. Because the Sox will start Lowe in Game 4, the only possible
remaining start for Martinez would come in Game 5, also at Fenway, a no-daddy zone.
5. Door still open for Curt?
One of the biggest stories of this series involves the cranky right ankle of Boston ace Curt Schilling, who
was rocked by the Yankees in Game 1, won't pitch Game 5, and might not pitch again this postseason. But after a bullpen
session before Game 3 on Friday night, Francona said he wouldn't close the door on his horse. "He's just
trying to get a little better feel for where we're at," Francona said. Francona was then asked if Schilling had
received a special shoe designed to protect the dislocated ankle tendon. "I don't know if the shoe got in or
not," Francona said. "I hope. For all the publicity they are getting, they ought to be able to get the right
size."
6. Hair today ...
Maybe it was superstition, maybe it was divine intervention, and maybe it just became a pain in the neck to
blow-dry. Or, more likely, maybe he was sick of being 0-for-8 with five strikeouts through the first two
games of the series. Whatever the reason, Boston center fielder Johnny Damon finally gave in and cut his
increasingly famous long hair before Game 3, then singled in a run and scored the tying run in the bottom
of the second off Kevin Brown. "I just didn't realize how long my hair was," said Damon. "So I went over
to my friend's salon and they took good care of me. It made me a better-looking guy."
7. New shortstop in town
It isn't easy replacing a legend, but Orlando Cabrera had to do exactly that when he was brought in at the
trade deadline following the departure of fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra. "It was kind of tough," Cabrera
said. "I mean, the first week ... I was trying to do too much. ... I knew it was going to take a little time for
everybody to realize the way I play and the way I help the team."
8. Bring on El Duque
Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez will get the ball Sunday for his first start in the playoffs since the 2001
World Series, and Yankees manager Joe Torre will lean on the playoff experience of the 30-something-
year-old Duque, who has a 10-2 record and a 2.51 ERA in the postseason. "I think he'll be fine," Torre said.
"He's been through this so often that he's going to take the ball and he's going to go out there and there's no
guarantee what's going to happen other than ... he's going to be able to have his wits about him," Torre said.
9. For whom the Bell toils
Boston's No. 2 hitter, Mark Bellhorn, is pretty unique in the sense that he does two things -- working walks
and striking out -- a lot. Bellhorn had 88 walks and 177 strikeouts during the regular season, then
drew one walk and struck out four times in his five plate appearances Saturday night. "He's been on base so
much for us, he's got big hits for us, he's hit some home runs, he's seen a lot of pitches," Francona said. "I
just think when it all stacked up, he was our best No. 2 two hitter on our ballclub."
10. Fan-ning the flames
Even Derek Jeter realizes how much Yankees fans and Red Sox fans are alike, if they'd just admit
it. "They are both passionate, you know," Jeter said. "Obviously, we've won more than the Red Sox, so I
think they might be a little -- I've got to be careful how I say this. You should have asked me this question
yesterday and let me sleep on it. The Red Sox fans seem like they are frustrated, but I think both sets of
fans care about their teams. ... [Red Sox] fans are up there with any fans." Doug Miller is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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