Posted By David Pevear, Sun Staff

You knew it was over. Mike Timlin’s arrival on the scene in the bottom of the 11th early Sunday a.m. spelled foreboding. Tampa Bay, having barely outlasted the meat of Boston’s bullpen, scratched out a winning run with some ball-strike assistance from home-plate umpire Sam Holbrook, in whose defense I will only say my attention too was wavering after nearly 5 ½ hours and more than 400 pitches. I was prone on the couch with only one two-ton eyelid still open, but could still see Jason Bartlett did not check his swing.
Timlin walked the leadoff man, so is responsible for setting the decisive inning in negative motion. But I felt badly for the old warhorse. TImlin has given a lot of his right arm to get the Red Sox to where they are today. But little is left in that right arm. And yet losing a game on a runners-advancing chopper to third by a batter you probably should have had struck out and on a feeble sacrifice fly is cruel.
October Classic? Please. Only the first five innings of centuries-long Game 2 were entertaining drama. Thereafter, watching the 9-8 Red Sox series-evening loss felt like one’s October obligation. This is the ALCS, so you feel guilty dragging yourself to bed without knowing who wins, even though 1:36 a.m. is beyond the point of enjoyment. No human should have to endure Chip Carey for that long.
But relax; the Rays must still win one of the three games in the lyrical little bandbox to drag the series back to the synthetic big top for a circus-like conclusion. (I still greatly fear the catwalks will decide this series.)
Jon Lester on Monday is a certain 2-1 series lead. Dice-K will methodically strand Rays runners again in Game 5. And should the series go the distance, Lester is lined up to douse the cowbells in Game 7.
Lester, of course, has stepped into the role Josh Beckett played last post-season. The Red Sox simply cannot lose when he pitches. Which is fortunate, because Beckett suddenly pitches like Matt Clement. Two weeks ago, he was considered one of the greatest post-season pitchers in recent history. Now his starts are the only ones the Red Sox lose.
Beckett still has his swagger. It’s his fastball that’s gone slightly soft. If he is not actually still hurting from his oblique problem (he reportedly took injections of a painkiller and anti-inflammatory before the playoffs), the injury seems to have thrown him off just enough.
The reassuring news for Red Sox fans is that Scott Kazmir, a one-time Boston killer who likewise has lost his mojo, is lined up to oppose Beckett in Game 6 (if necessary).
Today you’re tired, and perhaps not seeing clearly the fact the Red Sox are still in wonderful shape.