October 20 in Cleveland Indians history: Dana DeMuth squeeze job

October 20

2007 ALCS Game 6, Fenway Park: Red Sox 12, Indians 2

After a disappointing outing from CC Sabathia in game five, Eric Wedge sent out his co-ace, Fausto Carmona. In a rematch of game two, Curt Schilling would face off against him. Grady Sizemore, Asdrubal Cabrera and Travis Hafner went meekly in the first, on just eleven pitches. The Red Sox jumped all over Fausto in the bottom half, although to this day I blame some of that to the extremely tight strike zone Dana DeMuth was calling. It took Carmona 36 pitches to get through the inning. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis started off with singles and David Ortiz walked to load the bases. After striking out Manny Ramirez and getting Mike Lowell to fly out to shallow right, JD Drew hit a fly ball deep enough to go over the wall. And just like that it was 4-0 Sox.

Victor Martinez got one back with a leadoff solo homer in the second, but Ryan Garko, Jhonny Peralta and Kenny Lofton all went down, on just eight pitches. In the bottom half, after Julio Lugo struck out, Pedroia doubled off the Monster and took third on Youkilis' bleeder. Ortiz did not plate anyone as he hit into an inning ending double play.

The Tribe got Trot Nixon and Casey Blake on to lead off the third, but Schilling stranded them. Any hope of keeping it close vanished in the bottom of the third. Manny and Lowell both walked to lead off. Drew got his fifth RBI on a single and Wedge pulled Carmona. Rafael Perez retired Jason Varitek on a fly ball, but Jacoby Ellsbury singled in one, Lugo doubled in two, Pedroia walked and Youkilis plated one more, with Pedroia scoring on Asdrubal's error on the throw. Aaron Laffey finally got out of the inning, but the 10-1 lead was practically insurmountable, especially with Schilling dealing.

The middle third of the game for the Indians resulted in just two base runners, leadoff singles in both the fourth and fifth by Victor and Nixon, with Nixon disappearing on a double play. Laffey was fantastic in those three as well. He retired the side in order in the fourth on flyballs, the side in order the fifth on grounders, and struck out two in the sixth with a two out single by Lowell the only runner.

Schilling gave up one more in the seventh when Garko led off with a triple and scored on Peralta's fly to right. Laffey had another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half, as did the Tribe in the top of the eighth, this time against Javier Lopez. Joe Borowski came in the bottom of the eight for some work and got lit up. Youkilis walked with one out and Ortiz doubled. Manny scored one on a flyball and Lowell drove in pinch runner Eric Hinske with a single. Borowski loaded the bases on a Drew single and Varitek walk before Ellsbury lined out.

The Tribe's futility against Red Sox pitching culminated in another 1-2-3 inning in the ninth against Eric Gagne. They managed just two baserunners from the fourth inning on. The Red Sox had come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the series, and with all the momentum, game seven was next up.