WHAT THE?
Boston was down 3-0 and Houston was down 2-0. My how a series can change. First to the Boston/New York series....

The last three games in this series have combined for about 14 hours and 35 innings. Depsite JOHNNY DAMON still struggling at the plate, he managed to get on base and score the winning run today. With how poorly Damon has been playing I keep waiting for him to show up clean-shaven with a JOHNNY UNITAS style flat-top.

DAVID ORTIZ keeps getting big hits. The homerun to end the division series, the homerun to end last night's marathon and then a jam-shot single to win the game today (tonight?). Anybody who has pitched can attest to how frustrating it is to get beat on a jam-shot. You'd rather have a guy hit a 500 foot bizzle off of you before losing on a jam-shot. It's difficult to cope with knowing that you 'won' the battle but not the war.

Who is going to pitch Game 6 (and 7 if necessary)? Part of me is waiting for a puzzled JOE TORRE and TERRY FRANCONA to go over to BUD SELIG and inform him that they don't have any pitchers left. Maybe Bud will throw his hands in the air again in befuddlement. You know these teams could throw their BP pitchers out there and we might not see much of a difference. Do you think the Yankees would've scored much more against BP pitching Saturday night?

It's amazing how the momentum in this series has changed. Still though, history (and a lot of it) is on New York's side...Plus their going back to Yankee Stadium. No team in baseball (or basketball) history has come back from a 3-0 deficit. If any team could do it though, why not this Boston team? They are a laid back group of guys who aren't intimidated by the Yankees. If Boston can pull it out tomorrow can you imagine the scene in Game 7?

now to Houston/St. Louis...

BRANDON BACKE? Wow. He has a live arm and threw the game of his life in the biggest game of his life. It's hard to believe that this guy has only been pitching for three years. Chalk one up to the "he's a tall righty with a strong arm, lets make him a pitcher" school of thought. For every one guy it works for there are thousands that have failed. The one diamond in the rough is why teams still think that way I suppose.

PORN 'STACHE (a.k.a. JEFF KENT) hammered that game winning homerun. He was looking for a first-pitch fastball and he got it. Even though it backfired, I would have rather faced Kent than a red-hot LANCE BERKMAN. All a manger can do is put his team in a position to win, he can't throw the ball or field it or hit it (or whatever bad coaching cliches I've been exposed to in my athletic career).

I know some criticized the decision before, but I would throw CLEMENS and OSWALT on three-days rest again. Both of the pitchers threw good enough to win after three-days rest. It does expose Houston's terrible middle relief, but better to expose that bullpen for the 6th and 7th inning than innings 3-7 when some scrub starter gets knocked out of the game.

After a pretty weak beginning to both of these series, now we have some exciting baseball on our hands.