Game time: 8:21 pm EDT

Scheduled starters: Fausto Carmona (0-0, 3.46) v. Curt Schiling (1-0, 3.86)

The game will be on FOX, WRKO, and ESPN Radio

Boston weather: 2 pm observation at KBOS: Wind out of the southwest at 14 mph, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 4,500 feet, broken clouds at 14,000 feet, temperature 66F, DP 58F.



Forecast: The cold front and the rain are rapidly moving east, and it is slowly clearing from west to east. There's a slight chance for some instability showers this afternoon, but that risk will diminish by game time, and it should be clearing. The winds, which might get near 20 mph this afternoon as high pressure builds into the area, will diminish by evening. It'll be unseasonably warm again this evening, with temperatures in the 60s at game time. The wind will be out of the southwest at less than 15 mph. That's blowing out toward left.

I have to work from 5:30 to 11.

I work in a hockey rink, and I can't get a radio signal inside the rink on my mp3 player. I'll bring my laptop and use the wireless to follow on gameday, but it won't be the same. The TVs will have the game on in the lobby between hockey games, but I'm still missing the majority of this one. Which sucks.

You can't ask for better weather for a mid-October game at Fenway. This is going to be good!

From Gordon Edes...

Red Sox officials are asking fans coming to Fenway for tonight's game to wear red as a show of support for the team. That could be a bit confusing, since Indians fans are also known to wear red. "I'm just glad we don't have to deal with those stupid towels,'' said second baseman Dustin Pedroia, evidently unimpressed by the sight of 44,000 fans in Jacobs Field waving their white linens.

The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Bill Mueller, who won an AL batting title while with the Red Sox in 2003, when he batted .326. But he will always be remembered here as the man who combined with Dave Roberts to save the Sox season three outs away from a four-game sweep by the Yankees. With the Sox down a run, 4-3, Kevin Millar drew a walk from Mariano Rivera. Roberts entered the game as a pinch runner and stole second. Mueller singled up the middle, Roberts scoring. David Ortiz homered in the 12th to win it, and the Sox were on their way to winning four straight.


Also:

Readers urge: Bring red socks to Fenway

If anyone waves a Red Sock around me, it might get ripped out of their hand. This would truly be Red Sox nation at it's worst. Thankfully, I can't see it happening.

Wearing the jersey at work tonight. Win it boys. Just win it.

Schill - prime form. Prime form. Bring fourth the magic!

WBZ Radio sports is reporting that Ellsbury will get the start in center tonight. Nothing from Boston.com yet. Sean McAdams reported that he'd get the start in the ProJo.

all fired up

i apologize in advance

brutality, complete disregaurd for ones own body or the ensuing usefullness of it = rugby world cup final

is how we will win tonight.......absolute

Confirmed on boston.com that Ellsbury will get the start in CF with no other lineup changes. It must have been tough for Terry as he likes to stick by his guys, but this was really the right move, and I think Coco would be the first to admit he's scuffling right now. Let's just hope that Ellsbury can pick up where he left off.

Brownie Points

Ellsbury in for the Sox, old friend Trot Nixon in for the Tribe

Red Sox:
Pedroia 2B
Youkilis 1B
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Lowell 3B
Drew RF
Varitek C
Ellsbury CF
Lugo SS

Schilling SP

Indians:

Sizemore CF
Cabrera 2B
Hafner DH
Martinez C
Garko 1B
Peralta SS
Lofton LF
Nixon RF
Blake 3B

Carmona SP

I probably would have had Ellsbury leading off, Pedroia #2 and drop Youkilis down to 6th or 7th to split up the 7-8-9 trifecta of 3 outs.

Oh well, this is better than having Crisp in

Just came back from watching the Boys from the Bronx blast those Crayola Clowns in Easton, PA. (In other words, a big win for Fordham over Lafayette this afternoon.)

Very pleased to log in here and see that Ellsbury is starting. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am thilled that our season is still going on right now. Win or lose, I'm happy with the season.

Back from 2004 with hopefully the same effect:



To Mr. Schilling:

Do it again.

Love, Minnie

Jacoby's in! A long time coming, and I still don't believe it. Hopefully he can take out all the Native American angst against the Cleveland franchise over the course of these two games.

Last game for Schilling in Boston, Indians win tonight by 5+ runs.

That better be an attempt at reverse mojo or something.

Was just down at Fenway, the atmosphere is amazing, as expected. I cannot wait.

Awesome to see that Francona's going with Ellsbury, too. I haven't been this excited since 04 about anything, I don't think.

I would really hope that you are WRONG about that!!!!!!!!!!

Is anyone watching the Yankees pre-game show on mlb.com?

All Yankees, all the time, I guess. I didn't think they were playing tonight.

Joe Torre leaving NY > ALCS and World Series

Duh

AWESOME! I hope they show this on NESN pre-game. I love The Pro.

All ready for the game... beer, wings... let's do this.

Why am I so nervous?

The same reason that I am. I have to admit.....I am scared actually. If we do win tonight (and we better damn it!) I have complete confidence that we will take the series. However, about tonight, I really hope we have the Schilling tonight that we had in 04'. Also I hope the pen is nice and ready (juuuust in case).

idk.... i just have a glum feeling.... my team beat UTennessee today, so I guess it is the usual " everything has gone well today, so when will the bad things happen" feeling.sorry to post this on here, but how do I get a group name and a "sox" logo under my name.... gotta post non stop ? ...

If we lose tonight it's over for us, sure. But if we win tonight, they're done.

10/20 19:29:57 ET

No doubt, if we win tonight I predict another 5 straight wins


No Coco tonight

Yeah its something like that. Once you get a certain amount of posts under your belt so to speak, then that starts to determin how many "red sox" you get under your pic.

Lets hope the "bad things" will only happen to the team thats from "THE MISTAKE BY THE LAKE"

I never would've thought the Red Sox would send Ellsbury in the most important game of the year. If that's the best decision, we'll never know (though we will know if it was a good one). I myself have a good feeling about that.

Makes me think that wasted bunt by Coco was the last drop in the full glass.

At 8 pm, the wind was blowing out toward left center/center at 15 mph. The temperature is 65F! Almost balmy!

Honestly, I have a lot of faith in Schilling tonight, because if he doesn't pitch well this game, I think he retires this offseason, and really don't think he wants to retire. Let me try and explain this so I sould like less of a crazy person.

Curt has always prided himself as a big game pitcher. One of those "if everything is on the line, I want the ball" kind of guys. Now sure, there are a lot of professional athletes with that mentality, but few have embodied it's spirit like Schilling has. Now, we are here in Game 6 down 3-2, and a big reason for that was his poor performance in Game 2. It's win or go home time, and these are the games Schilling has always came to win, and always shined. And if he doesn't come out and dominate tonight, it's going to be a real blow to his psyche. He seems like the type where if he feels like he can't be trusted to win the big one, he may not want to keep pitching. He's Curt F***ing Schilling, with a capital F***, and if he can't be that guy he may not want to keep pitching.

That being said, he knows how much is riding on this game, and we all know how well he prepares for games. He's going to be as amped up as if for the past week he had been subsisting entirely on a strict diet of death metal and methamphetamines, but the kind of meth that makes you smart. He's been spending the week literally eating laptops full of hitting charts for breakfast, and crapping out pitching gameplans every night. The Indians better hope that he doesn't have it anymore, because even 1/10th of the guts Schilling has shown in the past could mop the floor with them. His colon could strike out Asdrubal Cabrera at this point.

A focused, motivated Schilling is a very dangerous man, and if Schilling feels like he is pitching not only for the 07 series, but for the life of his own career, there is no one I would rather put my money on.

Go get it done, Mr. Schilling. It is what you do.

Well........I like balmy!!!!

Very well said.
Go Sox!!!

Note from Barstaff: It is bad form to quote images, and it is bad form to quote lengthy, quality posts just to say "I agree" or whatnot. To do both in one post is extremely bad form.

TESSIE IS GETTING ME PUMPED!!! GO SOX!

I'm sitting here in the scorekeeper's booth of a hockey rink running the clock for some crappy junior hockey tournament. I've had GameDay open in the other window since 6:30, just really antsy for this one. Let's go Sox/.

We'll poke check Fausto for ya!

Fenway is going be ABSURD tonight...need to jump on Carmona early to keep the crowd in the game.

Contractually, they couldn't. Fox has exclusive rights to what goes on in the ballpark, unfortunately.

I hope they show it on Fox.

I'm hoping the newfound sense of urgency will get the corporate Fenway crowd going. We need a better atmosphere. Early returns are good.

I'm completely satisfied with having Schilling on the mound tonight. Whatever happens, happens, but I want the ball in 38's hands in an elimination game, and here we go.

Game 6 is just minutes away people and GOD will be watching!!!!

Just remember that if the OLD TOWNE TEAM wins, that you heard that saying here first

Fenway doesn't sound Cleveland loud, but it is sounding really good tonight. The crowd sounds juiced tonight (meaning loud, not drunk)

We dressed our 8.5 month old son up today in a Red Sox Schilling #38 shirt btw.

Bringing him up right, I see!

Do we really have to have commentary from Paul Byrd? Just read the lineup. That guy bugs me.

Gameday shows ball one as belt high right over the middle.

Aw jeez, not this shit again...

this is close.... crap

Oh is there a game tonight?

ON.

Sit down, Pronk!

Curt's picking his corners. Brilliant.

11 pitch inning, not too shabby.

Now make Fausto work.