--C Kevin Cash hit a home run in the third inning in his first career postseason at-bat. Cash is the third player in Sox history to achieve that feat, joining Jose Santiago, who hit a home run in Game 1 of the 1967 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, and Todd Walker, who homered in his first postseason at-bat in Game 1 of the 2003 Division Series against the Oakland A's.
--DH David Ortiz snapped an 0-for-13 streak when he tripled to right field in the seventh inning, his second career triple during an AL Championship Series. While Big Papi might have gotten the monkey off his back, the Sox will need him to do much more if they're hoping to come back from a 3-1 deficit. Ortiz has now gone 57 at-bats without a home run during ALCS play and did his own Manny Ramirez-style rallying cry after the game. "It's not the end of the world, guys," he said, echoing Ramirez's sentiments from the exact situation in the Cleveland series one season earlier. "Hey, it worked last year." --RHP Mike Timlin made his 25th League Championship Series appearance in the loss, which matched Yankees RHP Mariano Rivera for the all-time record. At 42 years, 215 days old, Timlin was also the oldest pitcher to take the loss in an ALCS game when he lost Game 2 in Tampa last weekend. Timlin gave up two runs in two innings Tuesday and might have pitched his final game at Fenway Park if he retires at season's end.
--RHP Tim Wakefield was taken out after only 2 2/3 innings, which marked the shortest start by a Sox pitcher in postseason play since Bronson Arroyo lasted two innings in Game 3 of the 2004 AL Championship Series. In his last four postseason starts dating to Game 1 of the 2004 World Series, Wakefield is 0-3 with a 10.47 ERA and has allowed 20 hits, 19 earned runs and six home runs in 16 1/3 innings. "The balls he left up got whacked pretty good," said manager Terry Francona.
--OF J.D. Drew batted out of the leadoff spot and struggling OF Jacoby Ellsbury hit the bench in a reconfigured Game 4 lineup. Drew, who is known for a patient batting eye but has walked only once during the AL Championship Series, went 0-for-5 and is hitting .154 during the series against the Rays. Ellsbury entered late in the game and drew a walk in the loss, which still makes the rookie hitless during the series. "Jake's scuffling a bit, that's obvious," said manager Terry Francona. "We need a spark."
BY THE NUMBERS: 3 -- Number of times a team has come back from a 3-1 deficit in an AL Championship Series over the last 15 chances. The Red Sox have been the team that has come back -- in 1986, 2004 and 2007 -- each time.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We'll do what we need to do. It doesn't hurt our team to have some faith. We need to find a way to get our crowd involved and get our fans involved. Whether it's good, bad or indifferent, we've done a good job of handling things in-house and we'll continue to do that. But we do need some outside support." -- C Jason Varitek, with the Sox facing a 3-1 deficit and a Game 5 at Fenway Park on Thursday night.
