Over the last few years, we have become used to impressive Red Sox postseason comebacks. But tonight’s comeback from 7-0 down in the 7th inning against Tampa Bay was their best single-game comeback yet. Indeed, it was the second-biggest postseason comeback of all time (the Philadelphia Athletics came back from 8-0 down against the Cubs in the 1929 World Series).
Even if the Red Sox end up winning the series, it will not be as incredible a series comeback as their unprecedented overcoming of a 3-0 series deficit in the 2004 ALCS against the hated Yankees. A comeback from 3-1 down is not as impressive as one from 3-0, and the Rays are not the Yankees. But no single game comeback in that series or any other in the last 80 years was as amazing as this one.
Will the Red Sox be able to use their momentum to win two games and the AL pennant in Tampa Bay this weekend? Difficult to say. The two teams are fairly evenly matched right now, and there is a large amount of random chance variation influencing game outcomes in baseball. Much will depend on whether Game 6 starter Josh Beckett has recovered somewhat from the injury that has dogged him the last few weeks. Still, it was an amazing game, and will probably be an exciting weekend!