Kenny Lofton may be 40 years old but he is playing like a 25 year old superstar in the playoffs spark plugging the Cleveland Indians lineup.
Lofton hit his first ALCS homerun, a two run shot, off of Daisuke Matsuzaka in the second inning and Cleveland never let the lead up as the Tribe also rode the arm of Jake Westbrook in the 4-2 victory.
Lofton in the 2007 post season is batting .345 with 10 hits, three runs, three doubles, six RBI’s and one stolen base.
Westbrook who suffered the only loss in the Indians ALDS contest against the New York Yankees kept the ball on the ground getting 14 ground ball outs (3 fly outs) over 6 2/3 innings pitched while striking out two, giving up seven hits, two runs, and walked three.
Joe Borowski closed the door in the ninth in 1-2-3 fashion earning his second save in the ALCS.
The only mistake Westbrook made all night was to Jason Varitek as he crushed a ball to dead center field for a two-run homerun to cut the defecit in half 4-2.
Matsuzaka held the Indians in check despite the two-run homerun by Lofton until the fifth inning giving up two more runs on a Asdrubal Cabrera RBI single up the middle and Travis Hafner scratched home another run beating out a double play ball at first base to score Grady Sizemore in the back door to give Cleveland a 4-2 lead.
Matsuzaka finished the night pitching for 4 2/3 innings, six hits, four runs, two walks, and six strikeouts.
Boston had a chance to take an early lead in the top of the second inning before Lofton’s two run homer that barely got out of Jacobs Field, but the Red Sox did not push home any runs with the bases loaded and no outs with the bottom of the order at the dish.
Varitek flied out to left field for the first out and Westbrook as he did all night kept the ball on the ground inducing the first of three double plays as Coco Crisp grounded into the 6-3 twin killing.
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