Charles Barkley: The Red Sox...The cockroaches that never die.

The cockroaches that never die. If the Spurs can be coined that, why can't Boston? They are both similar teams in eerily similar situations.

Last season, Charles Barkley, a fervent supporter of the Spurs, had them losing to the New Orleans Hornets in the 2nd round of the Western Conference playoffs. No repeat for them. He said the Hornets were the younger team who had the star player (Paul) and enough talent to take them down. Many thought the Spurs were a team that was past their prime. Their players were banged up and despite their four titles, all dynasties usually fall to an upstart and Barkley envisioned the Hornets as that team.

Sounds familiar?

The Rays were the young team that everyone from CNNSI to ESPN was predicting would slay the only team to win 2 World Series titles this decade. The same occurred with the New Orleans Hornets and the Spurs last season. The Hornets won the division and also had home court-advantage in the series.

But many of these experts didn't seem wrong until last night,  when everything may have changed for the Rays. They were dominating the series through 4 games and were up 3-1 and putting on their own version of "Home Run Derby" at Fenway with no All-Star game festivities included. The Rays entered the 7th inning leading by 7 runs with 7 outs to go. Sox fans began to exit and I couldn't blame them. The team was playing lackluster baseball and seemed defeated. But as Rudy Tomjanovich once said: "Never doubt the heart of a champion." Now, those same fans that left, are kicking themselves in their office desks regretting being  absent for one of the greatest comebacks in post-season history.

Comebacks are a familiar word in Boston. They were down 3-0 to the Yankees in 2004 and came back to win the next 4 games and go on to win the title. They were down 3-1 to the Cleveland Indians last year having to face Byrd, Sabathia, and Carmona in their last three games, and they defeated all to win the series. Last night, the Rays were up on the Sox 7-0 with 7 outs to go and couldn't seal the deal. This is when the collapse that made the stock market ones of the last month look miniscule occurred.

It started with a Pedroia scrappy at bat that drove in a run and a subsequent 3-run shot by David Ortiz to cut the deficit to three runs at 7-4. Francona then brought in closer, Jon Palpebon, who continued the momentum swing striking out 2 of the 3 Rays.

Then came the bottom of the 8th. Did the Sox give their fans and themselves false hope? That was the question on everyone's mind. Was that 7th inning spurt the hardest punch they could throw? Not at all. The best was yet to come.

Dan Wheeler walked Jason Bay to begin the 8th and then J.D. Drew stepped up. The man who earned his $14 million last year in the playoffs when he delivered with clutch hit after clutch hit, delivered again. Drew hit a 2-run shot that must've shook the ground in Boston when it landed in the right-field stands. Then came Coco Crisp, a guy who definitely isn't popular in Tampa Bay, and drove in a run to tie the game at 7. They hate you even more now Coco. The score: 7-7.

Then came the top of the 9th and Masterson mowing down the Rays to give the Sox a chance at winning and putting this game in all-time playoff lore. 

The inning began with a Pedroia pop-up and an Ortiz strikeout. I think everyone in Boston was happy, but dreading another replay of the near 6 hour Game two in Tampa. With 2 outs, extra innings seemed destined. Not so fast. Kevin Youkillis hit a bouncer down the line to 3B Evan Longoria who made a great scoop, but overthrew the bag and Youkillis reached first. Then came another walk to Jason Bay and up comes J.D. Drew. Now, even though he's been clutch, I still have that old "overrated, not worth a dime he gets paid" view of Drew. He may not be worth what he's paid for 162 games a season, but when it comes down to 21 games, he is "MONEY." Two run double by Drew and like that George Clooney movie: "Good night and God speak."

Will we see two days this weekend of baseball or just one? I'm not even a Red Sox fan, but don't let that series go 7 Tampa. Make sure you finish it out in Game 6, because the pressure will be squarely on you if it goes 7. If it does, ask the Hornets what happened. Dial up Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, and David West. Experience will always trump youth. Always...