First off, here are the specifics: David Ortiz is going to start at first base, leaving Kevin Youkilis and his OBP near .700 on the bench. Jon Lester returns to start Game 4, his first game since the final throws of the regular season. And Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury will try to follow up on one of the most dominant performances by rookies batting 1-2 in the order since, well, just about ever.

The Red Sox are a win away from a World Series title. Jon Lester could close out it tonight, and there’s little doubt he knows what’s at stake.

Oh yeah, the Sox can win the World Series with a victory, too. Probably worth mentioning.

With last night’s impressive outing from Daisuke Matsuzaka, hit-and-miss evening from the bullpen and savior act by the Red Sox bats, Boston moved within a win of its second title in four years. But despite all the good things that happened, the win also exposed the Red Sox for problems today. The bullpen is taxed, proven by Hideki Okajima suddenly becoming hittable, at least by Matt Holliday. And in a strong pride factor for Colorado - this is a team that DOES NOT want to get swept - and the Rockies should be favorites tonight.

Of course, that doesn’t take Lester into account, or Colorado starter Aaron Cook, for that matter. Both are former cancer victims, recovered to continue impressive careers. Lester has youth and a left-handed approach that differs from all the other starters the Rockies have seen from the Sox. Cook, meanwhile, has moxie but has not pitched in well more than a month. Try and get your head around a prediction from that matchup. Who knows what’s going to happen?

Then again, who ever knows what’s going to happen? Who saw that performance from Ellsbury and Pedroia coming? Good, sure. That good? Come on.

It was almost as hard to see a 3-0 lead coming too, which should give Sox fans a good feeling entering tonight. As always, that hardly means a win tonight and potential sweep is going to happen. But it has to be a good feeling.

– Cameron Smith