Opportunity knocks for Dice, Schilling's gem, more

World Series Coverage   Monday John Donovan: Rox, Sox built to last Albert Chen: Ellsbury an unlikely hero Joe Sheehan: Scenes, notes from clincher Red Sox celebrate World Series victory Sunday Sox clip Rockies 4-3 to win World Series John Donovan's Report Card for Game 4 Jon Heyman's 15 Greatest Mr. Octobers Lowell takes home Series MVP honors Dynasty in the making for Red Sox? Clock strikes midnight for Rockies' ride Time.com: Red Sox are the new Yankees Saturday Red Sox down Rockies 10-5, take 3-0 lead John Donovan's Report Card for Game 3 Tom Verducci: The Sox are superior John Donovan: The Coors Field factor Jon Heyman: Four keys to Game 3 Friday Melissa Segura: Corpas gets his wish John Donovan: Rockies' lumber slumber Jon Heyman: How the Sox got Beckett Joe Sheehan: Electric night at Fenway Thursday Schilling, bullpen shut down Rockies 2-1 John Donovan's Report Card for Game 2 Tom Verducci's five cuts for Thursday Albert Chen on the Red Sox's bullpen John Donovan: Rockies turn to a rookie Joe Sheehan: Postseason drama lacking Tale of the Tape: Rockies vs. Red Sox World Series Fungoes Joe Lemire on Rockies-Red Sox Schedule/Box Scores Game 1: Red Sox 13, Rockies 1 Game 2: Red Sox 2, Rockies 1 Game 3: Red Sox 10, Rockies 5 Game 4: Red Sox 4, Rockies 3

1. It was obvious by the third inning of ALCS Game 6. The Fenway Park scoreboard spelled out the huge opportunity in front of Daisuke Matsuzaka: the Red Sox put up an inning-by-inning line score to that point -- 406 -- that is the area code of Opportunity. (Opportunity, Mont., that is.) It's your call, Daisuke.

Game 7 isn't the Koshien Tournament and it's not the World Baseball Classic. It's bigger than that. It's the reason Boston plunked down $103 million for Matsuzaka: to give him the ball in just such a spot. He has a chance to join Roger Clemens as the only Red Sox pitchers to win a Game 7 in Fenway Park and to join John Lackey, Speck Shea and Babe Adams as the only rookie starters to win a Game 7.

Is he up for it? He is riding a 10-start freefall (2-4, 7.07), including a sloppy 4 2/3 innings in Game 3.

"He gave up one hard-hit ball [a homer to Kenny Lofton] and then got too fine," pitching coach John Farrell said. "His bullpen [session] was real good. I feel good about [Game 7].''

Manager Terry Francona will have a quick hook waiting for Matsuzaka if he keeps nibbling. Jon Lester is probably the first long man out of the bullpen. You might see both team's aces, Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia, coming out of the bullpen.

The rules of engagement get rewritten for Game 7s: there are no rules. You can take your Super Bowl and your Masters. There's nothing better in all of sports than a baseball Game 7. And this one is even greater because of the mystery of Matsuzaka.

2. Like him or not, you must respect the big-game career of Curt Schilling. Five times he has taken the ball with his team facing elimination in the postseason and five times he has carried his team to the must-have victory. Schilling is 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA in those starts.

Schilling said his commute to Fenway for Game 6 included a reprise of the one prior to 2004 World Series Game 2: good luck signs filling windows and lawns on the way in. "Fire stations, stores, all over," Schilling said. "It was great." If it was his last start in a Red Sox uniform, it was a fitting finale. Including the postseason, Schilling is 29-8 as a starting pitcher at Fenway with the Red Sox.

3. Can the Indians come back from such a drubbing? History suggests the odds are against them. Cleveland became the ninth team to cough up 10 runs or more in Game 6 with a chance to close out a best-of-seven series. Six of the previous eight teams followed such a dud by dropping Game 7, too.

And how about Fausto Carmona? His was one of the worst starts ever by a pitcher with a chance to win a series. Only three other pitchers gave up so many runs (seven) in so little time (two innings) in a possible clincher: Bartolo Colon (1999 ALDS), Todd Stottlemyre (1996 NLCS) and Tom Glavine (1992 NLCS).

4. It's not often you hear a player criticize an umpire as harshly as Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez did home plate umpire Dana DeMuth after Game 6.

"The umpire had a tough game," Martinez said. "I told him he missed a lot of pitches that really changed the game ... the bottom line is we just didn't get the job done."

Martinez was especially unhappy with a first pitch call on J.D. Drew in the first inning. Drew would hit a grand slam on a 3-and-1 pitch -- the first grand slam allowed by Carmona in his career.

"He changed the game," Martinez said of DeMuth. "He changed some at-bats. I think that first pitch was huge. That pitch was right there. We got behind, and with the bases loaded, you can't play around."

5. Nothing is more valuable than having a young ace. Well, except if that ace is lefthanded. The Rockies' Jeff Francis, 26, has a chance to join some select company when he gets the ball in Game 1 of the World Series. Only seven lefthanders have started and won a World Series opener before turning 27: Tom Glavine (1992), Don Gullett (1976), Ken Holtzman (1972), Ray Sadecki (1964), Whitey Ford (1955), Dutch Ruether (1926) and, the guy who brings cachet to any list, Babe Ruth (1923).

And I wouldn't make too much out of Francis' 13 days of rest heading into his start. Francis is 28 2/3 innings past his career high workload, so the rest may be welcome this time of year. And the Rockies are keeping him on his normal every-fifth-day work schedule during his two weeks off.