$100 million reasons why Dice K is the savior

The sanity of Red Sox Nation lies in the hands of the $100 million man, better known as Dice K. The Sox were handed their jock strap last night with a note that said, "Sorry guys, but we not only snatched games three and four at your precious Fenway Park, but we plan on taking game six on your field as well. Please get the champagne ready."

Let's not put that champagne on ice just yet. Here are 100 million reasons why the Sox can still win this series.

Well, maybe not 100 million reasons, but I do have a few nuggets to chew on that might help ease our fears of losing to an expansion-era team:

- The Sox have been here before. We all know this. Good teams play better under pressure and this is as pressure packed as you can get. The Sox are still a good team despite the injuries, the awful pitching and zero offense.

- The Dice man throws a slow game. The pace is even slower than Wakefield and much slower than Lester. The Rays seemed to feed off the face pace and the energy that sort of game brings to the table.

- The Sox seem to play better on the road this year in the playoffs than they have at home. If Dice mail prevails on Thursday, I'm feeling good about our chances at the Trop to steal two and head to the WS.

- Beckett and Lester are professionals who are probably foaming at the mouth to get one more shot to prove that they are studs. What better stage to do it in a live or die situation, on the road, with your season on the line. These sort of guys want the ball in this situation.

So my fellow Red Sox Nation members, please do not give up hope. While there aren't 100 million reasons that the Sox will end up winning this series, all we need is one big game at home and a gem of a pitching performance by Dice K. Then we focus on the next game - it's the one game at a time strategy.

If all else fails, we still have the Bruins. ;)