Ugly, Uglier, Ugliest (I Hope)

Games 2, 3 and 4 of the American League Championship Series are in the books. And those are some lousy books for Red Sox fans.
Facing a 3-1 deficit, Sox fans are busy reminding ourselves that ours is the team that has made an art form of coming back in the ALCS. Last year, Cleveland was ahead 3-1. In 2004, Glorious 2004, the Yankees were up 3-0. 1986 saw the Angels up 3-1. In fact, the Red Sox have been the victors in half of the League Championship Series when a team has gone down 3-1 and come back to win. That's comfort, I guess.
There are only two problems.
First, the Rays are good. Make that, very good. They may well be better than the 2004 Yankees. I am confident that they are better than the '07 Indians or '86 Angels. Joe Maddon leads an excellent squad, with no real holes evident to date in this Championship Series.
Then, there are the absences. The only two Red Sox ever named World Series MVP aren't playing in this series.
One is Mike Lowell. Is anyone ever going to acknowledge Mikey's importance to this team? He is as vital a presence as Varitek; he just doesn't have the "C" on his shirt. As great as Beckett has been, nobody simply calls it "the Beckett deal" any more. Mark Kotsay has done a remarkable job handling first base this postseason. But it simply cannot be argued that the Sox are stronger with Kotsay at first and Youk at third than they are with Mike Lowell at third and Youk at first. Mike is having surgery on his hip next Monday. God bless, and get ready for Spring Training. We need you back!
Finally, He Whose Name Shall Not be Spoken is out West. He likes the big stage; the Dodgers wouldn't even be in the playoffs without his performance with all the cameras rolling. He had become too big a pain in the ass to overlook any more. The deal had to be made. Jason Bay has been excellent in his place. But the predecessor will be remembered in baseball history as one of the top five right-handed hitters in the game. Ever. (My top five: HWNSNBS, Jimmy Foxx, Rogers Hornsby, Hank Aaron and Honus Wagner. Albert Pujols may very well knock someone out of this group someday. Albert had his elbow surgery yesterday. God bless, and get well soon!) David Ortiz has not been the same since the trade. There is a lot of speculation that Papi's wrist is still bad; or perhaps it's the knee. But it may be between the ears, lacking his partner, where the big man is hurting the most.
They can certainly pull this off. They have, indeed, done it before.
But the Rays are good. And we're not as formidable as when those two World Series MVPs were in the cleanup and five spots.