That Cleveland anxiety is coming back

It could be nothing. Just a momentary lapse. Just an off-night against Josh Beckett and his amazing ability to be dominant in the postseason.

Or it could be the beginning of something that is no unique circumstance for the long-suffering Cleveland sports fan. After The Drive and The Shot, what will they name this one? The Collapse? The "Peck?"

Such are now the thoughts of Indians fans, who are every bit as anxiety-ridden as the New Englanders as the Red Sox and Indians pack up for Boston and Game 6 on Saturday night. The Red Sox have been in this situation before and had no panic, and they showed it Thursday as Beckett was outstanding for eight innings, outdueling Indians ace C.C. Sabathia again in a 7-1 win that should have been even worse, as Boston had runners on base all night.

By the time the Indians brought out Beckett's ex to sing "God Bless America" in the seventh -- honestly, the Indians say they didn't know he had ever dated country music singer Danielle Peck -- the game was firmly in hand and Cleveland's lead was down to 3-2. Perhaps Beckett was inspired by the Indians' new favorite country singer.

"I don't get paid to make those [expletive] decisions," Beckett told the Associated Press after the game. "She's a friend of mine; that doesn't bother me at all. Thanks for flying one of my friends to the game so she could watch it for free."

They also overcame some bizarre play by the always entertaining Manny Ramirez, who didn't bother to try to slide or knock the ball out of the glove of Indians catcher Victor Martinez on a play at the plate in the first, then jogged to first on a ball he thought was a home run that bounced off the wall in right field, getting a 375-foot single that scored that noted speed burner David Ortiz from first.

Ramirez has at least one hit in 15 consecutive League Championship Series games, tying a record by a guy known as Charlie Hustle, Pete Rose. (Here's a good bet: You'll never hear Ramirez called Manny Hustle.)

Nevertheless, the Red Sox looked like the dominant team that took the field the last time Beckett pitched in Game 1. Now it's Boston's turn to keep that vibe going at home. This series is getting even more interesting.

Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after closing the eighth inning against the Indians during Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Jacobs Field on Oct. 18 in Cleveland. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)