David Ortiz looks old and battered, J.D. Drew looks hurt and Varitek is most productive these days as a veteran leader in the dugout. Ortiz was hitless in his previous 14 at-bats before a meaningless triple late in the game, Varitek is hitless in his last 11 at-bats and Jacoby Ellsbury hasn't gotten a hit in his last 20 at-bats.

Longoria and B.J. Upton are clearly two of the best young players this game has to offer. They've combined to hit 10 postseason home runs already, and the ALCS isn't even over yet.

The Rays starting rotation is filled with talented kids. Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza are 24, James Shields is 27 and Andy Sonnanstine and Edwin Jackson are 25. That's not even taking into account that 23-year-old phenom David Price is waiting in the wings.

These guys aren't going anywhere.

There were questions on whether they'd have enough pop in the lineup beyond Pena and Longoria, but those have been answered lately. The Rays have 16 home runs in their eight postseason contests. The lone issue may be whether they have a reliable closer to shut the door, but it hasn't mattered thus far in the postseason.

Not when you pound out 22 runs in the last two games at Fenway Park.

"If we lose, we go home," Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "It's time to hit the panic button."

Only this time it may not work.