The Boston Red Sox versus the Cleveland Indians?could have been a fabulous series, one featuring the best starting pitching in the American League against the best offense in the major leagues, with the whole irresistible force/immovable object thing. Instead, its going to be a really gd series featuring the two best offenses in the league, two great, young shortstops, a couple Cy Young candidates, a lot more of David Ortiz and a whole lot more of Tito Francona.Here are five questions.How gd is the Boston offense?The Red Sox scored the most runs in the major leagues, 33 more than the mile-high Rockies and 101 more than the Indians, who were second in the AL. The Blue Jays scored 127 more runs than the next-best team in the AL last year, but 101 is still a really big gap. Bostons OPS was .810, which was by far the highest in the league and 66 points higher than the league average. The Red Sox, for the second time in their history (1977 was the other season), had three players (Ortiz, Mkie Betts and Hanley Ramirez) with 30 homers or more, and the same three drove in more than 110 runs, which made this the first season the Red Sox have had three 30-100 guys. But its more than that. Bostons offense is relentless. It can beat you so many ways: with power, speed and athleticism. There is danger from top to bottom, and in the middle of the order is Ortiz, who hit .458 with four home runs in six games against the Indians this year.What shape is Clevelands starting rotation in? Sadly, it is damaged. Carlos Carrasco, who has great stuff, will miss the postseason after he broke his right pinky when he was hit by a line drive. Danny Salazar, whom Indians closer Cody Allen calls the most gifted pitcher Ive ever been around, likely will miss this series because of a forearm injury. Ace Corey Kluber, a Cy Young candidate, suffered a mild quad strain on Sept. 26 and hasnt pitched since. He is scheduled to start Game 2. That leaves Trevor Bauer, who can be really gd and can be erratic t, to start Game 1 in Cleveland. Josh Tomlin, who had a terrific stretch early but struggled some in the second half (5.59 ERA after the All-Star break), will start Game 3 in Boston. Meanwhile, the Boston rotation is about as gd as it has been all year. Cy Young candidate?Rick Porcello, David Price and?Clay Buchholz?make a formidable first three.How gd is Clevelands offense?It scored the second-most runs in the league -- quite a feat, given that outfielder Michael Brantley missed nearly the entire season because of a shoulder injury. Francona did a marvelous job mixing and matching in the outfield to find production. A gd portion of the teams offense unexpectedly came from current third baseman Jose Ramirez, who, Francona said at midseason, saved us this year. The Indians have been led lately by their offense, which is extremely versatile. The No. 6 spot in the order, for instance, produced 92 RBIs, and the No. 8 spot produced 19 homers. Most teams have a leadoff guy and a No. 5 hitter;?Carlos Santana does both. He hit 19 homers out of the leadoff spot and 12 from the No. 5 hole, joining Jose Cruz Jr. in 2001 as the only players to hit at least 10 homers from both those spots in the same season. Thats the Indians. They attack from all angles. Thats why they won 94 games and why they never lost more than three in a row.Is there concern about Boston closer Craig Kimbrel?Just when the Boston bullpen got really gd -- roughly when Koji Uehara came off the disabled list and started throwing that splitter for strikes and blowing hitters away at 89 mph -- Kimbrel started to labor. He walked six of the final 13 batters he faced in the regular season. He lked like he had no confidence, one scout said. Thats very unlike him. In the last 17 batters he faced, Kimbrel gave up six earned runs. His velocity is gd, but the Red Sox will need his faith and belief to return if they are to win the series. As for the Indians, their bullpen is better than it has been all season, in part because of the Andrew Miller element. Wherever he is needed most, thats where he will pitch.How familiar are these two teams? Very familiar. Indians manager Tito Francona managed the Red Sox to two World Series titles. He managed, among others, David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia, who remain his close friends. One of Franconas best friends is his former pitching coach in Boston, John Farrell, who, of course, is the Red Sox manager. Thanks to a strong recommendation from Pedroia to Francona in the offseason, the Indians signed former Red Sox player?Mike Napoli as a free agent last winter. You will love him, Pedroia told Francona. Napoli hit 34 home runs, drove in 101 runs and became a team leader. The Indians wear T-shirts that say, Party At Napolis. This is going to be a great series, no matter what.Prediction: Red Sox in five. Marcus Smart Celtics Jersey . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Jaylen Brown Jersey . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. http://www.celticssale.com/kids-robert-williams-celtics-jersey/ . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. Jayson Tatum Celtics Jersey . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and ft injuries. John Havlicek Jersey .ca lks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Latest on protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the fatal police shting of a black man (all times local):7 p.m.The mayor of Charlotte has lifted the curfew on the city after days of protests over the killing of a black man by police.There have been protests every day since 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was shot to death by Charlotte police on Tuesday.In a statement Sunday evening, Mayor Jennifer Roberts says that effective immediately the curfew imposed is terminated. A midnight to 6 a.m. curfew has been in effect since Thursday after the protests turned violent, and National Guardsmen have been stationed throughout downtown each night. Protesters remained peaceful outside the Carolina Panthers ftball game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternn.This item has been corrected to show that the NFL teams name is the Carolina Panthers, not the Charlotte Panthers.---4 p.m.Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence says the American people deserve a full investigation of the shting death of a black man by a Charlotte police officer.The Asheville Citizen-Times reports (http://avlne.ws/2d7B5p3) that Pence addressed the shting death of Keith Lamont Scott when he spoke Saturday to a Christian coalition of about 200 members of the House Schl Legal Defense Association in Black Mountain.Pence encouraged the audience to pray for Charlotte, the victims family and law enforcement. He also addressed the protests that have occurred each night since the Sept. 20 shting, saying no one has the right to engage in acts of violence against property of persons in the U.S.---2 p.m.Dozens of people have stopped by a makeshift memorial that has sprung up at the site where a Charlotte man was shot to death by police last week.Reda Burch lives down the street from the condominium complex where Keith Lamont Scott died on Tuesday. She says that she has watched videos of the shting released Saturday by police and doesnt think Scott was threatening officers or that the shting was justified.Police have said Scott had a gun and pointed it at officers, although that act isnt visible on the ftage. Burch says she thinks officers should have used stun guns or shot Scott in a leg rather than killing him.---1:20 p.m.About 100 protesters kneeled outside the stadium in Charlotte as the national anthem was played before the NFL game inside.The protesters chanted along to the beat of a brass band, and then were drowned out by noise from inside the stadium. Fans gathered along the ramps inside the stadium and watched the scene below before the Vikings and Panthers game.Officers wearing black riot gear ringed the stadium, and police on bicycles lined up wheel-to-wheel to surround the protesters -- demonstrating after the shting death last week of a man by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer.When the national anthem was played, the protesters all dropped to one knee as many NFL players have been doing for weeks to call more attention to issues including police shtings. Inside the stadium, Carolina safety Marcus Ball raised his fist during the anthem.---1 p.m.A group of around 100 demonstrators have gathered across the street from Bank of America Stadium to protest the shting death last week of a man by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer.The protesters, holding signs and led by a man on a bullhorn, were surrounded by at least two dozen police officers on bicycles on Sunday afternn.Their message competed with the noise of fans streaming toward the stadium and an impromptu jazz band playing tunes less than a block away.Inside the stadium, people attending the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Carolina Panthers watched the protesters from access ramps to the upper level.---12:20 p.m.Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is planning to be back in North Carolina ahead of her rescheduled trip to Charlotte.Her campaign says the candidate will speak at a Democratic Party event Tuesday at Wake Technical Community College. She plans to speak about her economic proposals and that she says will help families.The Democratic presidential nominee had been scheduled to visit Charlotte on Sunday but pushed off the trip at the request of city officials, who said the city needed to heal after last weeks police shting death.Clintons campaign has said that she now plans to visit the cityy Sunday, Oct.dddddddddddd 2 if circumstances allow.---NnAbout the most activity Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have seen outside Bank of America Stadium is the stream of fans thanking them for their work or taking pictures with them.Dressed in their black riot gear and enduring temperatures well into the 80s, officers posed for pictures with fans of both the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings.Extra security ringed the stadium prior to Sundays 1 p.m. kickoff. The beefed-up security included trpers from the N.C. Highway Patrol and their vehicles.While National Guard trps were stationed downtown the previous three nights, none were visible at the stadium.Security around the stadium and downtown has been increased in light of recent protests over the shting death of Keith Lamont Scott by a police officer last Tuesday.---11:15 a.m.About 50 Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers dressed in riot gear received an ovation from fans waiting to get into Bank of America Stadium for Sundays NFL game.Security around the stadium was increased in light of recent protests over the shting death of Keith Lamont Scott by a police officer last Tuesday. In addition to the regular contingent of police officers, North Carolina Highway Patrol trpers placed vehicles on the street surrounding the stadium. Officers in full gear were stationed about every 50 feet along the stadiums east perimeter.After two nights of violence, protesters have marched peacefully through the citys downtown business district for the last three nights.---10 a.m.Protests in Charlotte remained peaceful for another night after the release of police video of a mans shting death at the hands of officers.Hundreds of people walked through the citys downtown streets on Saturday night, as they have for the past few nights. There have been marches each night since Keith Lamont Scott was shot to death Tuesday by police. One man was shot and later died in rioting that broke out on Wednesday night, but the nights since have been more peaceful.A midnight to 6 a.m. curfew has been in effect since Thursday, and National Guardsmen have been stationed throughout downtown each night. Four people were arrested Saturday night on charges ranging from curfew violation to impeding traffic and possession of a homemade weapon.Police are on high alert Sunday after due to the possibility of protests surrounding an afternn ftball game in downtown between the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings.---8:45 a.m.Police are taking special security precautions in anticipation of protests around a ftball game in downtown Charlotte.The city has declared the Sunday afternn game between the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings an extraordinary event. That allows them to ban backpacks and regular items that can be used as weapons, such as chains and box cutters.It also allows police more latitude to stop and search people within an area for several blocks in all directions from Bank of America Stadium.There have been protests every day since Keith Lamont Scott was shot to death by Charlotte police on Tuesday. In his request for the declaration, Police Chief Kerr Putney wrote that he has intelligence that more protests and acts of disruption are planned during the game.---8:25 p.m.An attorney for the family of a man shot by Charlotte police says newly released ftage from authorities doesnt show a gun in the mans hand.Justin Bamberg told reporters on Saturday night that the dashcam and body camera ftage released on Saturday leaves more questions unanswered than it provides clarity. He also said that Keith Lamont Scotts delay in getting out of his vehicle doesnt justify his death.Protesters have been clamoring for the videos since the shting of Scott by Charlotte police. Officers have said Scott had a gun, according to a police statement. Authorities on Saturday released photographs of a handgun and a holster they said was recovered from the scene.Ray Dotch identified himself as Scotts brother-in-law. He objected to reporters questions about Scotts background, saying he shouldnt have to humanize him in order for him to be treated fairly.What we know and what you should know about him is that he was an American citizen who deserved better, he added. ' ' '