Jon Lester, center, and the Red Sox welcome the Tigers for the start of the ALCS on Saturday.

Christopher L. Gasper

Don’t consider these Red Sox underdogs

The Sox, portrayed as “scrappy underdogs,” may have been underestimated, but that doesn’t mean they’re underdogs.

John Farrell shared a laugh with Dustin Pedroia during a workout at Fenway Park on Thursday.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

ALCS Game 1: Tigers at Red Sox, 8:07 p.m. (Fox)

John Farrell is the ideal leader for Red Sox

Farrell, who has deep roots in the Red Sox organization, has proven to be the right man to lead the club after the Bobby Valentine disaster.

ALCS PREVIEW

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2013/10/12/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/200_fenway.jpg Red Sox, Tigers vie for World Series spot

View our special section examining the first playoff series between these two historic franchises.

Golar Richie to back Walsh

Charlotte Golar Richie, who finished third in the preliminary last month, told Martin Walsh she would endorse his campaign for mayor, sources said.

Karen Lucas waited nearly three months for her jobless benefits.

One woman’s wait for unemployment aid

It took three months for Karen Lucas of Watertown to see one dime — months where she depleted her savings and called the state repeatedly.

US government shutdown

GOP senators hopeful of a deal, but House remains the wildcard

Lawmakers sounded more optimistic on Friday, but they have so far failed to reach consensus on how to end the impasse that has crippled the government.

The US government remains shut down as deadlock continues in Washington, but there are some indications the parties are moving closer to a deal.

T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images

The US government remains shuttered as deadlock continues in Washington, but there are some indications a deal might be in the works.

One sign of an easing in the crisis: Senate Republicans, shown here departing the White House, met with President Obama for 90 minutes.

Charles Dharapak/Associated Press

One positive sign: Senate Republicans, shown here departing the White House, met with President Obama for 90 minutes on Friday.

Obama also spoke Friday afternoon with House Speaker John Boehner, and spokesmen for both men said the dialogue would continue.

Jason Reed/Reuters

Obama also spoke Friday afternoon with House Speaker John Boehner, and spokesmen for both men said the dialogue would continue.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the talks were “constructive.” “We’re obviously in a better place than we were a few days ago,” he said.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the talks were “constructive.” “We’re obviously in a better place than we were a few days ago,” he said.

Senator Susan Collins, the moderate Republican from Maine, is increasingly seen by the White House as a potential player in solving the crisis.

Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, is increasingly seen by the White House as a potential player in solving the crisis.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2013/10/11/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/cd501dd09dd342b3b5d527aa41445470-cd501dd09dd342b3b5d527aa41445470-0.jpg Maine’s Collins suddenly the moderate

Senator Susan Collins is increasingly seen by the White House as a potential player in solving the crisis.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2013/10/09/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/10conservativedistrict-8.jpg Discontent from district GOP counts on

Across New Jersey’s fifth congressional district, interviews with numerous voters show anger over the shutdown and growing dissatisfaction with Tea Party lawmakers.

The forensic investigation staff at Afghan National Police headquarters.

Afghans fear chaos will return when US leaves

The US military says help is on the way for many needs, but pledges made in good faith at one point could be altered or abandoned.

Opinion

RENÉE LOTH

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2013/10/12/BostonGlobe.com/EditorialOpinion/Images/reneeLoth_150px-2846.jpg A zone that should be left alone

The Supreme Court should uphold the state’s buffer zone that creates a protected area at the entrances of health centers.

Globe exclusives

New Hampshire Fish and Game personnel and volunteers prepared to search a wooded area in Conway, N.H., Friday for Abigail Hernandez, who disappeared after school Wednesday. Her 15th birthday is Saturday.

N.H. teen still missing on her 15th birthday
David Price is about to make too much money.

Exclusive Preview | Sunday baseball notes

Price tag about to get too high for Rays ace
Mayoral candidate John Connolly.

Education nonprofit to spend on behalf of Connolly
Westfield State University President Evan Dobelle is under fire for lavish spending.

State official blasts Westfield State president
Ryan J. Barry and Ashley Cyr pleaded not guilty in Plymouth Superior Court.

Parents charged with manslaughter in baby’s death
Edwin Alemany has been charged with murder in the death of Amy Lord.

Three disciplined in case preceding Amy Lord death
A recent Akamai board meeting included, clockwise from left, Jill Greenthal, executive vice chairman Paul Sagan, Pamela Craig, CEO Tom Leighton, and Naomi O. Seligman.

Shirley Leung

It’s not hard to get women on the board
Paul Pedro (left) of Weymouth and Seth Dionne of Charlestown, R.I., walked past a mural in Jamaica Plain.

Photo Gallery

Globe photos of the week, Oct. 11, 2013

kevin cullen

A mother, a son, a love
-

Exclusive Sunday Magazine preview | The Medical Issue

Why is it so hard to find a doctor?
Peter Mastrangelo, who has been dining at the Hilltop Steakhouse for 50 years, walked in front of the restaurant’s iconic cactus sign.

A steak in the heart: Hilltop to close

Exclusive Sunday Preview | Ideas

Bring back home ec!

Sports

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ON FOOTBALL

Rob Gronkowski (left, with Michael Hoomanawanui) at practice this week.(AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Injured forearm, not back, has kept Rob Gronkowski sidelined

The condition of Gronkowski’s surgically repaired forearm is raising questions as to whether he will ever be “the same old Gronk.”

Boston mayoral race

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Mayoral candidate Martin Walsh was endorsed by Local 888 of the Service Employees International Union.

Martin Walsh endorsed by municipal employees union

Local 888 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 2,000 workers, gave its support to the state representative.

Metro

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The first witness to testify at the trial of Deshawn James Chappell (above) was Kimberly Flynn (below), mother of his alleged victim, Stephanie Moulton, a mental health worker.

Murder scene described as ‘blood bath’ as trial begins

A prosecutor said Deshawn James Chappell, accused of killing a mental health worker in 2011, had “a purpose and a plan” in stabbing Stephanie Moulton and dumping her body.

Columnists

Lobsterman Steve Train inspects a lobster while hauling traps in the waters off Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Derrick Z. Jackson

New England’s threatened lobster
Mayoral candidates Marty Walsh, left, and John Connolly face an arbitration controversy.

SCOT LEHIGH

How to fix the arbitration process

kevin cullen

A mother, a son, a love

CARLO ROTELLA

Home life
A dog attended a service before getting blessed in British Columbia on Sunday.

alex beam

Do all doggies go to heaven?

NICHOLAS BURNS

Shutdown diminishes US as a global power

LAWRENCE HARMON

City Council needs to hold the line on police contract

scot lehigh

Too quiet on sex ed
David Ross, left, and Koji Uehara celebrated after recording the final out of the Game 4 win that eliminated the Rays.

Dan Shaughnessy

Hopefully Red Sox’ party is just starting

Yvonne Abraham

An unstable living situation
The Kindle Fire HDX’s smartest feature, Mayday, delivers an instant cry for help to Amazon tech support.

Tech Lab

New Kindle Fire a cozy option for book lovers
Jake Peavy went 5⅔ innings to propel the Red Sox to a win on Tuesday.

Christopher L. Gasper

Jake Peavy stands tall for Red Sox

Nation & World

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Carey was removed “due to a loss of trust.”

Air Force fires general in charge of land missiles

The firing was the second time in a week that a senior commander of the country’s nuclear arsenal has been let go for allegations of personal misconduct.

Business

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The 1,500-ton barge will set off from the Fore River Shipyard on Sunday, headed for dredging projects in Connecticut and Maine. It includes two giant clamshell bucket scoops (below).

Barge breathes new life into former Quincy shipyard site

Cashman Dredging elected to build the massive dredging barge at the old Fore River site, the first new vessel built there in decades.

Arts

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Stages

From left: Samantha Evans, Tim Hoover (front), Cameron Beaty Gosselin, and Mary-Liz Murray in Theatre on Fire’s production of Lauren Gunderson’s “Exit, Pursued by a Bear.’’

Abuser, pursued by a comedy

Playwright Lauren Gunderson takes a sharp turn in “Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” a gonzo dark comedy about an unfunny subject: domestic violence.

Lifestyle

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Librarians Jessi Snow (left) and Laura Koenig work with young adult readers at the Copley Library in Boston.

New breed of teen-services librarians emerges

Hipper and more social-media savvy than their counterparts, these young professionals view themselves as advocates for adolescents and their literary lives.

Globe Insiders

e-book

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2013/10/04/BostonGlobe.com/Arts/Images/numberstest-5643.jpg Your Town by the Numbers

Curious how your community compares with neighboring cities and towns? The Globe’s Matt Carroll offers community-by-community comparisons in vital categories.

Boston Globe ePaper

ePaper

Read the ePaper edition

The complete print edition, in its exact layout. Browse the print edition page by page, including stories and ads.

Magazine

The cover for the October 6 2013 issue

Into the woods
The cover for the September 29 2013 issue

Becoming Bostonian
The cover for the September 22 2013 issue

Do we still trust Bill Belichick?
The cover for the September 15 2013 issue

Beauty of the bottle

Ideas

“Texting and driving is unlike any public safety issue we’ve dealt with before....At the center of the problem, say experts, is a new kind of object — the modern smartphone — that’s changing our behavior on a massive scale.”

Leon Neyfakh on our cellphone habit