Associated Press, October 3, 2008
The Los Angeles Angels had the best record in baseball during the regular season, winning 100 games for the first time in franchise history.
Without winning their next game, however, they would have a very tough time avoiding a familiar result — a quick first-round exit at the hands of the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox will seek their 11th consecutive postseason victory over the Angels on Friday, as the defending World Series champions look to leave Anaheim with a 2-0 lead in this AL division series.
The Angels felt things could be different this season, having bolstered their lineup by acquiring Torii Hunter and Mark Teixeira in the past year and winning eight straight games against the Red Sox in the regular season.
But the Game 1 result on Wednesday was nothing new for manager Mike Scioscia’s club, as the Red Sox emerged from Angel Stadium with a 4-1 win. Since trailing 3-1 in the 1986 AL championship series, Boston has won 10 straight playoff games against Los Angeles, including first-round sweeps in 2004 and 2007 en route to World Series championships.
“A lot of guys have to have amnesia and let that go,” Hunter said.
A victory Friday would give the Red Sox the longest postseason winning streak against one opponent in baseball history, surpassing Oakland’s run against Boston from 1988-2003. In 2003, the Red Sox fell behind the A’s 2-0 in the division series only to come back and win the series.
Jon Lester pitched seven strong innings for Boston on Wednesday and the big hit came from Jason Bay, who was making his first postseason appearance after coming over from Pittsburgh in the Manny Ramirez trade on July 31. Bay struck out in his first two at-bats, but his two-run homer off Los Angeles’ John Lackey in the sixth inning erased a 1-0 deficit.
The win was especially meaningful for the Red Sox, who looked like underdogs as they limped into the series with ace Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew all uncertain due to injuries.
Lowell and Drew both played and went 0-for-4 on Wednesday, but Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and two stolen bases to help put Boston in position to return to Fenway Park with a commanding lead.
“I think it’s very important anytime that you can come out and get a win in somebody else’s ballpark, I think it’s a huge win and momentum for us and confidence boost,” Lester said. “I think we can go now into Game 2 a little more relaxed and comfortable. And hopefully Dice (Daisuke Matsuzaka) can go out there and do a good job like he’s done all season.”
With Beckett still slated to pitch Game 3 on Sunday in Boston despite an oblique injury, the Red Sox will entrust Friday’s start to Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90 ERA). He went 9-0 in 13 road starts this season, compiling a 2.37 ERA and .178 opponent batting average.
Still, the right-hander struggled with efficiency all year, failing to complete six innings in 14 of his 29 starts and leading the AL with 94 walks. He pitched fewer than six innings in each of his four postseason starts last year.
While the Angels’ typically aggressive approach at the plate may figure to help him, it hasn’t in the past. In two career starts against Los Angeles — one on July 28 and the other in last year’s division series — he has allowed nine runs and 14 hits in 9 2-3 innings, going 0-1.
“He has to throw you a strike, and being patient and letting him work a little bit is going to be huge for us,” Angels infielder Howie Kendrick said.
The three runs the Angels scored against Matsuzaka in 4 2-3 innings of a 6-3 Boston win in Game 2 last year were among just five they have against the Red Sox in the last four postseason matchups.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles had no extra-base hits and its only run came after Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie extended an inning with an error.
A loss Friday would mean the Angels will face the unenviable task of having to erase a two-game deficit by winning twice at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox went 56-25 this year.
Ervin Santana (16-7, 3.49) will be hoping to make sure the Angels don’t fall into such a hole. The right-hander had easily his best season this year, but he may have a bad taste in his mouth after allowing eight runs in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-4 loss to Texas on Saturday.
The Red Sox did not see Santana this season, but he’s 1-2 with a 5.73 ERA against them in four career starts. David Ortiz is 5-for-9 with two doubles and a home run off Santana.
Santana wasn’t at his best at home this season, going 5-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 15 starts, but the Angels are still eager to give him the ball after he finished in the AL’s top five in innings, strikeouts and opponent batting average.
“He’s an All-Star. He has pitched well all season. He was second in the league in strikeouts,” Hunter told the Angels’ official Web site. “He can pitch, definitely. We just have to score some runs for him.”
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
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