Oct 11

Papelbon can’t close door, Sox lose
Sox’s closer allows three in ninth as Angels win ALDS

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BOSTON — The Red Sox were one strike away from a win that would have prolonged their season another day. But the Angels wouldn’t stand for it, coming up with three runs in the top of the ninth en route to a 7-6 victory that swept Boston out of the American League Division Series.

The victim of the jarring rally was closer Jonathan Papelbon, who entered Sunday never having allowed a run over 26 postseason innings. The Angels started their improbable rally with two outs and nobody on in the ninth. Erick Aybar laced a single up the middle. Chone Figgins worked a walk. Bobby Abreu brought the Angels within one on a double to left. The Red Sox walked Torii Hunter intentionally to load the bases for Vladimir Guerrero, and the star slugger delivered with a two-run single that gave the Angels their first lead of the day, silencing the Fenway faithful.

With some pep back in their offense, the Red Sox rode a two-run double by Dustin Pedroia and a two-run homer by J.D. Drew to a 5-1 lead through four innings against Angels starter Scott Kazmir.

Clay Buchholz performed well for Boston, allowing two runs over five-plus innings. The Angels got one back in the sixth, and two in the eighth to make it 5-4.

But Mike Lowell gave the Red Sox breathing room with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. As it turns out, it wasn’t enough breathing room.

The Red Sox entered the day 13-3 in potential elimination games under manager Terry Francona, and seemed primed to give themselves life again and force Game 4 on Monday night.

This time, however, it didn’t happen.

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Oct 08

Angels have to run against the Red Sox to have a chance

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The Boston Red Sox are quite familiar opponents for the Los Angeles Angels in the American League Division Series. However, all those previous matchups resulted in Red Sox series wins.

The key for the Red Sox this time is pitching. Jon Lester, who opens the series, has to keep guys off base, especially the guys who can run. Jacoby Ellsbury will be a key factor against Angels starter John Lackey. If Ellsbury gets on base, he’s going to steal. He will need to use his legs to create runs. Even though Lackey struggles against Boston, he has done some pretty good things in the postseason, including when he stepped up in 2002 and the Angels won the World Series.

Another important point the Red Sox must consider is to allow Lester to go deep in the game. That way, manager Terry Francona can mix and match his bullpen.

The key for the Angels is to focus on running. They have to get guys on base, from Chone Figgins to Erick Aybar to Bobby Abreu to Torii Hunter. They will have to make offence by taking the double play away from Lester, thus making him more concerned about the runners than he is about the hitter.

Keep in mind that Boston’s pitchers don’t keep runners close. They are very easy to run on. If you look at how the Angels played this year, that’s how they won a lot of games. They showed a lot more patience at the plate. Overall, their on-base percentage is higher than it’s ever been, but they ran, and that’s what they will have to do to beat Boston. If the Angels try to sit back and outscore Boston, they will fail because the Red Sox just have too much firepower in the middle of their lineup. The Angels will have to run and run and run. If they make it a track meet, they will beat the Red Sox.

Lackey and Josh Beckett are capable of demoralising a team, and it’s unclear whether the Angels have that shutdown pitcher to counter it.

If Victor Martinez or Jason Varitek can handle those baserunners, it’s over. In other words, if the Red Sox can beat the Angels with one of their weaknesses, there’s nothing Los Angeles can do.

The first game is in Anaheim, but that won’t make a difference. The Angels have yet to prove they can beat the Red Sox. If Boston jumps out early, for example, let’s say Ellsbury leads off with a hit, steals a base and scores a run – don’t be surprised if some of the L.A. players look at each other and say, “Oh no, here they come.”

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