Tempers flared earlier this season in this 'rivalry.'Will we see any more of this in this series?
Game 1 BOS @ LAA Thursday October 8th 9:37 PM EST on TBS
Game 2 BOS @ LAA Friday October 9th 9:37 PM EST on TBS
Game 3 LAA @ BOS Sunday October 11th TBD on TBS
Game 4 LAA @ BOS Monday October 12th TBD on TBS*
Game 5 BOS @ LAA Wednesday October 14th TBD on TBS*
*if necessary
Announced Starters:
The Red Sox have announced starters for games 1-3 going with Lester in game 1, Beckett in game 2, and Buchholz in game 3. It is believed that depending on the scenario of the series if there is a game 4 that the Sox will determine whether to bring Lester back on three days rest or to turn to likely fourth starter Dice-K.
The Angels have announced their four-man rotation. It is comprised of John Lackey, Jered Weaver, Scott Kazmir, and Joe Saunders.
Preview:
Each of the past two season, and three of the last four, the Sox have sent the Angels home in the ALDS round. The Sox are essentially in their heads in recent postseason memory. However, the Angels are out for revenge and to reverse this hex the Sox have on them. The Angels are 5-4 against the Red Sox this season, but in the most recent series three weeks ago, the Sox took 2/3 in Boston.
Keys to Winning the Series
1. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett are who we thought they were. It's pretty simple. If both of Boston's aces are throwing the way they did in early August when Tito knew he had 2 guaranteed wins every 5 games, then Anaheim has no chance at all. Peter Gammons mentioned the other night that the Angels are capable of struggling against good fastballs, so with Lester, Beckett, Bard, Wagner, and Papelbon on their game, Anaheim could be in for a long series. Even when the offense was cold they could put up the two or three runs necessary to get the W.
2. The offense had been hot throughout September and if they can keep that going despite the few days off at the end, they'll be in good shape. Ortiz, Martinez, Bay, Ellsbury, Drew, and Pedroia were all performing at their peak, including in the power department. If they can continue to carry the lineup, the Angels' staff doesn't have the stuff to keep themselves in the series.
3. Boston seems to have a clear edge in the bullpen matchup. Brian Fuentes has been as shaky as they come in the 9th inning despite leading the Majors in saves this year and he's set up by a number of inexperienced relievers. Boston's bullpen is built for the postseason. Theo Epstein made a concerted effort to build a deep, power bullpen that can pick up a short start in a close game which is key in postseason play. In the event of an implosion by one of the starters, the Sox will have Paul Byrd and potentially Dice-K to eat innings.
4. The battle of the basepaths favors the Angels. With the combination of Ellsbury stealing bags, and a plethora of good baserunners (Drew, Pedroia, Bay) the Sox will not get 'run off' of the field though. Also, if Joey Gathright is on the roster (it is looking more like he will be) he gives the Sox an added dimension on the paths. He could be a key situational pinch-runner for an Ortiz or V-Mart. The Angels were third in the AL in stolen bases, headed by Figgins, Abreu, and Hunter, and Boston allowed the most stolen bases in the Majors. Varitek threw out 16 out of 124 runners... pathetic. Martinez should see almost all of the time behind the plate, but he wasn't much better, allowing 56 out of 65 runners to steal. The Angels are a small-ball team, almost to a fault at times. The pressure is on the pitching staff to keep them off the basepaths and keep them close when they do get on.
Notes:
-Delcarmen will not be on the roster even after throwing a good BP today. He may have struggled to make this roster even in light of his car accident, after seeing his ERA rise every month this season. As mentioned earlier, Paul Byrd will be on the roster.
-Rocco Baldelli also will not be on the roster. Brian Anderson and Joey Gathright will reportedly be on the bench as backup outfielders.
Keys to Winning the Series
1. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett are who we thought they were. It's pretty simple. If both of Boston's aces are throwing the way they did in early August when Tito knew he had 2 guaranteed wins every 5 games, then Anaheim has no chance at all. Peter Gammons mentioned the other night that the Angels are capable of struggling against good fastballs, so with Lester, Beckett, Bard, Wagner, and Papelbon on their game, Anaheim could be in for a long series. Even when the offense was cold they could put up the two or three runs necessary to get the W.
2. The offense had been hot throughout September and if they can keep that going despite the few days off at the end, they'll be in good shape. Ortiz, Martinez, Bay, Ellsbury, Drew, and Pedroia were all performing at their peak, including in the power department. If they can continue to carry the lineup, the Angels' staff doesn't have the stuff to keep themselves in the series.
3. Boston seems to have a clear edge in the bullpen matchup. Brian Fuentes has been as shaky as they come in the 9th inning despite leading the Majors in saves this year and he's set up by a number of inexperienced relievers. Boston's bullpen is built for the postseason. Theo Epstein made a concerted effort to build a deep, power bullpen that can pick up a short start in a close game which is key in postseason play. In the event of an implosion by one of the starters, the Sox will have Paul Byrd and potentially Dice-K to eat innings.
4. The battle of the basepaths favors the Angels. With the combination of Ellsbury stealing bags, and a plethora of good baserunners (Drew, Pedroia, Bay) the Sox will not get 'run off' of the field though. Also, if Joey Gathright is on the roster (it is looking more like he will be) he gives the Sox an added dimension on the paths. He could be a key situational pinch-runner for an Ortiz or V-Mart. The Angels were third in the AL in stolen bases, headed by Figgins, Abreu, and Hunter, and Boston allowed the most stolen bases in the Majors. Varitek threw out 16 out of 124 runners... pathetic. Martinez should see almost all of the time behind the plate, but he wasn't much better, allowing 56 out of 65 runners to steal. The Angels are a small-ball team, almost to a fault at times. The pressure is on the pitching staff to keep them off the basepaths and keep them close when they do get on.
Notes:
-Delcarmen will not be on the roster even after throwing a good BP today. He may have struggled to make this roster even in light of his car accident, after seeing his ERA rise every month this season. As mentioned earlier, Paul Byrd will be on the roster.
-Rocco Baldelli also will not be on the roster. Brian Anderson and Joey Gathright will reportedly be on the bench as backup outfielders.
Great analysis! DA
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