ALDS Preview - Boston Red Sox vs. LA Angels of Anaheim

Sports Network | October 7, 2009

These teams also met up in 1986 when Boston rallied back from a three games to one deficit to win a dramatic seventh game, meaning, of course, that the Red Sox have now won 12 of their last 13 postseason games against the Angels.

Los Angeles, though, won the regular season series, 5-4, after taking eight of the nine matchups a year ago.

Boston enters the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven years, but comes in with some injury concerns regarding ace Josh Beckett (back), third baseman Mike Lowell (thumb) and shortstop Alex Gonzalez (hand).

Los Angeles, meanwhile, was challenged for a change in the AL West this season, as it overcame numerous injuries and a tragic death to one of its young stars to win its fifth division title in six years with a 97-65 record.

Things looked bleak early, as John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Jered Weaver, And Ervin Santana all started the season on the disabled list. Add in the tragic death of Nick Adenhart in early April, and you had all the makings for what could have been a disastrous season for the Angels.

Mike Scioscia, though, is the best manager in the game and he proved it again this year, as he had 14 different people start games for him this year. They also handed the ball to 12 players making their major league debut, both of which were major league highs.

LINEUP

Boston's already potent lineup got a huge boost at the trade deadline with the acquisition of catcher Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians.

Martinez joins a lineup that already consists of the dangerous Kevin Youkilis, reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, Jason Bay, as well as David Ortiz, who despite a horrendous start still finished with decent power numbers.

Ortiz had just one home run through the first two-plus months of the season and found himself embroiled in a steroid scandal, but still finished the year with 28 homers and 99 RBI. He is not the feared hitter he once was, but I wouldn't want to face him in a big spot

Bay is now the offensive catalyst of this team and, despite a long slump, still hit 36 home runs with 119 RBI and 103 runs scored, second only to Pedroia' 115. Bay was the star of last year's ALDS, hitting .412 with two homers and five RBI.

The Red Sox can also beat you on the bases with Jacoby Ellsbury, who swiped a league-high 70 stolen bases this season, in addition to hitting .301

Speaking of stolen bases, the Angels finished third in the AL with 148 of them this season, led by Chone Figgins (42), Bobby Abreu (30) and Torii Hunter (18). You have to think that trend will continue if Jason Varitek is behind the plate for the Red Sox.

Don't be fooled by all the running, though, the Angels possess a very potent offense. Anaheim led the league in batting average (.285), was second in runs (883), tied for the lead in hits (1,604), was third in on-base percentage (.350), and was fourth in slugging (.441).

With players like Vladimir Guerrero, Hunter and Abreu getting most of the attention. Kendry Morales is often overlooked , but the Angels' first baseman was the most important player in that lineup this season.

Taking over for the departed Mark Teixeira, Morales hit .306 with 34 homers and 108 RBI.

EDGE: ANGELS

STARTING PITCHING

Boston enters the postseason with as dominant a 1-2 punch in the league with right-hander Josh Beckett and lefty Jon Lester. Beckett, though, has been bothered with back spasms of late, so Lester will get the ball in Game 1.

Lester probably earned it anyway, as he has been one of the best pitchers in the league from June on. Following a slow start, Lester finished the year 15-8 with a 3.41 ERA, while going 11 straight starts at one point without a loss.

Beckett, meanwhile, will try to add to his already incredible postseason resume in Game 2.

But, like last season he enters the playoffs with some back trouble. Regardless, Beckett is the best postseason pitcher of this generation, posting a 7-2 mark in 13 games (12 starts) to go along with a 2.90 ERA.

The ERA took a hit last season, as he surrendered 14 runs in 14 1/3 innings of his three playoff starts a year ago, including four runs in five innings of a no-decision against the Halos in the ALDS.

Beckett won his last three decisions and ended the year 17-6 with a 3.86 ERA. However, the question remains whether or not he is healthy, as he allowed three or more runs in seven of his final nine starts.

Boston will go with rookie Clay Buchholz in Game 3. Long considered the crown jewel of the Red Sox organization, Buchholz finally started to live up to expectations, as he went 7-4 with a 4.21 ERA. He may be running out of steam though. After going eight starts without a loss, Buchholz was 0-1 over his final two outings, surrendering 13 runs in eight innings of those starts.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, will hand the ball to righty John Lackey in Game 1. Lackey started the year on the disabled list and really did not hit his stride until the second half when he went 7-4 with a 3.05 ERA.

Lackey, though, has gone 0-2 in the past two years against the Red Sox in the playoffs and is just 3-7 lifetime versus them with a 5.25 ERA.

Jered Weaver goes in the second game, as he tries to carry the best regular season of his career into the postseason. Weaver won a team-high 16 games for the Angels this season, while pitching to a 3.75 in 33 starts.

The move that in the long run could ultimately put the Angels over the top here was the pickup of lefty Scott Kazmir from the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite winning just two of his six starts since the trade, Kazmir pitched to a 1.73 ERA.

If the teams opt for a fourth starter, Boston is expected to throw Daisuke Matsuzaka, who endured an injury-plagued 2009, while the Angels will send 16- game winner Joe Saunders to the hill.

EDGE: EVEN

BULLPEN

Jonathan Papelbon had another tremendous season for the Red Sox, saving 38 games, while pitching to a 1.85 ERA in 66 games. He has been even better lately, as he heads into the postseason with a 25-inning scoreless streak.

Papelbon also has a pair of flame-throwers setting him up in right-hander Daniel Bard and lefty Billy Wagner, who the team picked up from the Mets in August.

Crafty lefty Hideki Okajima was 6-0 this season, while righties Ramon Ramirez and Takashi Saito round out, perhaps the deepest bullpen of all the teams in the postseason.

Meanwhile, if there is one thing that could be the undoing of the Angels it is their bullpen.

Closer Brian Fuentes saved a major league high 48 games this season, but also blew seven and was 1-5 with a 3.93. He is anything but automatic and has gotten worse as the season has wore on.

In the second half, Fuentes had a 4.81 ERA, opponents hit .274 against him, and he had more walks (15) than strikeouts (12). Throwing more fuel on the fire is the fact that he pitched to a 6.52 ERA in 10 playoff games for Colorado in 2007 in his only other postseason experience.

Getting to him could be a problem too, as righties Kevin Jepsen and Jason Bulger have both struggled at times with the latter battling a shoulder issue.

Veteran left-hander Darren Oliver, though, has been a reliable option.

Also Ervin Santana will likely see time in the pen.

EDGE: RED SOX

MANAGERS

Scioscia is in his 10th campaign with the Angels and is the all-time leader in wins, guiding the club to 90-plus victories in six of the last eight years. Scioscia, who skippered the club to the 2002 championship, is also the only Angels manager to bring his team to the postseason six times.

Francona, meanwhile, is in his sixth year as skipper of the Red Sox and has taken the team to the postseason in five of those seasons, winning the World Series twice. The Red Sox are so well disciplined and rarely make a mistake in the field and all that is a credit to Francona.

However, for my money Scioscia is the best and most underrated manager in the game. One of these years, though, he is going to have to get past the Red Sox.

EDGE: ANGELS

PROGNOSIS

Logic tells you that at some point the Angels have to win one of these series against Boston. Josh Beckett's back is hurting, but it was hurting last year and the Red Sox still won. Plus the Boston lineup is even better than it was last year thanks to the in-season addition of catcher Victor Martinez. Not to mention the Angels head into the postseason with their worst bullpen situation in years. Boston feasts on units like that. I think the Angels' starting pitching will keep it close, but the Red Sox will pull it out...again.

Prediction: RED SOX in FOUR