Boston Red Sox

Behind enemy lines

By Chad Finn

3 minutes to read

Our daily look at what others are saying about the Red Sox-Angels matchup.

  • Did the tide in this series turn as the clock approached midnight last night?

    You’ll find plenty of eye-rolling skeptics regarding such a notion around here, but the Los Angeles Times’s Mike DiGiovanna nonetheless takes that angle after the Angels overcame some early blunders and lost opportunities to defeat the Red Sox, 5-4, in Game 3 of the ALDS last night:

    This one had all the makings of another Angels playoff disaster against the Boston Red Sox, with the requisite failure to cash in on numerous opportunities, a blown defensive play that cost them three runs and a baserunning gaffe that killed a potential ninth-inning rally.

    But a strange, almost crazy thing happened as an eerie fog rolled into Fenway Park past midnight Sunday, with the Angels appearing on the way to another American League division series sweep at the hands of their October nemeses.

    The Angels didn’t fold.

    A catcher clubbed a pair of early home runs, a stout bullpen combined for 7 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, a shortstop who was hitless in 13 series at-bats delivered a game-winner, and a starter making his first career relief appearance threw two scoreless innings for the win.

    Entering Game 4, it is fair to say the Angels now have the momentum. But the Red Sox have Jon Lester. Our question to you is this: Which is the bigger advantage?

  • Bill Shaikin says tonight’s start is a chance for John Lackey to prove he’s a true ace:

    [The Angels] departed Anaheim left for dead, but they left Fenway Park after 1 a.m. this morning with a pulse, and with at least one more game in their season.

    Now the Angels play their ace. If … Lackey can lift the Angels to victory tonight, he can force the series back to Anaheim for the decisive Game 5.

    This could be his time. This should be his time.

    It has been five years, and five starts, since Lackey last won in October — Game 7, 2002 World Series, as a rookie.

    Lackey has traditionally been pummeled at Fenway (he is 2-4 with a 6.34 ERA in eight career regular season starts), but he threw a two-hitter there earlier this season (taking a no-hitter into the ninth) and pitched well in Game 1 at Anaheim in this series. So who knows which version will show up tonight.

  • Another Angels pitcher the Red Sox have had their way with in the past was the unsung hero last night, writes DiGiovanna. Scot Shields, who had a 13.85 ERA in 13 career innings at Fenway entering last night’s game, pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings after entering in the seventh inning, and his stuff was overpowering.
  • The Times’s Jerry Crowe notes that Angels catcher Mike Napoli was born on Halloween. With two homers last night, he certainly haunted the Red Sox last night. (I know. Groan.)
  • The OC Register’s Bill Plunkett wins today’s award for Best Opening Line To A Game Story:

    Paul Revere’s ride took less time.

    The game ended in a tidy 5 hours 19 minutes, which is why there are a lot of people in New England snoozing at their desks this morning..

  • The OC’s Jeff Miller takes in the pregame scene at Fenway, and captures it thusly:

    Baseball is a drinking game here. Before the first pitch, the streets bordering Fenway are alive with music, partying and sausages, thousands and thousands of sausages. Food stands are operated by the Sausage Connection, the Sausage King and the Sausage Guy.

    .

  • Elsewhere: CNNSI’s John Donovan says the Angels refused to go quietly . . . ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says the Angels stayed alive despite their “smorgasbord of flaws” . . . FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal wonders if LA will finally relax and play up to its ability.

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