RED SOX WIN! RED SOX WIN!

Jim Davis photo
AP Photo


On to Tampa!

Just do it!

Herald Photo by Nancy Lane

Red Sox Enemy #1

Photo from mlb.com

Okay, Red Sox, listen up. You see this guy? It's Mike Napoli. He must be stopped. He's trying to set himself up as some sort of Red Sox killer - and two homers last night are probably making him feel like he's accomplishing this. So, in tonight's game, let's show how we get it done in Fenway. Shut him down.

Oh, and meanwhile, how about a little productive offense? We don't want another jaunt to the left coast after tonight's game. We want those Angels to droop on over to Logan and aviate off into the sunset.

Get 'er done!

Hopefully, not Deja Vu

As I mentioned, my three games at Fenway this summer were a series with the LA Angels. Unfortunately, they swept all three games. Bummer. We lost the third game 9-2, and the same two pitchers are facing each other again tonight: Josh "The Commander" Beckett and Joe Sanders. Beckett just didn't have it that day. Sanders did.
But, Josh is notorious as a Big Game Pitcher. After a little time on the bench with a strained oblique, watching his teammate decisively win games one and two of this series, I suspect Josh can smell the blood in the water. He's got a chance to clinch the first round of the playoffs for the Sox tonight. I think he's up to the task!

Photo by Barry Chin

GO SOX!

Two down, one to go

Boston Globe photo by Jim Davis

Wow! What an incredible game last night - and here are the three heroes! The Sox blasted out to an early lead (thanks to Jason Bay's three-run homer in the 1st inning, pictured above). Then, the Angels slowly whittled away at that lead, scoring single runs in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th. Suddenly it was 5-5 ( A side note: I must admit, I fell asleep for the 5-8th innings - awoke in time to see Paps record the 3rd out of the 8th. Hey, it was a late start!) Things looked grim. But - these Sox never give up. Papi lead off the 9th with a double; Crisp replaced him on the basepaths; and then JD Drew (on the left, above) connected for a two run homer to center. WOOT! It's now 7-5. Papelbon finished them off in the bottom of the 9th - which included a spectacular catch by Youkilis (in center).

And suddenly, we're up 2-0 in the Division Series. So, too, are the Rays - we can only hope that the White Sox can rally and at least make the Rays work for another victory.

Meanwhile, tomorrow is game 3 for us - and we're back home in Fenway Park. I'm afraid to jinx anything, but I find it hard to believe we can win at least one of the next two. Of course (gamedropping), the only three games I saw at Fenway this year were three losses to - ahem - the LA Angels. Still....here's hoping.

An interesting twist. The Sox have beaten the Angels in three straight post-season series. In1986, the Sox defeated the California Angels. In 2003, we beat the Anaheim Angels. In 2007, we beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Maybe they need to take a page from the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays' playbook and rename themselves yet again?!

Angels' roster

Per Boston.com, here's the 25 man roster Scioscia is going with:

Pitchers (10): John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Jon Garland, Jered Weaver, Francisco Rodriguez, Scot Shields, Darren Oliver, Jose Arredondo, Kevin Jepsen.

Positional players (15): Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, Jeff Mathis, Chone Figgins, Garret Anderson, Kendry Morales, Juan Rivera, Gary Mathews Jr., Mark Teixeira, Vladimir Guerrero, Robb Quinlan, Mike Napoli, Howie Kendrick, Torii Hunter, Reggie Willits.