MLB '08 playoff push

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Boston magic number is 1 to clinch playoffs.

Phils looking stong and the Mets choking. Will the brew crew choke?

Congrats to the cubies.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Anything can happen when the Mets are involved. Last year they blew a 7 game lead needing just 1 win, I do not think it will happen again but who knows history can repeat itself.

History looks like it Can repeat itself Those Amazing Mets.

[eagle7304 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eagle7304]

Cubs vs Angels......Cubs win??????

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Yankees RIP 1994 - 2008

[biskits Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close biskits]

4RedSoxOctober
Sox clinched wild card last night....Dont see them catching the Rays
so its out to LA for game 1 next week...Will history repeat itself???
Know any big spenders out there who want to see Angels at Fenway???? My tickets can be had for $500 a pop for game 3 and 4 of series.

GO SOX!!!!!

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Hey Paul,

I would love to come to Fenway and watch us finish you guys off there....but it sounds like an expensive proposition.

Hopefully we will be healthy when we face you guys this time.....it will turn out different.

I don't get the same kind of cash for my tickets here. I am only charging about $150 each if you are headed this way.

I would say good luck to your sox but I would be lying.

Go Angels

4RedSoxOctober
Sox clinched wild card last night....Dont see them catching the Rays
so its out to LA for game 1 next week...Will history repeat itself???
Know any big spenders out there who want to see Angels at Fenway???? My tickets can be had for $500 a pop for game 3 and 4 of series.

GO SOX!!!!!

[biskits Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close biskits]

Red O

Not much of a market for tix yet here in Beantown either...Nothing selling
on Stubhub or Craigslist....I am planning on going to game 4 (unless the Sox sweep the series in 3 )

Hopefully it will be a good series.... May the better team win!!!!

GO SOX!!!!

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Go Sox !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, where is that broom ???????????????


Drew's homer lifts Red Sox to 7-5 win over Angels


ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - J.D. Drew looked pretty feeble as he swung and missed a pair of off-speed pitches from Francisco Rodriguez. He sure didn't miss a third one. Drew hit a towering two-run homer off Rodriguez in the ninth inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 7-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night and a 2-0 lead in their first-round AL playoff series.

So now, thanks to another Boston postseason victory over the Angels, the team with baseball's best record this year is on the verge of elimination.

"We've always been good about turning the page on any game during the season and not taking whatever happened in the previous game into the next one," Angels outfielder Garret Anderson said. "Obviously, you have history against you when you're down 2-0. That's how hard it is, and it's factual, but that doesn't mean it can't be done."

Tampa Bay, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia also have 2-0 first-round series leads. Of the 35 teams to fall behind 2-0 in the division series before this year, just five have come back to advance, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. And only one - the 2001 New York Yankees - came back to win after losing the first two at home.

"This was huge," Drew said. "We were in a spot: tie ballgame. They had seemingly had the momentum."

But Drew, who played in only two of his team's final 38 regular-season games because of back problems, took it away with one swing.

Because of his back, Drew admitted to having doubts about his participation in the postseason as the regular season wound down.

"I thought at some point I was going to have to shut it down and watch the team go through the playoffs, so it's nice to be out there," he said. "It's just trying to get everything back into playing shape while you're in the playoffs. It isn't the easiest thing to do, but it's working out."

Of his game-winning homer, Drew said: "It was a changeup. He left it in and I squared it up nice enough to get it out of the park."

Now one win from advancing to the AL championship series, Boston won its 11th consecutive postseason game against the Angels, outscoring them 80-33 and setting the record for most postseason victories in a row over one opponent. The Red Sox won their ninth consecutive postseason game overall as well.

Boston swept the Angels in the first round in 2004 and last year, both times en route to World Series titles.

"That is so far in the past, and in about 10 minutes tonight it will be in the past," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "What happened in '04 or 1986 does not matter to us. We set out to win today's game. It was difficult, but we did it. Now, we'll go prepare for the next game."

Game 3 will be Sunday night in Boston, with Joe Saunders pitching for the Angels against Josh Beckett, who was pushed back from the opener after injuring a muscle in his side.

"There is a challenge in front of us and the only way to meet it is going to be pitch by pitch, inning by inning on Sunday," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We played well in their park all year, and we have to do it now."

Drew's RBI double and Jason Bay's three-run homer off Ervin Santana gave Boston a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but the Angels, 100-62 during the regular season, clawed back. Los Angeles tied the score in the eighth when Chone Figgins hit a leadoff triple off Justin Masterson - the Angels' first extra-base hit of the series after 19 singles - and Mark Teixeira hit a one-out sacrifice fly against Jonathan Papelbon (1-0).

Rodriguez (0-1), who set a record with 62 saves in the regular season, allowed a leadoff double to David Ortiz in the ninth. After Kevin Youkilis grounded out, Drew drove a 2-2 pitch over the center field fence.

Rodriguez, who allowed a game-ending home run to Manny Ramirez in Game 2 last year, hung his head, then covered much of his face with his glove.

"He's one of the best pitchers in the league," Ortiz said. "If you get a pitch you like, you better hit it. You might not see it again."

Papelbon retired all six batters he faced, getting help from third baseman Youkilis in the ninth. Youkilis caught pinch-hitter Gary Matthews Jr.'s foul popup with a terrific leaping grab over a camera well for the second out before Papelbon struck out Howie Kendrick to end the game.

Kendrick is hitless in nine at-bats in the two games with five strikeouts, and has stranded 12 baserunners.

"Obviously, you always want to get the job done with guys on base," he said. "It was frustrating to me, knowing I've been up a couple of times and haven't gotten the job done. That's hurt us a little bit, not getting those guys in from scoring position. I just have to figure out what they're doing to me. It's up to me to make the adjustment."

The Angels, who have lost nine consecutive postseason games, stranded 11 runners - all in the first seven innings. They are 4-for-21 (.190) with runners in scoring position in the two losses, stranding 20 runners overall.

Hunter hit a two-out RBI single off Daisuke Matsuzaka in the first, but Jacoby Ellsbury doubled in a run in the fourth to make it 5-1.

Figgins singled in a run in the bottom half, and Hunter did the same in the fifth, with the Angels stranding runners at the corners in both innings.

Masterson walked Mike Napoli with the bases loaded in the seventh before striking out Kendrick and Erick Aybar.

Matsuzaka gave up three runs and eight hits in five innings, throwing 108 pitches. Santana allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Notes:@ Francona has a 24-9 career record in postseason play, the best percentage for anyone who's managed at least 20 playoff games. ... Scioscia has a 15-19 postseason record, but his teams have gone just 4-14 since winning the 2002 World Series. ... Hunter injured his right ankle in the third when he was called out by umpire Kerwin Danley on a grounder, then leaped into the air in frustration and landed awkwardly. He stayed in the game. ... The Red Sox played without 3B Mike Lowell, MVP of last year's World Series. Lowell went hitless in four at-bats in Game 1, appearing hampered by a torn labrum in his left hip that limited him to one at-bat in the final two weeks of the regular season. ... Ortiz extended his AL division series hitting streak to 13 games, tying Bernie Williams for the second-longest behind Derek Jeter (15).




Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Thank You, Biskits !!!!!!!!!

That was one of the best games of my life !!!!!!!!! Primo seats and not too cold.

Well played and a nail-biter to the end.

I try not to post negatively on the sports threads, however, as for Lackey's post-game comments --------> yeh, ponder all that on your ride back to Disneyland.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Congrats Red Sox you did it again in October. It should be an interesting off season for the Angels.

How did you guys deal with losing for so long after 1918 and being owned by the Yankees for so long? It is painful and it runs the full range of emotions on this one.

Go Rays....they will have their hands full.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

How did you guys deal with losing for so long after 1918 and being owned by the Yankees for so long? It is painful and it runs the full range of emotions on this one.

Go Rays....they will have their hands full.

Nice try. Ancient history.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Believe it or not that was an open and honest question Beags. '94 is not that ancient.

Nice try. Ancient history.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Believe it or not that was an open and honest question Beags. '94 is not that ancient.

'94 ? Naaaahhhh.

Anything before 2004 is erased from the hearts & minds of Red Sox Nation !

Thanks to Biskits, I was there to see Varitek stop the action at 3rd & home and see Bay & Lowrie bring the crowds to their feet. It was electric - my head still hurts from belting out "Love That Dirty Water" !!!

Bring on the grapefruit league ! Yes, Tampa is tough, no doubt.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

ooops I meant 2004....thanks. Glad you made it there to catch the excitement. How come you didn't go Paul?

'94 ? Naaaahhhh.

Anything before 2004 is erased from the hearts & minds of Red Sox Nation !

Thanks to Biskits, I was there to see Varitek stop the action at 3rd & home and see Bay & Lowrie bring the crowds to their feet. It was electric - my head still hurts from belting out "Love That Dirty Water" !!!

Bring on the grapefruit league ! Yes, Tampa is tough, no doubt.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

ooops I meant 2004....thanks. Glad you made it there to catch the excitement. How come you didn't go Paul?

Paul's seats are incredible.
In honor of the game, I have changed my Avatar.
One of life's special moments. Almost as good as Tek's glove in ARod's face.