Tonight the Boston Red Sox look to head to the ALCS for the second straight season and ironically enough, the opponent once again is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This year though the situation is reversed in a way as the Red Sox will look to close out the Angels out in the friendly confines of Fenway Park.
With Josh Beckett getting scratched in the first game of the ALDS, Terry Francona moved up Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka to start the first two games. It couldn’t have worked out any better for Francona and the Red Sox as they now have their ace going with the chance to move forward in the playoffs.
October is the month where Beckett shines. In his postseason career, he is 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA in 10 appearances (9 starts, 1 relief). His ERA in 2 League Division series appearances, 1 with Florida and 1 with Boston, is a minuscule .56. In the postseason last year for the Red Sox, Beckett was 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA. And opponents are hitting just .159 against him in the postseason. He has a rough going of things this season against the Angels as he is 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA in 2 starts. In his regular season career against the Angels, he is 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA and is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in the postseason in 1 start (2007 ALDS).
Mike Scioscia will put the Angels fate on the left arm of Joe Saunders. He will be making his first career postseason start as he didn’t appear in last year’s ALDS against the Red Sox. He has had great success against the Red Sox in his career as he is 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 6 starts. In 2008 against the Red Sox, Saunders went 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in 3 starts.
Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe looks at the Red Sox in the closing games of a playoff series since 2004.
Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe has a video preview tonight’s Game 3.
As expected, J.D. Drew is getting the night off and Coco Crisp will start in center. Drew will be available to pinch-hit.
Dustin Pedroia isn’t concerned about his slow start to the playoffs.
Don’t write off Manny Delcarmen in this series.
Mike Scioscia says the Angels will not be eliminated tonight.
The ProJo SoxBlog has the full transcripts of the press conferences of Terry Francona and Mike Scioscia.
The ProJo SoxBlog also has some pregame photos.
While this isn’t Red Sox related, it is pretty dang funny. An October-rest for the Yankees. Thanks to Danielle for the link.
0-2
1. Chone Figgins, 3B
2. Garret Anderson, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, IB
4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH
5. Torii Hunter, CF
6. Juan Rivera, RF
7. Mike Napoli, C
8. Howie Kendrick, 2B
9. Erick Aybar, SS
– Joe Saunders, SP
2-0
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jed Lowrie, SS
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Coco Crisp, CF
– Josh Beckett, SP
And here is how the hitters have fared in the regular season in their careers against tonight’s starting pitchers.
