Angels Win Tight, Taught Game

The visiting LA Angels beat the Boston Red Sox by a score of 5-4 in twelve innings Sunday evening, cutting Boston's series lead to two games to one. It was not a particularly good effort from starter Josh Beckett...maybe the injury time out made him a little rusty around the edges. No maybes about it...he looked out of synch and his pitches were JUST missing. He was only able to go five innings and uncharacteristically gave up four runs on nine (!) hits in that short span. The bullpen tried to rescue him with six scoreless innings of relief, but they couldn't make it seven. Erik Aybar singled in the go ahead run off Javy Lopez in the top of the 12th and the Sox failed to score in their half of the inning, ending a five hour plus game watched by the largest ever post-WWII Fenway Park crowd. Now that's something! And keep in mind that Jonathon Papelbon went two innings in the losing cause and will be used tonight for one inning and one inning only, if needed. I hope he is. Here's what manager Tito Francona had to say about his starter and ace...

“I thought the Angels really made Beckett work,” manager Terry Francona said. “You know, right from the very first pitch of the game, he was out of the stretch. Again, it’s been a couple of weeks. I don’t think his command was what it can be.
I thought our whole staff . . . seemed like we were pitching out of the stretch every single inning. We dodged a lot of bullets and couldn’t in the end.”

The Sox turn to their game one starter, Jon Lester, who takes his 11-1 Fenway Park record into the game. He'll be opposed by the Angel's game one starter, John Lackey. Here's a prediction...if the Red Sox score three runs or more, they'll win the game and wrap up the series. If not, the "tiptoe through the minefields" Daisuke Matsuzaka will go in the final game of the series Wednesday on the left coast. LET'S WRAP THIS UP TODAY and forgo any westbound flights. PLEASE!

You can click on this post's title for all the unsavory details of the big night at the Fens. Tonight's game will be televised at 8pm EDT on TBS and TBSHD...be there, unless you're lucky enough to have tickets for the festivities. If you are going, bring a heavy sweater or a jacket...it'll be downright chilly up there, as it will be down here in north central Connecticut. There are freeze warnings that have just been issued for us. 'Tis the season, or getting close to it, I guess. As always, BE WELL. I mean that.