***SOXTOBER CONTINUES*** Red Sox Eliminate Angels...Advance To ALCS

***WILL PLAY TAMPA BAY IN ALCS***
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The Boston Red Sox defeated the California LA Angels in another tight and beautifully pitched baseball game Monday night at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts. The final score was 3-2. Jon Lester proved to everyone that he is the true ace of the pitching staff, going seven wonderous innings and allowing ZERO runs and only four base hits. He walked two and struck out four. He deserved the win, but the Halos scored twice in the eighth inning against the bullpen, which made the score 2-2. Hero time was upon us for the ninth inning. After a suicide squeeze play failed to produce an Angel run in the top of the inning, a Jed Lowrie single plated Jason Bay, who had doubled, and the walk-off celebration, wet and wild, commenced. Here are some thoughts, thoughts of the possibility of having to jet back to California if the Sox had lost, and more...

“We were dreading it (the westbound trip),” said center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who knocked in the first Red Sox run in the fifth. “I almost felt bad bringing my luggage here to the ballpark this afternoon. But we’re very happy to get it done here and now. You never know what can happen in a Game 5.”
“Absolutely - I left all my stuff in my car,” Pedroia said. “I’m not going to jinx anything and bring it out.”

When asked about the amazing performance by MVP of the series Jon Lester, his catcher said this...

“Powerful,” catcher Jason Varitek said of Lester. “He’s grown up before our eyes.”

Peter here, and that he has, Jason. Jon Lester is the true ACE of the Boston Red Sox, now and for many years to come. He will not be able to start game one of the Tampa Bay series because his normal four days rest would schedule him for Saturday. Josh Beckett will be the first man on the mound Friday night in Tampa. Theo Epstein had a few thoughts after the team he helped to build clinched the AL Championship Series for the third time in five years...

“That was a team victory tonight, as always,” a drenched general manager Theo Epstein said. “It’s been that way all year. It’s one of the things the Red Sox stand for now. It was typical. Right now this feels pretty good. This is a hard place to get to.”

Peter here...I'm happy, you're happy, and October has started out splendidly for the world champions. Now it gets tougher. The Tampa Bay Rays are NO team to dismiss. We've played them nineteen times so far, so we all know it. Experience and depth are on Boston's side. Karma might be the Rays' best friend, for this year they've done everything they've set out to do. The first four games of the seven game series schedule follows...

Friday at Tampa Bay (8:37pm EDT)
Saturday at Tampa Bay (8:07pm EDT)
Monday at Boston (4:37pm EDT)
Tuesday at Boston (8:07pm EDT)

Those are the first four games...game five will also be at the Fens (if necessary) on Thursday and games six and seven, also if necessary, will move back to the dome in Florida over the weekend.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOSTON RED SOX, 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONS who are going for one more. May the force be with them...our faith certainly is. Red Sox Nation and Red Sox International faith, the world over. Click on the title of this post for more on the walk-off victory, and as always, BE WELL.