When the Angels last saw the Boston Red Sox, they were in a heap of trouble.
It was the end of July, the Angels had just swept a three-game series at Fenway Park in which they outscored Boston 23-9 and one day before the non-waiver trading deadline Manny Ramirez was making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
It appeared the Red Sox would be an easy mark, if they were to meet up again in the post-season. The Angels, with the sweep, had won the season series 8-1.
Since then, though, the Red Sox have managed to right themselves.
A rough July in which they went 11-13, their only losing month this season, has given rise to a 36-game stretch in which they have hit much better, pitched much better and played much better defensively. Suddenly, they look much tougher and if the season were end today, the A.L. West champion Angels would meet them in the A.L. Division Series as the wild-card entrant into the playoffs.
Take a look at some of the numbers …
The Red Sox starters were 8-11 in July, but are 20-9 since.
The Red Sox hit .272 and scored 4.6 runs per game in July, but have hit .297 and scored 6.3 runs per game since.
David Ortiz spent most of July on the disabled list, playing in only six games. In his past 34 games, he has 34 hits and 26 RBI.
Jason Bay, acquired when the Red Sox sent Ramirez packing to the Dodgers, has hit .299 with seven home runs and 33 RBI in 35 games with Boston.
And the front three in their starting rotation - Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester - are a combined 42-16 this season.
