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Angels win Game 1, 5-0
October 8th, 2009, 9:46 pm · 12 Comments · posted by BILL PLUNKETT, OCREGISTER.COM
ANAHEIM
In a series with so much history, the Angels managed to find something new.
Torii Hunter supplied the kind of breakthrough hit the Angels have been lacking in their playoff matchups against the Boston Red Sox and John Lackey turned in the best start of a post-season career that began in Game 7 of a World Series.
The result was a 5-0 victory over the Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series Thursday night, putting the Angels in unfamiliar territory – leading a playoff series against the Red Sox for the first time since Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS.
Thursday’s victory was only the second for the Angels in their 11 playoff games with the Red Sox over the past six years. In fact, the Angels had held a lead for just seven of the 86 ALDS innings played between the two teams before Hunter’s three-run home run in the fifth inning.
That blow gave Lackey as much run support with one swing as he had received in total during three ALDS starts against the Red Sox in 2007 and 2008.
Through four innings, Lackey and Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester were nearly identical – each had strung up four zeroes, allowed one hit and thrown 66 pitches.
Lackey survived a brief scare in the third inning when a catcher’s interference call extended the inning with runners at first and second. He got Dustin Pedroia to fly out.
Lester escaped his trouble in the third inning as well, loading the bases with a pair of two-out walks after a leadoff single by Jeff Mathis. He struck out Vladimir Guerrero on three pitches to end that threat.
But Lester ran into trouble again in the fifth inning when Erick Aybar lashed a double down the third-base line. After Chone Figgins bunted Aybar to third, Bobby Abreu drew another one of his four walks (tying an ALDS record), bringing up Hunter.
After another galling loss to the Red Sox in Fenway Park last month, Hunter challenged his team to “Show some (nuts)” when playing the Red Sox (and Yankees). Thursday, he showed them what he meant.
Hunter calmly took a first-pitch strike from Lester then jumped on an 0-and-1 fastball, lifting it deep to straightaway center field where it bounced off the rocks. Hunter flipped his bat away after contact, taking a hop and a skip before trotting around the bases and returning to the dugout for a round of exuberant high-fives.
The hit seemed to break the mental blockage that has developed over the years in this matchup. The Angels added two more runs in the seventh inning as the Red Sox hemorrhaged mistakes the way the Angels have so often against them.
A walk, a hit batter (Hunter, not surprisingly) and an infield single bobbled by reliever Ramon Ramirez loaded the bases. After an impressive 5-2-5 double play put the Red Sox on the verge of getting out of the inning unscathed, Kendry Morales singled in one run and a second scored when Jason Bay’s throw got away from third baseman Mike Lowell.
It was the third error of the game for the Red Sox – who were also on the wrong end of two bad calls by first base umpire C.B. Bucknor.
There was little drama with Lackey on the mound.
The Angels’ ace seemed to turn a corner in his relationship with the Red Sox last July when he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning at Fenway Park. He pitched well in two starts against the Sox last fall (four runs in 13 2/3 innings) and again in a losing cause there last month.
He dominated them Thursday night, allowing just four hits and a walk while taking the shutout into the eighth inning.
After a single and a wild pitch in the eighth, Darren Oliver replaced Lackey and retired the final five Red Sox hitters in a row to complete the combined shutout.
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It’s only Game 1. It’s only Game 1…
I’m hoping the Angels make it past the Sox and then get stomped by the Yankees.
That’s 1…
Where are all the east coast homers talking more smack about a sweep? I love the depressed reporters on TBS explaining what the Red Sox did wrong instead of what we did right. Ripken explained that the Sox were slightly off because of the layoff… uh, weren’t the Angels off too? Wells explained how filthy Lester was. Eckersely basically said it’s about time Lackey came through. On MLB, they’ve been playing highlights of the other games for hours, but with the Angels win they just breezed on through without even looking at the last two innings. It’s a riot how transparent they are. Boston’s a great team, but so are the Angels and the Angels had a better year with more adversity.Can the announcers quit talking about the little ball and look at the power throughout the lineup? 7 hitters had hits and the 8th, Abreu, had four walks and no official at bats. Only Figgins didn’t have a hit. If the Angels win we’ll hear the same bologna against the Yankees.
Well stated LA Guy. I was also sick of hearing the announcers talk about how”the Red Sox can come back” when the 8th inning started. Sure they can, Mr. Announcer. The Sox can come back tomorrow nite and get their candy-a$$es kicked all over the Big A again!
Should be a good series
SHUTOUT!! SHUTOUT!! SHUTOUT!! What more could you ask for?
Vlad REALLY needs to be moved down the lineup, especially after tonites performance. It is disgusting to watch him swinging at so many bad balls. Bases loaded and Super-Dud strikes out on 3 pitches. Hunter was on fire after that 3-run shot. Good for Tori to get that passion flowing and the team hyped up.
Great game Angels…let’s do it again tomorrow nite!!!!
(1 down, 2 to go)
ESPN (radio) and TBS (tv) couldn’t stop drooling all over themselves when they called the Yankees game yesterday. It’s really nauseating to listen to after a while. Give credit where credit is due. GO ANGELS!!!
I just left the game.
I have to say that the Angels fans were among the WORST I’ve seen. I visited 15 ball parks this year.
We sat in the RF Pavillion. There were at least three arrests, tons of smack, none of which were from REAL BASEBALL FANS.
The Bathroom scene was boderline dngerous with drunk “RODRIEGEUZ” fans threating ing defacation to 10 year old Boston fans.
It struck me as a joke. Give the ANACRIME something to believe in and there they go. $8.50 beers and tatoos and dumb twenty something guys……
What a waste of $250.00 for me.
Thunder sticks are for old ladies!
I’m hearing more and more of this, at both Angel and Dodger Stadiums.
Tonight was a double victory for me. Two teams from Anaheim defeated two Boston teams by a margin of five (Angels won 5-0 and the Ducks won 6-1).
Did anyone else that has Directv miss out on some of the baseball game?
Yes - DTV had some technical problems for about 3-5 minutes, other channels worked fine during this time.
TBS
a.k.a. Turning Baseball into S****
GO ANGELS!!…so I can hear about how the Yankees will rule the world according to the Bibles predictions.