Red Sox Record for the Week of October 5: 0-3
It took them five tries, but the 2009 ALDS is when the LA Angels of Anaheim finally beat Boston in the postseason. Game 1 was no fun (5-0 loss), nor was Game 2 (4-1 loss), and Game 3 ended in agony (7-6 loss). What more needs to be said?
Angels starting pitchers John Lackey and Jered Weaver out-pitched Jon Lester and Josh Beckett respectively in Games 1 and 2 in Anaheim), combining to go 2-0 and allowing just one run in 14 2/3 innings to a strong and – compared to last year fully – healthy Boston lineup. In his duel with Lackey, Lester knew he couldn’t afford to make one big mistake but in the fifth, that’s exactly what happened when he left one pitch up in the zone to Torii Hunter, who crushed it for a three-run bomb, the only runs he surrendered and the only ones Anaheim would need. It was a solid outing otherwise from the Sox co-ace.
But for the second postseason in a row, Beckett did not pitch like an ace, allowing four runs in 6 2/3 innings in Game 2, with the likes of Bobby Abreu, Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar doing the bulk of the damage. Unlike 2008, he doesn’t have lingering health issues to blame. He just got beat.
In Game 3 in Boston, the youngster Clay Buchholz, with the season on the line, made his playoff debut and not only pitched better than Lester and Beckett, but out-pitched Anaheim’s Scott Kazmir, allowing two runs to the latter’s five. The Sox offense, led by Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez and J.D. Drew’s two-run shot, finally erupted after two games of relative silence. But an unexpected bullpen collapse by veterans Billy Wagner and Jonathan Papelbon in the eighth and ninth innings cost the Sox the game and eventually the season, as they combined to surrender five runs and blow leads of 5-2 and 6-4 before losing one final time, 7-6.
In a scarily ironic coincidence, the Angels had a 5-2 lead over Boston in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS, but blew the lead, the game by a score of 7-6 and eventually the series in seven games.
Article comments
1 - Tony
Nice to see things back to normal. The Yankees finish 8 games ahead of Boston, the Red Sox big players falling apart in the most important situations, and Papelbon with that stupid little scowl on his face.
Every time they showed him with those pursed little lips, glaring in like a parody of Dave Stewart, I just kept thinking about him telling the world about how he, no Rivera, should be closing the All Star game.
In Beckett's defense didn't have like five cortizone shots in his back before the series started?
2 - Tony
By the way Charlie, you've done an excellent job with this column all season. Most Red Sox fans are so insufferable arrogant and annoying but you are none of these things. Really great work.
I don't know what a compliment from me really means, but its given none the less.
3 - Charlie Doherty
First of all, I'll take compliments where I can. Second, I truly do appreciate your kind words and compliments Tony. Being a die-hard Yankee fan, you don't have to read a die-hard Red Sox fan's column like mine but you do.
If I'm writing well enough that Yankee fans care to read my material, I must be doing something right.
So cheers to you, Tony (but not the Yankees, whom I'd love to see lose their third World Series of the decade :)
And to those of you out there who have read DEAD RED over the last 4 1/2 months, thanks to you as well.