After being outright embarrassed and swept by the Orioles, the Sox completed a four game sweep of the LA Angels. Over four games they scored an amazing 36 runs to the Angels’16. The last time the team’s met, the Angles swept the Sox out of the ALDS at home. With a little revenge, all finally feels right at Fenway Park. Not to mention, it’s a good wave to be riding heading into the Yankees series.
In honor of the sweep, a few Red Sox fans serenaded anyone who was listening, to make a pretty big statement about how the Red Sox are finally back.
By: Ian Tasso, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
So This is What It’s Like…
“They’ll be fine. It’s still early.”
“I’m not worried about it.”
“We’ll come through in the end, we always do.”
Well, we used to.
Watching Jonathan Papelbon in the top of the ninth was like watching the reversal of the past 10 years of Boston sports. We saw it happen with the Patriots when the heavily under-dogged Giants upset the undefeateds. We saw it with the Celtics when the Magic, rather than Boston, ran away with a dominant game seven. And now we finally saw it with the Red Sox, when a team that has been so clutch over the past five years crumbled one out away from forcing a game four.
But hey, at least they didn’t claw back to even the series, and then let us down in overtime…right, Claude Julien?
I’m not ready to completely turn the page here, but for what seems like the past decade, Boston sports have repeatedly found ways to come up big in the most crucial of moments.
Whether it was a Willie McGinest sack, a David Ortiz blooper, an Adam Vinateiri 47-yarder or even a Paul Pierce turn-around…it just always seemed like when the game was on the line, [...]
By Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor.
We’re out of the playoffs. But we might as well choose someone else to root for, or just someone to boo. Here’s my Sox fan’s guide to picking a secondary team to win the World Series.
There are four teams left. The New York Yankees, The LA Dodgers, the LA Angels, and the Phillies. So far, the Dodgers and Phillies are tied 1-1 in their ALCS series, and the Yankees lead the Angels 1-0. So, it’s still anyones game.
Lets start with the obvious: The Yanks. Absolutely not, is it okay to root for them. I don’t care if you think they are the best team and will win the World Series (because there is a very good chance they are and will) but it is like breaking the code of Red Sox Nation to root for the Yankees. You should all know this however, I don’t think I need to expand.
By: Evan MacDonald, YawkeyTalkies correspondent
I am a Red Sox fan.
Always have been. Make no bones about it — I’ve seen them through thick and thin since the 1998 season, when I was 10 years old and just beginning to understand sports.
I vividly remember having my dreams crushed after Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. I can still see myself never losing hope when the Sox fell down, three games to none, during the infamous 2004 series against the New York Yankees.
Like every Boston fanatic, I get overexcited for meaningless early-season accomplishments (see: 8-0 start against the Bombers this year) and overreact when things go awry (see: Jason Bay’s midseason slump, during which I viciously called him a $6 million player).
But beneath it all, I’m rational. I don’t expect too much from flawed teams, and I know my favorite team can’t win every year.
Which is why I didn’t believe for a second that the Red Sox would win the 2009 World Series.
Most of you reading this — the diehard, stand-up-and-scream-the-chorus-of-Sweet-Caroline Sox fans — are probably outraged by that statement. I apologize.
But think deep down, past your fandom. Did you really think the Red Sox were the championship-caliber team [...]
The Wildcard has been around for 15 years. Red Sox have gotten the Wildcard more than any other club: seven times. Historically, the Wildcard isn’t a bad position for the Sox to be in. You’ll notice that the Sox have a pretty good record against the Angels in postseason, but until 2004, struggled with the Yankees, who will be our probable opponents in the ALCS.
A Red Sox Wild Card Timeline:
1998: Knocked out in ALDS to Cleveland in 4 games.
1999: Beat the Indians this time in the ALDS and advanced to ALCS against the Yankees, where they only won one game of the series.
2003: Flew past Oakland in the ALDS and again met the Yankees in the ALCS. This time they put up much more of a fight, falling to the pin stripes in a devastating game seven.
By: Peter Karl, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
These Angels may have different halos on this year. Sure, the Sox have dominated Anaheim in their last two divisional series, and are 9-1 agaisnt them in postseason play since 2004, but this Angels team has a different makeup with the same manager.
Unlike last year, the Angels are healthy this year. They return with a strong and fit starting pitching rotation that dwarfs the Red Sox in size but not talent. John Lackey is their ace. He has plenty of post-season experience and we will see that in form this evening. He sports a 3.83 regular season ERA but is 2-3 against Boston in his last 5 starts. Behind him are Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, Jason Bulger, Darren Oliver and Ervin Santana, who they will use out of the bullpen. Weaver is the next strongest arm with a 3.75 season ERA and 1-0 against Boston, but you see a large drop off after him (For instance, Saunders 4.60, Santana 5.03).
Offensively, the Angels are stronger than they have been in the past. They added Bobby Abreu from the Yankees and enjoy the improved offense of Kendry Morales, one of the games most underrated players. Abreu is [...]
By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
Fall in New England. It brings foliage, apple picking, football and Red Sox vs. Angles in the ALDS. For the 4th time in 6 years the Sox are taking on the Angles in the first round of the baseball postseason. This matchup has gone quite well for Boston. They’ve won the first three series’, winning 9 of 10 games. This is also the third time the Angels have had the home field advantage. A Sox win in the series will make it three years in a row Los Angeles has been knocked out by Beantown.
With the series a few days away, here’s a look at some of the key players to watch for each team.
ANGELS:
Vladimir Guerrero: The slugger hasn’t played well in the postseason with the Angels. He’s a lifetime .321 hitter, but hasn’t been able to provide much punch for the Angels against the Red Sox in the ALDS. Guerrero is one of the best hitters of his generation. But he’s missing a great postseason performance from his resume. A strong series against the Red Sox that leads his team to the ALCS would be great for his legacy.
Mike Scioscia: He isn’t a player, but [...]
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