Wednesday, October 03, 2007 |
ALDS Game 1: Red Sox 4, Angels 0
Bottom 1st: Still waiting for those wishcasting a good performance from Lackey at Fenway to explain why they think he ever will have one, let alone one in the postseason. He's at pitch 25, getting J.D. Drew out after surrendering a one out homer to Kevin Youkilis and a pair of singles to David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. 1-0 Red Sox.
Top 2nd: 1-2-3 go the Angels. Aside from Figgins' leadoff single, the Angels have been going down quietly. The one piece of good news is that they're making Beckett throw a few pitches (he's at 28 after two). 1-0 Red Sox.
Top 3rd: Lather, rinse, repeat. Lackey got out of the bottom of the second thanks to a nice throw by Napoli, but the fact is the Red Sox are outhitting the Angels 5-1. It's just a matter of time.
Bottom 3rd: Well, that didn't take long. A one-out double by Youkilis and a homer by Ortiz makes it 3-0 Red Sox. Lackey is generally worthless in Boston, and yet there are people who insist that somehow this is going to change. Hey, guys, why don't you try and act like you're gonna show up, huh?
Manny Ramirez reaches on a walk, gets to second on a wild pitch, and Mike Lowell singles him home. 4-0 Boston, and it would be a lot more if it weren't for J.D. Drew hitting into a double play.
Top 4th: Anderson strikes out swinging for the second time to make yet another 1-2-3 inning for the Angels. It's gonna be a real short postseason.
Bottom 4th: Lackey finally has a good inning, retiring the Red Sox in order for the first time in the game. He's at 70 pitches, though, and it's looking like a sixth inning exit is in the cards.
End of the 6th: Zzz.
Bottom 7th: Ervin Santana replaces Lackey, who's thrown 99 pitches. Santana retires the side in order very efficiently (11 pitches); at this point, this may end up as the highlight of the game for the Angels.
Top 8th: The Angels get as close to scoring as they ever have, getting Kendrick aboard with a single, and replacing him at first with a weakly-hit ball to second by pinch-hitter Erick Aybar (why, Mike, why?) that narrowly avoids being a double-play ball. Aybar reaches second on a wild pitch in pinch-hitter Kendry Morales' at-bat, but Morales ultimately strikes out looking to end the frame. Still 4-0 Red Sox.
Top 9th: Santana has another fine inning in the bottom of the eighth, taking care of the heart of the Red Sox order in order, looking far more impressive than Lackey. The first two Angels to come to the plate go down on a grand total of four pitches, but Vlad singles to make it a four-hitter for Beckett. Anderson comes up and flies out on the first pitch, the second Angel batter to make a one-pitch out in the inning, ending the game and sealing a complete game shutout for Beckett.
Update: In some retrospect, this actually was a decent game for Lackey, considering his opposition. But it really feels preordained for him to lose. We'll see how Escobar fares tomorrow.
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