Tuesday, October 06, 2009

When everything matters just a little bit more


I think I speak for most Red Sox fans when I say that the playoffs have come out of nowhere this year. The Sox looked to be in the middle of a playoff race when the Rangers started to make a run in the early part of August. Many people thought the Sox did not have enough to hold off the Rangers. They said the Rangers were too young and naive, ignorance is bliss they yelled. They referenced the Tampa Bay Rays last year, when they had a superb year and finished strong, even with a lack of experience. Well injuries caught up the Rangers, and the Sox managed to put together a solid last 6 weeks of the year.

Now we are on the brink of yet another Angels-Red Sox Playoff series. The Sox have OWNED the Angels since Dave Henderson crushed the hearts of the Anahiem Los Angles Angels of the Northwestern Hemisphere.

Last year the Angels were the hot favorite. They had the most complete lineup, Texeira was a hige pick up who was the driving force behind their second half surge. The Sox were broken down, had a ton of question marks. Not a lot of people gave them a chance. And yet, the Sox pulled it out in 4 games. Winning game four after the Angels squandered chances to win the game and go back to Anahiem.

Red Sox fans have been where the Angels fans currently are. The hopelessness, the anger, the frustration. They are trying to do anything in their power to reverse this slump. One example, my friend, a huge Angels fan, gave me a Josh Beckett t-shirt jersey last week. It was a gift to him, and he had it in his possesion for the past two years. He decided he was harboring an enemy and therefore hexing his beloved halos.


Red Sox fans have been there. Red Sox fans are no longer there, because of a crazy come-back in 2004 to the Yankees, which was preceeded by a heart breaking series loss in 2003. Aaron Boone sucks!



http://cache.boston.com/images/bostondirtdogs//BDFD_DO_walkoff_82609_bgjd.jpg
Red Sox fans would love to see this a few times...



Here are my thoughts about the the series:

The keys to the series for the Sox:

J.D. Drew is my guy for this series. He has quietly had a solid year. 24 HR, 68 RBI, .279 avg. He also has the highest OPB for outfielders in the AL.

This guy is always at the heart of something. Yes at times "something" means the end of an inning because he hits that gorgeous top spin grounder to second base. His presence in the middle of the order could bolster the offense and drive the Sox into the ALCS.


The Guy who I think could cost the Sox a game or maybe even the series:

Manny Delcarmen. This guy has been a trainwreck. This September he has had 10 appearances. He has allowed a run in 6 of those appearances, and he has allowed more than one runs in three appearances. His ERA is 4.53, his WHIP is 1.63. Simply put, he puts guys on base, and he is not a guy you bring in with runners on base. He is going to kill us if Terry Francona has to lean on him for anything in big spots.

The keys to the series for the Angels:

The starters need to go deep. The Angels always came into the playoffs with a great bullpen. K-Rod and Scott Shields were at the back end. They could shorten games and made the opposing offenses force the issue in the first 6 innings. Now K-Rod and Shield are long gone. Guys like Brian Fuentes, who throws the ball like it has some dog poop on it. They have Darren Oliver, who has the best ERA of the bunch at 2.71. Everyone else is very average or below average. It will be up to the Angels starters to get deep enough into games, especially the first two games in Anahiem, to keep the pressure off the weak Angels bullpen.


http://fromthedugout.freedomblogging.com/files/2009/05/brian-fuentes.jpg
He throws like he just picked the ball up with poop on it...seriously...

The Guy who could cost the Angels a game or even the series:

Vladimir Guerrero has been invisible in the playoffs. The only big hit I can remember is the grand slam he hit in 2003 or 2004, not sure which year. It was a big hit, but it was in game 3, which the Sox won to sweep the series. Other than that, he has never been a threat. His bat is a big problem for the Sox, but if he cannot get it going it could spell trouble for the Angels and their offense.


The result:
The Sox win this series in 4. I think the Angels have a TON of pressure to get the first 2 games in California. Fenway is a tough place for the Angels. They have Lackey in game 1, a guy who has had success against the Sox, as long as he is not in Fenway.

The Red Sox lineup will be patient and get into the bullpen, making it difficult for the Angels to win more than a game.

Should be a fun series, and if the Twins-Tigers game is any indication of what is to come it should be a great October. So get some sleep, take some naps, and enjoy the feeling of every pitch meaning some just a little bit more than it did a week ago.


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