The Red Sox look onto the field as the 9th inning winds to a close. (AP Photo)
The playoffs are on. And I have to say, they haven't started the way
I'd imagined. The Dodgers, who spent the second half of the season
playing just over .500 ball, are up 2-0 on the Cardinals, arguably the
National League's best team for much of the 2009 season. The Rockies,
who many thought would be overmatched by the Phillies, are even in
their series. And the Red Sox are down from a Game 1 loss to the
Angels. Try to guess which of these is the biggest surprise to yours
truly...
After my brief hiatus from baseball-watching, I'd
really begun to get excited about watching the playoffs and, in
particular, the Red Sox continued dominance of Los Angeles. But, after
witnessing the stupefying combination of inept umpiring and even more
futile hitting, I'm feeling a little less than enthusiastic. I refuse
to blame this loss solely on the umpiring, despite the damning evidence
of three blown calls in the field, and several questionable plate calls
against Jon Lester. The reality is that John Lackey pitched one of, if
not THE best, game of his postseason career, and the Red Sox were
helpless to stop him. The Angels needed a gutty performance out of
Lackey and, for the most part, they got it...
Lest my loyal
readers think I'm throwing in the towel, fear not! Disappointed as I
am, I've not given up hope. Josh Beckett takes the mound tonight, for
what is sure to be another pitchers' duel. With any luck, the Sox won't
suffer from any game-changing calls. But more importantly, let us hope
the Sox' bats can come alive against Jered Weaver, early and often. The
Sox have hit Weaver in the past and, if they can get ahead of him early
on, the should be able to actually score a few runs...
One
of the topics up for debate during the game this evening was the allure
of Red Sox-Yankees over Angels-Yankees, and the varying plotlines sure
to be highlighted by TBS and FOX over the course of the playoffs. And I
came to a sad realization, one I hope none of you misconstrue as a
reflection of how I feel about the Red Sox' chances in the postseason.
Simply put, and I previously said this in relation to the 2008-2009
Celtics, the Angels are the bigger story in 2009. By virtue of having
lost one of their most promising young pitching prospects in a tragic
accident, and being 1-9 versus the Red Sox in the previous three
postseason matchups, the Angels look like the 2009 version of the '04
Sox. I don't mean to imply the Red Sox team in 2004 went through
anything as emotionally trying as the 2009 Angels. However, in 2004,
the Red Sox were still perpetually second-place, and their story made
for a compelling tale, especially when faced with the odds they had to
overcome. Now, the Angels are that story. The rest of the country's
apathy towards not just the Red Sox, but the American League East as a
whole, has led us to this point. I'm not saying there's some sort of
conspiracy to prevent the Sox from advancing, or to ensure that the
Angels do. I firmly believe the Red Sox will come back tomorrow and
produce some runs, and come away with a series-tying victory. But I can
also recognize the winds of change...
My heart and my hopes
rest with the Sox. If they can bounce back from a tough loss in Game 1,
forget about the missed chances and questionable calls, the struggle to
ignite their offense, then they're still the team to beat for Anaheim.
I know I'll be rooting them on right up until the last strike of the
last out...
Go Red Sox!
I'm glad you're seeing how dangerous the Angels are this year. Their offense is better than any other year we've faced them, plus as you pointed out they have some added motivation with the awful Nick Adenhart accident that gives them tangibles that just can't be seen on paper.
It's interesting how the Sox have crossed the Angels at critical points this year. They were the first team to play the Angels after the Adenhart accident, which resulted in the benches clearing with Beckett and Bobby A.
Than they had that classic series in Fenway towards the end of the year where Hunter called out the Halo's.
Both teams paths certainly seemed crossed this year. Here's to a Game 2 win tonight!
Posted by: Derek Hixon | October 09, 2009 at 02:10 PM