BTW, while I fully admit to my own resignation to fatalism with respect to playing the Sox in the postseason, I was thinking about the psyche of the Angels players, and how they're probably in a different place.

After Wednesday, they probably could have been in the same place as the fans, no offense, another dominating performance from a Red Sox starter. But on Friday, they got down quick and fought back, repeatedly, scoring a run an inning for five innings to tie it up. I don't see them looking at Drew's homerun as fated to happen, as much as pissing them off that they let it get away. I can see them coming out of Friday thinking they had proved they could play with this team, and they just needed to make that one extra play to get it done.

So the Angels, I suspect, are probably spirited and angry tonight. I certainly hope so.

I don't think it changes results in the long run. But maybe we can end the streak at least (I hope), and get some personal momentum going for next season, when we will likely run into this some buzzsaw again (assuming we can make it back, never a sure thing).

You dumbasses. That was one of the stupidest defensive plays I have ever seen. All three of you should be replaced. Right. Now.

I would do it if I were manager. I would pull them off, and let them think about that stupid mistake all fucking offseason.

i'm sorry chief. that's gotta be ridiculously frustrating

NAPOLI!

"It's the first...three-run single in postseason history..."


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

can we have the real josh beckett back instead of this sucktackular imposter please?

I would have gone out and just berated Kenderick and Hunter in front of the whole stadium. Would have been awesome.

On someone else's comments, I've been very impressed by how great TBS has done with these games. Some great insight, some great players, play-by-play guys who understand their roles and setup the color commentators well. Makes me so giddy to hear McCarver! (said with ultimate sarcasm)

...

heh - beckett's a shadow of his former self. well actually he's a tubby overweight version of his former self

Can he pitch the next two games, too? Seriously, we're still looking at a one run game. For all of Beckett's suckitude tonight, this one is another tight one, and I hate those when we're in Fenway, we have the history with you guys that we do, and you have Big Papi.

Okay, I officially hate Jacob Ellsbury.

Big Papi's a shadow this year too...he's an olddddd 32.

Wow, great punch out of Ortiz by Saunders.

Okay, well, you have Bay and Drew. :)

yep - youks/bay/drew is gonna hafta get it done. along with pedroia+ellsbury to set the table

wtf was torii hunter doing not going back to catch that???

Been kinda wondering just what Torii has been doing in this whole series. It's not like the guy doesn't have playoff experience.

I'll double down on that with Youkilis sliding into first and trying to break his ankle.

i think youks was pissed...he was like "fuck no...i ain't about to lose a third out at firstbase this game to a fucked up pitcher or a stupid play"

Yeah, that was pretty risky. He's lucky to have escaped injury there.

Hmm...first time Ellsbury's aggressiveness actually worked against him.

That wasn't Hunter's finest moment, but given Masterson is a GB'er, it made a little sense to try and stay out of the DP.

Heh...almost like Torii's being paid off or something. Sheesh.

I don't see how Hunter could have thought he would make it. There is aggression, and then there is just throwing your run away. This was the latter, IMO. I would rather risk the DP but be on base then take the automatic out at second.

OK, where did all the Boston people (and Chief Rum) go? Pretty compelling game going on right now ...

I was ill in bed, and I'm trying like hell to get MLB.com radio working.

i'm right here

4-4 in the bottom of the 11th.

krod just got out of a bases loaded jam and paps got out of walking tex and giving up a hit to vlad

weaver's on for the halos

8-9-1 up for the sox

MLB.com is apparently a smoking crater

get on AIM and i'll keep you updated foz

fucking kotsay - wtf are you swinging at that for??? grrrrr

1b for coco!

I'm here. Just stressing out watching this game. I'm going to be a mess tomorrow. And it's only 9 here. Boston fans must be all tore up (although at least you know without a doubt there's a tomorrow for you).

I have zero idea why I'm watching baseball today, let alone after 11PM.

But it is a good game.

Tell the truth on that one, Chief, on the sound of the bat, you were saying "Game Over" right?

No, I don't leap to that conclusion, especially on a grounder toward the small left field of Fenway. But it was good contact and took a good play by Figgins to stop us needing a bam-bam play at home from GA and Naps.

I had considered some smarmy comment when the announcers said something like, "Setting up the big play for Aybar."

I hereby retract that never posted statement.

gj halos

Actually, a game like this, if the Halos hang on, could be just what they need. I thought Sciossa was nuts to take the series with the rest, when the Halos have the superior pitching depth. Having a long game like this could turn the series.

TBH, I thought Friday was what they needed. I posted about it earlier. I think Friday pissed them off. But that still may not matter. We need to get three more outs--including the reportedly old Big Papi.

Very good playoff baseball game tonight

Damnit. Grats Chief.

Donnie Moore, you can finally rest in peace. Dave Henderson is finally out.

Tomorrow becomes must watch if you're a baseball fan, IMO. But I am probably biased.

The funny thing (and I hope like hell I haven't doomed myself), is I half-joking, half to beat Sack to the punch, said to him via AIM after game 1.. "You know what's going to happen right? We're going to win game 2 to set the record, and then the Angels are going to come back and take the last three."

Heh...from your lips to God, my friend. ;)

I gained a huge amount of respect for the Angels tonight. They are a legit ballclub. After getting beaten in two close, but not "all that close" games at home, they come into Fenway and win an extra innings game. I'm calling the Angels to win this series now.

Well, as a fan, I appreciate that, and am glad you feel that way. That said, I think both of those first games were as close as they seemed, maybe even closer. Lackey made one mistake, and that's it. He was fantastic. He almost matched Lester, who was amazing. It was 2-1 going into that eighth where Vlad had his baserunning blunder. Until the ninth where Shields let a couple insurance runs go, that one was tight.

And Game Two was by rights the Angels game with how they came back. They earned it with the way they chipped away, and blew it when K-Rod did his usual shaky display (which he also did tonight, for crying out loud, but this time he got away with it).

No, the Sox deserved and earned both of those games. But those games were about as tight as you can get.

BTW, remember, Lackey almost no hit the Red Sox in this park three months ago. I think he will be good again tomorrow.

But the Angels are going to have to figure out Lester. And that's the tough part. I don't know if they can do it.

Gee thanks.

1st game I'd ever gone to, can't wait for my LCS game.

Nice showing by the Angels last night. Stayed up late to watch and I'm not really awake this morning but it was worth it. I wonder how the "didn't get much sleep since we played a late game and lost" dynamic plays against the "we're favored at this point and still have 2 games to only win 1" dynamic. Then again, as they say in baseball, momentum is only as good as the next game's starting pitcher.

SI

Angels win today, then Wednesday becomes a must-watch. As it is, I expect Boston to take care of things today. But I'm rooting against it.

Go Phillies!!

Come on Rays, finish 'em!

I'd like to see the Rays keep their dream season going. Maybe I'll just start referring to them as Brooklyn now, because the more they win, the more Bud will get ideas in his head.

:D

Congrats to the Rays, what an awesome story. So glad to see Ozzie Guillen out.

I'm glad for the Rays but am sorry to see Griffey Jr denied again

Amen, on both counts

SI

Also true :(

SI

Yep.

Same here.

Lester needs to stop being a whiny bitch

SI

WOOOOHOOOO!!!

Tampa is going to the ALCS!!!!!!

Lester's fucking NAILS!

Ok now this game has become must watch (not that I haven't been watching the other 8 innings)

SI

fuck me that was some shitty pitching by the sox bullpen

nice - sox managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. fuck this...i'm not watching this bullshit all night long and ending up staying up late again.

Speaking of defeat, jaws of victory, etc...

SI

Stunningly idiotic call by Scioscia there with the squeeze. You have a guy on third with one out and a left hander up. All you need is a fly ball.

Yeah, but Aybar ain't exactly a power hitter.

lol

and before i could change the channel that happened

Questionable play. But odds are Aybar grounds/pops out and the runner is stranded.

break for the angels there as it bounced up into the stands...or bay woulda been on third MINIMUM

fuckin texiera saved it there for the halos

WALKOFF!!!!!

BABY JED LOWRIE WITH THE WALKOFF SINGLE INTO RF!!!

gj Angels though - definately coulda/shoulda been headed back to LA for a Game 5

gaaaay

Woohoo. Went upstairs just in time and made my wife switch to the game (she was watching some shit on HGTV). Two pitches saw a game-saving grab and a GW rbi.

Go Jason Bay! But... go Rays now!

noooo Mike...you gotta love the Red Sox - Bay's a proud Canadian!!!

Very entertaining series...I'm happy to see Jason Bay enjoying some playoff success.

Go Rays Go. Brooklyn wants you.

(forgive me this bit of doggerell)

"Here's a little story about a man named Jed.. poor little shortstop barely kept his family fed.. then one day when he was swinging at a ball, he hit it to right, and to the ground the Angels did fall..." "Eliminated.. that is.."

I know, it's making me choose sides hard. :(

Good thing I didn't see Game 4 or I probably would've thrown things.

Good job to the Rays and I have a ton of respect for their bullpen.

We had our chances to win this series and we didn't capitalize.

I'm going to enjoy watching Evan Longoria and Alexei Ramirez's careers. :)

I'll be cheering for the Rays and Phillies now in this postseason.

go rays

Good series, Sox. I had to suffer this one at work tonight, so that sucked. At least it was dead, and I got to see most of the key plays.

This was one hell of a series, and it deserved to go five. Every game was intense and came down to the final inning or two. Fact is, the Red Sox made the plays, and the Angels didn't, and that's the difference.

It's a shame because it's a damn good team in the losing clubhouse in this one, but the Angels have won enough division championships (as much as most teams' fans will hate me saying that). It's not about getting to the playoffs anymore. We're like the Red Sox and the Yanks in that respect. If you're not in the Series, it's a failed season.

So it's sad to say this season is a failure, but it is. And we're back to the drawing board in the offseason, with maybe some of our most difficult decisions yet.

I would wish you gl, Sox, but we all know I don't want another darn Sox championship. So go Rays and Joe Maddon!

Oh, and go Dodgers!

If it makes you feel any better, we weren't any better (or worse) than you this series. As much as it was us "making plays" the Angels "weren't" it was dumb luck. Willits was 6 inches from making a spectacular saving catch and its likely extra innings. The other one was the suicide squeeze. I'm sure people will point to Aybar missing the bunt attempt as a horrible failure to execute, no one is going to mention the reason he missed was because Delcarmen threw a 2-0 pitch 8 inches off the plate low and inside.

(Of course there was luck the other way - 2 more inches and Tex doesn't make that game-saving grab, or last night Aybar winning on a bloop hit so I don't know where I'm going with this - guess I'll watch the Jaguars video again YouTube - Pre-Game Coin Toss Makes Jaguars Realize Randomness Of Life )

I haven't been following this thread too closely so the point may have been made already, but the question must be asked. Why break out the champagne for getting to the semifinals?

True, true.

Baseball tradition for winning a playoff series. I think the exclusivity of baseball's playoffs and the fact that the season is long as all get out, makes celebrating a playoff series win worth it. And it's really not the "semi-finals" because it's not like the other major sports in that way. You win the LCS and you win your league and even with interleague play, that still means something.

Sorta. ;)

Correct. I think teams actually hang a DLCS Championship Banner if they don't win the NLCS.

I haven't seen a ton of "LDS winners" banners. I know one team specifically used that nomenclature before, but the Mariners took it another route, rather than posting Wild Card Champs banners and just indicating the years they made the LCS. I kinda like this approach.

Sure enough, I guess the Mets have a LDS winners pennant.

Heh. That was why I remembered it. :D

"Crybaby" Lackey lets loose after loss:

"It's way different than last year. We are way better than they are. We lost to a team not as good as us."

"[On Sunday]they scored on a pop fly they called a hit, which is a joke," said Lackey, referring to a popup that was misplayed into three runs. "[On Monday], they score on a broken-bat ground ball and a fly ball anywhere else in America [except in Fenway Park]. And [Pedroia's] fist-pumping on second like he did something great."