It's official: The Angels got rid of the curse and swept the once might Red Sox out of the 2009 playoffs. If it wasn't for Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, this game would stand alone as the most exciting comeback in Halo history. Being second best behind that epic game, though, is nothing to laugh at. The Angels unleashed the beast of an offensive attack to support their start Scott Kazmir's lackluster performance, and busted the "best closer in the playoffs" with a thrilling come from behind 7-6 series sweeping win against the Wildcard Red Sox.
I'll be one hundred percent honest with you: I was already getting ready for the plan of attack for game four with Joe Saunders on the mound. I was calling game four as a must win for the Angels to prevent the series coming down to one game for all the marbles back here in Southern California. Oh me of little faith. The Halos shocked the baseball world with a ridiculous comeback in the ninth inning, starting a rally with an Erick Aybar base hit with 2 outs, nobody on, and two strikes. Each pitch after that point led us more down the alley of thinking, "This actually might happen." Until it did. When Juan Rivera stroked his two run single in the eighth to pull the Angels within 1 (4-5 at the time), I started to believe in this comeback. Then, pinch runner Reggie Willits got picked off, the Red Sox scored in the bottom of the inning of Jepsen to take the two run lead, and I figured it was all over. Papelbon, however, wasn't his normal self in this outing. With 2 quick outs, and EA Sports down to his final strike, this amazing sequence played out (followed by my play by play thoughts): Aybar singles ("Big deal, we're just delaying the inevitable"), Chone Figgins draw a walk after going down 1-2 in the count ("Well, at least he made it on base once in the series"), Bobby Abreu doubles of the monster getting Aybar home and Figgins to third ("Oh baby, Torii Hunter has a shot to come through and pull this crazy thing off"), Torii is intentionally walked ("Shit, here comes Vlad, and he's not the same Vlad that we used to count on in times like this"), Vlad singles to center scoring Figgy and El Comedulce ("Are you kidding me?! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"). El Caballo Street was rocking after Vladdy connected. Of course, Andrew had the guts to text me, "What do you think are the odds that Fuentes will hold it?" I was shaking in my boots for the BFF save situation, but he seemingly pitched better than in any other situation all year. After he finished his perfect inning, the Halos stormed the field, all of Angels Nation rejoiced, Donnie Moore finally was released from his 23 year old curse, and the Angels were heading to the 2009 American League Championship Series.
As with the first two games, there were plenty of positive to take away from this game:
1) The never say die attitude is back. When the Angels won it all in 2002, you could ask any fan, and they would tell you that we would pretty much believe that the Angels would come back to win any game no matter the current situation. There was just something about that squad that screamed "never give in." Of course, in the regular season, the Angels led the MLB in comeback victories, but it takes a dramatic win in the postseason to really get the fans to start having that feeling again. This game, outside of game six in the 2002 World Series, was the greatest comeback in the history of Angels baseball.
2) Bobby Abreu has had the best series of any Angel offensively. He finished this game with a 3 for 5 showing with 1 RBI and 2 runs. In the series, he has gone 5 for 9 with 1 RBI, 4 runs, and 4 walks. That's a .556 batting average and a .692 OBP. His leads the Angels postseason stat battle in BA, OPB, SLG, runs, hits, doubles, total bases (tied with EA), walks, and obviously OPB (by a lot). While Torii gets all the attention for game one, Weaver for game two, and Vladdy for game three, Bobby Abreu goes silently on his way being the main reason that the Angels offense was so off the charts against Boston. Let's not even mention how important his numbers are in the #2 spot considering the 0 for 12 performance of our leadoff man.
3) The bullpen is finally being managed well. One of the main complaints against Mike Scioscia is that he doesn't really manage a bullpen/pitching staff very well. Scioscia has always been called out (on this blog) for leaving starters in too long, staying with relievers after they are already losing it, and not having faith in the guy he is supposed to have faith in for a given situation. This series has been completely the opposite of that. Tonight's pen went 3 innings of 1 run ball, with Bulger pitching a no hit inning, Oliver tossing another perfect third, and Fuentes earning a rare perfect inning save. Now, Kevin Jepsen may have allowed the run on the Lowell hit that made the comeback feel out of reach, but Scioscia pulled him out at the right time and fell back on DO to save the day. In fact, in the entire series against the Sox, the Jeps run is the only allowed earned run by our bullpen over their 6.3 innings of work. And to think that I thought the pen was our liability against the Sox.
4) Juan Rivera finally came through. We've kind of been waiting on Good ol' JR to step things up in the ALDS, and boy did he. Down 2-5 with two outs in the eighth and Papelbon coming in to pitch, Juan Rivera stroked him for a two run single that really got the Angels back in the thick of things. Now just 3 for 11 in the series after today's 2 for 4 morning, Juan's 2 RBI were big enough to put him on the map in this one. Much like BA, however, he will go unrecognized for his contribution. Maybe, though, if Scioscia would have left him on the base paths instead of Willits, he wouldn't have gotten picked off, and we could have taken the lead in the 8th. I'd like to say that, but I would have pinch run with Willits too.
5) Dare I say, Scott Kazmir? Scott "Is this..." Kazmir (thanks to Karen for the new Seinfeld reference nickname that has everyone just screaming out "CASHMERE!" when he takes the mound) may have a horrible line: 6 innings of 5 hit/5 run ball with 3 walks and just 1 strikeout, but if you watched the entire game, it actually wasn't as bad as it reads. The Kazmanian Devil was completely lights out in innings 1, 2, 5, and 6 (especially one and five). In those four innings, he looked like that guy who knew the Red Sox that we were hoping to see. Sure, he got roughed up in his other two innings, but to come back and pitch shutout a fifth and sixth after those two run innings was impressive to me. He was the right choice as the #3 starter.
Of course, heading into a probable series with the Yankees, there are some negatives from today's game that we are going to have to improve on:
1) Honestly, Chone Figgins is going to have to start playing. I know that I said this after game one and game two, threatening that the Angels wouldn't be able to win without a hitting Figgins, but I'm serious. How far can the Angels continue in the playoffs if they get nothing out of their leadoff hitter. Don't go through the regular season playing like a guy who really wants to get big money with his new contract, and then choke when it matters in the playoffs. That's just not what we expected after the first 162. In the 2008 playoffs he hit .333, in 2007 he hit .231, in 2005 he hit .132, .143 in 2004, and 1.000 in one AB in 2002. So it's not like he's usually Mr. Clutch October, but if he can go 7 for 21 last year, then we know we can expect a little more from him this year. Please, Desmond, show up for the ALCS.
2) 7 left on base. I know we won, and when that happens I usually skip over the LOB category, but for a while I was watching the Angels get leadoff double after leadoff double with no result. Again, a bases loaded with no outs situation led to very little (a run scored on a double play, and that's it). The Angels were 4 for 15 with RISP, which is .267, and will hopefully look to improve that mark headed into the ALCS. In chapter two of the playoffs, the margin for error decreases, and that LOB needs to drop.
3) Where did you go, Ma$e? Izzy came in for his second straight ALDS start, replacing game 1 second baseman HK-47, and went 0 for 4 with 1 K. He finished the series 1 for 7 (.143) with a run, with HK finishing the series 1 for 5 (.200) with a run). I'm thinking that a little more production out of our second base spot would be pretty nice for the ALCS and beyond. Remember, Kendrick (who is definitely playing second fiddle at second base in this year's playoffs) hit .291/.334/.444 in the regular season, and Izzy was better than that at .300/.359/.434. We need to see that type of action from here on out.
As we look toward the 2009 ALCS, we see the New York Yankees trying to punch their tickets. As they try to close out the Twins tonight, I can think of one really important thing about the most likely ALCS scenario: Don't let the talk about history make you feel like the ALCS will be a cake walk. It obviously happened to Boston in this series. All the media could talk about was the success that the Sox had against the Angels, winning all four postseason series between the two teams. It was up to the Angels to reverse the curse, and it was up to Boston to just keep doing what they had been doing to the Halos since 1986. If the Yankees make it to the ALCS, however, the Angels will see the roles reversed on that story. The story will be as follows: the Mighty Yankee Killing Angels routed the AL East Champion New York Yankees 3-1 in the 2002 postseason as a wildcard only to move forward and capture the World Championship, which was followed up by a 2005 series matchup between the two teams where the Angels bested the Yankees 3-2 to move onto an infamous ALCS against the eventual Champions from Chicago. Add to those story lines the fact that the Angels have the only winning record against the Yankees in regular season action, and you have a recipe for media gold. Now, the Angels just have to keep their "one day at a time" attitudes, stay focused, and beat those Brooklyn Bastards.
For today, the Angels will celebrate.
Friday, it's back to work.
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