Angels Dust

The Red Sox have decided to take the extra off-day, which means that the #1 and #2 starters can go on full rest twice in the ALDS. On the first glance, this seems to be a disadvantage for Boston because it allows the Halos to go with Lackey and Escobar twice and skip the #4 starter Saunders (or Santana) altogether. The Red Sox’ ace is Beckett, but who else will they start twice? Dice-K or Schilling? My guess is that Boston is already looking ahead to the ALCS with their decision and they want to give their probable opponents less rest.

Anyway, this decision works in the Angels favor both in the ALDS and in a potential ALCS, so lets take this as a good omen for the postseason. Go Angels!

here we come. At least this way, we most likely clinch at home.

And now back to work.

MLB has decided that the team with the best record in the AL can choose whether it wants an additional off day between Game 4 and 5 (Article). Since there is already an off day between Game 1 and 2, this would extend the series to eight days and allow both teams to use their #1 and #2 starters on full rest in Game 4 and 5.
Lets say the Angels overtake the Red Sox for the best record in the AL, then they would most likely play the Yankees in the ALDS. In this case, taking the off day would probably be a bad idea because it would allow New York to go with three starters (Wang, Pettite and Clemens) instead of giving a start to either Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy or Mike Mussina or bringing Pettite or Wang on three days rest. I would take Saunders in such a games any time, especially since the Yankees have so many left handed hitters. Also, the Yankees’ pen is probably thinner than the Angels’, so the less rest, the better for the Halos.
On the other hand, if we play Boston (because the Indians have a better record than the Angels), it would benefit us if they would choose to take the off day. They don’t have a clear #2 after Beckett with Dice-K falling apart lately and Schilling so inconsistent this season, so the Angels have a clear advantage if they can start Escobar twice on full rest.

Let’s play a little game. Assign these pitching lines to the appropiate pitchers:

Starters: Lackey, Santana, Saunders, Weaver

4.0 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
7.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

Had I not followed the series at Fenway park, my answer would probably have been Saunders, Weaver, Santana, Lackey, but we all know that’s not quite right (for those who didn’t watch, it’s Lackey, Santana, Weaver, Saunders).
It all started with the doubleheader on Friday, when Scioscia and Francona denied the fans a matchup of the current AL win leaders, which instandly jinxed the series for both teams.
Lackey got pounded immediately, giving up 6 runs in the first inning and needing 97 pitches to get through four innings. After that slugfest to begin the game, Chris Bootcheck shut out the Red Sox for three innings (2 H, 0 BB). Go figure. In the second game, Beckett pitched well (7 IP, 2 R, 1 ER), but didn’t earn the win as Eric Gagne came through for Los Angeles once again, blowing the save and taking the loss with three runs given up in the ninth. However, that this was even possible is a small wonder itself as Ervin Santana, freshly recalled from Triple-A, where he didn’t to anything to suggest he could survive the Red Sox lineup in Fenway park too long (5.01 ERA, 1.52 WHIP), pitched 6.1 pretty good innings to keep the Angels in front until Scot Shield and K-Rod gave up four in the eight.
Then on saturday came Jered Weaver, who shut out the Red Sox through four innings before giving up a an infield hit to Eric Hinske, when Weaver had to get out of the way of Hinske’s broken bat and therefore failed to cover first. He than gave a perfect imitation of his older brother, imploding to the tune of a double, a hit by pitch (on a 0-2 count), two singles and a grand slam, turning a 5-0 lead into a 5-6 deficit and exiting after another single to JD Drew.
Capping a crazy series was Saunders on Sunday, mowing down Sox with a season high seven Ks.

I guess this was a reminder that in any given game, anything can happen. Now it’s on to New York, where the match-ups are Moseley-Hughes, Escobar-Mussina and Pettite-Lackey. I like our chances there and I’d say the odds favor the Yankees in the first game slightly and the Angels in the second clearly, with the third being wide open. Which means that in the end, Mosely will end up with a W, Escobar with an L and the third game is decided in the pen. Or not. We’ll see.