The Replacements: Lester, Bay deliver in Red Sox' Game 1 triumph
Sports Network | October 02, 2008
(Sports Network) - If anyone thought Boston was going to miss Josh Beckett in its Game 1 American League Division Series matchup with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, think again.
The same goes for Manny Ramirez too.
With Beckett's start pushed back, hopefully, to Game 3 on Sunday, Jon Lester took the ball for the Red Sox on Wednesday and was simply magnificent, holding the 100-win Angels to an unearned run and six hits over seven innings in Boston's 4-1 victory.
"Seems like some innings I had good stuff and other innings I had a better curveball, command of everything and it seemed like once the game started flowing I got better command," said Lester.
While Lester took care of things on the hill, Jason Bay delivered big time in his first postseason game. Bay, acquired as part of the mega-Ramirez deal at the trade deadline, solved an otherwise impressive John Lackey and put the Red Sox ahead to stay with a two-out, two-run home run in the sixth.
What made the home run even more remarkable was how overmatched Bay was in striking out the first two times he faced Lackey. . "The first two at-bats I had never faced Lackey and he has that good breaking ball and he got out ahead of me," said Bay. "Out of his hand it was looking pretty good and finally at the third at-bat he threw me one that wasn't getting over and I felt like I got into a better rhythm, I was behind the count in the first two at-bats and that one I was, too, but I felt like, okay, I'm seeing the ball the first couple of at-bats I didn't really see it and he left a fastball up and I hit it and after that you gain a little confidence."
Bay's home run came just hours after the Red Sox watched their former teammate Ramirez blast a home run in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 7-2 NLDS win in Chicago.
"Obviously he's one of the best players -- one of the best postseason players of all time and regardless of where he's at," Bay added. "I think a lot of us enjoy watching him. We cross paths in the air so it kind of helped me a little bit, I didn't know him that much and I didn't know the situation that was here before so I think that works to my advantage."
As if Bay's home run wasn't enough to take the air out of the Angels' sails, Lester sent a clear message in the home-half of the sixth, striking out the side right after his team gave him the lead.
"We did a good job that inning scoring a couple of runs," Lester added. "Lackey is a tough pitcher and unfortunately made a mistake to Jason, he hit it out, and tried to establish strike one like I tried to do from the get-go and tried to have a quick inning and get the offense back in the dugout."
QUICK HITS
* Boston has now won 10 straight postseason games against the Angels, tying an MLB record for consecutive wins against one opponent in the playoffs. Oakland also had 10 straight wins from 1988-2003 against Boston.
* The Angels fell to 0-4 all-time in ALDS Game 1s.
* Bay became the fifth Boston player to homer in his playoff debut with the Red Sox. No one had done it until 1995 and Bay was the first since 2003.
* David Ortiz has hit safely in his last 12 ALDS games.
* Boston's eight straight postseason wins overall match its team record set in 2004.
GAME 2 ON FRIDAY AT ANGEL STADIUM
Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka tries to give the Red Sox a commanding two-games-to-none lead against the Angels on Friday, as he toes the rubber for the Red Sox in Anaheim.
Matsuzaka was a bit more consistent for the Red Sox in his second year. Despite some control problems, the Japanese star still finished the year 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He was especially good on the road, where he went 9-0 in 13 starts.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, will counter with righty Ervin Santana, who enjoyed a a career year for the Angels, going 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA.
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