Sox look to continue post-season domination of Angels

Some of Boston's most memorable post-season games have been played against the Angels. There was the dramatic home run by Dave Henderson that helped the Red Sox avert elimination in the 1986 American League Championship Series. And, as most current members of Red Sox Nation know, the Angels were the first step in capturing the World Series title in 2004.

With three straight wins in 1986 and 2004, and two victories in this American League Division Series, the Sox have an eight-game winning streak against the franchise that has been known as the Los Angeles Angels, the California Angels, the Anaheim Angels and now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Regardless of their name, the team from Orange County is owned by the Boston Red Sox, which have played with that nickname since 1908 (from 1901-1907 the team was known as the Boston Americans).

This afternoon, the Sox will try to win their ninth in a row over the Angels and advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2004. Curt Schilling, who is 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA in 15 career post-season starts, will get the call against Jered Weaver, an inconsistent yet formidable right-hander. Schilling is not the same pitcher he was even in 2004, when he relied on power and intimidation. Today, he is a finesse pitcher who rarely eclipses 90 on the radar gun. The last time Schilling faced the Angels in Anaheim, it was August 6, and he allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings in a game that Boston lost, 4-2. He started against the Halos at Fenway Park on August 18 and was not impressive, surrendering five runs and eight hits in six innings, but the Sox slugged their way to a 10-5 win.

Schilling is a different pitcher - a much more confident pitcher - now than he was on August 18. Five of his final six regular season starts were quality starts (three or fewer runs in six or more innings). In three of this outings, he allowed just one run, and his only blemish in September was the appearance where he served up a three-run home run to Derek Jeter after limiting the Yankees to one run through 7.2 innings. Though Schilling delivered the pitch that Jeter crushed, he should not have been in the game at that point. Terry Francona has managed the pitching staff effectively in this series. Hopefully, Schilling can give the Sox six solid innings, and then let the bullpen go to work.

It would seem that a team as talented as the Angels could not be swept, but as Colorado and Arizona showed on Saturday, momentum is important. The Sox have it, the Angels don't. With Schilling's big game experience and Weaver's fiery passion, I expect a low-scoring contest, which could favor the Angels because of their ability to manufacture a run. Hopefully, Boston escalates Weaver's pitch count, wears him down and induces a mistake pitch or two that a power bat like David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell deposits over the fence.

Red Sox

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. J.D. Drew, RF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Coco Crisp, CF
9. Julio Lugo, SS

Starting Pitcher - Curt Schilling (8-7, 3.87 ERA)

Angels

1. Chone Figgins, CF
2. Orlando Cabrera, SS
3. Vladimir Guerrero, RF
4. Garret Anderson, LF
5. Kendry Morales, 1B
6. Maicer Izturis, 3B
7. Howie Kendrick, 2B
8. Juan Rivera, DH
9. Mike Napoli, C

Starting Pitcher - Jered Weaver (13-7, 3.91 ERA)