Red Sox end regular season with walk-off win over Yankees, turn attention to ALDS opener in Anaheim

The 2008 season has been everything but easy for the Boston Red Sox. It started with an abbreviated spring training and an exhaustive trip to Japan in March, included injuries to numerous key position players and pitchers, featured the prolonged Manny Ramirez debacle that ended with his trade in late July, and ended with an unexpected and meaningless day-night doubleheader against the New York Yankees. Considering all of this, it is appropriate that the nightcap and regular season finale continued into extra innings. After all, the Red Sox have persevered all season.

David Aardsma coughed up a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth by allowing two runs, but the Sox recovered. Alex Cora opened the bottom of the 10th with a triple. Chris Carter struck out, and then Yankees reliever Jose Veras issued intentional passes to Jeff Bailey and Sean Casey to load the bases. David Ross was called out on strikes, but Jonathan Van Every thankfully ended the game when he grounded a base hit to right field, giving Boston a 4-3 victory.

In the afternoon game, Mike Mussina earned his 20th win and Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

The Sox finished the regular season at 95-67, and following an afternoon that resembled Pawtucket versus Scranton, they will prepare for meaningful baseball. Boston and the Los Angeles Angels open the ALDS Wednesday in Anaheim. Game One and Game Two will be not be played at fan-friendly timem, at least for those of us in the Eastern Time Zone. Game One is slated to begin at 10:07 ET on Wednesday while Game Two is scheduled for 9:37 p.m. ET on Friday.

Josh Beckett and John Lackey are the probable starters for Game One. Ervin Santana will get the call in Game Two for the Angels. Terry Francona's plans have not been announced, but it bears mentioning that Daisuke Matsuzaka is 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA on the road while Jon Lester is 11-1 with a 2.49 ERA at Fenway Park. Dice-K is 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA at home and Lester is 5-5 with a 4.09 ERA on the road. Neither pitcher started at Angel Stadium this season. Matsuzaka was knocked around in his lone start against the Angels (six runs, seven hits, five innings in a 7-5 Boston loss at Fenway on July 28) and Lester had a no-decision (four runs, nine hits, five innings) in his only appearance versus the Halos, a 6-4 Red Sox defeat at Fenway back on April 23.

Matsuzaka started this afternoon, allowing three runs and four hits in four innings. He threw 73 pitches, received the loss and finished the regular season at 18-3 and a 2.90 ERA. Though Dice-K has decent numbers at home and on the road, Lester's splits are more favorable at Fenway, thus the reason Dice-K should start Game Two on Friday and Lester Game Three in Boston on Sunday. If Lester is named the Game Three starter, it will be a battle of lefties since Joe Saunders will take the mound for the Angels.

If Boston advances to the American League Championship Series, likely Tim Wakefield will serve as the fourth starter. Wakefield tossed five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, in the second game of today's doubleheader. Wakefield and Paul Byrd will probably both be available for relief in the ALDS. It seems unlikely that Mike Lowell will be on the ALDS roster because of his injured hip. If Lowell is not available, here is what I believe the roster will look like:

Pitchers - Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Paul Byrd, Jonathan Papelbon, Justin Masterson, Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, Javier Lopez, Mike Timlin

Catchers - Jason Varitek, Kevin Cash

Infielders - Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jed Lowrie, Sean Casey, Alex Cora, Jeff Bailey

Outfielders - Jason Bay, Coco Crisp, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew, Mark Kotsay

DH - David Ortiz

If Lowell is placed on the ALDS roster, Timlin is more likely to be the odd man out that Bailey. Francona could also opt for a third catcher, David Ross, if Lowell is too hobbled to place on the roster.

Who do you think should be on the roster? What are your feelings about Lowell having a spot? He was a key part of Boston's World Series title in 2007, but the partially torn labrum in his right hip is not going to magically heal in a few days.

No miracle again for the New York Mets

There was no drama at Fenway Park today, just two games featuring more players from both team's Triple-A affiliates than familiar big league names. It was a different story in Queens, where the New York Mets saw their post-season hopes dashed with a loss to Florida in the Shea Stadium finale. Milwaukee topped the Chicago Cubs on CC Sabathia's complete game four-hitter to earn the National League wild card.

It is the Brewers' first post-season appearance since 1982, when Harvey's Wallbangers (Gorman Thomas, Cecil Cooper, Robin Yount, Jim Gantner, Paul Molitor, Ted Simmons and Ben Oglivie) lost to St. Louis in the World Series. As for the Mets, this marks the second straight year they were apparently headed for the playoffs but will not play October baseball.

Is Mussina Hall of Fame bound if today was his last game?

Congratulations to Mike Mussina, who recorded his first career 20-win season with a gem in the doubleheader opener. Three months shy of his 40th birthday, the veteran right-hander became the oldest pitcher in major league history to get 20 wins in a season. Mussina won 19 games in 1995 and 1996 with the Baltimore Orioles.

With the win, Mussina has a career record of 270-153. Recently, he suggested to Jim Palmer that he planned on retiring. If this is the case, Mussina is a borderline Hall of Famer. He never pitched on a World Series winner, and he never won a Cy Young Award, but 270 victories is an impressive feat. Of course, Bert Blyleven (287-250, 3.701 career strikeouts), Jim Kaat (283-237, 16 gold gloves, 25 season), Tommy John (288-231, 26 seasons) and Jack Morris (254-186) must be considered, too, if Mussina enters the discussion.

Blyleven's winning percentage hurts his chances. The fact that Kaat and John did not win 300 games despite pitching 25 and 26 seasons respectively is a drawback for their Hall of Fame hopes. Morris was a post-season star like Curt Schilling, but just as Schilling's 216 wins in 20 seasons are seemingly not enough, ditto for Morris' 254 victories in 18 seasons.

Winning 20 games this year was a remarkable feat for Mussina, who no longer has an overpowering fast ball and relies in location and deception to retire hitters. If he chooses to pitch another year and has another 20-win season, I believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame, but if his career ended with today's masterpiece, I say no to his enshrinement. Regardless of whether he makes it or not, he has put together a respectable career.