ALDS Preview Red Sox vs. Angels
Familiar Foes Meet Again In The First Round Of The MLB Playoffs
Oct 6, 2009
This may be the most inriguing match-up in the first round of the playoffs. Both teams are evenly matched and they played a lot of close games this year which should make for a very competitive series.
Here is a preview.
Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Pitching:
If Jon Lester and Josh Beckett are both healthy, and the word is that they are, they are the best 1-2 punch in the American League. Clay Bucholz is a solid #3 and having Daisuke Matsuzaka as their #4 is an embarassment of riches. The bullpen was great early in the season but struggled down the stretch. Jonathon Papelbon, though, is still one of the best closers in the game.
The Angels boast a formidable starting rotation of John Lackey, Jared Weaver, Scott Kazmir, and Joe Saunders. All four are solid but not on the level of the Boston starting rotation. Their bullpen is very shaky and a big concern. They finished the season ranked a disappointing 21st in ERA as a pitching staff.
The pitching edge goes with the Red Sox.
Offense:
The Red Sox have a very good offensive team. They ranked 3rd in the majors in runs scored. Jason Bay had a great year, Kevin Youkilis had another solid season, David Ortiz rebounded from a slow start, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia are very good at the top of the order, and the addition of Victor Martinez has made the lineup even stronger. Their best offensive team is Victor Martinez at catcher and leaving light hitting Jason Varitek on the bench.
The Angels are also an excellent offensive team which ranked 2nd in the majors in runs scored. Torii Hunter had another good year, Chone Figgins had an excellent season, the addition of Bobby Abreu gave the offense a big boost, and Kendry Morales had a breakout year, going over .300, 30, 100. Vladimir Guerrero slowed down a bit but is still dangerous. As always, the Angels are one of the most fundamentally sound teams offensively. They take the extra base and move runners along by making productive outs. They also led the league in batting average with runners in scoring position at .296.
It's hard to pick a winner offensively so call it a push.
Defense:
The Red Sox have a solid defense that ranked 6th in the majors in fewest errors. Their big weakness, though, is that their catchers are not good at throwing out baserunners. The Angels will look to exploit that by being aggressive on the bases.
As usual, the Angels had another solid season defensively, ranking 8th in the majors in fewest errors. They play smart defense and rarely beat themselves.
Because of the Boston's issues behing the plate, the edge here goes to the Angels.
Coaching:
Terry Francona has done an excellent job with the Red Sox, winning two World Series Championships and he has done a good job of handling all the different personalities they have had over the years. He is also 3-0 head-to head with Mike Scioscia in the post-season.
Mike Scioscia is a very good manager and has won a World Series Championship with the Angels. His teams are always fundamentally sound. However, he hasn't been able to beat Terry Francona's teams when it counts.
The edge here goes to the Red Sox.
Final Analysis:
Both teams are pretty evenly matched and it figures to be a long series. In the end, though, the Red Sox have the Angels' number. The Boston pitching advantage should prove to be the difference once again.
Prediction: Red Sox in 5
