October 7, 2007
...
The Sox, who advanced to the American League Championship Series with
a 9-1 win over the outmanned Los Angeles Angels completed a
three-game sweep of their Division Series. The Sox await the winner
of the Indians-Yankees series. The Sox remained on the fast track to
hardball heaven behind Schilling, who enhanced an already spectacular
October resume with seven scoreless innings, back-to-back
fourth-inning home runs by David Ortiz and Ramirez off loser Jered
Weaver, and a seven-run uprising in the eighth inning that drained
whatever air was left in Anaheim.
Jered Weaver
was done for the day after his 95th pitch, a ball low and away that allowed
David Ortiz to reach on a leadoff walk in the top of the sixth inning and
prompted Angels manager Mike Scioscia to emerge from the dugout with the hook.
But, truth be told, Weaver's day was done well before he issued that free pass.
Weaver's
first career start in the playoffs, opposite Curt Schilling, unraveled in the
fourth when he surrendered back-to-back solo homers to Ortiz and fellow bash
brother Manny Ramirez, which served as the crowning blows of the Red Sox'
victory in this three-game sweep in the American League Division Series.
The Sox
outscored the Angels, 19-4, outhomered them, 5-0, and exposed the weaknesses of
a team that could not afford to be missing two starting outfielders, Gary
Matthews Jr. (patella tendinitis), Garret Anderson (conjunctivitis, which forced
him to leave yesterday's game after two innings), and starting first baseman
Casey Kotchman, who spent yesterday in the hospital because of a viral
condition.
The Sox'
offense had been home run-heavy throughout the series. Of the team's first 12
runs, (through the first four innings yesterday), eight had come off home runs.
Then came the eighth inning. Dustin Pedroia, who jammed his left shoulder trying
to grab a Kendry Morales ground ball in the second Friday night, fought off
lingering soreness to start the explosion.
Ortiz and
Ramirez each homered twice in the series, Ramirez's home run into the rock pile
in center field in bright sunshine yesterday traveling maybe even farther than
his moon shot Friday night. Ramirez has 22 postseason home runs, tying him with
Bernie Williams of the Yankees for most in postseason history. Ortiz has 10
October home runs for the Sox, most in club history. Ortiz was on base 11 times
in 13 plate appearances this series, Ramirez eight times in 13. The Sox flexed
their offensive might by hitting .269 (25 for 93) with six doubles and five home
runs.
Yesterday,
the pitching was all about Schilling, who wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam in
the third, retiring Reggie Willits on a pop to Jason Varitek near the on-deck
circle, then surrendered just one base hit until Maicer Izturis led off the
seventh with a double. Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima were warming in the
bullpen, but Schilling kept them there, inducing Howie Kendrick to roll to
second, Rivera to pop to first, and then striking out Napoli, banging his glove
with gusto as he did a little twirl off the mound.
Schilling,
who gave up six hits, walked one and struck out four while throwing precisely
100 pitches, 76 for strikes, is 9-2 for his career in postseason play. His
winning percentage of .818 is the best all time for pitchers with at least 10
postseason decisions.
While Manny
Ramirez and Julian Tavarez were dumping buckets of ice water on Mike Lowell,
Curt Schilling and Theo Epstein were exchanging congratulatory embraces, and
Jonathan Papelbon showed that his education at Mississippi State had not been
entirely wasted, demonstrating an encyclopedic knowledge of how many ways beer
may be shaken, sprayed, and poured, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino stood in a
hallway outside of the visitors' clubhouse in Angel Stadium, munching on an
apple.
