Redemption

Tears and sorrow. That’s how every postseason series the Angels had with the Red Sox would end. Endless suffering. The Angels lost to the Sox in the ALCS in 1986 after leading the series 3-1 and being one strike away from the World Series. Boston would sweep the Angels in the ALDS in 2004 en route to a World Series title. The Angels then lost to the Red Sox in the ALDS in 2007 and 2008, only winning one game between the two series. The suffering had gone on long enough. This season, the Angels once again dominated the Al West to set up yet another matchup with their playoff oppressors. This time however, the Angels handled Boston the whole way through. One problem people claim the Angels had against Boston was getting nervous on the road in Beantown. After winning the first two games of the series behind dominated starts from John Lackey and Jered Weaver, critics said it would happen again. Coming back after facing elimination wouldn’t be something new for the Red Sox. Boston, one of only four teams to come back and win the ALDS after a 2-0 deficit, is also the only team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS, a legendary feat they pulled off against the Yankees in 2004. The Angels started Scott Kazmir, who had a 6-4 record in Fenway coming in, a great feat for a left-hander, against Boston’s Clay Buchholtz, who is remembered best for throwing a no-hitter against the Orioles in his second career start. After a solid start, the Red Sox hit Kazmir hard, scoring 3 runs in the 3rd and 2 runs in the 4th. Down 5-2, the Halos finally got some runs in the 8th. After Vladimir Guerrero drew a key walk off of Billy Wagner, the former disaster closer for the Mets, Jonathon Papelbon came in to try to get the 4-out save. On his first pitch, Juan Rivera smashed a 2-run single up the middle, the runs being charged to Wagner. The Red Sox added an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th to give Papelbon a 6-4 lead. After scoring a run, the Angels had the bases loaded with two outs for Guerrero, down 6-5. You couldn’t write a better story line. Vlad Guerrero, the leader of the Angels for years who had struggled in the postseason, against Papelbon, who hadn’t given up a run in his postseason career, with 2 outs in the 9th, the game and the series on the line for the Red Sox. Vlad came through in the clutch with a go-ahead 2-run single. In the bottom of the 9th, the Red Sox couldn’t continue their postseason hold on the Angels, as they went down 1-2-3 against Brian Fuentes, completing the sweep. As usual, there’s always extra irony in October baseball. People claimed that the Angels couldn’t replace superstar closer Fransisco Rodriguez a season after he set a record with 62 saves, and slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira. Kendry Morales had a monster season replacing Tex (34 homers, 108 RBIs, .306 average), and he hit a key solo homer in the final game of the ALDS. Fuentes recorded a career high 48 saves, along with 2 so far this postseason, including the one that clinched the trip to the ALCS for L.A. The Angels have finally risen from the darkness of the curse against the Sox, but they won’t let their great redemption distract them. They’ll be ready for the next stage, but no matter what happens next, they’ll never forget how they finally beat the Red Sox. I know Boston won’t.