RED SOX/ANGELS 2008 MLB PLAYOFFS

When the Boston Red Sox clinched a spot in the 2008 MLB playoffs, it was the 5th time in 6 seasons they accomplished this great feat. They won 2 World Series rings. Now, it's time to win a 3rd ring. But can they do it?
Your Boston Red Sox won an impressive 95 games this season. Yes, it was only good enough for 2nd place, but it still put them behind only the Cubs, Rays and Angels in this all important statistic. Last year the team won 96 games. That was also impressive. So why exactly does the road appear much more difficult this time around? The team only had 1 less loss this time around? Well, for one, the team will not have the luxury of home field advantage(unless they make it to the Fall Classic) this time. The competition is more difficult it seems to. Moreover, the team, at least on paper, is far less superior than last year.
The team will open up later tonight on the West Coast in Game 1 of the ALDS. Most teams would live to be in this position! The opponent will be the Angels. The Angels won 5 more games than the Sox, and in doing so became the first team to win 100 games in a few years.
Some of it is skewed though. The three other teams in their division are weak and none were even at the .500 mark. Wins came early and often for the Angels. The Red Sox had to battle three awesome teams:Rays, Jays and Yanks. In totality, the club failed to even go .500. It was only the hapless Orioles that gave the team a 38-34 record within the division. Furthermore, the Red Sox had stiffer competition. The Sox are dominant at home(56-25), good for 2nd place in the AL, one win behind Tampa. But the Angels are only one of 2 teams to have a plus .500 record on the road, so the home field seems less of a big deal. In honesty, I think each team will win a road game and the series will come down to a final Game 5 a week from today.
Sure the Angels had the Red Sox's number this year. The good guys won the 1st game but then lost the next 8! But the Red Sox had injuries all season and appear to be healthy for this all-important match-up.
Each team will throw a lefty out there. The Sox will use ace Lester for Games 1 and 4 if need be. The halos will go with Saunders in Game 3. Both clubs had astonishing record vs. LHP. Both team did well against RHP too, as their awesome regular season records point them out.
The teams are close and it would not surprise me if a game or 2 went into extras. So who would do better in this situation? The Angels went 3-5. Ouch. The good guys? They went 8-3. Edge to the Red Sox.
The Red Sox scored a whopping 845 runs, second only to the Cubs and Rangers in MLB. The Angels scored the median 765. The Red Sox gave up 694 runs, which was 3 less than the halos.
So the edge seemingly goes to the Red Sox, but so many variables come into play. It appears to be a great series brewing.
The staff's are a draw. The Sox will go with Lester, Dice-K and Beckett. All three pitched in the Fall Classic last year and the good guys won each game. No Schilling this time around, but certainly he'll be around for advice and what not. He's still part of the team as he recovers from injuries. The halos will counter with Lackey, Santana and Saunders.
The bullpen is a draw too. The god guys have greatness in Okajima, Papelbon, Masterson, Delcarmen and Lopez. The Angels are solid themselves with Shields, Arredondo, Oliver and closer K-Rod.
The Sox have a lineup that may pale in comparison to the Angels. I think the key to the series will be Ellsbury. The rise in last year's playoffs greatly aided the good guys as they won it all. He's getting hot at the right time. His average has skyrocketed to .280 during his streak. If he can get on base early and often, the Sox will win this series. Pedroia had a .326 average, just 2 points away from being the best in that category. But his 213 hits led the league, albeit shared with Ichiro. He, Big Papi and Youkilis are RBI machines that will drive Ellsbury and others in if the chance is presented. Drew and Lowell are big time bats with great success in the post-season. If both stay healthy watch out.
On the flip side, the Angels use small ball in the front of their lineup. The big bats are Teixera, Guerrero and Hunter. Quite formidable. I like both lineups here.
All the numbers and stats mean very little. The halos are 8-1 vs. the good guys this year, but the good guys are also 9-0 in the past 9 playoff games vs. the halos, including a 3 game sweep last year. It all sounds good, but in this 8 team tournament, everyone has a shot.
The key is too be hot at the ripe time, which is the playoffs. I cannot wait for this series, even despite the later starting times and the prime time schedule. This is the biggest series in the opening round here. I see it going 5 and of course I think the Red Sox will win. Go Red Sox!

In the other three series, the White Sox defeated the Twins in a one game playoff last night. Their prize? A matchup vs. the Rays. Expect the Rays too roll in this one. But you never know. I'm obviously rooting against the Rays. In the NL, the Phillies take on the Brewers. Though I feel the Brewers are the better team, the Phillies did take 4 from them a few weeks back. It should be an exciting series that is up for grabs. Lastly, the Cubs have the Dodgers. The Cubs will dominate at home so the Cubs should win rather easily..........but you never know.