Monday American League Capsules.
BOSTON 3, LA ANGELS 2
BOSTON October, meet Jed Lowrie. The rest of the Boston Red Sox youre already well acquainted with.
The rookie shortstop delivered a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Boston Red Sox advanced to the American League Championship Series with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Boston clinched the first-round series, three games to one.
The Red Sox have had their share of postseason drama over the last six years, and every year it seems new playoff heroes get indoctrinated. Last year, first-year players Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury came up with big hits as the Red Sox rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS en route to a World Series title.
This year, it was Lowrie, the 24-year-old who only became a starter in mid-July – and even then, only because of an injury to veteran Julio Lugo. But he was officially baptized on Monday night.
With the game tied at 2-2 – Bostons two-run lead having evaporated in the eighth inning on Torii Hunters game-tying two-run single – Jason Bay got jammed by Angels reliever Scot Shields, but muscled a bloop, ground-rule double down the right-field line. After Mark Kotsays line drive was snagged by a diving Mark Teixeira, Lowrie came up and drove a hard roller just past the outstretched arms of second baseman Howie Kendrick to bring Bay around for the winning run.
It was the fourth hit in 11 at-bats for Lowrie this series.
Prior to the late heroics, the Angels had seemingly turned the momentum in their favor. After getting shut down by starter Jon Lester for the first seven innings, they staged an eighth-inning rally against the Boston bullpen. Teixeira and Vladimir Guerrero drew walks and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. One batter later, Torii Hunter drove a flare single into right field, plating both runs to tie the game.
An inning later, the Red Sox narrowly avoided even more trouble. Kendry Morales led off with a double off the Green Monster and pinch runner Reggie Willits advanced to third on Kendricks sacrifice bunt. But then strategy caught up with the Angels.
With one out and a runner on third, they attempted a squeeze play with soft-hitting Erick Aybar at the plate. But Aybar missed his bunt attempt and Willits was caught in a rundown, eventually being tagged out by Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek to end the threat.
Shields (0-1), who also gave up two pivotal ninth-inning runs in Game One of the series, gave up two hits and one run while striking out three in 1 2/3 innings to get saddled with the loss. Boston righthander Manny Delcarmen (1-0) pitched two-thirds of an inning without allowing a baserunner to earn the victory.
The Red Sox nearly wasted a dominant outing from Lester, who tossed seven scoreless innings and looked to be in prime position to pick up his second win of the four-game series. The third-year lefthander has seemingly inherited the role of Bostons playoff stopper, a role filled by ace righthander Josh Beckett a season ago.
Lester shut down in the Angels in the series opener, allowing only an unearned run over seven innings, but outdid himself this time. He held the Angels to four innocent singles and two walks in seven frames but took the no-decision. He is developing a prime postseason pedigree at a rapid pace. The 24-year-old was also the teams Game Four starter in the World Series last year as Boston finished off a sweep of the Colorado Rockies.
Ellsbury got the Red Sox on the board on Monday in the fifth inning – albeit with a bit of help from Kendrick. The infielders tough series continued, as he misplayed Ellsburys chopper up the middle – a play that could have been an inning-ending double play – and got just one runner instead, allowing Kotsay to score the games first run.
Dustin Pedroia followed moments later with his first hit of the series, an RBI double deep off the wall in left to make it 2-0.
Angels starter John Lackey went seven strong, giving up just two runs and seven hits while striking out one and walking one.
The Red Sox now move on to their fourth ALCS in the last six seasons. They will take on the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays, who ousted the Chicago White Sox in four games. The series will begin on Friday at Tropicana Field.
TAMPA BAY 6, CHI WHITE SOX 2
CHICAGO While the Tampa Bay Rays are in uncharted territory, it was the same old refrain for the Windy City.
B.J. Upton belted two homers and Carlos Pena drove in two runs as the Rays advanced to the American League Championship Series with a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox in Game Four of the division series.
Andy Sonnanstine hurled 5 2/3 strong innings for the Rays, who now will play for a spot in the World Series against defending champion Boston Red Sox. Boston posted a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Game Four of their series Monday.
Three relievers tossed the remaining 3 1/3 innings – including Grant Balfour, who hurled the final two frames for Tampa Bay, which has made a splash in its first postseason.
It also marked the end of a promising season for the White Sox, who now will join the crosstown rival Cubs at home for the rest of October. The best team in the National League, the Cubs were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series.
Angst is nothing new for Chicagos baseball teams, which had little to celebrate before the White Sox ended an 88-year championship drought with a title in 2005. The Cubs have not won the World Series since 1908.
The Rays, for their part, have not had the opportunity to suffer postseason problems. Tampa Bay had not won more than 70 games prior to this campaign.
Upton homered in the first inning to start this one off with a bang for the Rays, who were able to finish off the resilient White Sox.
Chicago won three straight games – including a one-game playoff – to reach the postseason for the first time since its championship three seasons ago. The White Sox beat Detroit in a makeup game last Monday, and then defeated Minnesota on Tuesday to claim the AL Central Division crown.
After staving off elimination in this series Sunday, Chicago ran out of magic thanks in part to Upton, who added another solo shot in the third to stake Tampa Bay to a 2-0 lead.
Cliff Floyd delivered another blow one inning later, when he lined a double into the left-center field gap which scored Carl Crawford from first to make it 3-0.
During the play, Dewayne Wise threw the ball home to try and cut down Crawford, but the throw bounced past catcher A.J. Pierzynski, allowing Floyd to make it to third. He then scored on Dioner Navarros RBI single that gave the Rays a four-run advantage.
Pena added run-scoring singles in the fifth and seventh innings, the second of which was the result of a marathon at-bat. He celebrated his accomplishment with a hearty fisted pump toward the Rays bench that symbolized the beginning of the end for the White Sox.
Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye both homered to provide the offense for Chicago.
