Red Sox maintain playoffs domination of Angels
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Boston Red Sox continued their post-season domination of the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday with a 4-1 triumph in the opener of their American League Division Series that stretched the winning streak to 10.
The Angels had taken eight of nine games in the regular-season series between the teams but Boston ripped up the form book to prove once again that the playoffs represent a different challenge altogether.
Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay drilled a go-ahead two-run homer off starter John Lackey in the sixth to give the visitors a winning advantage, while Boston starter Jon Lester hurled 117 pitches over seven innings in the victory.
"Once we got the lead, (Lester) came back with a vengeance," Red Sox manager Terry Francona told reporters. "He struck out the side the next inning and never gave in."
The 24-year-old left-hander, who won last year's World Series-clinching game for Boston, kept the Angels unsettled with off-speed pitches as he allowed one run and struck out seven.
Lester was pitching in place of leading starter Josh Beckett, who was unable to play because of a side muscle injury and is scheduled to pitch in Game Three.
"A little bit of everything was working for me," Lester said. "Some innings it was the cutter, some it was the curveball."
LONE RUN
Los Angeles scratched out their lone run in the third when Torii Hunter came up with a two-out RBI single.
The score was set up by Jacoby Ellsbury's rare error, his first of the season at shortstop, with two outs that kept the inning alive.
Lackey pitched a strong performance but surrendered the one fatal mistake. The right-hander went 6 2/3 innings, striking out five before being relieved.
The Angels attempted to put together a rally in the eighth. Hunter provided a one-out bloop single but first baseman Kevin Youkilis threw out Vladimir Guerrero as he was trying to advance to third.
"We had some chances early but couldn't get hits to fall in," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said.
Ellsbury and David Ortiz both delivered RBI singles in the ninth to provide insurance runs for closer Jonathan Papelbon, who finished off the game. Ellsbury finished 3-for-5.
Despite the sellout capacity crowd at Angels Stadium the "Red Sox Nation" could still be heard as chants of "let's go Red Sox" made the rounds through the seats.
The Angels, owners of the best regular-season record in the Major Leagues (100-62), have now lost eight consecutive playoff games.
Game Two in the best-of-five series is in Los Angeles on Friday.
(Reporting by Jahmal Corner; Editing by John O'Brien)
