The story of the series boils down to the Red Sox's bats against the Angels' arms. Essentially, can Boston outslug the Halos? Can their bats heat up against an Angels staff that has owned them this season?

Boston scored 80 more runs, recorded 101 more extra-base hits, hit 12 points higher, and owned an .805 OPS, compared to the Angels’ .743. These numbers must be taken with a grain of salt, however, because one Manny Ramirez is no longer with Sox Nation.

The Sox can still flat out rake, but maybe not against the Angels.

 

Interestingly enough, the Sox hit only .252 against the Angels this year, were outscored by 28 runs, stole six fewer bases, and hit four fewer home runs, and that was WITH Ramirez for half the season. The Red Sox probable starters (Jon Lester, Dice-K, and Josh Beckett) were unable to record a win against the Angels this year, going a combined 0-3 in four starts.

Let it be noted that those numbers were with a healthy Beckett, not a banged up version of the right-handed flamethrower. Beckett surrendered 11 earned runs in only 13.1 innings pitched against the Halos this year. Combined, the three starters were lit up for an 8.10 ERA.

The Angels are well rested and should feel confident heading into the series, given the shared success they’ve enjoyed against the Sox this year. The Halos hit .305 against Red Sox pitching and scored 61 runs in nine contests, an average of 6.78 runs scored per game.

They stole 10 bases and were caught only twice. As a team, the Angels hit 17 points higher at home than on the road (.277/.260), an added advantage of playing three of five at The Big A. With the additions of Torii Hunter and Mark Teixeira, the Angels feature a more potent lineup than what the Red Sox are used to seeing from their West Coast rivals.

With the Angels owning home-field advantage throughout, look for the banged up Red Sox (See: Lowell, Drew, Beckett) to feel the lingering effects of having to travel across the country at least two times, and possibly three, should they force a Game Five.

With Beckett less than 100 percent, the Red Sox's days could be numbered. It doesn’t seem to matter where the Angels play, owning identical 50-31 records both at home and on the road.

Will history hold true, allowing Boston to cruise past the Angels, or will 2008 season trends linger into the postseason? I’m leaning towards the latter. Teixeira, John Lackey, and Francisco Rodriguez reverse the curse and lead the Halos past the Sox.

Prediction: Angels in three



Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

10/1 - Milwaukee at Philadelphia - 3:00 PM
10/2 - Milwaukee at Philadelphia - 6:00 PM
10/4 - Philadelphia at Milwaukee - 6:30 PM
10/5 - Philadelphia at Milwaukee – TBD
10/7 - Milwaukee at Philadelphia – TBD

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