Putting 2004 ALCS, 2003 ALDS In Perspective After Red Sox '08 Win Over Angels

Watching the ALDS play out against Anaheim this year I could not help but be reminded of the Red Sox series comebacks of 2003 and 2004.Any time a team gets into a 2-0 hole, TV networks always show the graphic of how rare it is for a team to come back and win, and when the Red Sox are involved, they always mention 2004 (the 2003 ALDS comeback against Oakland often gets over-looked, but is also impressive).

After the Red Sox stole both games in Anaheim, the Angles mounted a dramatic comeback in game three. Crucial momentum seemed to be on their side. When Jon Lester shut the Angels down through seven innings and left with a lead, the Angels refused to give up. After tying the game in the eight off of Justin Masterson, the Angels were right back in it.

Botching that squeeze play in the 9th was just too much for the Angels to overcome, as the Red Sox won game four and the series. The way in which the Angels clawed back into the game was reminiscent of Red Sox playoff series past, however. Late inning heroics, tight wins, winning on the road in extra innings, every ingredient was there, except for the ability of the Angels to come back and win.

This just serves as a reminder of how great those comebacks were. This year, all four divisional series went to 2-0. Three of those went to game four, and every series had ended by game four. Not one team could even force a game five, never mind sweep three games and steal the series. 

With that in perspective, even the 2007 ALCS comeback against the Indians was a rare feat. The Red Sox as an organization has staged some of the most dramatic comebacks in baseball history, all in the last five years. Coming back from a 2-0 deficit against the Athletics in 2003 and of course that historic four-game-sweep to come back from a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees in 2004.

Watching the Angels fail just makes those past victories that much more special. Furthermore, with that history, no playoff series seems out of reach to this organization, something no other team can claim. This is why Red Sox Nation Believes.

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