ALDS Game One Preview

With the opening pitch set for 9:37 pm, Eastern Standard Time, the Sox and Angels get ready to kick off their leg of the American League playoffs. The short-series ALDS will rely heavily on the opening game, as a 1-0 lead in a Best of 5 is better than finding money. With Beckett going up against Jered Weaver in Game Two, an opening win by Boston would put quite a damper on Anaheim’s plans. The first game features a battle of staff leaders. Sox Ace Jon Lester goes up against Angels’ number one John Lackey. Lester and the Sox have the definite edge in this one, as Lester has turned himself into an early Cy Young candidate for 2010, while Lackey has seen the erosion of his skills to a certain extent. Jon Lester The consummate field general, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia was likely up late last night game planning for the openeras his lineup is a very interesting match for Lester. With the option to bat as many as eight players right-handed (Anaheim has four switch hitters: Izturis, Morales, Aybar, and Figgins), Lester’s prominent reverse-platoon splits may give Scioscia pause when instructing his batters to hit right-handed. Lester’s pronounced splits have actually given the edge to left-handers this season, as they went a combined .257/.305/.411 against the ace, while righties compiled a .237/.299/.350 clip.

Fireside Chats #62: Where we prime the pump for the ALDS

Episode #62 Hosts: Paul Testa, Tim Daloisio Guests: Peter Abraham, Boston.com The playoffs are finally upon us! Paul and I beat the "series preview horse" to over the head a few more times and call on the esteemed Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe and Boston.com to help us out. *editors note - Joe Haggerty was kind enough to come on with us as well, only to have his interview lost in the netherworlds on the Internet. Joe will never get those twenty minutes of his life back, so for that....we apologize. Both Paul and I see the series going four games and sending the Red Sox off to face the Yankees in the ALCS. Find out why on this episode of Fireside Chats.

Wholesale Keychain TRIVIA: Five-parter dream

THIS IS THE LAST TRIVIA QUESTION TO GAIN THE PERSONAL ENGRAVED RED SOX KEYCHAIN. This is a five-parter question, each answer worth one point. If you do not have any points (trivia leaderboard here) you can still pull out a win as the leader, Daniel Rathman, has 4.75!

1. Boston's largest margin of victory ever was 20. Name the date and opponent.
2. In the year this was accomplished, Boston had losing head-to-head records against only two teams. Name the teams.
3. What was the name of Boston's top minor league affiliate in this year? (City and nickname, please.)
4. A future Red Sox All-Star led said minor league team in innings pitched during this year. Who?
5. The answer to No. 4 gave up his first career home run to who?

Looking at the rest of the postseason field

Fire Brand has been very aggressive these past few days at completely breaking down the Angels from Boston's perspective. We've brought to you a look at the hitters, pitchers, the running game, Angels' official postseason roster, other breakdowns and of course... predictions. Let's take a (short) break and look at the other series which begins tonight.

Runnin’ Wild

Certain to be among the major themes in the ALDS are the Angels’ aggressiveness and superiority on the basepaths. Perennially among the league leaders in steals, the team placed third in 2009, behind Tampa Bay and Texas with 148 thefts. Anaheim will be sure to remind the Sox who’s boss every time their runners take first base. One of the fastest teams in the league, their lineup features multiple skilled runners. Chone Figgins leads the pack with 42 steals on the year, followed by Bobby Abreu at 30. Torii Hunter (18), Erick Aybar (14), Maicer Izturis (13), and Howie Kendrick (11) all cracked double digits in the steals column. Their bench also features quality pinch runners, including outfielder Reggie Willits, who nabbed 27 bases in 2007, along with 16 in 372 plate appearances between AAA and the MLB this season.

Tim on 98.5 The Sports Hub with Toucher & Rich

I had the pleasure of talking Red Sox with Toucher and Rich this morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub (http://www.985thesportshub.com). Here's a copy of the 12 minute or so conversation. I think I handled my self fairly well, especially went trumped by a question or two on details of pieces that Evan or Mike wrote. Rest assured, my "on my feet answers" weren't far off from the original analysis. I'll be better prepared next time (assuming there is a next time....seriously guys...call me anytime).

Sizing Up the Angels, Part II: The Staff

With the last installation surrounding the Anaheim Angels’ hitters, its time to take a look at the other half of the California equation: the pitching staff. The Angels come into the ALDS with one of the deeper rotations among the contenders, with five quality options manning four slots. Mike Scioscia has opted to go with John Lackey as his Game One starter, followed by Jered Weaver in Game Two, Scott Kazmir in Game Three, then Joe Saunders in Game Four. Fifth starter Ervin Santana has been sent to the bullpen, though there are still circles who believe him to be the better option of he and Saunders. While the overall quality of the Angels’ rotation is comparable to that of the Red Sox, it is not as top-heavy as their Boston counterparts. Few, if any, rotations boast the one-two punch of Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. However, with the seasons that Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright have had, St. Louis could have the Sox beat. Still, that’s beside the point. The Anaheim bullpen is also a quality outfit featuring some underrated arms and intriguing role players. However, when compared to the talent and depth present in the Sox ‘pen, this corps leaves much to be desired. As echoed by fellow FireBrand writer, Evan Brunell, “Bulger (if healthy), Palmer and Oliver are all good, but would all jockey with Manny Delcarmen for the final spot in Boston’s ‘pen,” this bullpen is already behind in the race.

Wholesale Keychain TRIVIA: 292.5 games behind 1st

In what six-season span did the Red Sox finish a cumulative 292.5 games behind first place?

New Fire Brand shirt: Jacoby Ellsbury’s “There’s No Place Like Home”

Answering Kurkjian’s Questions

In his preview of the Angels/Red Sox impending match up, ESPN's Tim Kurkjain asks five questions about the series. *What is it about the number five that makes it so tidy for lists of this sort? Here are my responses to Tim's questions. Consider this answers from one Tim to another.