In the final stretch, the split-personality Red Sox lost eight of 10 and tied a season-high six-game losing streak. However, manager Terry Francona and the local nine gained momentum heading into the ALDS by sweeping the Indians in the final four-game series of the season at Fenway.
But this is the postseason, where the past and future are completely irrelevant. What teams did in the regular season, how they got into the postseason and how they matched up in years past do not matter to either party involved.
How they got here: Boston’s success was the result of consistency at the top — the top of the pitching staff, that is. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett each made 32 starts this season and combined for 32 wins. Beckett, who had an injury-plagued season in 2008, missed just one start this year, a late scratch in Kansas City on Sept. 28 due to back spasms. Both pitchers made five starts in each month, while Lester made six in May and Beckett made six in August.
The bullpen, although nerve-wracking at times in the later months, ended the summer with the second lowest ERA in the AL at 3.80. Francona and pitching coach John Farrell were able to call upon an array of effective hurlers throughout the entire season and were blessed with the emergence of Daniel Bard and the acquisition of Billy Wagner. Five different relievers – Ramon Martinez, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Takashi Saito — made 50 appearances or more this season, while Bard was one game away at 49. In the 2007 championship season, only four relievers topped the 50-game plateau and in 2004, only three bullpen men reached the half-century mark.
Picking up Victor Martinez at the trade deadline was the best midseason pickup any team made in baseball. Martinez brought a dangerous switch-hitting weapon to the No. 3 hole, and proved to be a difference-maker down the stretch.
Although the Red Sox coughed up a five-game lead over the Yankees in the middle of the season and finished eight games out in the East, Boston held off Texas and Tampa Tay to win the wild card.
Key players: Power was the name of the game for the Red Sox’ offense throughout the decade, but this 2009 team proved that speed and a balanced attack prove to be just as effective.
Jacoby Ellsbury led the MLB with a franchise-record 70 stolen bases at the top of the order. He only started 116 of 149 games at the leadoff spot this year due to a midseason slump, but when batting first, he hit .300 and swiped 52 bags while scoring 75 runs. The center fielder hit .342 against the Angels this year with six runs scored and three steals in nine games.
Jason Bay had a career year for the Red Sox, driving in 119 runs and unleashing 36 homers, both of which were career and team highs. Bay’s early production was crucial, as slugger David Ortiz crawled out of the gates with just one homer, 18 RBIs and a .185 batting average through the first two months.
The left fielder bounced around from the No. 4 to No. 6 slots all season, but no matter where he hit in the order, he produced. Bay turned the power up a few decibels against the Angels this summer, smacking four homers and driving in 12 runs to go with a .313 batting average in nine games against the Halos.
X factor: Starter Clay Buchholz gets the call for Boston in Game 3. The young righty, who will be making his first career postseason appearance, beat out Daisuke Matsuzaka for the highly anticipated start at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon.
Although Buchholz had a pair of shaky outings in his final two starts, he won six straight decisions from Aug. 19 to Sept. 24. He didn’t face the Angels during the regular season, but in three career starts against Mike Scioscia’s crew, he is 1-2 with a 6.25 ERA, allowing 18 runs on 22 hits in 17 innings with a .319 batting average against.
In 16 starts this summer – all of which came after the All-Star break — Buchholz grabbed seven wins. However, none of those seven wins came against a playoff contender. Buchholz beat the Blue Jays three times, the Orioles twice and the Rays and Royals once each. Those teams combined to finish the season 107 games out of first place, or an average of 26.8 games out – not necessarily the cream of the MLB crop.
The 25-year-old went 2-2 with a 4.72 ERA in eight starts at Fenway this season, and was 5-2 with a 3.65 ERA on the road.
Injuries: Shortstop Alex Gonzalez was hit by a 93-mph fastball from Kerry Wood in the eighth inning of Boston’s 6-2 win over the Indians on Oct. 2. The X-rays were negative, and the shortstop returned to the lineup for the season-finale win over the Tribe.
J.D. Drew has been suffering from a sore left shoulder and missed considerable action (Sept. 30-Oct. 3) down the stretch. However, Drew was back in the lineup for the season finale Oct. 4 and belted a pair of solo homers.
Tim Wakefield (lower back pain) won't be on the division series roster.
Josh Beckett (mild back spasms) was scratched from his Sept. 28 start but is ready to go for Game 2.
Mike Lowell (sore right hip) didn't play Sept. 28-30 after receiving two injections in his hip. He returned to action Oct. 1 for his final tune-up before the postseason and was rested for the final two games of the year.
Utility man Nick Green (leg fatigue, caused by bulging disk in neck) has not played since Sept. 16.
Reliever Manny Delcarmen escaped injury after a car accident in the final weekend of the regular season. The righty is day-to-day with a stiff back and neck.
Outfielder Rocco Baldelli has a strained left hip flexor and underwent an MRI on Monday. He is questionable for Game 1.
Outlook: The Red Sox aren’t going to rely on history in this one. Francona’s crew knows how dangerous the Angels are, and the Red Sox have their work cut out. Just two Angels starters own a sub-.290 batting average.
Still, the Angels have had their fair share of troubles with Boston’s staff. In the Halos’ five wins over the Red Sox, the largest margin of victory was just four runs, meaning the Angels weren’t exactly blowing the Sox out of the water.
Boston is also facing a deep Angels pitching rotation, but the Red Sox have the edge in quality. Not many clubs can match the 1-2 punch of Lester and Beckett, so the Sox should be able to win at least one out West before wrapping things up at Fenway.
