With the Angels taking five of the nine games played between the two clubs in the regular season, it is unlikely that either team will be running away with this series, as has been the case in the past. There is a good chance baseball fans will be in for an epic battle between the Red Sox and Halos to determine who will play the winner of the Yankees-Twins series. And don’t be surprised if it goes the distance.
Here is a breakdown of the Red Sox and Angels at each position and which team has the edge throughout the lineup.
Catcher: Victor Martinez vs. Mike Napoli
It is still mind-boggling how the Red Sox were able to pry Victor Martinez away from the Indians for what they did, and, in turn, save the 2009 season. Martinez finished the year hitting .303 with 23 home runs and 108 RBIs. During his 56 games in Boston, he hit .336 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs, and hit a ridiculous .440 in late and close situations. Martinez’s only trip to the postseason came in 2007, when his Indians squandered a 3-1 series lead to the Red Sox. Still, Victor hit .318 in 11 playoff games that year,
Mike Napoli might be the most underrated offensive catcher in baseball, but he quietly had his second straight 20-home run season. Napoli hit .256 and drove in 56 runs in a career-high 114 games, and he hit .330 against left-handed pitchers. In Napoli’s two trips to the postseason, he has been ousted both times by the Red Sox, though he hit two homers against Boston in last season’s ALDS.
Edge: Red Sox
First base: Kevin Youkilis vs. Kendry Morales
Kevin Youkilis will certainly earn some MVP votes this season after finishing third in the voting last year. With a .305 average, 27 homers and 94 RBIs, Youkilis was the Red Sox’ most consistent source of offense throughout the season. The regular cleanup hitter for the first time in his career, Youkilis fanned a career-high 125 times, but still managed to produce career highs in on-base percentage (.413) and slugging percentage (.548).
In his first full season in the majors, Kendry Morales made Angels fans forget about losing out on the bidding war to retain Mark Teixeira. The 26-year old Morales led the Angels with 34 homers and 108 RBIs and finished second on the club with a .306 average. He hit .315 with runners in scoring position and .313 with two outs and runners in scoring position. And the Angels got all of that production for a measly $600,000.
Edge: Angels
Second base: Dustin Pedroia vs. Howie Kendrick
No matter what Dustin Pedroia did this season, it was going to be hard to top his MVP campaign of 2008. But the peskiest hitter in the Red Sox lineup still managed to lead the league in runs scored (115) and hit .296 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs. Named to his second All-Star Game in as many seasons, Pedroia matched his career high in steals with 20 and finished third in the majors with 48 doubles.
For the first time in his young career, Kendrick played in over 100 games (105) and reached double digits in homers (10). Like Pedroia, Kendrick lives off hitting fastballs, and the second baseman went an impressive 11-for-29 (.379) against the Red Sox in eight games this season. A better on-base percentage (.334) would go a long way in helping Kendrick become a star, but for now, he is fitting into the bottom of the Angels’ order pretty well.
Edge: Red Sox
Third base: Mike Lowell vs. Chone Figgins
Injuries plagued Mike Lowell's 2009 season, but he still managed to have a productive year. In 119 games, Lowell hit .290 with 17 home runs and 75 RBIs, and the majority of his production came out of the No. 7 spot in the batting order. Lowell posted his typical clutch numbers, hitting .313 with runners in scoring position. However, one team Lowell struggled mightily against was the Angels, hitting .167 with nine strikeouts in 36 at-bats.
The main cog in the Angels’ offense, Chone Figgins can be one of the most dangerous players in the game when he gets on base, and he gets on base a lot. Figgins posted a .393 on-base percentage, thanks to his .298 average and league-leading 101 walks. He stole 42 bases, scored 114 runs and hit .333 after getting ahead in the count 1-0. Figgins won't drive in 100 runs or hit tape-measure home runs, but he is certainly the most important piece of the Angels' relentless lineup. In the Angels' 95 wins, Figgins scored 88 runs. In their 63 losses, he scored 26.
Edge: Angels
Shortstop: Alex Gonzalez vs. Erick Aybar
In his second stint with the Red Sox, Alex Gonzalez will play in his
first postseason with the team and the second of his career. After
joining the Red Sox from the reeling Reds, Gonzo watched his average
climb 74 points to .284, and he hit more home runs in 44 games with
the Red Sox than he did in 68 games with the Reds. A career .247
hitter, it's tough to say how Gonzalez's success in the second half
will translate into the postseason with the game's top pitching on the
hill, but the runs he saves with his crafty
glove work can't be denied.
A switch-hitting pest and the second piece of the Angels' dynamic 1-2 punch at the top of the order, Erick Aybar led the Angels in hitting with a .312 average. The 25-year old reached career highs in every single offensive statistic possible, and will need to continue his strong finish to the season (34-for-92) to change his postseason persona. Aybar is just 2-for-19 (.105) in five career postseason games with a single RBI. Hitting behind Figgins and ahead of the heart of the order, Aybar will need to get on base routinely to give the Angels a chance to put runs on the board.
Edge: Angels
Left field: Jason Bay vs. Juan Rivera
With 10 home runs and 37 RBIs through 34 games, it looked like Jason Bay was the AL MVP on May 13. Even though he cooled off, Bay posted career highs with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs. A .310 hitter in Red Sox wins and a .203 hitter in losses, Bay raked with runners in scoring position (.360) and hit more home runs on the road (21) than at home (15), despite having the attractive Green Monster staring him down.
Another player in the series who posted career highs in home runs (25) and RBIs (88), Juan Rivera became an important piece of the Angels offense in 2009. A .325 hitter with runners in scoring position, Rivera hit lefties at a .333 clip and hit .329 in late and close situations. With just one home run in 27 career postseason games, Rivera will need to bring his regular-season bat with him to the playoffs this year.
Edge: Red Sox
Center field: Jacoby Ellsbury vs. Torii Hunter
Like the Red Sox with Figgins, the Angels would be wise to keep Jacoby Ellsbury off the base paths. The AL leader in triples (10) and the major league leader in steals (70), Ellsbury improved in nearly every offensive category by a large margin. Ellsbury managed to hit .301 in 74 home games and .301 in 79 road games, displaying his underrated consistency and strong ability to adjust and adapt away from hitter-friendly Fenway. A .359 hitter with 72 runs scored in Red Sox wins and a .225 hitter with 22 runs scored in losses, Ellsbury will likely have a say in the outcome of the ALDS.
Torii Hunter had another season of 20-plus home runs and continues to make his case as one of the best all-around center fielders in baseball. Hunter hit .299 this season with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs, despite playing in just 119 games. Hunter hit .353 with 14 RBIs in late and close situations, and he hit .367 with three home runs and nine RBIs in nine games against the Red Sox. Hunter hit 15 of his 22 homers at home, and luckily for him, the Angels have home-field advantage for the ALDS.
Edge: Angels
Right field: J.D. Drew vs. Bobby Abreu
J.D. Drew enjoyed his first 20-plus homer season (24) in Boston and drove in 68 runs, his highest total with the Red Sox. Drew finished the year with a .279 average, but took his walks (82) and posted a solid .392 on-base percentage. Drew managed to hit just .192 against the Halos during the regular season, but he does seem to have a flair for the dramatic with home runs in three of the Red Sox’ last four postseason series. Drew could be a game-changer in the ALDS for the Red Sox, especially against right-handed pitching, against which he hit 18 of his 24 home runs.
Mike Scioscia said Bobby Abreu was the Angels' MVP this season, and it's hard to argue with him. For just $5 million, the Angels got themselves Abreu's seventh straight season with at least 100 RBIs (103). The right fielder hit .293, jacked 15 homers, scored 94 runs and stole 30 bases to nicely fill out all the major offensive categories. Abreu was at his best with ducks on the pond, hitting .354 with runners in scoring position and .323 in late and close situations.
Edge: Angels
Designated hitter: David Ortiz vs. Vladimir Guerrero
For a while, it looked like David Ortiz might not hit three home runs this season — let alone 28. But Big Papi found his stroke in the middle of the summer and returned to his old form. Ortiz hit a career-low .238 for a full season of play, as he was never able to recover from hitting .185 through the end of May. But from June 1 until the end of the season, Ortiz hit .264 with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs to get back on track and once again become a factor for the Red Sox offense. After losing his title as the league's most dangerous hitter in clutch situations, Ortiz has a chance to retain the postseason's version of the title with a monster second season.
Vladimir Guerrero missed 62 games and wasn't able to extend his streak to 12 seasons of at least 25 home runs, but the free-swinging Guerrero still enjoyed a productive year. Vlad hit .295 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs, and he hit .371 with 14 of his 15 home runs in Angels wins. The West Coast's version of A-Rod, Guerrero hasn't recorded a postseason RBI since 2005, and his last and only postseason home run came in the form of a grand slam against the Red Sox in Game 3 of the 2004 ALDS. Vlad did go for 7-for-15 (.467) during last season's ALDS, but if the Angels are going to get back to the ALCS, he is going to need to drive in more than zero runs against the Red Sox.
Edge: Red Sox
Bench
The Red Sox bench is possibly the club's weakest link. Rocco Baldelli and Nick Green are injured. Jed Lowrie is unable to hit left-handed due to a wrist injury. And Jason Varitek has been a non-factor at the plate. The Red Sox could be in trouble if they are forced to go their bench for a significant part of the series. Terry Francona will most likely try to avoid using any of his reserves in the series, and if he has to, the Angels will look to take advantage.
The Angels have one of the deepest benches in the playoffs with speedster Reggie Willits, the versatile Gary Matthews Jr. and smooth-hitting Maicer Izturis. Rob Quinlan and Jeff Mathis provide some possible pop off the bench for Mike Scioscia, and the Angels will be able to fill in for any and all game situations.
Edge: Angels
Manager: Terry Francona vs. Mike Scioscia
Terry Francona has been in Boston for six seasons, and the Red Sox have made the postseason five times. It’s hard to ask much more from him after ending the 86-year drought and bringing the Red Sox two titles in the span of four years. Since taking over in Boston, Francona has owned the Angels in the postseason (8-1 over three series), and his calm and patient approach in postseason games has translated into a great deal of success.
Since 2005 — the last time the Angels reached the ALCS — Mike Scioscia has made the postseason every year except 2006. Scioscia has owned the Red Sox in the regular season the past two years, but he has yet to knock off Boston in the postseason, even with home-field advantage in two of the three series the clubs have played against each other. This year appears to be the best chance the Angels have had to top the Red Sox, and if they can’t do it this year, how will they ever?
Edge: Red Sox
