They Never Knew What Hit 'Em by Jared Carrabis
Sox Sweep Halos, Move On To American League Championship Series

Seems like just yesterday Josh Beckett was dazzling the Angels with his blazing fastball and devastating breaking ball in a 9-inning shutout. This series was as short as physically possible and this sweep was no fluke. With the crack of a few Dominican born bats, everyone (including Angel’s fans) knew this thing was over.


What started out perfectly for Boston with Josh Beckett saving our bullpen by pitching a masterful complete game shutout to open this best of five series gave Boston fans the optimism that this team deserved to have looked upon them in October. The optimism only intensified after Manny Ramirez obliterated a fastball offering by Francisco Rodriguez high over the Green Monster and deep into the dark October sky.


At this point, with the talent that Boston has demonstrated on their home field by their pitching and offense, Angel’s fans were considering the option of forfeiting the series if that opportunity was available to them. Unfortunately for them, there is no mercy rule in the ALDS, or at any level in Major League Baseball.


Game 3 of this series played host to the biggest offensive beat down of the entire series. The Red Sox were out to prove a point that they meant business in Game 3. Was their message to the Angels? Absolutely not. This was a warning to whoever came out of the Cleveland vs. New York series that Boston is the team to beat.


This offensive attack was led by none other than the twin bombers themselves, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. In the top of the fourth inning, what Boston fans were all used to seeing in years past happened for the very first time in 2007. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit back-to-back home runs off of LA starter Jered Weaver and these were no cheap home runs. Both Ortiz and Ramirez knew the second they hit it that these balls had a first class ticket to Souvenir City.


These two solo shots would have been enough to secure Boston a trip to their first ALCS appearance since 2004, but the Red Sox flexed their offensive muscle one more time with an offensive explosion in the top of the eighth by tagging on seven runs to give Boston a 9-0 advantage. By then it was getting noticeable that Boston fans were mysteriously getting closer seats at Angel Stadium and the “Let’s Go Red Sox” chants were seemingly louder.


Thanks to Curt Schilling’s brilliant pitching performace, you can add another 0.00 ERA to a Boston starter this post season. Schilling went seven strong innings, giving up only six hits and striking out four while only walking one. Schilling may not have been used to being a number three started for a postseason team but he showed no signs of being disappointed. He knew he had a job to do and he went out there and executed.


The Red Sox are off ‘til Friday coming off their second consecutive postseason sweep of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Yankees were victorious last night but that’s a good thing because we want our opponent in the ALCS to be tired while we are very well rested.


Beckett is lined up to start Game 1 of the ALCS and you better believe he will be trying to outdo his previous performance if that is at all possible. Regardless, we should be in for something special out of who could be the 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner.


ALDS Game 3: Red Sox 9, Angels 1

Published on October 07, 2007

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