Define: Dominance - Game 1 2007 ALDS by Jared Carrabis
Vintage Beckett Takes Sox First Step Towards World Series Title

That's how it's done ladies and gentlemen. Complete games are near extinction in baseball these days, Beckett himself has only pitched four complete games in his career during the regular season. With this being said, what David Ortiz is offensively in October, Josh Beckett is on the mound in October. Beckett turned in his third career complete game in postseason play by blanking the Halo's over nine innings striking out eight.


Josh Beckett's performance tonight set the tone for the remainder of the postseason. Getting that first win of eleven on your way to a World Series title is the most important, and to get that first win in dominating fashion sends a message to your opponent and to the other teams that are in postseason play. Josh Beckett showed why he has been in Cy Young talks all season long by baffling the Angels hitters all over their line up. The first batter of the game reached and what followed was pure dominance as Beckett retired every batter he faced up until the sixth inning.


The Red Sox stuck with the postseason mentality that worked for them in the '04 World Series, don't give your opponent a chance. Attack them early and attack them often by taking the wind out of their sales by scoring in early innings. Kevin Youkilis launched his first postseason hit of his career into the Monster seats to give Boston a 1-0 advantage and with Josh Beckett on the mound, that's all the Red Sox needed.


What would a Red Sox dominating postseason win be without a bomb off the bat of David Ortiz? Big Papi, David Ortiz, hit a 2-run blast off of Angels' starter John Lackey in support of Josh Beckett's dominating performance against the Halo's. Josh Beckett proved that his World Series MVP trophy in 2003 was no fluke and David Ortiz proved that he is...well, he's David Ortiz.


Game Two of this best of five series features the likes of a 15 game winner in Daisuke Matsuzaka who is getting his first taste of October baseball. Opposing Daisuke will be Kelvin Escobar who was 18-7 in his 2007 campaign with a 3.40 ERA however, Escobar is 1-2 lifetime in the postseason.


Game 1 ALDS: Angels 0, Red Sox 4

Published on October 03, 2007

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