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New Guys Spur Red Sox's Clincher

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 October 2008, 07:30 CDT

By Seth Livingstone

BOSTON -- Although the Boston Red Sox advanced to their fourth American League Championship Series with a dramatic 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, the roll call of heroes says this isn't the same team that won the 2007 World Series.

Rookie shortstop Jed Lowrie, with 69 major league starts under his belt, singled home Jason Bay, who was a Pittsburgh Pirate until July31, with the winning run in the ninth.

Mark Kotsay, an Atlanta Brave until Aug.27, kicked off a fifth-inning rally that staked young pitching ace Jon Lester to a 2-0 lead, then sparkled in the field. Rookie pitcher Justin Masterson, who began the 2008 season as a starter in Class AA, worked through eighth-inning difficulty.

"The organization has brought some kids up, and they've done such a phenomenal job of competing," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "We just beat a phenomenal team."

The Angels, who won 100 games on the way to the AL West title, did not go quietly. Torii Hunter singled home two runs with two outs in the eighth, but a blown squeeze play in the top of the ninth set the stage for Boston's winning rally.

Angels pinch-hitter Kendry Morales opened the ninth with a ringing double off the wall in left-center against Masterson. Howie Kendrick sacrificed pinch-runner Reggie Willits to third, giving Erick Aybar a chance to be Los Angeles' offensive hero for the second consecutive night. But Aybar, hitting against Manny Delcarmen, whiffed on a squeeze attempt, and Willits was caught halfway down the third-base line.

In the bottom of the inning, Bay, who homered in Games1 and 2 of the series, blooped a ground-rule double to right against Scot Shields. After first baseman Mark Teixeira robbed Kotsay with a diving stab, Lowrie delivered.

The Angels saw their season end at the hands of the Red Sox for the third time in five seasons, two of those in walk-off fashion at Fenway Park.

"I thought we played much better this series than going back to '04 or '07 against them," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We're going to have to keep trying to get better. (It's) one little play here or there. We're certainly in every game (against them)."

The Red Sox's roster has changed considerably for every one of those series, a new hero seemingly created every year.

"For the younger players like me and Masterson, it shows if you do well they're going to give you a shot up here," Lowrie said.

Lester, who pitched seven innings of one-run ball in the series opener, left with a 2-0 lead after seven innings.

Trailing 2-0, the Angels pieced together a two-out rally in the eighth when Hideki Okajima walked Teixeira and Masterson walked Vladimir Guerrero.

After a passed ball moved runners to second and third, Hunter's single to right field tied the score.

Boston scored twice in the fifth against John Lackey. Kotsay opened the inning with a single to center. He raced to third when Varitek singled to right, then scored on Jacoby Ellsbury's bouncer to second.

Pedroia provided a second run for Boston, snapping his 0-for-15 drought in the series with an RBI double off the wall in left-center.

In the end, it was a newcomer who decided the game.

"I was just looking (at them) and thinking, 'Boy, they're young.' Not in a bad way," Francona said.

"They have done such a phenomenal job of competing." (c) Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

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