More Angels/Red Sox Game 2 Notes & Lineup

Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Angels – Game 2

* The Red Sox have won 10 consecutive postseason games versus the Angels, dating back to Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS.

* Boston has won four consecutive road playoff games, dating back to last season (Game 5 of ALCS at Cleveland, Games 3 & 4 of 2007 World Series at Colorado). The Red Sox have won five consecutive postseason series when winning Game 1 (2004 ALDS at Ana, 2004 WS vs. StL, 2007 ALDS vs. LAA, 2007 ALCS vs. Cle, and 2007 WS vs. Col).

* In his last 35 postseason games (all with Boston), David Ortiz has hit .379 with 10 HR, 35 RBI and 33 R. Ortiz has at least one hit in 31 of his last 35 postseason games.

* Daisuke Matsuzaka went 2-1 with a 5.03 ERA in four postseason starts in 2007. Matsuzaka has 35 wins (including postseason) in his first two big league seasons, but none against the Angels (just two starts). The Angels are the only AL team (other than Boston) that Matsuzaka has not defeated.

* The Angels have lost eight consecutive postseason games overall, including five in a row at home. The Angels are now 0-5 in Game 1’s of the ALDS (2 losses vs. NYY, 3 losses vs. Bos). They have advanced both times they lost Game 1 to the Yankees, but have not advanced either of the two previous times they lost Game 1 to Boston. It should be noted that the 2002 World Champion Angels lost Game 1 in the ALDS (at NYY), ALCS (at Min), and WS (vs. SF).

* During their current eight-game postseason losing streak, the Angels are hitting just .116 (5-for-43) with runners in scoring position with zero home runs.

* Vladimir Guerrero has a .203 (13-for-64) career batting average in the postseason with just one home run and seven RBI in 17 games. He is just 2-for-14 (.143) with runners in scoring position in his postseason career.

* Ervin Santana’s 214 strikeouts in 2008 were the most by an Angels’ right hander since Nolan Ryan in 1979 (223 strikeouts). Santana defeated Boston in his first career start against them (August 20, 2005 – 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K), but has struggled in his last three starts against the Red Sox (0-2, 7.53 ERA).

Starting Lineups

Angels

Chone Figgins, 3B
Garret Anderson, LF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Vlad Guerrero, DH
Torii Hunter, CF
Juan Rivera, RF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Jeff Mathis, C
Erick Aybar, SS


Red Sox

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
JD Drew, RF
Jason Bay, LF
Mark Kotsay, 1B
Jason Varitek, C
Alex Cora, SS