Dodgers Beat Cubs, Move On To Face Phillies in NLCS

THE FRUITS OF VICTORY: With their 3-1 victory over the Cubs tonight, the Dodgers won their first playoff series since 1988 and swept an opponent in the postseason for the first time since 1963. Los Angeles will play in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday night either in Philadelphia against the Phillies or right here at Dodger Stadium against Milwaukee.

KU-ROAD-A TO THE NLCS – Dodger starter Hiroki Kuroda was brilliant tonight, firing 6.1 scoreless innings and picking up the first Dodger series clinching victory since Orel Hershiser won Game 5 of the 1988 World Series. In 2008, Kuroda allowed just one run in 21.2 innings (0.42 ERA) against the Cubs.

MR. (Nearly) PERFECT- Dodger left fielder Manny Ramirez reached base three of four times tonight and finished the series hitting .500 (5-for-10) with two homers, three RBI, and four walks.

OUR FAVORITE POSTSEASON MARTIN – Dodger catcher Russell Martin went 2-for-4 tonight and banged out his second and third doubles of the series. Martin drove in five runs this series and is hitting .320 (8-for-25) in six-career postseason contests.

PADDING HIS LEAD – Dodger first baseman James Loney ripped a two-run double in the first inning, giving him a Dodger Division Series-record nine RBI. The two ribbies moved him past Steve Garvey (1981) and Eric Karros (1995).

BOYS OF SUMMER- Prior to the game, Dodger Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider threw out the ceremonial first pitch along with Dodger legend and Director of Community Relations Don Newcombe. Dodger infielder Nomar Garciaparra caught the former and Dodger first base coach Mariano Duncan the latter.

RECORD-SETTING NIGHT – The paid attendance tonight was 56,000, which is the seventh-largest crowd in Dodger postseason history.

D LEE HITS D BALL – Cubs’ first baseman Derrick Lee went 3-for-4 with two doubles and finished the Division Series with a team-best .545 average.

HIBERNATION- The Cubs were swept out of the playoffs for the second straight season and have now lost nine straight postseason contests, dating back to the 2003 National League Championship Series.

NLCS Info:

Game 1: Los Angeles at Philadelphia, Thursday, October 9
Game 2: Los Angeles at Philadelphia, Friday, October 10
Game 3: Philadelphia at Los Angeles, Sunday, October 12
Game 4: Philadelphia at Los Angeles, Monday, October 13
*Game 5: Philadelphia at Los Angeles, Wednesday, October 15
*Game 6: Los Angeles at Philadelphia, Friday, October 17
*Game 7: Los Angeles at Philadelphia, Saturday, October 18

* If necessary; all game times are to be determined

-- Visit the Los Angeles Dodgers on the Internet at www.dodgers.com --

Joe Torre On A Hot Streak

I just received this note from Greg Ball with Santa Anita Park. Joe Torre is so hot right now, he can't even lose at the track!

Just a quick note to let you know that a horse owned by Dodgers manager Joe Torre, Trimaran, won the fifth race today at Santa Anita Park, adding to Torre's already excellent week.

Trimaran won by a half-length, covering 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.68. He was ridden by Jose Valdivia and is trained by Bobby Frankel.

The race was for 3-year-olds and up and carried a purse of $50,000. Entered for a claiming price of $80,000, Trimaran last started on Sept. 10 at Belmont Park and was well-beaten in a third condition allowance.

This was the first time in his 11-race career that he was entered in a claiming race. He now has an 11-4-0-3 record with $157,264 in earnings.

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

Angels/Red Sox Game Notes--Game 2

DIVISION SERIES OVERVIEW: For the third time in five seasons, the Angels and Boston Red Sox meet in the
Division Series…2008 marks the fourth time in eight total playoff appearances the Angels have squared off vs. Boston (1986, 2004, 2007 & 2008)…With last night’s 4-1 setback in Game 1, the Angels have dropped their last eight overall playoff games (2004-08), including five in a row at home…Angels have dropped their last 10 post-season contests vs. Boston (1986-2008)…Halos are 3-8 overall in Game 1 of a post-season series.

GAME 2 OUTLOOK: Angels are 5-5 in Game 2 all-time in post-season (2-2 in ALDS)…Historically teams that go up 1-0 in the ALDS are 12-14 all-time in winning the division series…By contrast, teams that go up 1-0 in the NLDS are 23-3 in series play…Tomorrow night’s first pitch is at 6:37 p.m. and will be televised nationally on TBS (Chip Carey, Buck Martinez and Craig Sager)…All Division Series games can be heard on KLAA AM 830 and the Angels radio network with Rory Markas and Terry Smith calling the action…The games will also be broadcast nationally on ESPN Radio.

DIVISION SERIES GAME 1 RECAP: The Angels fell to 0-5 all-time in Game 1 of the ALDS in the 4-1 loss to the Red Sox…John Lackey (0-1; 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 5 SO, 1 HB, 92 pitches/60 strikes) took the loss in his longest post-season outing since Game 4 of 2002 ALCS (7 IP)…Lackey is winless in his last five post-season starts (last win came in Game 7 of 2002 World Series)…Angels have been limited to 16 runs in their last nine playoff games (1.8 runs per game)…Angels’ 2-5 hitters were 8-for-15 (.533) but team went 1-for-7 with RISP…Torii Hunter’s RBI single in the 3rd inning put the Angels up 1-0…Marked Hunter’s 9th areer post-season RBI, all coming in division series play…He is now batting .354 (23/65) in the DS in his career (17 games)…Mark Teixeira logged two hits in his first career playoff game…Angels have gone 57 innings without hitting home run.

2008 vs. BOSTON: Angels have outscored Red Sox 42-17 over last six regular season games
played…Angels have won last eight games vs. Red Sox, matching longest win streak vs. Boston in club history (8/26/61 - 5/30/62)…Angels swept Red Sox in last meeting July 28-30 at Fenway Park…Marked first time in club history Angels swept a series at home and road vs. Red Sox in same season…Angels won 2008 series 8-1, first season-series win over Red Sox since 2001.

DID YOU KNOW? The 2008 Angels are the first team since the 1931 Cardinals to win 100 games in a season without a 100-RBI player, a 30-HR hitter, or a 20-game winner…Halos are the first AL team to do it since the 1915 Red Sox…Both the 1931 Cardinals and 1915 Red Sox went on to win the World Series.

COMING IN HOT: Several Angels entered the playoffs on hot streaks: Mike Napoli led the Angels batting .453 (24/53) in September with six home runs and 16 RBI…He had 18 hits his last 27 at bats (.667)…Garret Anderson hit .356 (21/87) in September…Vlad Guerrero hit .387 (36/93) his last 23 games to raise average from .285 to .303…Scot Shields has fashioned a 2.11 ERA (21.1 IP – 5 ER) over his last 24 outings…Game 3 starter Joe Saunders is 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA (27.1 IP – 5 ER) over his last four starts.

ANGELS 2008 SEASON: Angels completed 2008 season with 100-62 record and first place finish in AL West, 21 games ahead of second place Texas…Club’s win total is a franchise record, previously set in 2002 (99)…Angels became first MLB team since the 2005 St. Louis Cardinals (100 wins) to reach 100 wins and the first AL team to reach the mark since the 2004 New York Yankees (101 wins)…Colorado is the lone club with neither 100 wins or losses in a season…Halos registered best record in baseball for first time in club’s 48-year history…Halos also clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs…Angels’ club-record 21-game lead in AL West marks largest since 1999 Cleveland Indians (21.5 games ahead of White Sox)…On Sept. 10, the Angels clinched their fourth division crown in the last five seasons and seventh overall…2008 marks the club’s eighth all-time post-season berth (wild card entrant in 2002)…The Sept. 10 clinch date (Game #145) is the earliest the Angels clinched a division by date (previously Sept. 23, 2007) and by game (previously Game #153 in 1986) and the earliest any AL West team ever clinched the division…Angels were only team in AL with a winning record at home (50-31) and on the road (50-31)...Club’s road mark is best in franchise history…Halos were first team in Majors to reach 60 wins, 70 wins, 90 wins and the only club to win 100 contests in 2008...Halos finished 33-12-7 after 52 total series played…Angels were 53-27 vs. opponents above .500 (47-35 vs. teams under .500)…Angels registered winning record for the fifth straight season (94-68 in ‘07, 89-73 in ‘06, 95-67 in ’05 & 92-70 in ’04)…Marks first time Angels have ever had five consecutive winning seasons…Angels were in first place 138 consecutive days (since May 13) and 172 of 181 days this season…Since 2007, Angels have spent 343 of possible 361 days atop AL West…Halos finished 30-16 vs. AL East, 24-17 vs. AL Central, 36-21 vs. AL West...Club was 57-38 at All-Star break, matching the Red Sox and Cubs for most wins in Majors…Marked second time in club history Angels had most wins in Majors at the break (57 in 2007 with Boston)…Angels posted season-best seven-game win streak, May 31-June 7, while longest losing skid was also four contests, May 7-11…43 of 100 wins were in comeback fashion and 21 wins on season came in last at-bat…Angels were club record tying 39 games over .500, Sept. 25 (99-60)…Finished 31-21 in one-run games (club record 19-12 on road) and 30-7 in two-run contests (17-2 at home)…The club was 33-16 vs. left-handed starters and 67-46 vs. right-handed starters…Angels were 64-15 when they scored first (most wins in Majors)…Angels were 61-28 in games decided by two runs-or-less (most such wins in MLB)…Club posted nine walk-off wins…Angels have won 194 games since the beginning of last season and 81 of those (42%) have come by one run, the most such wins in the Majors during span…Angels largest lead was club-record 22
games (Sept. 22, 97-59 & Sept. 25, 99-60).

ANGELS IN POST-SEASON: Angels captured AL West Division title Sept. 10 with club record 100-62 record…Angels finished 21 games ahead of second place Texas…Marked fourth division title in five seasons (2004, 2005 & 2007), seventh overall (1979, 1982 & 1986) and eighth trip to post-season in club history (2002 AL Wild Card)...Seven AL West titles ranks second in division all-time (Oakland-14)…Club record 100 wins (100-62) are most in a division title season (was 95-2005)…Club record for wins was 99 in 2002…Each season Angels have won 92 games-or-more they have made post-season (1982-93, 1986-92, 2002-99, 2004-92, 2005-95 & 2007-
94)…Prior to winning World Series in 2002 with series victories over New York (3-1 in ALDS), Minnesota (4-1 in ALCS) and San Francisco (4-3 in WS), franchise had not won post-season series in its first three trips…The club lost in ALCS to Baltimore (3-1 in ‘79), Milwaukee (3-2 in ‘82) and Boston (4-3 in ‘86)…The Angels also lost in the ALDS to Boston in 2004 (3-0), defeated New York in the ALDS (3-2) and lost in the ALCS to Chicago (4-1) in 2005 and lost in the ALDS to Boston in 2007 (3-0)…The Angels are 4-6 in series play in club’s post-season history…The club has lost seven straight post-season games (1-4 vs. CWS in 2005 ALCS & 0-3 vs. Bos. in 2007 ALDS), four straight home games in playoffs and nine straight post-season games vs. Boston (final three games of 1986 ALCS & three-game sweeps in 2004 & 2007 ALDS)…On Angels’ 2008 Division Series roster, 6 of 25 players have yet to appear in post-season in their careers, including Jose Arredondo, Kevin Jepsen, Gary Matthews, Jr. Joe Saunders, Mark Teixeira and Brandon Wood…The entire Angels coaching staff has participated in post-season as a staff (2007) with Manager Mike Scioscia, Bench Coach Ron Roenicke, Hitting Coach Mickey Hatcher, First Base Coach Alfredo Griffin and Bullpen Coach Orlando Mercado also participating as a staff in 2002, 2004 & 2005…As a player, Scioscia participated for Los Angeles in four NLCS (1981, 1983, 1985 & 1988) and was member of Dodgers’ 1981 and 1988 World Championship teams…Griffin played for Los Angeles in NLCS (1988) and Toronto in ALCS (1992 & 1993), winning World titles with all three teams…Hatcher played for Los Angeles in NLCS and World Series for 1988 World Champions…Roenicke played for San Diego in 1984 NLCS and World Series.

TIGER WOODS TOPS BUSINESSWEEK’S SECOND ANNUAL "THE POWER 100" RANKING OF THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN SPORTS

No real shock with this news, but I thought it might make for an interesting read. Click on the link below to see the complete listings. There are several people in the Top 100 with Southern California ties.


New York, NY, October 2, 2008—Golfer Tiger Woods, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and NBA Commissioner David Stern top BusinessWeek’s second annual “The Power 100” ranking of the 100 most powerful people in sports. LeBron James ranks as the top NBA athlete at No. 17, 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps debuts on the list at No. 42, and Danica Patrick, Indy Racing League driver, is the highest-ranked female on the list at No. 50.

Measuring individual power in a global industry as diverse as sports isn’t easy. But for the second year in a row, a panel of experts has done just that for BusinessWeek, ranking the 100 most powerful Americans in sports. This year, BusinessWeek also asked them to do something else: choose the industry’s 25 most influential people in sports outside the U.S., which includes Joseph Blatter, President of FIFA (No. 1), David Beckham (No. 5), and Roger Federer (No. 9).

The 35 panelists include athletes, executives, marketers, writers, and academics. To get the ball rolling, BusinessWeek supplied the judges with 300 names and asked them for their top 20. They were also given some guidance, suggesting they make their picks based on how each individual rates vs. his or her peers; how much money each controls, generates, or influences; and the breadth and staying power of their impact. Fans were invited to cast votes on BusinessWeek.com and their cumulative vote counted as the final panelist.

“The Power 100” is featured in BusinessWeek’s October 13th issue, available on newsstands Friday, October 3. Expanded content, including profiles, exclusive videos and slideshows, and the full methodology of the ranking, will be available online at http://www.businessweek.com/power100.

PRIME TICKET PRESENTS UCLA VS. WASHINGTON STATE IN HIGH-DEFINITION

“Bruins Live” Pre-and Post-Game Shows Bookend Pac-10 Matchup LIVE from the Rose Bowl

WHO: UCLA Bruins vs. Washington State Cougars live from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

WHAT: Beginning at 6:30 PM, PRIME TICKET provides complete coverage of the Bruin’s second 2008 Pac-10 matchup. Kicking off the night, “Bruins Live” pre-game show airs live from the Rose Bowl field to break down the UCLA-Washington State matchup. Host Sean Farnham sits alongside former UCLA football wide-receiver Danny Farmer for the 45-minute show.

Game coverage begins at 7:15 PM in High Definition (HD). Play-by-Play announcer Bill Macdonald joins former UCLA football safety and game Analyst, James Washington in the booth. Reporters Jackie Pickering and Dain Blanton offer sideline reporting throughout the telecast.

“Bruins Live” post-game show airs immediately follows the game at approximately 10:45 p.m. Farnham and Farmer deliver complete game recaps from the field while Pickering and Blanton gather player and coach reactions.

WHERE: PRIME TICKET, the destination for local coverage of the UCLA Bruins in Southern California, Nevada and Hawaii

WHEN: Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.

Dodgers/Cubs Game Notes & Lineup-Game 2

OCTOBER BASEBALL – The NL West Division Champion Dodgers take on the NL Central Division Champion Cubs in the second game of the National League Division Series. The Dodgers lead the best-of-five series, 1-0.

► The Dodgers set club NLDS single-game records last night in runs (7) and walks (8) while tying the team’s NLDS single-game record for homers (3).

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS – With last night’s win, the Dodgers are 3-5 against the Cubs this season. However, all five Dodger losses were by two runs or less, whereas the three Dodger victories were all by three or more runs.

AND THE DODGERS INCH AHEAD… – Not only do the Dodgers have a 1-0 lead in the series, but last night’s win gives them a one-game edge in the 118-year, 2,025-game all-time series. The two franchises first played each other on May 29, 1890 in Brooklyn and since then, the Dodgers have a 1,013-1,012 record.

BEST OF FIVE – The Dodgers have played 11 best-of-five series in their postseason history and have won Game 1 in just three of those series. In all three cases, the Dodgers went on to win the series (the NLCS in 1974, 1978, and 1981). Two other times, the Dodgers overcame a Game 1 defeat to still win the series (the NLCS in 1977 and the NLDS in 1981) and five times they lost the first game and went on to lose the series.

MANNY LONGBALLS – Last night, Manny Ramirez hit his 25th postseason home run and 15 of them have come on the road. Both of those totals are Major League records. He also holds the all-time record for Division Series homers with 11.

► Ramirez has hit safely in 36 of his last 41 postseason games, with a .344 (54-for-157) average during that span.

HAVING A GRAND OL’ TIME – Last night, James Loney hit the 17th grand slam in NLDS history. It was the third slam in Dodger postseason history and first since Dusty Baker on Oct. 5, 1977 in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Phillies. The only other postseason slam for the Dodgers came the previous night in Game 1 of that series when Ron Cey hit one in the seventh inning off Steve Carlton.

► Loney’s four RBI tie him with Steve Garvey (1981) and Eric Karros (1995) for the most in a Division Series for the Dodgers. Loney now has seven career RBI in the NLDS which is the Dodgers’ career mark. He had three in the 2006 NLDS vs. the Mets.

MAURY’S BIG DAY – Dodger legend Maury Wills turns 76 years old today. Wills, who serves as a baserunning and bunting instructor for the Dodgers, will be honored on Oct. 13 at the “Sportswalk to the Waterfront” in San Pedro, CA. Also being honored that night is the late U.S. President Gerald Ford. For more information or to attend the event, fans can contact the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce at 310.832.7272.

‘PEN IS MIGHTIER – A trio of Dodger relievers pitched 3.0 scoreless innings last night, including Greg Maddux’s first relief appearance since saving Game 5 of the NLCS at San Diego on Oct. 12, 1998. The Dodger bullpen ranked second in the NL this season with a 3.33 ERA behind the Phillies (3.19).

A BIG DAY FOR Ks – On this date in 1953, Carl Erskine struck out a World Series record 14 Yankees in Game 3. Ten years later to the day, Sandy Koufax broke the record with 15 strikeouts over the Yankees in Game 1 of the Fall Classic and exactly two years after that, he fanned 13 Milwaukee Braves on two days rest (including Joe Torre twice) to give him 382 for the season, earning his 26th win and clinching the NL pennant.

FOOTING THE BILLS – Tonight’s starter Chad Billingsley ranked fifth in the NL with 201 strikeouts and seventh with a 3.14 ERA this season. From June 17 through the end of the regular season, he went 12-3 with a 2.78 ERA, which tied him for the most wins in baseball during that period with Mark Buehrle, A.J. Burnett, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and CC Sabathia. At just 24 years of age, Billingsley became the youngest Dodger to notch 16 victories since Ramon Martinez won 17 as a 23-year-old in 1991.

TURNING IT AROUND – The Dodgers were a season-high 7.0 games out of first place on April 25 but came back to win the NL West, matching the largest deficit the franchise has had to overcome to win a division or NL pennant. The 1966 Dodgers were also 7.0 games out of first on May 13 and won the NL pennant that season before losing in the Fall Classic.

PACK YOUR BAGS – After tonight’s flight home, the Dodgers will have traveled more than 58,000 miles from the time they reported to Vero Beach until Game 3 of the NLDS. The team will have made 37 flights, including their historic trip to Beijing, China in March where they faced the Padres in the first-ever Major League games on Chinese soil.

TOMORROW’S WORKOUTS – The Dodgers will hold a workout tomorrow at 3 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium, followed by the Cubs at 5 p.m. The media entrance will open at 1 p.m. for credential pickup and the Dodger clubhouse opens at 2 p.m. Manager Joe Torre and Game 3 Dodger starter Hiroki Kuroda will be available at approximately 2:30 in the media conference area.

ALL SOLD OUT – Game 3 and 4 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium are officially sold out.


Additional Notes-- Game 2
* The Cubs struck first in yesterday’s contest, scoring two runs in the second inning, but the Dodgers responded with seven unanswered runs to win Game 1 7-2.

* Los Angeles won its second postseason game in 14 tries since winning the 1988 World Series. The Dodgers seven runs were their most in a playoff game since also scoring seven in Game 5 of the 1988 League Championship Series against the Mets.

* Chicago has now lost seven straight playoff games, the longest streak in franchise history previously held by Cubs teams that lost six straight between 1989 and 1998.

* After the All-Star break, Chad Billingsley was 7-2 with a 2.99 earned run average, having won his last four decisions of the season.

* Carlos Zambrano has never defeated the Dodgers in three starts at Wrigley Field with Zambrano has compiling a 5.12 ERA in the starts. However, in his one home start against Los Angeles in 2008, Zambrano allowed only one run in eight innings, earning a no decision in 2-1 Cubs win in 10 innings.

* Russell Martin is 8-for-13 (.615 batting average) with one home run against Carlos Zambrano in his career.

* In 13 career Division Series playoff games, Mark DeRosa is batting .429 (12-for-28) and slugging .714 (20/28).

* With his seventh inning blast off Sean Marshall, Manny Ramirez became the first player in Major League history with 25 career postseason home runs.



Game 2 Starting Lineups



Dodgers:
Furcal. SS
Martin. C
Ramirez. LF
Ethier. RF
Loney. 1B
Kemp. CF
DeWitt. 2B
Blake. 3B
Billingsley. RHP




Cubs:
Soriano. LF
Theriot. SS
Lee. 1B
Ramirez. 3B
DeRosa. 2B
Edmonds. CF
Soto. C
Fukudome. RF
Zambrano. RHP

Angels Post-Game Notes: Game 1 ALDS

I know some Angel fans are bit upset about what happened last night and even worried that this "can't beat boston" thing is real.

However, as mad as you might be at Vlad's baserunning blunder, remember that the Angels had 9 hits last night and none of them were for extra bases. It's really hard to win a playoff game without a home run or at least a double.

And don't forget that the Angels beat Boston 8-1 during the regular season, including decisive wins at Fenway Park. So, believe me when I say, one lost game does not make a series.

Here's the team's post-game notes from Wednesday night.

STARTING PITCHERS Notes:
John Lackey: (LOSS; 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 5 SO, 1 HB; 92 pitches/60 strikes)…Longest post-season outing since Game 4 of 2002 ALCS (7 IP)…Winless in last five post-season starts (last win came in Game 7 of 2002 World Series)…Four home runs allowed in his last three playoff outings.

Jon Lester: (WIN; 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO; 117 pitches/76 strikes)…Started second straight playoff game for Red Sox (also Game 4 of 2007 World Series)…Has not allowed an earned run in last 15.2 playoff innings…Is now 3-0 with an 1.10 ERA (16.1 IP – 2 ER) in post-season career.

Angels Notes: Have dropped last eight overall playoff games and last 10 post-season games vs. Boston…Losses in each of last five home playoff games…Angels have been limited to 15 runs in their last nine playoff games (1.7 runs per game)…Are now 0-5 in Game 1 of ALDS all-time…Angels 2-5 hitters were 8-for-15 (.533).

Torii Hunter’s RBI single in the 3rd inning put the Angels up 1-0…Marked Hunter’s 9th career post-season RBI, all coming in division series play…He is now batting .354 (23/65) in the DS in his career (17 games).

Mark Teixeira logged two hits in his first career playoff game.

Red Sox Notes: Have won Game 1 in each of last four playoff series…Riding an eight-game win streak in playoffs to match club record (won last eight games of 2004 post-season)…Have won last 10 playoff games vs. Angels, the longest current playoff win streak vs. one team…Have outscored Angels 23-5 in last four playoff games…Manager Terry Francona is now 23-9 in his playoff career (.719 winning pct. is best all-time for a manager with 20-or-more playoff games managed).

Jacoby Ellsbury tallied three hits tonight and is batting .476 (10/21) over his last five post-season games (tonight and four games of 2007 World Series)…Also stole two bases…RBI single in 9th put Sox up 3-1…Including regular season, he has hit safely in his last 19 games.

Jason Bay’s 2-run shot in the 6th frame put the Red Sox up 2-1…Was his first career post-season hit in his first playoff game…1st Red Sox player to connect for a HR on his first career playoff game since Todd Walker hit two long balls in Game 1 of 2003 ALDS vs. Oakland…7th overall player in Sox history to homer in first career playoff contest…Becomes the 7th native of Canada to homer in a playoff game (Russell Martin was the 6th Canadian native to homer in post-season earlier tonight).

David Ortiz’s RBI single in the 9th was the 39th post-season RBI of his career (most in Red Sox history).

Jonathan Papelbon worked a scoreless 9th to earn his fifth career playoff save (five chances)…Has not allowed a run in his last 15.2 IP in post-season play.

Dodgers Game Notes--Game 1

As a special treat for the fans, I will post all of the Dodgers daily game notes here on my blog throughout the playoffs. Enjoy!

OCTOBER BASEBALL – The NL West Division Champion Dodgers take on the NL Central Champion Cubs in the first game of the National League Division Series.

► The Dodgers and Cardinals are the only two National League teams to reach the postseason in three of the past five seasons.

POSTSEASON FLAVOR: The Dodgers’ starting lineup for Game 1 has 24 years of postseason experience entering the 2008 playoffs. Rafael Furcal (7 years), Russell Martin (1 year), Manny Ramirez (9 years), James Loney (1 year), Casey Blake (1 year), and Derek Lowe (5 years) have all reached the postseason at least once in their careers. In terms of postseason series, those starters have played in a combined 38 playoff series (Furcal - 6, Martin - 1, Ramirez - 19, Loney - 1, Blake – 2, and Lowe – 9).

WHAT ARE THE ODDS? –The Dodgers and Cubs have never met in the postseason. After 118 years and 2,024 games, the teams are tied in the all-time series 1,012-1,012. The two franchises first played each other on May 29, 1890 in Brooklyn.

BACK IN ACTION – Rafael Furcal will start tonight at shortstop despite missing 125 games this season due to back surgery. At the time of his injury in May, he led the Majors with 49 hits, ranked second with a .366 batting average, and third with a .448 on-base percentage. Furcal has reached the postseason in eight of his first nine seasons in the Majors, with last year being his first season without a playoff appearance.

MANNY LONGBALLS – Manny Ramirez has hit 24 home runs in the postseason and 14 of them have come on the road. Both of those totals are Major League records. Since joining the Dodgers on Aug. 1, Ramirez leads all of baseball with a .396 average, .489 on-base percentage and a .743 slugging percentage.

► Those hitting directly in front of Manny Ramirez in the lineup are batting a combined .383 (82-for- 214). Russell Martin, who hits ahead of him tonight, is batting .321 (9-for-28) with four walks.

JUST LIKE THE GOOD OL’ DAYS – Dodger Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will work the first and last three innings on KABC 790 during the postseason. Rick Monday and Charley Steiner will call the middle three innings on radio. On the Spanish-language side, Hall of Famer Jaime Jarrín will handle the play-by-play duties with Pepe Yñiguez and Fernando Valenzuela on KHJ/La Ranchera 930. The Dodgers are the only Major League team with two Hall of Famers on their broadcast team.

LUCKY NO. 13 – Dodger manager Joe Torre is appearing in his 13th straight postseason, one shy of the record for a manager, held by Bobby Cox (1991-2005). Torre has more postseason victories (76) than any manger in Major League history. He has finished in first place 14 times as a skipper – once with Atlanta and Los Angeles and 12 times with New York – the second-most all-time behind Cox (15).

BATTLE TESTED – The Dodgers’ 25-man postseason roster includes five players who have played in the Fall Classic – Jeff Kent, Derek Lowe, Greg Maddux, Juan Pierre, and Manny Ramirez. All five have earned rings – Kent with Toronto, Lowe and Ramirez with Boston, Maddux with Atlanta and Pierre with Florida.

BUILDING FROM WITHIN – Of the 25 players on the postseason roster, 10 were drafted and developed by the Dodgers – Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Blake DeWitt, Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, James Loney, Russell Martin, James McDonald, Chan Ho Park and Cory Wade. Andre Ethier was drafted by Oakland but reached the Majors for the first time with Los Angeles.

WRIGLEY MEMORIES – Tonight’s starter, Derek Lowe, is the only Major League pitcher to win at least 12 games in each of the past seven seasons. Over his final 10 starts this year, he went 6-1 with a 1.27 ERA and held opponents to a .195 batting average. His best start as a Dodger came on Aug. 31, 2005 at Wrigley Field. The right-hander threw a complete game one-hitter, as he allowed a leadoff infield single to Jerry Hairston in the first inning and did not allow another hit, retiring 26 of the final 28 batters, including 14 in a row at one point.

TURNING IT AROUND – The Dodgers were a season-high 7.0 games out of first place on April 25 but came back to win the NL West, matching the largest deficit the franchise has had to overcome to win a division or NL pennant. The 1966 Dodgers were also 7.0 games out of first on May 13 and won the NL pennant that season before losing in the Fall Classic.

PACK YOUR BAGS – After tomorrow night’s flight home, the Dodgers will have traveled more than 58,000 miles from the time they reported to Vero Beach until Game 3 of the NLDS. The team will have made 37 flights, including their historic trip to Beijing, China in March where they faced the Padres in the first-ever Major League games on Chinese soil.

WHEN THEY WERE JUST CUBS – Among the former Cubs on the Dodgers’ postseason roster are third base coach Larry Bowa and coach Jeff Pentland, pitcher Greg Maddux, infielder Nomar Garciaparra, outfielder Juan Pierre, and General Manager Ned Colletti. Colletti is the 10th GM in Los Angeles Dodger history and the first to reach the postseason in two of his first three seasons.

ALL SOLD OUT – Game 3 and 4 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium are officially sold out.

CLIPPERS INDIVIDUAL GAME TICKETS TO GO ON SALE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that individual game tickets will go on sale Saturday, October 4th at 10:00 AM online at Clippers.com, ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-4NBA-TIX. Tickets can also be purchased at the STAPLES Center Box Office, Ticketmaster Centers including Ritmo Latino and Macy’s beginning at 10:00 AM. Customers can also save up to 15% when purchasing tickets online.

The Clippers tip-off the 2008-09 season at STAPLES Center on Wednesday, October 29 when they take on their city and building rivals the Los Angeles Lakers at 7:30 p.m. The Clippers season-opening home stand continues on Friday, October 31 when they host Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets at 7:30 p.m.

The Clippers play nine of their first 10 games at STAPLES Center, and face eight teams that qualified for the 2007-08 NBA Playoffs during that span, highlighted by visits from Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets on Friday, November 7, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, November 9 and Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, November 17.

Other highlights of the schedule include a visit from the NBA Champion Boston Celtics on March 23 as well as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers coming to STAPLES Center on February 25.

In addition, for the best games and best available seats, full season, 16, 12, eight and four game ticket packages are on sale by calling (866) 883-2238 or by going online at clippers.com.