dave malinksy
6* Playoff Special - Red Sox/Angels
LOS ANGELES ANGELS(Weaver)-110 over Boston Red Sox (Beckett)
6* #304 ANGELS over BOSTON
Rarely does a single game in professional sports have as much of a psychological impact of the opener of this series last night, with the Angels getting the kind of convincing win over an opponent that had been a nightmare for them in recent playoff series. And in doing so they also overcame what is their toughest pitching matchup against the Red Sox. Now we believe we will see a loose and confident team tonight, and with the pitching matchups also swinging in a major way we have outstanding value to get in play big. Here is how Chone Figgins referenced last night?s win - ?Whatever the hex is, I guess somebody un-hexed it ? It was huge.? And that sentiment reverberated through the Angel clubhouse, creating something that they can build off of here. Meanwhile the Red Sox fell to 39-43 away from Fenway Park, and added another ?L? to a dismal 3-13 on the road against winning teams since the All Star break, games in which they were out-scored by a combined 42 runs. They only had four hits, all singles, and three different players committed errors. They appear to be anything but that confident champion of past seasons. That takes us to Jered Weaver vs. Josh Beckett, and that is where the current pick?em ling range is even further from where it should be. Weaver has worked to a sparkling 27-12/3.27 from this mound in his Major League career, and in five home starts against the Red Sox it has been a 1.76 over 30.2 innings. And it is not as though they are learning how to handle him as they get more experience vs. his awkward delivery ? in two meetings this season they did not score an earned run in 13.2 innings, managing only eight hits. Off of a sharp 2.27 over his last seven starts, including five shutout inning in his final tuneup in which he did not walk a batter and allowed only three hits, his form is right where we would like to see it. It has been a different story for Beckett, who has had to battle back problems, and was nothing special at all away from Fenway this season (7-5/4.13). The Angels have relished facing him the past two seasons, five starts in which he has worked to an 0-3/6.12 tune, allowing five home runs in 32.1 innings. And there is nothing in his current form to suggest that he can turn that around. Following a dismal cycle in which he allowed 14 home runs over five starts back in August there were a couple of brief glimpses of better stuff, but in his last two starts he allowed the feeble Royals and Indians to get 19 hits over just 11 frames. He and the Red Sox do not bring nearly what past reputations suggest, and we take full advantage in this price range.