While just four of 28 teams to lose NL division series openers have come back to win series, it’s been an even 14-14 split in the AL, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“We expect to go out and win every game, even though that’s not the way it always works out,” the Angels’ Gary Matthews Jr. said. “You never go into a game expecting to lose. Santana’s had an outstanding year for us, pitched with poise and confidence all year and he was a completely different pitcher than he was the year before.”
There were plenty of dramatic moments in the opener.
With Boston clinging to a 2-1 lead and rookie Justin Masterson on the mound, Jacoby Ellsbury made a great diving catch on Mark Teixeira’s sinking fly to center starting the eighth.
“I thought he had no chance. It just looked like it was in no-man’s land,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
Vladimir Guerrero followed with a single before Torii Hunter blooped a hit over first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who quickly recovered and easily threw out Guerrero at third.
“Vlad is aggressive, and it was a tough read, and it was behind him, and I thought he thought the ball was a little further out there than it was,” Scioscia said. “And give Youkilis credit. He maintained his composure, got the hop and made a good throw to third base.”
Hunter said he was surprised Guerrero tried to go from first to third on the play.
“Vladdy was aggressive. That’s what we’ve been known for, but sometimes you have to be kind of smart,” Hunter said. “Sometimes it’s good to be aggressive, and sometimes it’s bad to be aggressive. But Vladdy is Vladdy. He thought he could make it, but it just didn’t work out.”
Ellsbury and David Ortiz added RBI singles in the ninth off Scot Shields, and Jonathan Papelbon finished for his fifth postseason save, extending his postseason scoreless streak to 15 2-3 innings.
The Angels had broken on top with an unearned run in the third on Hunter’s two-out, RBI single. Garret Anderson hit a one-out single and, after Teixeira struck out, rookie shortstop Jed Lowrie muffed Guerrero’s grounder before Hunter lined a 1-2 pitch to left that dropped in front of Bay.
Lowrie, making his postseason debut, set a major league record for rookie shortstops by handling 155 chances without an error in 49 games at that position during the regular season.
“I just rushed a little bit, I think I was trying to flip the ball to second before I fielded it,” Lowrie said. “It kind of looked for a while there like it might be the difference.”
Bay hit an 0-1 pitch far over the left-field fence with Youkilis aboard. He flipped his bat as he began his home run trot upon leaving the batter’s box, long before the ball landed in the seats beyond the double-decker bullpen.
“He left a fastball up, and I hit it,” Bay said.
Lester got the Game 1 assignment after Josh Beckett was pushed back to Game 3 because of an oblique problem. He retired his final seven batters, striking out four, and only one outfielder had a putout during his stint. Lester struck out seven and walked one.
“Early he established his fastball in,” Francona said. “Once we got the lead, he really went after ’em. He came with a vengeance and struck out the side.”
That was in the bottom of the sixth, when Lester fanned Howie Kendrick, Mike Napoli and Matthews.
The Angels, who wrapped up the AL West title with 2½ weeks left in the regular season, finished with a franchise-best 100-62 record that was tops in the majors. But they lost for the eighth time in 10 postseason home games since winning the 2002 World Series.
Lackey, who won Game 7 of that World Series, allowed two runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.
“John pitched a terrific ballgame and certainly gave us a chance to win,” Scioscia said. “He didn’t make many bad pitches tonight.”
