Same old LA story

Scioscia denied in opening act

ANAHEIM, Calif. - A nine-game playoff losing streak against the Red Sox hovering over his head like a dark cloud, Angels manager Mike Scioscia expressed hope before last night's game that this year would be different for his team, which he felt was as healthy and deep as it's ever been.

And that marked a vast difference from a year ago when Scioscia showed up in Boston for the American League Division Series against the Red Sox with a "skeleton crew" that was decimated by injuries. Gary Matthews Jr. (patellar tendinitis) was a playoff scratch, as was pitcher Bartolo Colon (elbow). Free-swinging Vladimir Guerrero hit .200 (2 for 10) as he was nagged all series by tendinitis in his right triceps, and right fielder Garret Anderson hit .222 (2 for 9) while playing with a right eye nearly swollen shut by conjunctivitis.

The Angels, as a result, were swept in three games as they hit a combined .192 and got outscored, 19-4, while going scoreless in 25 of their last 26 innings.

Even though the tables seemed to have been turned this year, with the Sox limping into the ALDS with a lineup that included injured Mike Lowell (hip) at third base and J.D. Drew (back) in right field, it did little to alter the Angels' run of buzzard luck against the Sox in last night's 4-1 loss in Game 1 before an Angel Stadium crowd of 44,996.

"I can go down our list, but I'm not going to do Boston any favors and give you our injury list," Scioscia said before the game. "I think at this point every team is banged up. I think that's what Boston is dealing with, you've got some professional players that know what it's about and know what they have to do.

"Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew are going to play and they're going to go out there and play well and we're going to have to play well," Scioscia continued.

"Last year . . . as our series progressed with Boston, you know, we had some unfortunate incidents that were a little bit out of our control that happened, but I don't want it to be taken as we're saying they beat us because we had a skeleton crew."

On this point, Scioscia was adamant.

"We didn't play well," he said. "Combined with maybe some of the guys that were maybe not up to their potential and, you know, we got it handed to us pretty well last year."

But this year? The AL West champions came into the series with the best record (100-62) in baseball, winning a franchise-record number of games, despite not having a 20-game winner, or a 100-RBI player.

"This year it's a different story," Scioscia said. "I want to see how this plays out on the field because we're as deep as we've ever been and I think our lineup has the potential to do some things and when we've had successes in the postseason, that's what we're going to focus on.

"Boston is tough, they're going to be there, and we have to play well to beat 'em."

Turned inside out

After considerable thought, Scioscia came up with a roster that gives him flexibility and versatility. "Carrying a third catcher was something we put a lot of thought in," said Scioscia, who opted to go with two: Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis. "We looked at our bullpen and the makeup of our bullpen and even how many starters we were going to use. We turned this thing inside out and we feel like we have a roster that gives us a lot of flexibility and a lot of versatility. On our pitching side, we feel like we have arms that can get us in position to win games and hold leads." . . . One of those arms belongs to 25-year-old righthander Ervin Santana, who will start Game 2 opposite Daisuke Matsuzaka. Santana (16-7, 3.49 ERA) has been on an amazing journey this season. He improved upon the mechanical flaws that had him fighting for his job in spring training, then became an All-Star. "To me, I come to spring training to pitch, not [to] come here to fight for any spot," said Santana, who started the season 6-0. "I don't have any control [over] that and I just do my job and I'm happy because I like to compete, and I made the team so I'm happy [about] it." At no time, though, did Scioscia's confidence in Santana waver, even when his name popped up at the trading deadline. "Believe me, we value Ervin's talent and he's showing it this year," Scioscia said. "Last year he had a setback [going 7-14 with a 5.76 ERA in 26 starts] and regained his form this year and had an incredible season." . . . Rod Carew, who spent the final seven seasons of his illustrious career with the Angels, threw out the ceremonial first pitch . . . With two swings in his first two plate appearances, Anderson matched his hit production from last year's ALDS. Anderson singled sharply to right and left in his first two at-bats against Jon Lester . . . The sellout crowd was none too pleased in the third inning when first base umpire Bill Miller called out Mark Teixeira on a check swing, after third base umpire Ed Rapuano twice waved off check swings by David Ortiz in the second before he popped up to shortstop Erick Aybar . . . The bottom third of the Angels' batting order struggled mightily against Lester, going 0 for 9 with four strikeouts . . . Worshipers of the Rally Monkey, which made its appearance in the eighth inning, were displeased when Guerrero's base-running gaffe put a huge damper on an outburst. Guerrero, who reached on a single to left in the eighth, was thrown out at third (it wasn't even close) by Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis after trying to take an extra base on Torii Hunter's bloop single.