Angels will open playoffs Wednesday

ANAHEIM- The Los Angeles just announced following their 12-1 loss to Texas that they will begin the American League divisional series here on Wednesday (Game 2 here on Friday), thus deciding to take the longer series (in days) so they can use their top three starters.

The Red Sox will have the same option.

"I think our decision is probably more related to in house and what we're able to do with our roster than anything," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "We can trim our pitching roster and we can do a lot of other things as a result. We'll have more on our roster in the next couple of days."

The Angels, who clinched homefield advantage after Tampa Bay bowed to Detroit earlier in the night, will be able to use John Lackey and Ervin Santana twice in the five game series if needed. The Sox will be able to use Josh Beckett and Jon Lester twice. The third starters will be Lefty Joe Saunders for the Angels and Daisuke Matsuzaka for Boston.

Lackey, 12-5, was clobbered for 10 runs, 12 hits, two homers in 2-2/3 innings last night, the worst outing of his career.

Asked whether Lackey's performance changed anything, Scioscia said, "Not at all."