Scioscia: 'We're as deep as we've ever been'

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Angels' nine-game playoff losing streak against the Red Sox still hovering over their heads like a dark cloud, Angels manager Mike Scioscia expressed the fervent hope before tonight's opener in the American League Division Series that his team, as healthy and as deep as it's ever been, was prepared to put a halt to its playoff skid.

A year ago, Scioscia showed up in Boston for the ALDS with what he termed "a skeleton crew'' that was decimated by injuries. Gary Matthews Jr. (patella tendinitis) was a playoff scratch as was pitcher Bartolo Colon (elbow). Vladimir Guerrero was nagged all series (2-for-10) by tendinitis in his right triceps and right fielder Garret Anderson's right eye was nearly swollen shut by conjuctivitis.

The Angels, as a result, wound up getting swept in three games in the best-of-five series after hitting a combined .192 (19 for 99) and getting outscored 19-4 while going scoreless in 25 of its last 26 innings.

Now, it seems, the tables have been turned, with the Sox limping into the ALDS with a lineup that included Mike Lowell (hip) at third base and J.D. Drew (back) in right field.

"I can go down our list,'' Scioscia said before the game. "I'm not going to do Boston any favors and give you our injury list. I think at this point every team is banged up. I think that 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, I think as our season -- 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 you know, and I don't want it to be taken as we're saying they beat us because we had a skeleton crew.

"We didn't play well. 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 come into the series with the best record (100-62) in baseball, winning a franchise-record number of games despite doing so without the benefit of a 20-game winner, a 30-home run hitter or a 100-RBI player.

"This year it's a different story for us,'' Scioscia said. "And I want to -- you know, I want to see how this plays out on the field because we're as deep as we've ever been and I think that our lineup has the potential to do some things that we've seen 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."