Angels have momentum
October 12, 2005
Matt Hurst
Press-Enterprise
CHICAGO - "If it's there, take it," John Lackey said, laughing as he finished off a Red Bull and throwing the empty can into the dugout at U. S. Cellular Field.
He was talking about the energy drink, something none of the Angels was sure to turn down following the team's second red-eye flight in as many nights, followed by a third straight postseason game.
Yet the logic surely applied to Tuesday night's opener of the American League Championship Series. The game was there for the taking, and by beating a rested Chicago White Sox team, 3-2, the Angels took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Despite facing the game's hottest pitcher through the final month and a half of the season and doing so after getting to bed no earlier than 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Angels were spry enough to take a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Then they rode the tired arms of Paul Byrd, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez to within three wins of the World Series.
"One coffee, one Mountain Dew and a lot of adrenaline," was how Darin Erstad described the team getting through the day.
The past few days have included a middle-of-the-night flight from New York to Ontario on Sunday, followed by a Game 5 win over the Yankees, a victory celebration and another late-night/early morning flight to Chicago, followed by Game 1 of the ALCS. In all, it was a 4,700-mile trip in less than a day-and-a-half.
"You expected a lot of mistakes, miscues, whatever because of the circumstances we went through," Bengie Molina said.
But it was the White Sox making the miscues while the Angels played a crisp game. And in doing so, the Angels took advantage of every Chicago slip-up.
After taking a 1-0 lead on Garret Anderson's solo home run in the second, the Angels scored twice off Jose Contreras in the third. Consecutive singles from Steve Finley and Adam Kennedy started the rally, and Chone Figgins sacrificed them to second and third.
Orlando Cabrera softly chopped one to third, where Joe Crede was indecisive whether he should go home or to first. Finley scored without a throw and Cabrera beat out the throw for a single.
Contreras, who went 8-0 with a 2.09 ERA in his final eight regular-season starts, got Vladimir Guerrero to ground back to the mound. Contreras went to second for the double play, instead of home. But Cabrera slid hard and took out Tadahito Iguchi, causing the second baseman's throw to sail off target and allowing another run to cross.
Those runs were enough for Byrd, who pitched six solid innings, allowing two runs on five hits. More impressive because he doing it on three days' rest, even if he wasn't completely resting.
"You wake up in a room and it's dark and you're like, 'Where am I?' " Byrd said. "You've got to get your bearings. But, I'll tell you what -- I like it better than sitting on the couch and watching someone else play."
That was the driving force. A lot of caffeine. A lot of adrenaline. And playing looser than the White Sox did.
Chicago played the little-ball strategy almost to a fault. The White Sox had two runners thrown out trying to steal second, the No. 3 hitter popped up a bunt to lead off an inning, and the lead runner was thrown out in the ninth on Aaron Rowand's sacrifice attempt.
Shields, who has appeared in all but one playoff game, pitched two scoreless innings, and Rodriguez struck out Crede with a runner on to finish the game.
"It's been a rough three days, but we you have to put it behind you," Rodriguez said. "How can you feel tired at this moment in the playoffs?"
That's the big thing. That and taking Game 1 and stealing home-field advantage.
"This was big, today was big because it's like boxers in a fight," Cabrera said. "We threw the first punch and got it and hopefully we don't let them recuperate. We'll come strong and if we can get another win, we'll have more momentum."
And imagine what they can do with eight hours of sleep.
|
|
|
|
|