It must be like Groundhog Day for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They're among the best teams in all of baseball all season long. They cakewalk their way through the American League West. They're primed for a run at a World Series title.
And in walks the Boston Red Sox.
People think this run of playoff dominance by the Red Sox over the Angels started in 2004, but in reality, it goes all the way back to 1986.
The Red Sox, already down 2-1 in the series, sent ace Roger Clemens to the mound against the Angels. Clemens came just two outs away from a complete game victory, but couldn't get through the ninth inning. He was relieved by closer (and I use that term loosely) Calvin Schiraldi with one out in the ninth inning.
Schiraldi promptly gave up an RBI double to Gary Pettis, then after loading the bases with an intentional walk, hit Angels left fielder Brian Downing with a pitch to drive in the game tying run.
Two innings later, a Bobby Grich RBI single off of a tired Schiraldi gave the Angels a 4-3 victory and a commanding 3-1 lead in the ALCS.
That was the last playoff game they'd win against Boston until Game 3 of the 2008 ALDS.
In Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS, the Angels had a 5-2 lead after eight innings. But Don Baylor hit a two-run home run, then Dave Henderson hit a solo home run in the ninth to give the Red Sox a 6-5 lead. The Angels would tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Henderson hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly in the top of the 11th to put the Red Sox on top to stay.
Then this happened:
1986 ALCS, Game 6: Red Sox 10, Angels 4
1986 ALCS, Game 7: Red Sox 8, Angels 1
2004 ALDS, Game 1: Red Sox 9, Angels 3
2004 ALDS, Game 2: Red Sox 8, Angels 3
2004 ALDS, Game 3: Red Sox 8, Angels 6 (10 innings)
2007 ALDS, Game 1: Red Sox 4, Angels 0
2007 ALDS, Game 2: Red Sox 6, Angels 3
2007 ALDS, Game 3: Red Sox 9, Angels 1
2008 ALDS, Game 1: Red Sox 4, Angels 1
2008 ALDS, Game 2: Red Sox 7, Angels 5
The Angels finally broke through in Game 3 of the 2008 ALDS, winning 5-4 in 12 innings. But the victory celebration was short-lived, as the Red Sox ended their season with a walk-off 3-2 victory the next night.
So you can forgive the Angels if they were actively rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays or the Texas Rangers to overtake the Red Sox for the wild card.
Enough is enough, for crying out loud.
But, even as a diehard Red Sox fan, I can't help but wonder if this is the year they finally break through.
As a Red Sox fan, I know a thing or two about curses. I watched the Red Sox lose every meaningful game against the New York Yankees for three decades. My father had watched them lose every meaningful game to the New York Yankees for nearly six decades. His father had watched them lose every meaningful game to the New York Yankees for nearly nine decades.
Then came 2003. We were convinced we finally had the better team in Boston. But the Yankees had that mystique thing going for them, and a diminutive infielder's game winning, walk-off hit destroyed the Red Sox' hopes once again.
Sound a little familiar?
Last season, the Angels finally had the better team. They knew it, and to be honest, Red Sox fans knew it. The Sox' ace was hurting, their offense wasn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball, and the Angels had just wiped out their division by 20 games.
But in Game 4, a diminutive infielder's game winning, walk-off hit destroyed the Angels' hopes once again.
That Red Sox team walked away from the 2003 series against the Yankees knowing they could beat them. The next year, when they faced the Yankees again, the Red Sox celebrated in the infield of Yankee Stadium on their way to a World Series championship.
In 2008, the Red Sox won the series in four games, but twice the Angels tied a game in the eighth inning and both times the Red Sox won it in the ninth. The Angels know they could have won either game. They walked away from that series knowing they could beat the Red Sox.
Which brings us to today.
The Angels once again believe they have a better team. Their pitching is deeper, they hit the ball better, and they have an offense designed to exploit the Red Sox biggest weakness: an inability to stop the running game.
The Angels have a huge Rally Monkey on their back, and it's wearing a Red Sox cap. This is the year they throw it off.
Because if they don't beat the Red Sox this year, they'll never beat the Red Sox.
You can read more articles like this one on Sean's Examiner.com page.
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