ALDS: Angels-Red Sox preview

This is probably the most interesting first-round playoff series, simply because of history.

The Red Sox, despite losing 8 of 9 games to Los Angeles this season, believe they own the Angels. That's because the Red Sox and Angels have met in the postseason three times before, including last year and in 2004, and the Red Sox have won every time.

Pundits will declare that Boston has the postseason experience, but both teams are annual playoff participants. The Angels, the only team with 100 wins this season and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, are in the postseason for the fourth time in five seasons. The Red Sox have made the playoffs in five of the past six years.

The Red Sox will have no home-field advantage in the AL playoffs this time around, but are in the same position they were in 1999, 2003 and 2004. They won each of those first-round series as wild cards.

Hitting: With Torii Hunter (.278, 21 HR) and Mark Teixeira (.358, 13 homers in 54 games since trade from Atlanta), the Angels have closed this gap considerably since last year's three-game sweep. The free-swinging Angels battled some injuries earlier this month, but are as healthy as they've been in the second half. Mike Lowell (.274, 17 HR) is ailing for the Red Sox, and Boston no longer has longtime Angels-killer Manny Ramirez, who now makes his temporary home in Southern California with the crosstown Dodgers. The Red Sox haven't seemed to miss their former enigmatic left fielder - the all-time leader in playoff home runs - but when there are runners on base late in a tie game in Game 3 and Jason Bay (.293, 9 HR in 49 games since trade from Pittsburgh) is at the plate, remember that deal. Edge: Angels.

Starting pitching: There are days off between each of the first three games, which means both teams will go with three starters. That favors Boston, which isn't nearly as deep. They'll go with Jon Lester (16-6, 3.21), Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90) and likely an ailing Josh Beckett (12-10) as their starters, and the Angels will counter with John Lackey (12-5, 3.75), Ervin Santana (16-7, 3.49) and Joe Saunders (17-7, 3.41), with Jered Weaver (11-10) out of the bullpen. Beckett has injury issues hasn't had the kind of season he had in 2007, but his postseason pedigree (6-0, 1.73 ERA in nine career playoff starts) is outstanding. And how many teams have a guy who went 18-2 as their No. 2 starter in Dice-K? On the other side, Saunders and Lackey each went 2-0 against Boston this year. Edge: Angels, because of Beckett's situation.

Bullpen: Two of the best closers in the game in Francisco Rodriguez (MLB single-season record 62 saves) vs. Jonathan Papelbon (40 saves). Boston's middle relief is a reasonably solid tandem of Manny Delcarmen, Justin Masterson and lefty Hideki Okajima. The Angels will counter with Scot Shields (6-4, 2.70), the emerging Jose Arrendondo (10-2, 1.62) and lefty Darren Oliver (7-1, 2.88). Two of the best bullpens in either league. Edge: Even.

Prediction: A tough one. Angels win at home in five.

Schedule (all games on TBS, all times local)

• Game 1: Wednesday, Oct. 1, Boston at Los Angeles, 7 p.m. PDT (TBS)
• Game 2: Friday, Oct. 3, Boston at Los Angeles, 6:30 p.m. PDT (TBS)
• Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 5, Los Angeles at Boston, time TBA (TBS)
• Game 4: Monday, Oct. 6, Los Angeles at Boston, time TBA (TBS)*
• Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 8, Boston at Los Angeles, time TBA (TBS)*

*-if necessary

Links to all playoff coverage in Playoff Central. And check out photo galleries and stats for the Red Sox and Angels.