Red Sox Squeeze Into ALCS

Not even Rally Monkey's shocking murder earlier in the game could keep the Angels from setting themselves up to win Game 4 of the ALDS, with Reggie Willits occupying third base with one out in the top of the ninth. But then, a botched squeeze bunt, resulting Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek's ass tag on Willits, pretty much ended things for the Anaheimians. Jed Lowrie singled home Jason Bay in the bottom of the ninth to win if for the Red Sox, 3-2, and now its on to the ALCS against some expansion team from Florida. Poor Rally Monkey. Still, the tiny spokesimian fared better than Craig Sager's orange clownsuit. Unfortunately for New Englanders though, he stiill has about two dozen more in his closet. And so the Angels and the Cubs, winners of 197 games between them, will be idle after baseball's first playoff round. This is not exactly how Mike Scioscia envisioned it. Is there anyone left who thinks that fate or Bud Selig has not decreed a Manny Ramirez-Boston reunion in the World Series? That would kind of rule, actually. Phillies-Rays on the other hand would confuse foreign viewers and be a domestic ratings disaster. How could it not be fate? Lowrie was hitting hit .213 in September, and was 2-for-10 in the series, before his game-winner. Bay, who had doubled two batters earlier, beat Willits' throw from right, sliding head first across the plate. In the top of the ninth, pinch-hitter Kendry Morales doubled, and pinch-runner Willits took third on Jason Kendrick's sacrifice. Erick Aybar then missed completely on a 2-0 bunt suicide squeeze bunt attempt. Willits was tagged out tring to return to third. When the ball squirted out of Varitek's glove after he hit the ground, Angels manager Mike Scioscia argued unsuccessfully to umpire Tim Welke that Willits was safe. Red Sox Knock Out Angels With Ninth-Inning Dramatics [USA Today]