Winning Game 1 on the road put an extra spring in the Sox' step, and put the Angels, a team many regarded as the favorite to win this American League Division Series, in a difficult position in Game 2 tonight. Or, as Mike Lowell described it, "a monster game for them and a tremendous opportunity for us."
"I think there's a lot more pressure on the home team winning Game 2," Lowell said. "I don't think you want to be down, 2-0, whether you're going back home or not. I think that's a tough uphill battle in any sense, regular season or anything.
"Sweeps don't come that much in a three-game series. [Tonight's] a big game for both sides, it allows them to even up the series, but it could allow us to really put big-time pressure on them going into Boston."
That will be Matsuzaka's department; he takes his 18-3 record up against Ervin Santana (16-7). Though Matsuzaka's statistics and record can be matched up against almost anyone in baseball, there is some question about his ability to shut down a team. His performances are not as dominant as those of Josh Beckett or Game 1 winner Jon Lester.
But there might be no better matchup for Matsuzaka than the free-swinging Angels, at least as far as his pitch count is concerned. It didn't work out when he faced the Angels July 28, however. Matsuzaka allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks, giving up two home runs.
Since that game, Matsuzaka has given up more than three earned runs in a game just once, allowing five runs at Toronto Aug. 24. Other than that, he has been stellar, losing only his final start of the season in a four-inning tuneup against the Yankees.
"It's still about how Dice is going to execute his pitches, period," Jason Varitek said about the Angels' tendency to swing early in the count. "You have to make quality pitches with this lineup, and for him to be successful, we're going to have to do that."
