Angels get head start on Sox

ANAHEIM, Calif. – With Torii Hunter hitting the rocks and John Lackey rolling through the Boston lineup, the Los Angeles Angels finally got on top of the Red Sox in the playoffs.

Lackey pitched superbly into the eighth inning and Hunter hit a three-run homer off the rock pile in center field, leading the Angels to a 5-0 victory over their longtime playoff nemesis in their American League Division Series opener Thursday night.

Hunter’s shot broke open a scoreless game and appeared to topple any mental barriers Los Angeles might have faced against the Red Sox, who ended three of the Angels’ past five seasons in the division series.

“(Lackey) went out there and set the tone early,” Hunter said. “Man, we were so pumped up from then on. I’m excited about this start today.”

Boston didn’t manage an extra-base hit while getting shut out in the playoffs for the first time since Game 2 of the 1995 division series against Cleveland. The shutout was the first in the Angels’ 53-game postseason history.

Game 2 is tonight at Angel Stadium, with Boston’s Josh Beckett facing Jered Weaver.

The A.L. West champion Angels snapped a six-game home playoff losing streak behind Lackey, who dominated his first playoff victory since 2002 with fine control and good defense behind him. After striking out four and allowing four singles over 71/3 innings, he doffed his cap to a standing ovation.

“Even in the bullpen, I knew my arm was feeling good,” said Lackey, who pitched just once in the previous 11 days. “The extra rest that I had really helped me out. I really felt like my arm was pretty live tonight.”

Darren Oliver finished up with 12/3 innings of hitless relief.

Jon Lester allowed four hits over six innings for the wild-card Red Sox, who had won five straight playoff series openers. Lester wasn’t as sharp as Lackey during his second loss since July 19, but he avoided trouble until the fifth.

Erick Aybar started the rally with a leadoff double down the left-field line. After Bobby Abreu walked, Hunter smashed Lester’s second pitch off the Disneyland-esque artificial rock pile, with fireworks bursting from it at the moment of impact.

“That was huge, because of the way Lackey was pitching. Three runs looked like a lot,” Boston manager Terry Francona said.

Kendry Morales added a late run-scoring single and Abreu drew four walks for the Angels, who had lost six straight home playoff games. Although they’ve made six of the past eight postseasons, the Angels lost three of four last fall to the Red Sox, who won the World Series after bouncing Los Angeles from the division series in 2004 and 2007.

“I think by and large we’re a pretty good offensive team, and Lackey shut us down with four singles,” Jason Bay said. “Four singles and three errors isn’t going to win too many ballgames, so you tip your hat a little bit. But I think we can be better.”

Boston took the first two games at Angel Stadium in last season’s division series, including Lester’s 4-1 win over Lackey in the opener. The Angels had lost 12 of their 13 playoff games against Boston since the infamous Game 5 of the 1986 A.L. Championship Series, won in extra innings by the Red Sox after an incredible ninth-inning rally capped by Dave Henderson’s homer.