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A.L. Championship Series Glance

Grady Sizemore needs a big series against Boston. Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
The Spokesman-Review
Grady Sizemore needs a big series against Boston. Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

Schedule

Game 1, Friday, at Boston (4:10 p.m.); Game 2, Saturday, at Boston (5:21 p.m.); Game 3, Monday, at Cleveland (4:10 p.m.); Game 4, Tuesday, at Cleveland (5:21 p.m.); x-Game 5, Oct. 11, at Cleveland (5:21 p.m.); x-Game 6, Oct. 20, at Boston (TBD); x-Game 7, Oct. 21, at Boston (TBD). (All games on Fox).

x-if necessary.

Season series

Boston won 5-2.

Projected lineups

Indians: CF Grady Sizemore (.277, 24 HR, 78 RBIs, 33 SB, 155 strikeouts), 2B Asdrubal Cabrera (.283, 3, 23), DH Travis Hafner (.266, 24, 100), C Victor Martinez (.301, 25, 114), 1B Ryan Garko (.289, 21, 61), SS Jhonny Peralta (.270, 21, 72), LF Kenny Lofton (.296, 7, 38, 23 SB with Texas and Cleveland), RF Franklin Gutierrez (.266, 16, 36), 3B Casey Blake (.270, 18, 78).

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia (.317, 8, 50), 1B Kevin Youkilis (.288, 16, 83), DH David Ortiz (.332, 35, 117, 52 doubles, .445 OBP), LF Manny Ramirez (.296, 20, 88), 3B Mike Lowell (.324, 21, 120), RF J.D. Drew (.270, 11, 64) or Bobby Kielty (.218, 1, 12), C Jason Varitek (.255, 17, 68), CF Coco Crisp (.268, 6, 60, 28 SB), SS Julio Lugo (.237, 8, 73, 33 SB).

Projected rotations

Indians: LH C.C. Sabathia (19-7, 3.21, major league-high 241 IP), RH Fausto Carmona (19-7, 3.06 – 2.15 in second half), RH Jake Westbrook (6-9, 4.32), RH Paul Byrd (15-8, 4.59, 28 walks in 192 1-3 IP).

Red Sox: RH Josh Beckett (20-7, 3.27 ERA), RH Curt Schilling (9-8, 3.87), RH Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-12, 4.40, 201 strikeouts), RH Tim Wakefield (17-12, 4.76).

Relievers

Indians: RH Joe Borowski (4-5, 5.07, AL-high 45/53 saves), RH Rafael Betancourt (5-1, 1.47 ERA is second-lowest among AL relievers), LH Rafael Perez (1-2, 1.78 ERA), RH Tom Mastny (7-2, 4.68), RH Jensen Lewis (1-1, 2.15), LH Aaron Fultz (4-3, 2.92).

Red Sox: RH Jonathan Papelbon (1-3, 1.85 ERA, 37/40 saves), LH Hideki Okajima (3-2, 2.22, 5/7), RH Eric Gagne (4-2, 3.81, 16/20 with Texas and Boston), RH Manny Delcarmen (0-0, 2.05), LH Jon Lester (4-0, 4.57, 1 relief appearance), LH Javier Lopez (2-1, 3.10), RH Mike Timlin (2-1, 3.42).

Matchups

Both teams finished 96-66, tied for the best record in baseball. Boston earned home-field advantage by winning the season series. That might not mean much, though. Cleveland was 0-6 against the New York Yankees this season before beating them 3-1 in the first round. … The Red Sox took two of three from Cleveland at Fenway Park in late May, with Schilling and Beckett earning the wins. Byrd beat Matsuzaka for the Indians’ victory. Boston won three of four at Jacobs Field in July, a series that included consecutive 1-0 games. Matsuzaka beat Sabathia 1-0, then Carmona topped Beckett. It was the first time Cleveland traded 1-0 games since 1942. … The Indians scored three runs or less in five of the seven meetings.

Big picture

Despite an opening-day payroll of about $62 million, Cleveland has a chance to knock off baseball’s two biggest spenders in consecutive playoff series. First, the Indians took down the $215 million Yankees 3-1 in the first round. Now, they’ll take on the Red Sox, with a treasure chest around $145 million. … Despite a limited budget, Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro has expertly built one of baseball’s most balanced teams. He also benefited from some luck along the way. After a fourth-place finish in 2006, Shapiro set out to improve the Indians’ bullpen and infield defense. Boston is in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years and has reached the ALCS three times during that span. After going 86 years without a championship, the Red Sox are looking for their second World Series title in four seasons. … Pitching has been Boston’s strong point, led by Beckett. He posted his first 20-win season and became the first 20-game winner in the majors since 2005.

Watch For

“Dynamic duo: The 1-2 punch of Ortiz and Ramirez overpowered the Los Angeles Angels. Batting back to back, they make the middle of Boston’s lineup downright scary. The Angels tried pitching around Ortiz, the No. 3 hitter, by walking him four times in Game 2. Ramirez made them pay with a game-ending homer.

“Sizemore matters: Cleveland’s do-it-all center fielder with the striking looks and Gold Glove could become a huge star with a big October. He’s off to a strong start, with a leadoff homer in the Game 4 clincher against the Yankees. He batted .375 in that series (6 for 16) with four walks. Nobody plays the game harder than Cleveland’s No. 24, whose return to the leadoff spot after a brief stint as a No. 3 hitter triggered the Indians’ division-clinching surge.

“October aces: Beckett, Schilling and Matsuzaka have all excelled in big games. Before Beckett, the previous pitcher to throw consecutive postseason shutouts was Schilling, (1993 and 2001), co-MVP of the 2001 World Series with Arizona. Matsuzaka was MVP of the World Baseball Classic for Japan last year. On the Cleveland side, Sabathia pitched out of trouble and held New York in check during Game 1.

Associated Press