Two coin flips away

Last night's Angels-Red Sox match-up is a prime example why I still follow this game.

After Jon Lester shut down the Angels for seven innings - 14 goose eggs for the ace in the series - Justin Masterson allowed the Angels to tie it up with two runs in the 8th.

Before 2004, I might have turned off the TV if that happened. Now, it's just a matter of how they're going to pull it out.

They survived a scare in the top of the 9th, when the Angels had a man on third with one out. Erick Ayber missed a bunt, and Jason Varitek chased Reggie Willits back to third, narrowly tagging him before he reached the base. Of course, controversy followed because after the lunging tag, the ball fell out of the captain's glove. No matter, the out stood.

In the bottom of the 9th, with one out Jason (Manny who?) Bay blooped one to right that Willits couldn't get; it bounced in the stands for a ground-rule double. With two outs, Jed Lowrie roped a hit to win the game 3-2, end the series and etch his name in Red Sox playoff lore. It was nice symmetry that Lester and Lowrie did their post-game news conference together.

With the win, the showdown for the American League championship is set between the Eastern Division champion Tampa Rays and the Wild Card challenger Red Sox. Given the competitiveness of each team and their history of bad blood, I expect a long, hard-fought series. It's pretty much a coin flip between the Rays and Red Sox, and the Phillies and Dodgers.

Each team left standing has a 50 percent chance of going to the World Series. We're two coin flips away - a one in four shot - from a SoxandPhils World Series.

No more getting ahead of ourselves. We have to first concentrate on beating the Rays, who I never dismissed, and the Dodgers.

To end on a serious note. Our country is in rough economic times. A new report shows that 25 of the wealthiest men in America are now out of work ... but enough about the New York Yankees!

I heard that this weekend from Big Joe Henry and just kept forgetting to post it.

{I'm sure you're all as amused as I was. Sad to say, Greg actually laughed out loud. Sigh.}

[Photo credit: Associated Press]