Playoff baseball has arrived

Last night felt like playoff baseball - hoping not only for a win, but for an ending so I could go to sleep.

Somehow I was able to fall asleep even after all the craziness and excitement of the 9th inning in which the Red Sox stole a 9-8 walkoff win from the Angels.

Despite the playoff feel, the game never seemed comfortable other than the five-run 6th inning in which the Red Sox took a 5-3 lead. They coughed it right up and entered the bottom of the 9th facing Brian Fuentes trailing 8-7.

The Red Sox had a 23 percent chance of winning at that point, which dropped to 5 percent after two quick flyouts. Then things got crazy. David Ortiz worked a walk. J.D. Drew hit an infield single. Jed Lowrie, making his first plate appearance in more than a month, pinch hit and got another infield single. Actually, this could have been a game-tying double if Chone Figgins didn't knock it down.

Then, a nine-pitch walk by pinch-hitter Nick Green swung the odds in the Red Sox favor. I admit, Green, who looked awful and later said he had a dead leg, should have been punched out at least twice. Once on a checked swing on which he clearly swung and on the final pitch, which looked to be a perfect strike.

I'll let Mike Scioscia and Fuentes do the griping. I don't want to be fined by the commissioner's office.

Nonetheless, in baseball, spit happens, like Alex Gonzalez's little duck snort to left to win it and put the Red Sox comfortably ahead of the Rangers by 6.5 games and still within hope (6.5 games) of catching the Yankees.

Tonight's games: Both games were on TV again tonight, but we decided to rely on the channel return button instead of watching in separate rooms - especially the breath-taking 9th innings that ended without a Red Sox comeback, but a Brad Lidge save in a blemished outing.

Both our teams' aces went eight innings tonight. Josh Beckett gave up three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts in the 4-3 loss to the Angels. Billy Wagner blew it for him in the 8th.

Cole Hamels was better than Beckett. He took a perfect game into the 6th. Christine blames me for getting up from the computer for breaking the streak. Hey, I finished prewriting the blog all I could and I was going to have to use the facilities. Jeez, it's not like I needed a substitution like Shane Victorino.

Cole finished with a run on five hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts. Brad Lidge gave up a run in the 9th, but he held on to preserve the 4-2 win over the Nationals.

Thus ended a successful 13-2 homestand for the SoxandPhils. They're cruising toward their October/November showdown.

The clincher

I like the Phillies chances to wrap it up tomorrow in Milwaukee - solely because of the old man on the mound.

Jamie Moyer won't let them lose this game. Last year he looked possessed, willing them to win the last game of the season when anything less would have meant a one-game playoff against the Mets, or worse. This year, under less stressful circumstances, he pitched the division-clinching game.

A little playoff history on J-Moy ... he'll be making his sixth postseason appearance tomorrow, all of which came after he was 34 years old. He's 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 29 2/3 innings. His WHIP is 0.94. He's always smart and tough on the mound, but he takes himself to another level for big games. In last year's Game 3 against the Rockies, he took a no decision in the Phillies final game, yielding one run in six innings.

I expect he will pitch the Phillies last first-round game this year as well.

Before we get to the Phillies Game 3, the Red Sox have to win Game 2 tonight: Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. Ervin Santana.

I can't get a good feel on this one. I'm feeling a strong start by Dice-K, but I also sense people have written off the Angels after one game. I'm not, but I lean toward saying the Sox will pull this one out somehow. If so, then I'll write off the Angels.

Even Mike Scioscia agrees:

We need to win tonight, there is no mistake. They're a terrific ball club and we're a terrific ball club. The bottom line is to bring it on the field and it's a shame if we don't bring it because if you bring it on the field and another team beats you, then it's easy to turn the page and say, hey, congratulations.

Red Sox updates: Mike Lowell, who gritted out Game 1 with his bum hip, will be forced to watch Game 2. Jed Lowrie gets the night off - Terry Francona has a hunch with Alex Cora. And Josh Beckett is pitching Game 3 at Fenway. Did I mention tonight is a must-win for the Halos?

The game is starting now. We'll catch up tomorrow.

Dinnertime: While waiting for our order at Chick-fil-A, we heard one of the workers telling the others that Stephen A. Smith was in for lunch.

"I told him I was a big fan and gave him a bunch of coupons," he said.

One co-worker was incredulous.

"No, really," the Stephen A. fan said. "NFL Films is right across the street."