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Aybar plates go-ahead run as Angels stay alive

Oct 6, 2008 - 6:38 AM BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are still alive.

Erick Aybar singled in the go-ahead run in the 12th inning to give the Angels a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in Game Three of the American League Division Series.

Mike Napoli hit two homers and scored the winning run for Anaheim, which staved off elimination in the best-of-five series. The Red Sox lead two-games-to-one, with Game Four scheduled for Monday.

"It feels great," Napoli said. "It got us back in the ball game and you know, kept us in the game. It's all we can ask for. We got some big hits tonight and we came away with a victory tonight."

"We felt we were going to play better," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Although we had a miscue tonight that cost us three runs, still, we played a much better game. I feel good about that, I know we feel good about that. That game was swinging on a heart beat for most of the night. Fortunately, we got it done at the end."

With lefthander Javier Lopez (0-1) on the mound to start the 12th, Napoli fouled off three pitches before driving a 2-2 offering into left field. Howie Kendrick sacrificed him to second before Aybar singled to center.

At five hours and 19 minutes, the contest was the longest in the history of ALDS play.

Anaheim's win snapped an 11-game losing streak against Boston in postseason play.

"That's what we're looking for," Aybar said. "It's big because we were able to come back. And the pressure, that's what we're looking forward to from here on, and to see the team do it that way, it really means a lot."

"We executed well," Scioscia said. "Nap had a couple of big hits for us, he caught a great game and we came away with the win. I feel good we played better. I think if we keep playing well, we're going to be fine."

The Red Sox had a chance to end it in the 10th when they loaded the bases against Francisco Rodriguez, but rookie Jed Lowrie lined out to right field to end the threat.

Jered Weaver (1-0), who is a starter during the regular season but is working out of the bullpen in the series, came on in the 11th and struck out three in two scoreless frames to earn the win.

Boston grabbed three runs in the second to take the lead on a defensive breakdown by the Angels. With the bases loaded and two out, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a pop up into shallow center field.

Second baseman Kendrick, shortstop Aybar and center fielder Torii Hunter could not decide who would make the play, and the ball dropped for the first three-run single in major league postseason history.

Napoli tied it at 3-3 with a two-run blast deep over the "Green Monster" in left field in the bottom of the frame and gave the Angels the lead with a solo blast in the fifth off Josh Beckett.

"I was going up there trying to give a tough at-bat and drive a ball," Napoli said. "I got a couple of pitches I could handle and put a good swing on it, and they happened to leave. We're going to come out tomorrow and lay it on the line and keep going."

The Red Sox's ace lasted five frames and was charged with all four runs, allowing nine hits and walking four while striking out six.

Beckett entered the contest with a 6-0 record and a 1.73 ERA in his postseason career but was working on 12 days' rest after being shut down with a strained oblique muscle. The injury did not seem to affect Beckett, who certainly looked rusty with his command, throwing just 59 of 106 pitches for strikes.

"I thought they really made (Beckett) work," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "Right from the very first pitch of the game, he was out of the stretch. It's been a couple of weeks. I don't think his command was what it can be, what it will be.

"I thought our whole staff, we seemed like we were pitching out of the stretch every single inning," Francona said. "We dodged a lot of bullets and couldn't in the end."

Boston came back to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth when Ellsbury led off with a double and came in to score on Kevin Youkilis' two-out double to center field.

That ended the night for Anaheim lefthander Joe Saunders, who surrendered four runs and five hits while walking four and striking out two.