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Ortiz, Ramirez and Schilling send Red Sox to the ALCS

Oct 8, 2007 - 12:05 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- A pair of sluggers and a veteran ace were all the Boston Red Sox needed to move on in the 2007 playoffs.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit back-to-back homers and Curt Schilling tossed seven scoreless innings as the Red Sox clinched the American League Division Series with a 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Sunday.

Boston advances to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2004 after completing a three-game sweep.

"It feels good to celebrate with the team and to take that next step to getting to the World Series," Ramirez said.

Ortiz, who hit a two-run blast in Boston's Game One victory, deposited an 0-1 curveball down and in from Anaheim starter Jered Weaver over the right field wall to open up a 1-0 lead leading off the fourth inning.

"We just came up big in big situations today and gave Schilling the early lead," Ortiz said. "I got a good pitch to handle and hit it hard."

The All-Star slugger was in the middle of the offensive surge throughout the series, going 5-for-7 with six walks and two homers.

"David and Manny had back-to-back beautiful swings, and it gave us the cushion and Schilling made it hold up," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Ramirez followed Ortiz and battled Weaver through an eight-pitch at-bat before scorching a 3-2 pitch over the wall in straight-away center field.

"I'm patient and have my confidence back," Ramirez said. "I just took my stroke to a second level in this series. I just keep my confidence up and just go out and try my best."

The blast was Ramirez's 22nd career postseason homer, tying him with Bernie Williams for first place on the all-time list. It was his second home run of the series after Friday's three-run walk-off blast to win Game Two.

"Year after year, he (Ramirez) continues to swing a hot bat in the postseason and always seems to come up with that big hit when we need it," Francona said.

While Ortiz and Ramirez have provided the offensive heroics, the story of the series has Boston's superior pitching.

"Pitching is everything and it's the key to playoffs is pitching," Ramirez said. "We got one of the best bullpens in baseball to follow up the starters."

Schilling (1-0) entered Sunday's game with the highest winning percentage in postseason history among pitchers who had made at least 10 starts. His ERA of 2.06 was the third best in history among pitchers with 100 innings or more of postseason experience.

"Schilling is the man, he's always great in the playoffs," Ramirez said.

The 40-year-old righthander lived up to his playoff resume against the Angels, allowing only one runner as far as third base while yielding six hits and issuing one walk. Schilling struck out four while taking advantage of Anaheim's free-swinging ways, pounding the strike zone and pitching to contact.

"Jason (Varitek) was flawless today," Schilling said. "That was as well a game called as I've ever had. I made a lot of mistakes early in the game but I got lucky and they (Angels) just fouled off my mistakes."

He threw 76 of his 100 pitches for strikes en route to notching his second career ALDS win over the Angels, who he also beat in Game One here in 2004. Schilling worked an 0-2 count eight times and started 19 of the 27 batters he faced off with strikes.

"It's a great feeling but we still have work to do to reach our goal, which is to get to the World Series and win it," Schilling said.

Schilling joins Game One starter Josh Beckett, who tossed a complete-game shutout in a 4-0 victory, and a lights-out bullpen that turned in 4 1/3 hitless innings in Game Two, to form a dominant pitching effort that led to Anaheim scoring a total of four runs in the series.

"We're trying to win the games," Schilling said. "Whatever I can do in the mix to help the team makes you feel good to contribute and I did that today."

Weaver (0-1) lasted five-plus innings, allowing two runs and four hits while walking three and striking out five. The second-year righthander was pulled after walking Ortiz to lead off the sixth inning.

"It's one of those games where you score one run and it's a 9-1 game, and you sit back and analyze," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I thought Jered Weaver did a terrific job pitching in the second and third situations and got himself out of jams."

Boston's offense exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning off three Angels' relievers to break the game open. The Red Sox sent 11 men to the plate in the frame, getting RBI from six different hitters, including Coco Crisp, who drove in two runs with a single to cap the rally.

"That lineup over there is tough for any ball club to face," Weaver said. "There isn't an easy out in that lineup. That team is a team that can put runs on the board in a hurry and you saw that later on in the game."

Boston has now won nine straight postseason games against Anaheim dating back to Game Five of the 1986 ALCS. The Red Sox are 11-3 in the playoffs since Game Four of the 2004 ALCS.

"They (Angels) have a terrific team and you never want to play those guys because of their style, but we just had to go out and play our type of game this series," Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett said.

They await the winner of the Cleveland Indians-New York Yankees series in the ALCS, which is set to open Friday at Fenway Park.