A BLAST FROM THE PAST ORTIZ BEATS ANGELS AGAIN WITH HOME RUN BOSTON 3, ANGELS 2.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

BOSTON - Eleven months after their 2004 season ended on a David Ortiz home run, the Angels are still trying to figure out a way to get the Red Sox slugger out with the game on the line.

Ortiz crushed a 3-2 fastball from Angels reliever Scot Shields and hit it deep into the right-field seats leading off the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 3-2 victory in front of 35,061 at Fenway Park.

Ortiz's 10th-inning homer off Jarrod Washburn in Game 3 of last year's divisional playoffs ended the Angels' season and propelled the Red Sox to their first World Series title since 1918. This time, the Angels at least get to play the next day.

``You never get tired of it,'' Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. ``I've talked about it before. That's what he's done so many times, and it's a pleasure to revisit it. He doesn't have to do anything out of the ordinary. He's got power to all fields. ... He puts the barrel of the bat on the ball, and man! We've seen it so many times.''

Six times Ortiz has hit a game-winning homer for the Red Sox, including twice (against the Angels and Yankees) in last year's postseason. For the Angels, twice is too many.

``I don't care who it is, I don't like to see that ever,'' Angels first baseman Darin Erstad said. ``Because it means we're walking off the field and we lost.''

Because Oakland lost, the Angels' lead in the American League West remains 1 1/2 games.

Shields (8-11) entered the game in the ninth inning after starter John Lackey (6 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits) and relievers Brendan Donnelly and Kelvim Escobar held the Red Sox to two runs and eight hits. With the count full, Shields tried to get a fastball in on Ortiz's hands, but didn't get it in enough.

``I left that one over the middle of the plate and he hit it real far,'' said Shields, who was tagged with his 11th loss of the season, tying an Angels record for relievers (Mark Clear, 1980). ``I can't let him win the game like that. I made a mistake and paid for it. I want to get back out there (tonight) to keep my head up.''

Shields struck out Ortiz with a curveball the last time the teams played in Anaheim, but said he was happy with his pitch selection this time. And so was Ortiz.

``When I have in my mind that you have a good fastball, it doesn't matter how nasty you are with some of the other pitches,'' Ortiz said. ``Forget about that fastball, I already have it in the back of my head. The guy (Shields) got in the situation before and he threw me a breaking ball and struck me out. But he saw me staying on those off-speed pitches, so I guess he didn't want to take the chance.''

Shields had replaced Escobar, who was making his first appearance since recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his elbow. Escobar was sharp, rescuing Donnelly in the seventh when the Red Sox put runners on second and third with one out.

Escobar came in and got Manny Ramirez to hit a grounder to third baseman Robb Quinlan, who backhanded the ball and threw out Johnny Damon at the plate. Escobar pitched a scoreless eighth, but did not pitch the ninth because he might be needed to start Saturday in place of Bartolo Colon, who has a sore back.

``I was a little bit surprised I got in the game in that situation, but I was ready,'' Escobar said. ``I told Mike before the game I was ready for anything.''

The Angels had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning after Bengie Molina's leadoff double off Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield (15-10), who pitched a complete game. With pinch-runner Zack Sorensen at third base and one out, Scioscia sent Steve Finley to the plate to pinch-hit for Quinlan.

With the infield playing in, Finley hit a grounder to second base and Sorensen was thrown out after a brief rundown. Finley took second on the play but Adam Kennedy struck out to end the inning.

``I felt good with Finley driving the ball and getting it to the outfield,'' Scioscia explained. ``Another option was (Juan) Rivera but I think Finley's swung the bat well his last five or six at-bats. I felt he could drive the ball up the middle and get it to the outfield.''

The only two runs Lackey allowed came when he lost the strike zone in the sixth.

Joe Haakenson, [phone]

joe.haakenson(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 7 boxes

Photo:

(1) Boston's David Ortiz leaps onto home plate surrounded by joyful teammates after Ortiz's game-winning home run Tuesday.

(2) Chone Figgins drops a fly ball by Edgar Renteria in the third inning.

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) ANGELS at BOSTON

- Joe Haakenson

(2) AL WEST

(3) AL WILD CARD

(4) BAD SWINGS

(5) GAME RECAP

(6) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(7) ALMANAC