Bringing down the Angels.

Byline: Paul Jarvey

RED SOX 4, ANGELS 0

FENWAY PARK, BOSTON

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

L.A. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0

Boston 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 x 4 9 0

Winning pitcher: Beckett (1-0). Losing pitcher: Lackey (0-1). Att: 37,597 .

The story

Josh Beckett pitched as complete-game four-hitter, and David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis each homered as the Red Sox shut out the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, 4-0, in the first game of the American League Division Series.

Beckett retired 19 straight batters after allowing a leadoff single to Chone Figgins in the first. Youkilis homered into the Monster seats with one out in the first to give Beckett all the runs he needed.

The Sox then scored three runs off losing pitcher John Lackey in the third. Ortiz hit a two-run homer with one out, and Mike Lowell added an RBI single.

Going clubbing

David Ortiz's homer deep into the right-field seats in the third was his ninth in the postseason.

He's tied with Jason Varitek for the most postseason homers in team history.

Kevin Youkilis' homer in the first inning was his initial postseason hit.

Case for the defense

Mike Lowell robbed Mike Napoli of a hit with a diving stop in the third. Lowell got up and threw out the Angels' catcher at first by a wide margin.

Coco Crisp made a sliding catch of Chone Figgins' blooper in the sixth.

Jacoby Ellsbury, who replaced Manny Ramirez in left field in the ninth, took away a hit from Figgins with a diving catch.

Full house

The attendance of 37,597 was the largest for a playoff game at Fenway and the biggest for a home postseason game since Game 5 of the 1916 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Braves Field.

Who's hot, who's not

David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis each had a pair of hits for the Sox. Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Fashion statement

Angels manager Mike Scioscia on Game 2 starter Kelvim Escobar: "He's got bigger earrings as he's had more success. My wife is really upset with me every time she sees him walking around the ballpark. They've got to be six carats apiece, so with success comes bigger earrings."

Friday night lights

Game 2: 8:37 p.m. tomorrow. Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-12, 4.40) will make his playoff debut and face the Angels for the first time. He will be opposed by Kelvim Escobar who has had the best season of his career (18-7, 3.4) but battled a sore shoulder in September. He didn't face the Red Sox this season, but is 6-7 with a 4.64 ERA vs. Boston in his career.

Red Sox 4, Angels 0

Los Angeles

AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Figgins rf-cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .250

OCabrera ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000

VGuerrero dh 4 0 2 0 0 0 .500

GAnderson lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .000

Izturis 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Kotchman 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Kendrick 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .333

Napoli c 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000

a-Aybar ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Willits cf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000

b-Morales ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Mathis c 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---

Totals 31 0 4 0 0 8

Boston

AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Pedroia 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Youkilis 1b 4 2 2 1 0 1 .500

DOrtiz dh 3 1 2 2 1 0 .667

MRamirez lf 3 1 1 0 1 1 .333

Ellsbury lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---

Lowell 3b 3 0 1 1 0 0 .333

JDrew rf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .333

Varitek c 3 0 1 0 0 1 .333

Crisp cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000

JLugo ss 3 0 1 0 0 2 .333

Totals 29 4 9 4 2 6

Los Angeles 000 000 000-0 4 0

Boston 103 000 00x-4 9 0

a-grounded into fielder's choice for Napoli in the 8th. b-struck out for Willits in the 8th.

LOB-Los Angeles 4, Boston 3. 2B-Youkilis (1). HR-DOrtiz (1), off Lackey; Youkilis (1), off Lackey. RBIs-Youkilis (1), DOrtiz 2 (2), Lowell (1). CS-JLugo (1). GIDP-JDrew, Varitek, Crisp.

Runners left in scoring position-Los Angeles 2 (GAnderson, Morales); Boston 1 (JDrew).

Runners moved up-OCabrera, VGuerrero.

DP-Los Angeles 3 (Kendrick and Kotchman), (Kendrick, OCabrera and Kotchman), (Kotchman, OCabrera and Lackey).

Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Lackey L, 0-1 6 9 4 4 2 4 99 6.00

ESantana 2 0 0 0 0 2 22 0.00

Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Beckett W, 1-0 9 4 0 0 0 8 108 0.00

WP-Lackey, Beckett.

Umpires-Home, Gary Darling; First, Dan Iassogna; Second, Brian Runge; Third, Ted Barrett; Left, Tim Tschida; Right, C.B. Bucknor.

T-2:27. A-37,597 (36,525).

HOW THE RUNS SCORED

RED SOX FIRST - With one out, Youkilis homered (first) into the Monster seats. ONE RUN.

RED SOX THIRD - With one out, Youkilis doubled into the left-field corner. Ortiz homered (first) into the seats in right, Youkilis scoring. Ramirez walked and took second on a wild pitch. Lowell singled to center, Ramirez scoring. THREE RUNS.

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NAME: BOSTON RED SOX

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Boston's Kevin Youkilis watches his homer off Angels' starter John Lackey.

PHOTOG: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS