The Red Sox tied Cleveland for the best record in Major League Baseball (96-66) in securing both the AL East Division title and home-field advantage throughout the 2007 postseason (by virtue of a 5-2 head-to-head record against the Indians).
It's the first time Boston has boasted the best overall record in the big leagues since 1946 -- a team that featured a sprightly 26-year-old Johnny Pesky raking at a robust .335 clip and Ted Williams hitting .342 with 38 home runs and 123 RBI for an AL pennant-winning squad that fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.
The division title was the first for Boston since 1995 and the 2007 regular season will be remembered for a Sox squad that sprinted out to an early lead in April and then played season-long solid baseball despite high pressure from the rival New York Yankees.
Did nabbing the best record mean something to the players in the Sox clubhouse?
"Sure... because of the home field (advantage)," said third baseman Mike Lowell. "Home field is big, and we won it. I also think because a lot of people thought we should do it and anything else was underachieving, so to speak. We did (get the best record). So that's a good sign."
With their pitching -- both starting and relieving -- perfectly set up and all of their regulars entering the postseason with as much good health as possible, the Red Sox are ready to make their run for a second World Series in the last four years.
"I think we're in good position," said manager Terry Francona. "We're healthy; we seem to be where guys can be productive. Nothing's ensured, but we're in a good position where we should be able to play our best baseball."
LAST GAME, TWINS 3, RED SOX 2: Spot starter Julian Tavarez gave up three runs in the first inning and the Sox couldn't come back in their regular season finale. Many starters, including 3B Mike Lowell and 2B Dustin Pedroia, were taken out early for rest and received loud ovations from the Fenway faithful.
NOTES, QUOTES
LHP Hideki Okajima and OF Coco Crisp both returned from injury last weekend. Okajima pitched a scoreless inning in both Thursday and Saturday night's games and Crisp had two hits Saturday night while making a diving catch in center field.
RHP Josh Beckett is on target for Wednesday's Game 1 start against the Angels and -- with the spaced-out scheduling for their playoff series -- would also be on normal rest to start a possible Game 4 in Anaheim. Beckett finished with a 20-7 record and 3.27 ERA and is likely in a two-man race with Cleveland Indians LHP C.C. Sabathia for the AL Cy Young Award.
RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to start Game 2 of the ALDS Series. RHP Curt Schilling was skipped from a scheduled start in Boston's regular-season finale Sunday, but will start Game 3 in Anaheim next Sunday.
LHP Jon Lester made the first relief appearance of his major league career Sunday and tossed two perfect innings. The 23-year-old made four other relief appearances in the minors -- in 2003 and 2004 at Class A -- but may have been auditioning for a possible 'pen role on Boston's postseason roster. Lester isn't likely to make the postseason roster, given his lack of experience out of the bullpen and Boston's need for only four starters, but the possibility still remains out there, given Lester's talented left arm.
Pedroia polished off his AL Rookie of the Year resume by finishing with a .3173 batting average, the highest mark for a rookie second baseman in major league history. Former Pittsburgh 2B Jim Viox had formerly held the record with a .3171 rookie batting average in 1913, and Pedroia also finished with the third-most doubles ever (39) by a rookie second-sacker -- behind Cleveland's Carl Lind in 1928 and the Cubs' Billy Herman in 1932 -- with 42 doubles apiece.
BY THE NUMBERS: .187 -- The batting average against Sox RHP Manny Delcarmen in his first 40 relief appearances this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "You can go back and look at closers who are in a different role than a closer's role. Closers have difficulties in non-closer situations. This is not only true of Eric Gagne, but this is true of everyone involved. You can go down the list. I can name a lot of my clients who have had this problem." -- Agent Scott Boras, on his client Eric Gagne's struggles with the Sox.
EX-INDIAN FACTOR: Director of Player Development Mike Hazen was an assistant to Tribe GM Mark Shapiro; manager Terry Francona and his dad, Tito, both played outfield for Cleveland; pitching coach John Farrell pitched for Indians and was the Tribe's player development director until going to Boston this season; OF Manny Ramirez, RHP Julian Tavarez, OF Coco Crisp and INF Alex Cora all played for the Indians; instructional coach Luis Tiant was an all-star pitcher for the Tribe and player development consultant Tommy Harper a Tribe outfielder; Also, bench coach Brad Mills' son, Beau, was Cleveland's first-round draft pick this past June; TV announcer Joe Castiglione worked Tribe telecasts in 1979 and 1982.
MEDICAL WATCH: CF Coco Crisp (viral illness) played on Sept. 29; OF Jacoby Ellsbury (right calf cramp) left the Sept. 27 game, but played Sept. 29; RHP Clay Buchholz (right arm fatigue) was shut down for the season on Sept. 28; LHP Hideki Okajima (fatigue) was shut down Sept. 14. He returned Sept. 27; LF Manny Ramirez (lower back spasms) left the Aug. 28 game and returned to the lineup Sept. 25; 1B Kevin Youkilis (bruised wrist) was hit by a pitch Sept. 15. He sat out Sept. 16-24, then pinch-hit Sept. 25 and returned to the lineup Sept. 26; RHP Matt Clement (shoulder surgery in September 2006) missed the entire season; RHP Brendan Donnelly (strained right forearm) went on the DL June 11 and had season-ending Tommy John surgery Aug. 14.
HITTERS
Jeff Bailey, 1B
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .333 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 0
Last 7 Games .111 9 1 1 0 0 1 1 0
Season .111 9 1 1 0 0 1 1 0
Kevin Cash, C
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .077 13 0 1 0 0 0 3 0
Season .111 27 2 3 1 0 0 4 0
Royce Clayton, SS
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .000 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
With Bos .000 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Alex Cora, 2B
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game 1.000 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .263 19 3 5 1 0 1 1 0
Season .246 207 30 51 10 5 3 18 1
Coco Crisp, CF
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .167 24 2 4 1 0 0 1 2
Season .268 526 85 141 28 7 6 60 28
J.D. Drew, RF
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .750 4 2 3 0 1 1 3 0
Last 7 Games .440 25 5 11 3 1 2 11 1
Season .270 466 84 126 30 4 11 64 4
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .750 4 0 3 1 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .280 25 1 7 1 0 0 3 1
Season .353 116 20 41 7 1 3 18 9
Eric Hinske, 1B
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .105 19 2 2 1 0 0 0 0
Season .204 186 25 38 12 3 6 21 3
Bobby Kielty, RF
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .067 15 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
With Bos .231 52 6 12 2 0 1 9 0
Mike Lowell, 3B
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .276 29 5 8 2 0 1 10 0
Season .324 589 79 191 37 2 21 120 3
Julio Lugo, SS
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .333 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
Last 7 Games .208 24 4 5 0 0 1 2 3
Season .237 570 71 135 36 2 8 73 33
Doug Mirabelli, C
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .143 14 2 2 1 0 0 1 0
Season .202 114 9 23 3 0 5 16 0
Brandon Moss, RF
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .429 7 3 3 1 1 0 1 0
Season .280 25 6 7 2 1 0 1 0
David Ortiz, DH
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .542 24 8 13 5 0 3 6 0
Season .332 549 116 182 52 1 35 117 3
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .333 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .296 27 5 8 4 0 1 1 1
Season .317 520 86 165 39 1 8 50 7
Manny Ramirez, LF
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .500 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Last 7 Games .429 21 6 9 1 0 1 3 0
Season .296 483 84 143 33 1 20 88 0
Jason Varitek, C
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .500 2 1 1 0 0 1 1 0
Last 7 Games .333 18 3 6 1 0 3 4 0
Season .255 435 57 111 15 3 17 68 1
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
BA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Last Game .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games .263 19 0 5 1 0 0 2 0
Season .288 528 85 152 35 2 16 83 4
PITCHERS
Josh Beckett, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 7.50 0 1 0 1 6 10 5 2 0 6
Last 7 Games 3.32 2 1 0 3 19 17 7 3 4 21
Season 3.27 20 7 0 30 200.2 189 73 17 40 194
Clay Buchholz, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 1.93 0 1 0 1 4.2 5 1 0 2 5
Last 7 Games 0.54 2 1 0 3 16.2 6 1 0 7 17
Season 1.59 3 1 0 4 22.2 14 4 0 10 22
Bryan Corey, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1
Last 7 Games 4.91 0 0 0 3 3.2 3 2 0 2 2
Season 1.93 1 0 0 9 9.1 6 2 0 4 6
Manny Delcarmen, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games 0.00 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 1 3
Season 2.05 0 0 1 44 44 28 10 4 17 41
Brendan Donnelly, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games 0.00 0 0 0 3 3.1 2 0 0 0 3
Season 3.05 2 1 0 27 20.2 19 7 0 5 15
Eric Gagne, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
Last 7 Games 0.00 0 0 0 3 2.2 3 0 0 1 3
Season 6.75 2 2 0 20 18.2 26 14 1 9 22
Devern Hansack, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 0 1 2
Last 7 Games 4.70 0 1 0 3 7.2 9 4 2 5 5
Season 4.70 0 1 0 3 7.2 9 4 2 5 5
Jon Lester, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2
Last 7 Games 3.46 0 0 0 3 13 10 5 2 7 16
Season 4.57 4 0 0 12 63 61 32 10 31 50
Javier Lopez, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Last 7 Games 6.75 0 0 0 3 1.1 1 1 1 1 0
Season 3.10 2 1 0 61 40.2 36 14 2 18 26
Daisuke Matsuzaka, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 2.25 1 0 0 1 8 6 2 1 2 8
Last 7 Games 3.98 1 0 0 3 20.1 16 9 2 10 22
Season 4.40 15 12 0 32 204.2 191 100 25 80 201
Hideki Okajima, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 1
Last 7 Games 15.43 0 0 1 3 2.1 6 4 2 1 3
Season 2.22 3 2 5 66 69 50 17 6 17 63
Jonathan Papelbon, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1
Last 7 Games 0.00 0 0 1 3 2.1 1 0 0 0 1
Season 1.85 1 3 37 59 58.1 30 12 5 15 84
Curt Schilling, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 1.50 1 0 0 1 6 6 1 1 0 6
Last 7 Games 2.75 1 2 0 3 19.2 17 6 3 1 13
Season 3.87 9 8 0 24 151 165 65 21 23 101
Kyle Snyder, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
Last 7 Games 7.36 0 0 0 3 3.2 3 3 2 3 5
Season 3.81 2 3 0 46 54.1 45 23 7 32 41
Julian Tavarez, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 9.00 0 1 0 1 3 3 3 0 2 0
Last 7 Games 10.38 0 1 0 3 4.1 7 5 0 2 0
Season 5.15 7 11 0 34 134.2 151 77 14 51 77
Mike Timlin, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 0.00 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
Last 7 Games 0.00 1 0 0 3 3.1 1 0 0 1 3
Season 3.42 2 1 1 50 55.1 46 21 7 14 31
Tim Wakefield, P
ERA W L Sv G IP H ER HR BB K
Last Game 3.86 1 0 0 1 7 6 3 2 0 1
Last 7 Games 5.50 1 2 0 3 18 20 11 5 5 8
Season 4.76 17 12 0 31 189 191 100 22 64 110
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