There were no Angels helping reserve outfielder Reggie Willits in the outfield Monday night. His throw from right field allowed Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay to score the series clinching run in the bottom of the ninth inning. He was also the goat of Game 4 by getting tagged out on a missed suicide squeeze bunt attempt by Angels shortstop Erick Aybar. I’m not sure if Red Sox catcher, and captain, Jason Varitek has run any faster in his life than while chasing down the speedy Willits in the game-changing play.

But this is not to take anything away from the talent that Willits has. To his defense, he only played in 82 games this regular season and spent much of August recovering from a mild concussion. It’s really tough to put a player in such a crucial situation as Angels manager Mike Scioscia did to Willits in Game four.

As far as Willits’ throw from right field is concerned, Bay got a tremendous jump on Jed Lowrie’s single and knew he would be able to test Willits’ arm. Willits had no outfield assists through 88 innings played in right field this season and had just three through 212 innings played there in ‘07. As a part-time player unaccustomed to making these kinds of plays, Willits’ name should not be cursed by Angels fans for the next four months. There are certainly other factors that led to the downfall of the Los Angeles Angels in their series against the Boston Red Sox.

For example:
Why have Erick Aybar attempt a squeeze play when you have leadoff hitter Chone Figgins coming up next? Figgins was already 2-for-4 at that point of the game and had quality at-bats throughout the night. While Aybar did have nine successful sacrifice bunts in 19 attempts this season, the suicide squeeze is a risky play and if not executed properly, the runner at third becomes a dead duck; *see Willits, Reggie.

The 2-3-4 hitters in the Angels lineup combined to strand seven runners in nine at-bats last night. Granted three hole hitter, Mark Teixeira did not get a single pitch to hit in Game 4, but certainly outfielder Garret Anderson, hitting out of the two hole, could have done a better job in bringing runners home. Anderson went 0-for-4 in Game 4 with a strikeout and hit a lousy .158 in the series.

Was it really a wise decision for Scioscia to bring back reliever Scot Shields for the ninth inning? Granted he made it through the eighth unscathed, but if I’m Scioscia, I go to K-Rod. Nevermind that he threw 33 pitches a little less than 24 hours earlier. The purpose of the playoffs is to use your best assets to win. Shields isn’t the best arm in that bullpen. The odd fact is that the two heroes of that inning, Bay and Lowrie, were hitless in a combined six at-bats against the veteran reliever.

The Angels have now lost 12 of their last 13 playoff games with the Red Sox. Who said the Angels had the best team heading into the postseason? People might have to take notice of the Red Sox once again. Here’s a stat to consider, however, before putting the AL crown on the Sawx; the Red Sox were 1-8 at Tropicana Field this year and the Tampa Bay Rays have home field advantage in their ALCS duel.