Nich Hall

What better way to forget your first regular season in 21 games then a small vacation? The Patriots were off last week and now will embark on a ten day trip to California that will be anything but vacation. Over the course of the next week or so the Patriots will visit San Fransisco and San Diego before returning home to host the Denver Broncos. Quite the daunting task for Patriots club desperately searching for its identity. Due to the consecutive games on the West Coast the Patriots will turn San Jose State University into Patriot Place West. With the Red Sox in Anaheim and Tom Brady also set for surgery next week in California seemingly all New England sports have their eyes on the left coast.

Sunday Matt Cassel will make a rather unlikely homecoming as the starter for the Patriots against the 49ers. This game will be the first time the Patriots have played in San Fransisco since 1995. Cassel, a California native will make his first start in his home state since his much publicized High School performance. But for a Patriots team still dealing with adjusting to the loss of Tom Brady its hard to imagine a better opponent than the 49ers. To be fair that is also how many, myself included described their matchup with Miami. But the 49ers are a little different, they have given up a league worst 19 sacks and are also in the position of playing their backup QB  J.T. O’Sullivan. The 49ers susceptibility to the pass rush seems to play right in the Pats’ hands. But the Patriots  secondary should be tested in this game, the Niners rank third in the league with 16 passing plays of 20 yards or more.

Despite the defenses ghastly performance against Miami a lot of attention and blame was heaped upon the offense and Matt Cassel. This week simply put they have to be better in almost every aspect of the game. Against Miami the running game was completely ineffective which therefore cut off the Patriots passing game. If Cassel and co. couldn’t even complete their short passing game, corners were able to play tight to the line, therefore rendering the Patriots offense useless. This weekend the Patriots need to spread the field, more to the point they need to prove to the league that they can stretch the field. Count me as cautiously optimistic.

Regardless of the Patriots ability or lack there of to move the ball New England takes this game by 7-10 points.

Nich Hall

The Angels statistically had their best season with 100 wins and team records falling over the place, but as they have so often it took the Red Sox just over three hours to erase all of that. The Angels 4-1 loss on Wednesday night puts them directly behind the eight ball. Although they were the league’s best road team this season if they head to New England down 2-0 it would take near divine intervention to get this series to a fifth and deciding game. That realistically makes tonight a must-win for the Angels.

In Game 1 the Angels offense was stagnant, at best, it’s typical playoff setting. The Angels 7,8,9,1 hitters had zero hits, precisely the same amount I would have in an ALDS game. That won’t get it done in April let alone October. To be fair a lot of the Angels struggles can be attributed to Jon Lester’s performance. (As predicted) He out pitched Lackey, and didn’t give up a single earned run. Which is another reason tonight is a must win in Anaheim, Game 4 at Fenway against Lester isn’t exactly ideal conditions for a do or die game.

Tonight as the Angels seek their offensive touch they will be facing Daisuke Matsuzaka, who probably had the shakiest 18 win season in baseball history. Dice-K walks batters left, right and center but held batters to a league best .164 with runners in scoring position. He typically works only six innings which is what the Angels need to take advantage of. If they can keep Papelbon off the field the Sox bullpen is very vulnerable. The Angels need to be patient with Dice-K and whether they are getting runs or not run that pitch count. On the flip side the Halos 25-year old All Star Ervin Santana will be pitching the biggest game of his young career. He has been outstanding this season but as the Angels collectively found out Wednesday, that means very little. Mike Scioscia will go with Jeff Mathis behind the plate tonight, he has caught almost all of Ervin’s starts this season.

All the pressure is on now, we’ll learn more tonight about this Angels’ club then we have learned all season, when a teams back is against the wall, thats when championship teams rise up. For now the jury is still out.

Join me in another Live Game Blog at 9:30 PM ET, as we watch game two of this ALDS.

Nich Hall

Hey everyone, join Jim Mulligan and I as we discuss and analyze the first game of this ALDS as it unfolds. The Dodgers have defeated the Cubs 7-2, so the Angels/Sox game is now just minutes away.