Enjoying the ride

I'm relieved the Angels were able to dispose of the Boston Red Sox in three games in the American League Division Series - I honestly felt like the Boston Red Sox were going to win at least one game and if the Angels lost Game 3, then the series gets to be more prolonged.

Now, the Angels look to battle the New York Yankees in the American League Championship series - for the right to play the National League pennant champion in this little round of games called the World Series.

In rooting for my team, I'd better show some guts - it is going to be an epic battle between the class of the American League West and the class of the American League East.

The Angels surely showed some nuts in the Division Series clinching 7-6 win in Game 3 - when it looked like the Red Sox were going to win at least a game.

I was asleep on couch with the TV on most of Sunday morning - Angels were down, but was still cautiously optimistic, when I started rising out my slumber.

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz, who once stole 29 laptops at the high school his mother worked at and once dated a men's magazine Pet of the Year - had actually pitched better than his Halo counterpart Scott Kazmir.

I didn't get to watch the earlier parts of the game, but Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbum had picked off Reggie Willits at first base to end the eighth inning - what happened there?

In the ninth inning - as a fan I'll share what was going on in my mind.

Erick Aybar singles - little dude has been a player, coming up big all-season and he comes through with a hit. A rally has to start somewhere, though with Maicer Izturis and Gary Matthews Jr. making outs already.

Chone Figgins walked - keep wondering if the Angels could keep it going. The worst thing for the Angels would be to give up an at-bat by hacking away or looking at strike three. Thankfully Figgy got on-base.

Bobby Abreu opposite field double off the wall - all I heard was he was a stat padder, a neglible figure in Philadelphia and a guy who did everything well, but was afraid of laying out on the line. However, the bargain of the off-season, came through with another professional at-bat and really changed his image in one season in Anaheim this year.

Was there an opportunity where Figgins could have scored - when Bay fielded Abreu's hit and threw the ball in with no cut-off man.

Torii Hunter - he is up at the plate to swing the bat, but he knows how to hit in situations and unscientifically speaking, maybe the Angels equivalent to Derek Jeter as far as having a quality at-bat in pressure situations.

With the way he has come through, he might have been dangerous - but he was intentionally walked.

The Red Sox walked Hunter to get to Vladdy - square something up; his bat had slowed, but then Papelbum gave him a fat pitch and Vladdy drove it to centerfield. At the moment, I thought Jacoby Ellsbury was going to catch it, but he was playing pretty deep.

After the events unfolded, I was quiet but was clapping and telling myself to calm down - any other years, I would have been loud, jumping up-and-down infront of the TV. However, the Angels still had to get through the bottom of the ninth inning.

Brian Fuentes came in the bottom of the ninth to shut the door down - the Angels had to prove something in the last several years against the Boston Red Sox and I'm as glad as anyone, the Angels were able to really do something.

Thinking of all the success the Angels have enjoyed this decade - I am reminded of what once former Red Sox great Mo Vaughn said about playing for the Angels.

"They ain't got no flags hanging at friggin' Edison Field [now Angel Stadium], so the hell with them."