Red Sox’s backs are up against Green Monster

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox had history on their side going into their AL division series with the Los Angeles Angels.

Now they need hits.

The four the Red Sox managed in each of their two losses probably won’t be enough in today’s Game 3. And they’ll probably need more than one run — their total in those two games — to avoid a sweep.

The passionate fans at Fenway Park will shout for their players but can’t swing the bats for them. The team with five 20-home run hitters faces two options: start hitting or start packing their bags.

“I don’t think the panic button or any more undue pressure is really going to be that beneficial,” said Jason Bay, who hit 36 homers this season but has just one hit in the postseason. “Guys know where we’re at.”

Boston is in a much different place than it was in its last three division series against the Angels — sweeps in 2004 and 2007 when the Red Sox won two World Series titles and a 3-1 series win last year.

Now the Angels have a chance for the first postseason sweep in team history.

“We’re not concerned with any of that,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “No one has a handle on a series until you win that third game and you clinch it.”

The Red Sox bounced back from another two-game deficit last year when they forced a seventh game after losing three of the first four to the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL championship series.

Then the Rays led 7-0 after 61‚Ñ2 innings of Game 5 behind Scott Kazmir. But he left after six innings and the Red Sox rallied for an 8-7 win at Fenway.

Kazmir, a left-hander traded to the Angels on Aug. 28, will be back on that mound Sunday, trying to eliminate the Red Sox for the second straight year in a stadium where he is 2-0 with 3.27 ERA.

BostonLos Angeles

abrhbiabrhbi

Ellsury cf4120Figgins 3b4000

Pedroia 2b4000BAreu rf4120

VMrtnz c4011TrHntr cf4000

Youkils 1b4010Guerrr dh2010

D.Ortiz dh4000HKndrc pr-dh1100

Bay lf2000KMorls 1b2001

Lowell 3b4000JRiver lf3000

J.Drew rf2000MIzturs 2b3111

AlGnzlz ss2000Napoli c2100

Ktchm ph0000EAyar ss3022

Lowrie ph-ss1000

Totals31141Totals28464

Boston000100000—1

Los Angeles00010030x—4

LOB—Boston 6, Los Angeles 3. 2B—Youkilis (1). 3B—Ellsbury (1), E.Aybar (1). SB—H.Kendrick (1), M.Izturis (1). CS—B.Abreu (1). SF—K.Morales.

IPHRERBBSO

Boston

Beckett L,0-16 2-354413

Wagner1-310001

Papelbon100001

Los Angeles

Jer.Weaver W,1-07 1-321127

Oliver H,1 1-310001

Jepsen H,1 2-310000

Fuentes S,1-1 2-300010

Wagner pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. HBP—by Beckett (Napoli). Umpires—Home, C.B. Bucknor; First, Eric Cooper; Second, Greg Gibson; Third, Brian Gorman; Right, Joe West; Left, Dan Iassogna. T—3:11. A—45,223.