Angels in 5

It's not that I don't think the Sox can do it, it's just that a whole lot of things have to go right for them to get past LA of A. Here's a quick glimpse at a few of them:

They need Youk and Dusty to continue playing out of their minds; they've led the team over the past two months (and for most of the season) and need to keep those contributions coming... They need Lester to step up and be an ace, which he's proven he can do at times during the regular season. However, postseason play is a far cry from regular season games... They need their walking wounded, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew, to bounce back and contribute in the middle of the lineup. Not sure how much we can expect out of Drew, and with Lowell's hip messed up right now, you can bet the heavy-running Angels will be bunting and hit-and-running on him like crazy... They need their bullpen to be steady, at least more so than it's been during the regular season. Masterson, who's untested in the postseason, will need to come through in the late innings... They need to bring that Angels pitching staff - especially Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and Francisco Rodriguez - back down to earth....

If all those things (and more) can happen, and Beckett can rebound nicely to be at least 75% of what he's been in postseasons past (and if you don't think his not being able to start Game 1 and pitch a potential Game 5 isn't a big deal, you're insane), the Sox can pull this one out in five. If even a couple of those things don't go their way, the Sox won't be repeating. At the least, it'll be very fun to watch.