Oct 2, 2008 - 6:11 AM
0 shoutsBy Ed Kacik PA SportsTicker Staff Writer
Kevin Youkilis didn't even know where Vladimir Guerrero was when he grabbed the baseball.
Youkilis instinctively threw to third base in time to swing Game One of the American League Division Series on Wednesday in favor of the Boston Red Sox.
"I just sprinted and made a good throw," Youkilis said. "I hopped up and didn't know where he (Guerrero) was running. I just threw the ball to third."
With the Red Sox clinging to a 2-1 lead, Guerrero singled with one out in the eighth inning. The Angels' designated hitter struggled with sore knees over the final month of the season, but manager Mike Scioscia elected to keep him in the game, rather than bring in a pinch runner for the most dangerous bat in the lineup.
Torii Hunter followed and blooped an offering from reliever Justin Masterson over first base, sending Youkilis into a dead sprint towards right field while Guerrero drifted halfway between first and second.
The ball landed just past the reach of Youkilis and Guerrero attempted to advance to third base. But, the Red Sox' first baseman trapped the ball before it rolled further into the outfield, hopped to his feat and fired it toward the hot corner, where Mike Lowell tagged out Guerrero by several steps.
"You never know what that inning is going to become, but you know, Vlad is aggressive," Scioscia said following the 4-1 loss. "It was a tough read, and it was behind him, and I think he thought the ball was a little farther out than it was. Give Youkilis credit. He maintained his composure and made a good throw."
"I'm very upset with myself," Guerrero said through an interpreter. "I look to come back for the second game and keep my head up."
The costly error was the latest blunder in a dismal postseason career for Guerrero.
The 32-year-old entered the contest with a .183 batting average in 16 lifetime playoff games, with one home run and seven RBI. His lone blast came during Game Three of the 2004 Division Series when he launched a grand slam off Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin. It was his only hit of the series as the Angels were swept in three games.
Guerrero has only six hits in 26 postseason at-bats against Boston and was 2-for-10, reaching base four times, as Anaheim was swept by the Red Sox in last season's Division Series.
Hunter isn't placing any blame on Guerrero.
"Vladdy has done so much for our club that you can't put the monkey on his back," he said. "Sometimes it's good to be aggressive and sometimes it's not.
"We just have to go home, make adjustments, have amnesia and be ready for Friday."
