BOSTON — The Angels danced all over their demons Sunday, and when they were done with their little jig on the Fenway Park field, they drowned them in beer and champagne.
In the ancient stadium where their pennant hopes usually go to die, the Angels came to life in dramatic fashion, scoring five runs in the last two innings for a stunning 7-6 American League division series-clinching victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Vladimir Guerrero, the slugger-turned-playoff wallflower who had driven in one run in his last 19 postseason games, followed an intentional walk to Torii Hunter with a bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single to cap a three-run ninth inning against closer Jonathan Papelbon, who hadn't given up a run in 26 playoff innings.
Three times in the ninth, the Angels were down to their last strike, but Erick Aybar came through with a two-out single to center, Chone Figgins drew a full-count walk, reaching base for the first time in 13 division series plate appearances, and Bobby Abreu lined a run-scoring double off the Green Monster in left field.
Brian Fuentes, whose shaky second half stirred concerns about the playoff worthiness of the bullpen, threw a 1-2-3 ninth to complete a three-game sweep of the team that eliminated the Angels from the 1986, 2004, 2007 and 2008 playoffs.
"To beat one of the best closers in the game on their field after being down two runs in the ninth . . . it's unbelievable," Figgins said amid a wild clubhouse celebration. "This is stuff you dream about."
The Red Sox wanted the Angels to relive a nightmare.
Down 0-2 in the series, Boston carted out Dave Henderson to throw out Sunday's ceremonial first pitch. It was Henderson who hit the dramatic ninth-inning, two-run homer against Donnie Moore and the one-strike-away Angels in Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series.
"That was terrible," Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. "I love Dave Henderson, but looking at that, I'm like, 'What are they trying to say?' They probably shouldn't have brought him out. It was bad luck, I guess."
In an ironic twist, the Angels, who will open the ALCS on Friday night against the Yankees in New York, beat the Red Sox on Sunday by the same 7-6 score by which Boston won that Game 5 in 1986 in Anaheim.
"Redemption," General Manager Tony Reagins said. "So many emotions go through your head in this park, with the history we have with this club, and now we're moving forward. It's sweet."
