BOSTON — It was a scene the Angels have become all too familiar with, one that makes their stomachs turn and their temples throb.
It played out again Wednesday night, the Boston Red Sox celebrating a wild and wacky 9-8 walk-off victory over the Angels with another group hug in the middle of the Fenway Park field, which has become a burial ground for Angels pennant hopes.
The Red Sox clinched division-series wins over the Angels in similar fashion in 2004 and 2008, and the fact that this one came after what the Angels felt were two blown calls by the umpires in a fateful ninth inning merely added to their frustration.
The struggles of closer Brian Fuentes, who had a loss and a blown save in his previous four outings, continued Wednesday night, the left-hander walking pinch-hitter Nick Green to force in the tying run and giving up Alex Gonzalez's game-winning single.
Just as big a concern for the Angels is their sloppy play the last three nights against a Red Sox team they probably will play again in the division series and a New York Yankees club that could be lurking in the American League Championship Series.
"I'm [ticked] off. You can see it on my face. You don't even have to talk to me," center fielder Torii Hunter said. "I know this is not a playoff game, but if you do this during the regular season, it could happen during the playoffs."
The Angels, who maintained their six-game AL West lead over the slumping Texas Rangers, seemed to wilt under the pressure of playoff-atmosphere baseball, committing errors that were costly in all three games.
They had a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning Wednesday night, but shortstop Erick Aybar dropped a throw from second baseman Howie Kendrick on Mike Lowell's fielder's choice grounder, an error that paved the way for three unearned runs in Boston's five-run inning.
Kendrick had trouble getting the ball out of his glove on David Ortiz's potential double-play grounder, and the Angels had to settle for a force out. Gonzalez capped the rally with a two-out, two-run single.
"It became a five-out inning," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "You can't afford to make mistakes against such a good team."
For whatever reason, these kinds of mistakes seem to happen against the Red Sox, especially in Fenway Park.
"You have to play to win, play the game, have fun, do what you do against every other team," said Hunter, who hit a solo home run in the sixth. "Don't change anything because it's the Red Sox or the Yankees. If you play nervous, you're going to make mistakes. Show some [guts]!"
