Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox: Angels won the regular season series 5-4.

Game one of this series will take place Thursday night in Los Angeles at 9:37 p.m. on TBS. Jon Lester (15-8, 3.41 ERA) gets the nod to start the series for the wild card winning Red Sox and the Angels will counter with John Lackey (11-8, 3.83 ERA).

In game two Boston will send Josh Beckett (17-6, 3.86 ERA) to the mound and Los Angeles will go with Jered Weaver (16-8, 3.75 ERA). When the series swaps to Fenway Park on Sunday, Clay Buchholz (7-4, 4.21 ERA) takes the rubber against the Angels late season pickup Scott Kazmir (10-9, 4.89 ERA).

If necessary the game four starter for Los Angeles will be Joe Saunders (16-7, 4.60 ERA) and Boston has yet to name one.

Both teams have solid bullpens. The loss of Francisco Rodriguez to the Mets has not been as big a deal for the Angels because Brian Fuentes saved a major league high 48 games in his first season with the club. However, he did blow seven saves during the year.

Jonathan Papelbon had 38 saves in 41 chances in 2009 for the Red Sox and has a lot of postseason experience to rely on.

Jason Bay leads the Boston offense with 119 RBI’s, which was second in the AL. The addition of Victor Martinez at the trade deadline also has helped Boston’s offense. David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia, J.D. Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury are also keys hitters for the Red Sox.

Kendry Morales and Bobby Abreu both had over 100 RBI’s for Los Angeles in 2009. Torii Hunter, Juan Rivera, Macier Izturis, Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar will need to be good at the plate for the Angels to solve the Boston pitchers.

My Prediction: Red Sox in 5. This should be a tight series throughout but I think Boston will pull it out late in game five against Fuentes.