This day in Angels post-season history: John Lackey sets Angels on course for Red Sox revenge

The 2016 season is over, and has been for days now, and the wild card games have been played and decided. Here we are, in full swing of the MLB playoffs with both division series underway. Angels fans can do nothing but watch from the sidelines, or just completely set their attention elsewhere.

We’re not always having to find other things to do/watch, though. Some years, we’re right in the thick of it, so to distract myself from the playoffs’ disturbing lack of Halos, let’s take a trip down memory lane!

So, the Angels on October 8...

1982:

This day in ‘82, the Angels were taking on the Brewers, Game 3 of the ALCS and our boys had a solid 2-0 lead. Nothing bad could ever happen, right?

Well, the Brewers happened. Geoff Zahn and the Angels took on Don Sutton and Milwaukee, and they got beat 5-3, the first of three consecutive losses that would steal the series right out from under the Halos.

Sutton would get the win, and the Angels would really only see good days from Rod Carew, Fred Lynn and Don Baylor. Oh, Paul Molitor hit a two-run dinger, too. That’s neat. Good guy, that Paul Molitor.

1986:

Angels were in Game 2 of an ALCS vs. the Red Sox, and they won handily the day prior. On this date, they were not good. They got 11 hits, but only two runners crossed the plate. Meanwhile, the Sox destroyed Kirk McCaskill, getting 10 hits and 6 runs off of him. The Red Sox would house the Halos, taking Game 2 by the score of 9-2. Ouch.

2002:

Today in 2002, a scrappy Angels team won something called the Wild Card, and they snuck into the playoffs, red hot and ready to take on the world. Hahhaha...yeah right.

They came in fresh on the heels of a Yankees ALDS win, but they actually lost the first game of their ALCS against the Twins!!! That is probably it for these guys. No way they make it out from that.

Kevin Appier lost a close 2-1 game to Joe Mays and the Twinkies. Mays went 8 innings, giving up just four hits and one run in the process. Appier gave up five hits in his five innings pitched, two runs scored. A.J. Pierczynski had a hit and an RBI in this game. Barf.

I wonder what will happen after this Game 1.

2004:

The Angels lost here, 8-6, and that was all she wrote against the Red Sox in that season’s ALDS. Booooooooooooooooooo Red Sox. Go Indians!

2009:

The Red Sox beat up on the Angels a BUNCH in the playoffs, leading up to this series. This year in 2009, Game 1 of the ultimate Boston revenge series got underway. The Angels won 5-0, and they were on their way to giving them a bit of their own medicine.

John Lackey was a stud, going 7.1 innings and giving up only four hits and zero runs. Meanwhile, Jon Lester and Ramon Ramirez got rocked, with Torii Hunter hitting a huge three run jack and starting a fire that the Red Sox couldn’t put out.