Papelbon's amazing postseason scoreless streak couldn't have ended at a worse time for the Red Sox. He blew the save in the ninth as the Angels rallied for three runs after two were out and nobody on base.
Erick Aybar, the ninth-place hitter in the lineup, started things with a single and took second on defensive indifference. Chone Figgins walked, and Papelbon was one strike away from ending it when Abreu walloped an opposite-field double off The Wall in left, scoring Aybar.
That ended Papelbon's streak at 26 1/3 innings, 1 2/3 short of the major-league record for the start of a career set by Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson from 1905-11.
Hunter was walked intentionally to load the bases and get to Guerrero, but Guerrero lined Papelbon's first pitch up the middle as Figgins and Abreu raced home to put the Angels ahead 7-6. The RBI were only Guerrero's second and third in his last 20 post-season games.
Hideki Okajima took over and retired Morales for the final out.
October 11, 2009




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