BOSTON - When the Angels' John Lackey pitched against the Red Sox on April 13 at Fenway Park, he faced David Ortiz three times.

In the course of those at-bats to Ortiz, Lackey threw a total of 13 pitches. Amazingly, all 13 pitches were curveballs. He fanned Ortiz twice and was nicked for a single on an 0-and-2 curveball in the third at-bat.

When Lackey pitched against the Sox at Fenway on Aug. 17, the right-hander tried to get Ortiz out on a curveball in the first inning. But Boston's designated hitter clearly recognized the pitch. He whacked it for a two-run homer, starting Boston on its way to an 8-4 win.

Last night was Lackey's third start at Fenway this year. He knew how he had tried to pitch Ortiz earlier this year. Ortiz knew how Lackey had tried to get him out. The intensity of the chess match between the two was ratcheted up because it was Game 1 of the ALDS.

Lackey's first two pitches to Ortiz in the first inning were fastballs. Ortiz fouled both of them back, down in the count at 0 and 2. Then Lackey went to the curveball, throwing three straight. Two were out of the strike zone and Ortiz managed to foul one at the plate. A fastball that was outside ran the count full, and when Lackey tried to beat Ortiz with a 93-mph sizzler on the outside corner, Ortiz laced it through the left side of the infield, beating the Angels' shift for a single.

When Ortiz came to the plate in the third, Lackey again went to his curveball to Ortiz.

But Ortiz is a smart hitter. He was by no means fooled by curveballs, having the seed planted in his brain from way back on April 13 that Lackey likes to attack him with curveballs.

So he watched the first one in his third-inning at-bat bend into the dirt for ball one. Lackey tried another. Ortiz was ready. He crushed the hanging 78-mph breaking ball for a two-run homer into the right-field bleachers inside the foul pole, giving Boston a 3-0 lead.

Lackey faced Ortiz one more time, with the bases empty and two outs in the fifth and Boston ahead, 4-0. Lackey clearly wanted no part of Ortiz, with good reason, considering past history.

His first three pitches were fastballs, and with the count 2 and 1, he spun a breaking ball, but was careful to keep it away, missing outside by a large margin. His last fastball was way wide, giving Ortiz a walk.

Lackey, apparently, does not have anything in his repertoire to get Ortiz out. In his career, counting last night's 2-for-2 performance, Ortiz is a .429 hitter (12 for 28) against Lackey with three homers and 11 RBI.

Running game nullified

One key for the Red Sox' pitching staff in the series is for the pitchers to keep the Angels basestealers off the bases.

But after six pitches last night, Boston starter John Beckett found himself having to go to Plan B.

Chone Figgins, who swiped 41 bases this season, led off with a hard single up the middle, off the glove of diving second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

That brought up Orlando Cabrera. Before Beckett threw a pitch to Cabrera, though, he threw over to first to keep Figgins close. Then Beckett threw over again. When he did deliver a pitch to Cabrera, he used a low leg kick, and Cabrera fouled the fastball deep to left.

On the next pitch, Figgins took off. The aggressive Angels had on the hit-and-run. Cabrera got a piece of the ball and chopped one over Beckett's head. But because shortstop Julio Lugo was moving over to second to cover the bag, he was in position to field the weak bouncer and threw out Cabrera at first as Figgins slid in safely to second.

Then, with Vladimir Guerrero up, Beckett looked back twice at Figgins, taking his lead off second, freezing him for the first two pitches. On the third one, Beckett barely looked back at Figgins and Figgins took off for third as the Beckett threw a fastball to the plate.

Guerrero hit a grounder to third. It wasn't hit all that hard, but because Mike Lowell was on his way to cover the base on Figgins's stolen-base attempt, he was in perfect position to field the ball and, after being unable to tag Figgins, make the throw to first for the out on Guerrero.

Beckett then stranded Figgins, whiffing Garret Anderson.

He didn't have to worry about the Angels' running game for a long while, and by the time he did, Boston was ahead, 4-0. Beckett retired 19 in a row after Figgins' single, not having to throw a pitch out of the stretch until Guerrero bashed a single to left with one out in the seventh.

Heads-up base running by Manny

Manny Ramirez gets criticized for his baserunning, but last night, his hustle and concentration produced an extra run for Boston in a three-run third-inning flurry that opened up a 4-0 lead.

Ramirez was on first, having drawn a one-out walk. He took his lead and when Lackey threw a pitch to the plate, he jumped out for his secondary lead. And when he saw the breaking ball bounce in the dirt and roll a little bit away from catcher Mike Napoli, Ramirez raced to second, easily sliding in ahead of Napoli's throw.

A few pitches later, Ramirez romped home on a single to center by Lowell.

Cabrera sells one

Cabrera, the Angels' shortstop is quite a salesman.

He "sold" second base umpire Brian Runge on his quick swipe tag, prompting the umpire to call Lugo out on his stolen-base attempt in the second inning.

Lugo had a good jump and the throw from Angels catcher Mike Napoli, while quickly delivered, was high. Cabrera, a bit in front of the bag, reached up for the ball and quickly windmilled his arm down and swiped Lugo's upper body, walking away as if he knew he had made the tag for the out.

Lugo appeared to already have had his foot on the bag, but Runge, on one knee and in perfect position to make the call, ruled Lugo out, prompting Lugo to protest and then manager Terry Francona picked up the discussion, to no avail.

Not their forte

The Red Sox don't use the hit-and-run very often, but when they do, Jason Varitek is most likely the hitter.

Boston tried it in the sixth after J.D. Drew's one-out infield single. On the first pitch to Varitek from Lackey, Drew took off. Varitek reached out for a fastball, but fouled it back so the hit-and-run was unsuccessful. Ultimately Varitek ended the inning by rapping into a double play.