Bodog Beat

The two best teams in the AL playoffs made it into the next round. (AP Images)

The Los Angeles Angels may have had the best record in the majors at 100-62, but they were really no match for the Wild Card Boston Red Sox. Boston had the better starting pitching (even with Josh Beckett at less than 100 percent) and the better hitting during the regular season. It carried over into the playoffs in the form of a three-game Red Sox sweep.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays were likewise more talented than the Chicago White Sox, both on paper and in reality. The margin wasn’t nearly as obvious as it was between Boston and L.A., which is part of the reason this ALDS went four games. But Javier Vazquez had a late-season meltdown that he couldn’t shake in time for October baseball, and Carlos Quentin was injured. Timing is everything.

Get all your MLB odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.