Angels Don’t Fear the Monster

Fenway Park is the quirkiest stadium in baseball, a picturesque little bandbox filled with trap-door-like hazards, such as the Green Monster in left field, the 420-foot Bermuda Triangle in right-center and the curving right-field wall that can turn singles down the line into pinball triples.

And Red Sox fans, who seem like they’re right on top of the players, are among the most vocal and knowledgeable in the game -- if you’re an opposing player with a minor transgression in your past, you can bet you’re going hear about it in a loud and creative way.

But too often, these not-so-friendly confines get credit for reducing Fenway visitors into puddles. The Angels have endured their share of misery here, going 11-20 in Fenway since 1999, but it’s not because of the park, they say.

“I’ve given up some pretty big hits there, but it’s because I’ve made mistakes against some very good hitters and got beat,” Angels setup man Scot Shields said. “They’ve had some pretty good teams over the past few years. I think it has more to do with that than the stadium.”

Indeed, the Red Sox have been a force, reaching the playoffs three straight seasons, winning the World Series in 2004, and boasting deep and powerful lineups that feature the most lethal one-two punch in the game, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, who have combined for 62 home runs and 174 runs batted in this season.

And the Sox, in first place in the American League East, look every bit as imposing this season, with a 61-39 record.

After fattening up on second-division clubs, going 9-4 against Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Cleveland over the last two weeks, the Angels open a three-game series tonight against the Red Sox, kicking off a stretch of 11 games against division leaders or teams with winning records.

There will be no Casey Fossums or Luke Hudsons as opposing pitchers this weekend. The Red Sox will start a pair of 13-game winners, Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling.

“I really believe that to be a contender, a team that wants to be in first place, you have to beat the teams in the other divisions that are in first place or have good records,” Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera said.

“If we want to be in the playoffs we need to play these guys the way we should, with no hesitation, no panic. Boston is a tough place to play, but it doesn’t matter who we face or where; we just have to play good baseball and not make mistakes.”

Shields has made a few here. On June 3, 2005, he and fellow reliever Brendan Donnelly gave up three runs apiece after the seventh inning, turning a 4-1 Angels lead into a 7-4 loss. And last Sept. 6, Shields gave up a prodigious walk-off home run to Ortiz in a 3-2 loss.

But two nights after succumbing to Ortiz, Shields, in another of those dramatic moments Fenway seems made for, struck out Ortiz with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning in a 3-0 Angels victory.

“Ortiz and Manny are two of the best hitters in the game, but I ain’t lying to you -- I want those guys up in those situations,” Shields said. “Ortiz hit that walk-off homer last year, and two nights later I struck him out with the bases loaded. There’s no other way I’d want to face him.”

Though few teams have much success in Fenway -- the Red Sox are 194-94 in their home park since the start of 2003 -- your chances improve with players who thrive on pressure, who love to play in hostile environments, and the Angels have had a number of them in recent years, which explains their 18-14 record in Yankee Stadium since 1999.

They also have a manager in Mike Scioscia who for seven years has drummed this mantra into his players’ heads: “It’s not who we’re playing or where we’re playing, it’s how we’re playing.” Stick to that, Scioscia believes, and you can eliminate the external forces that could distract you.

“Certainly, it’s a good litmus test when you go into Fenway Park and play a team that’s playing good baseball, but these guys are ready for that challenge,” Scioscia said. “We’ve had some trouble there, and sometimes we’ve played well, but that’s a function of how we’re playing, not the park or whatever else is going on. There’s no intimidation factor with this group.”