Below The Beltway

It’s beginning to look like this year’s Division Series round of baseball’s postseason could be pretty short. The Brewers and Cubs are already down two games in their five game series, and now the same thing has happened in the other matchups.

First, the Red Sox took a two game lead over the Angels:

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Boston Red Sox’ depressing history, all those decades of exasperating losses, is rarely broached anymore. There is no need to discuss it. Those memories are ancient news. The more recent Red Sox developments are about winning, winning again and trying to create a dynasty. It could happen.

For the Red Sox, the beginning of the 2008 postseason feels similar to the way they ended the 2007 postseason. J.D. Drew smashed a two-run homer off Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth inning to power the Red Sox past the Angels, 7-5, in Game 2 of their division series on Friday night. The Red Sox were smiling after this win gave them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, but they were exhaling, too.

The Angels rebounded from deficits of 4-0 and 5-1 to tie the score and helped create an atmosphere that Boston’s Jason Bay described as “every pitch” being “life and death.” But Drew, who played in only two of the last 38 regular-season games because of a strained lower back, relaxed the Red Sox by hitting Rodriguez’s changeup over the center-field fence.

“It’s a huge hit,” Manager Terry Francona said. “It’s a game-changer.”

Then, the Tampa Bay Rays came closer to knocking the other Chicago team out of the playoffs:

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Six days ago, when the Chicago White Sox needed to win three games in a row to save their season, they did just that.

They had better do it again.

The Tampa Bay Rays took a 2-0 advantage over the White Sox in their best-of-five American League division series Friday night by winning, 6-2, in a game more closely contested than the final score suggested.

The White Sox must beat the Rays three straight times. The series moves to Chicago for two games at U.S. Cellular Field.

“We’ve been in this position before, just the other day,” said the White Sox slugger Jermaine Dye, who singled four times. “We have to find a way to do what we did last week.”

In Game 3 Sunday afternoon, the Rays’ Matt Garza will face the White Sox’ John Danks, who is battle tested for this crucial assignment. In his last outing on Tuesday, Danks yielded two hits in eight shutout innings to beat the Twins, 1-0, in a winner-take-all playoff game that gave Chicago the A.L. Central title.

So, now the Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, and Angels are one game away from going home for the season. Will one of them be able to pull off a three game win streak ? Possibly, but I’m thinking no.