Dice-K Leads Boston to Game 1 Win; Myers Drives Phillies to 2-0 Series Lead

Players of the Day from Friday, October 10, 2008 American League Championship Series Boston 2 Tampa Bay 0 Daisuke Matsuzaka got the Red Sox off to an excellent start and a 1-0 lead in the NLCS, with a 7 inning, 2-hit, shutout performance as the Red Sox slipped by the Rays, 2-0. Matsuzaka was unhittable through the sixth inning before giving up a pair of hits in the 7th. Jed Lowrie drove in Jason Bay with a sac fly in the 5th and Kevin Youkilis - who went 3-for-4 with a single and two doubles - drove in Dustin Pedroia with the game's only other run with an 8th inning double. Notes: Game 2 is Saturday night in Boston at 8:07 pm EDT. Boston starts Josh Beckett against the Rays' Scott Kazmir. National League Championship Series Brett Myers didn't pitch particularly well, allowing 5 runs over 5 innings, but he keyed a couple of rallies - going 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs - as he and his fellow Phillies got to Chad Billingsley early and took a 2-0 series lead with an 8-5 win over the Dodgers. Shane Victorino drove in four runs with a single in the 2nd and a two-out triple in the 3rd inning. Manny Ramirez delivered a 3-run homer for LA in the 4th, but that was the last score for either team. Brad Lidge kept his 2008 saves streak intact with his 45th consecutive without blowing one. Lidge struck out the side in the 9th, but not without adding some drama by walking Ramirez to start the inning and James Loney with one out. Notes: The teams take Saturday off to travel out to LA, where they will play game 3, Sunday night at 8:22 pm EDT. Hiroki Kuroda starts for the Dodgers, Jamie Moyer heads to the mound for Philadelphia.