Anaheim, CA (My Sportsbook) - Jason Bay helped Boston forget about its former postseason standout, left fielder Manny Ramirez, with a game-deciding, two-run homer to carry the Red Sox to a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of their best-of-five American League Division Series.

Bay also doubled in making his postseason debut after being acquired from Pittsburgh in the trade that sent Ramirez to the Dodgers. Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits, with an RBI, scored a run, stole a pair of bases and made a spectacular diving catch for the defending World Series champions.

Jon Lester (1-0) seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the opening frame and surrendering an unearned run in the third on six hits overall. The southpaw struck out seven and walked one through seven innings.

The Red Sox ran their postseason winning streak to eight and have 10 consecutive playoff wins over the Angels dating back to 1986, as the two teams met in division series play for the third time in the past five seasons. Boston is coming off its second World Series title in the past four seasons and has emerged victorious in four of its last five Division Series.

Lester got the nod for Game 1 after ace right-hander Josh Beckett strained an oblique during a bullpen session this past weekend. Beckett is expected to start Game 3 Sunday in Boston. Lester, who started Boston's World Series clincher a year ago, was 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA this season.

Jonathan Papelbon continued to pitch with ice in his veins, extending his career postseason scoreless streak to 15 2/3 innings in 10 appearances, working the ninth for the save.

The Red Sox also took advantage of a base-running mistake by Vladimir Guerrero, who was easily thrown out at third base in the eighth inning with Boston holding a one-run lead.

John Lackey (0-1) worked out of trouble when he needed to, but was touched for Bay's two-run homer in the sixth, one of just four hits allowed by the right- hander. He walked three and struck out five over 6 2/3 innings.

Torii Hunter drove in LA's lone run and was one of four players to collect a pair of hits for the Angels, who clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with an MLB-best 100-62 regular season record, but fell for the eighth straight time in postseason play. The Angels were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, left nine men on base and failed to muster an extra-base hit in the loss.

"I thought Lackey pitched a terrific game and gave us a chance to win," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Lester was on his game. He was able to get his fastball on both sides of the plate. He had good stuff."

The Angels took eight of nine from the Red Sox during the regular season and rattled off the last eight after a 7-6 defeat April 22 in Boston.

Game 2 is set for Friday in Anaheim with the Angels' Ervin Santana toeing the rubber against Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Lackey issued a free pass to Kevin Youkilis with one away in the sixth, then fanned J.D. Drew for the second out. But Lackey left an 0-1 fastball up in the zone and Bay used a short stroke to power the ball well beyond the wall in left for a 2-1 lead.

"I had never faced Lackey before. He left a fastball up and I hit it. I couldn't have asked for a better first game," said Bay.

Lester turned things up a notch after getting the lead, striking out the side in the home portion and continued to deal in the seventh despite starting the frame with 110 pitches, setting down the Angels 1-2-3 to finish the night having retired seven straight.

"I was trying to find a rhythm early," Lester said. "Some innings I had a good cutter and some innings I had a good curveball. Once the game got going, I had better command."

With Justin Masterson taking over for Lester in the eighth, LA needed to get something going and Mark Teixeira looped a ball to shallow center leading off, but Ellsbury made a highlight-reel diving catch. Guerrero followed with a base-hit, though, and Hunter flared a single down the right field line just out of the reach of a retreating Youkilis.

Guerrero rounded second after watching the ball drop, but Youkilis recovered quickly to nail the runner by three to four steps at third for a key second out. Howie Kendrick capped a frustrating inning for the Halos with a weak grounder to short.

Boston followed with a dagger in the ninth in the form of two insurance runs off Scot Shields. Jed Lowrie lined a single to left, moved to second on a sacrifice from Jason Varitek and came around to score on an Ellsbury single to right. Ellsbury swiped second, moved to third on a grounder and raced home on a single back up the middle from David Ortiz.

The visitors held a commanding 4-1 lead heading to the bottom half, where Papelbon gave up a one-out, pinch-hit single to Kendry Morales, but got both Erick Aybar and Chone Figgins to go down swinging and end the game.

Ellsbury led off the game with a double to right, but Pedroia failed to move the runner and Lackey retired both Ortiz and Youkilis on grounders.

LA loaded the bases in its first turn at the plate on back-to-back singles from Garret Anderson and Teixeira and a walk to Torii Hunter with two down, but Kendrick grounded into a force play.

A Lowrie error opened the door for LA in the third. Anderson singled with one down, and after a Teixeira strikeout Lowrie couldn't handle a grounder from Guerrero. Hunter stepped to the plate and flared a single that dropped in front of Bay to score Anderson. Kendrick grounded to third to end the inning, but LA gained a 1-0 lead.

Game Notes

The Red Sox tied an MLB record for consecutive postseason wins against one opponent. Oakland also had 10 straight wins from 1988-2003 against Boston...The Angels became the first 100-game winners in baseball since the 2005 St. Louis Cardinals and the first in the American League since the 2004 New York Yankees. The Angels are also the first team since those Cardinals to win 50 (or more) games at home and on the road...The Angels' eight-game regular season winning streak against Boston matches the longest win streak vs. the Sox in club history (8/26/61 - 5/30/62)...Ortiz has hit safely in his last 12 ALDS games...Mike Lowell got the start at the hot corner despite a torn labrum in his hip. J.D. Drew started in right field despite having just four at-bats since August 17 after enduring a lengthy stint on the disabled list with a strained lower back. They combined to go 0-for-8 for Boston.