The Boston Red Sox swept the 100-win Angels to the side in four games, dismissing their best-in-baseball regular season as yesterday’s news.

Jason Bay scored with a headfirst slide on Jed Lowrie’s two-out single in the ninth inning and the defending World Series champions took advantage of a squeeze, beating Los Angeles 3-2 Monday night to win their first-round playoff series in four games.

The Boston Red Sox, who won it all in 2004, will have a chance at a third title in five years if it can get past the Rays in the best-of-seven AL championship series that starts Friday night at Tampa Bay.

Check out this video of Boston Red Sox Coco Crisp charging the mound in the second inning tonight after he was beaned by Tampa Bay’s James Shields.

This series was already pretty tense already. Yesterday Boston snatched first place in the AL East away from the Rays and Rays manager Joe Maddon accused Coco of “intentionally” trying to injure second baseman Akinori Iwamura during a steal attempt.

I’m disappointed neither guy connected, although both showed excellent dodging skillz.