Don't miss Greg Shoemaker and myself talking baseball on GetSportsRadio.com's PLAYOFF PRIMER: 

It was one of the most high-profile deal at the trading deadline, a three-team swap that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and Jason Bay to the Red Sox. Both teams ended up in the playoffs and on the opening day of October baseball both players delivered for their new teams.

Bay’s two-run home run in the sixth inning off Angels starter John Lackey erased a 1-0 deficit as Boston added two more runs and cruised to 4-1 victory in Anaheim. Meanwhile, Ramirez hit one of the three long balls, the biggest being a grand slam by James Loney, to pace the Dodgers to a quick 1-0 lead in the series. In a five-game set it is huge to grab the first game, especially on the road.

ManRam, like him or not, is clutch (when he actually plays) and now leads baseball with the all-time mark of 25 playoff homeruns.

Jack Curry of the New York Times looked a bit deeper at the irony of the night.

"Jason Bay is not as intimidating or as goofy as Manny Ramirez. Bay is a very good player, while Ramirez is a likely Hall of Famer. Bay is bland, while Ramirez is colorful. But Bay will always be connected to Ramirez because they were involved in the three-team trade that ended Ramirez's stint with the Red Sox and started Bay's career in Boston.

For one night, Bay did what Ramirez used to do for the Red Sox. Bay ripped a two-run homer against John Lackey that helped propel the Red Sox to a 4-1 victory against the Angels in Game 1 of their division series. It was Bay's first postseason homer. Ramirez clubbed his all-time-best 25th playoff homer for the Dodgers at the same time his former teammates were taking batting practice Wednesday."

THURSDAY'S  SCHEDULE:
2:37 Eastern - White Sox (Javier Vazquez) at Rays (James Shields) - TBS - ESPN RADIO
6:07 Eastern - Milwaukee (CC Sabathia) at Phillies (Brett Myers) - TBS - ESPN RADIO
9:37 Eastern - Dodgers (Chad Billingsley) at Cubs (Carlos Zambrano) - TBS - ESPN RADIO

MLB red sox, dodgers, jason bay, manny ramirez, james loney