The Los Angeles Angels got out to an early lead and then exploded for seven runs in the seventh inning on Saturday evening, breaking their eight game losing streak with a 12-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Boston starter Rick Porcello ran into some early trouble. Kole Calhoun led off the game with a single. After Mike Trout struck out, Shohei Ohtani doubled and then for a second straight day Los Angeles hit a three run homer to take the lead. This time it was Justin Upton taking a 1-2 pitch down the right field line hooking it around the Pesky Pole. Porcello settled in it seemed after that retiring 14 batters in a row giving his team a chance to get back into the game. The Red Sox finally got some base traffic in the third inning as the first two men reached base, but would have to settle for a Sam Travis sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
Calhoun broke up the 14 in a row retired by Porcello with a sharp single to start the sixth inning. Trout would follow on the next pitch with a very hard hit two run homer into the monster seats in left. The ball had an estimated exit velocity of 106.4 miles per hour. The homerun was the first hit at Fenway in Trouts career (22 games). He has now a homerun in every American League ballpark. Mookie Betts cut it to 5-2 with a two out RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, but then things fell apart in a big seventh inning for Los Angeles (57-61). Wilfedo Tavar had an RBI single, Trout was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Upton had a sacrifice fly, and both Ohtani and David Fletcher had two run singles in the worst outing of his career so far for Sox reliever Darwinzon Hernandez. The seven run outburst made it 12-2. Sam Travis hit a solo homerun to center field his fifth of the year, and Michael Chavis had an RBI groundout in the Boston half of the seventh inning to end the scoring.
Porcello (10-9) took the loss and had a final line of 5.0 innings pitched allowing five runs on five hits, with no walks and three strikeouts. Hernandez allowed four runs on two hits in just 1.0 inning. Betts and Brock Holt each had two hits for Boston (62-57), who had their three game win streak ended. Calhoun, Ohtani, and Fletcher each had two hits in the Angels win. Taylor Cole (2-3) pitched 1.2 innings of relief to pick up the win. Andrew Heaney started the game and allowed one run on three hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Boston will still attempt to win the series on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Andrew Cashner will try to turn around his 1-4 start since his acquisition when he climbs the hill for the Red Sox, while Patrick Sandoval will take the ball for the Angels.
Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, shown here in an game earlier this year at Fenway Park, had two hits including an RBI double in a Saturday loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Photo courtesy of Delaney Gardner
