More power to Sox
Batter Angels again for 54th victory of first half
If the back 81 go as well as the front 81, the Red Sox should be in pretty good shape come the end of the regular season.
In their final game of the first half last night, the Red Sox put on yet another home run fireworks show to deliver yet another victory over the Angels. This outcome, 9-6, wasn’t the usual thumping of the Angels but a late rally sparked by Rafael Devers’ seventhinning RBI double broke a 6-6 tie.
With the win, the Red Sox improved their first-half record to 54-27, the fourth highest wins total in franchise history and the most since 1978 when the Red Sox had 56 at the break.
The Red Sox are now 5-0 against Anaheim this season, with one to go tonight. They have outscored the Angels, 44-10.
The Red Sox’ first and biggest offensive outburst came in the second inning, when three home runs kick-started them to a 6-0 lead. It started with Eduardo Nunez’ leadoff home run to straightaway center field against Angels southpaw starter Andrew Heaney.
Devers then singled and Sandy Leon followed with a two-run shot, pelting one of the fabric signs that hover over the Green Monster. With one out, J.D. Martinez launched a three-run shot over the left-field wall to give the Red Sox the early 6-0 lead. It was Martinez’ major league-leading 25th home run.
Starter Rick Porcello was dealing in the early going, resembling the starter who held the Twins to one hit and no runs in seven innings last week.
Porcello induced mostly weak conduct. When he got into second-inning jam, with runners on first and third with two outs, he induced a flyout to Mookie Betts in right field.
Ian Kinsler led off the fifth inning with a first-pitch, sky-scraping home run that narrowed the Red Sox’ lead to 6-1.
Heaney and a succession of relievers did a nice job of containing the Red Sox’ offense from the third through two outs into the seventh inning.
In the sixth, however, Porcello’s stuff ran dry.
With one out, he gave up backto-back singles before No. 8 hitter Martin Maldonado swatted a three-run shot to left to bring the Red Sox’ lead down to 6-4.
Reliever Joe Kelly was not sharp in the seventh, when three singles, a double and Kelly’s throwing error allowed the Angels to score twice and tie the game.
The Red Sox answered with their own seventh-inning rally, beginning with a two-out walk by Nunez. Devers then doubled in Nunez and advanced to third on a bobbled relay throw. Leon drove in Devers with a single for his third RBI of the game.
Matt Barnes came in with two on and two outs in the seventh for Kelly and got Maldonado on a swinging strike three. Barnes was sharp in the eighth as well, despite an error by Devers and a walk to Mike Trout (1-for-4, single). After striking out Justin Upton, Barnes was lifted for Craig Kimbrel. The closer began with a walk to load the bases but worked out of it with a strikeout of Luis Valbuena.
The Red Sox scored a run in the ninth, when Martinez scored on a wild pitch from Angels reliever Jake Jewell. The pitcher was racing toward home when his right foot got caught in the dirt and his leg bent rather gruesomely at the end of the slide. Jewell had to be taken off the field in a stretcher.