New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Red Sox club Angels, win third straight
BOSTON — Alex Verdugo hit a solo homer in his first at-bat on his 25th birthday, Xander Bogaerts also went deep with a gamebreaking, three-run shot and the Boston Red Sox beat the stumbling Los Angeles Angels 9-0 on Saturday.
Rafael Devers added a solo shot, Bobby Dalbec hit a two-run double and Franchy Cordero drove in two runs with two doubles for the Red Sox (25-16), who won their third straight and matched their season high by climbing nine games over .500.
Angels star Shohei Ohtani had a rough day, getting cut down on a baserunning blunder after a single in his first at-bat, and striking out his next three.
Martin Perez (1-2) went six innings, holding the Angels to three singles, striking out five with four walks. Three relievers combined on the four-hitter.
Los Angeles (16-22) has lost four in a row, falling to a season-worst six games under .500.
Verdugo snapped an 0-for-14 stretch by sending a fastball from Dylan Bundy (0-5) over Boston’s bullpen. After crossing home plate, he pointed up to the front row of seats on the Green Monster, where about a half-dozen fans, with most wearing his jersey, were cheering wildly and holding birthday signs.
Bogaerts chased Bundy with his shot that left Fenway Park completely over the Monster seats, giving the Red Sox a 7-0 lead in the fifth.
Bundy was tagged for seven runs in four innings, raising his ERA to 6.02.
RAYS 12, METS 5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Joey Wendle hit three doubles and a single, keying two big innings that sent Tampa Bay past New York.
Yandy Diaz, who had two of Tampa Bay’s eight doubles, and Randy Arozarena each had three hits.
Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Jose Peraza each homered for the Mets, who have lost two in a row at Tropicana Field after a seven-game winning streak.
Wendle had an infield that set up a run in the first and doubled to spark a five-run fourth that made it 6-4. He hit a two-run double in a six-run eighth that broke open the game.
Rays starter Shane McClanahan (1-0) got his first major league win. The 24-year-old lefty, who last October became the first pitcher in major league history to debut in the postseason, gave up four runs on six hits while striking out seven in 51⁄3 innings.