It almost didn’t look like the Boston Red Sox were going to pick up the win today as Jonathan Papelbon made it interesting in the 9th. But he held on and made Jason Bay’s two home runs stand up as the Red Sox went on to a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in front of 40,163 sun-soaked fans at Angel Stadium.
The win for the Red Sox (2-3) ends a 9-game regular season losing streak against the Angels.
After retiring the only batter he faced in the 8th inning, Papelbon got himself into a wee bit of trouble in the 9th inning.
Torii Hunter led off the inning with a home run to cut the lead to 5-4. Kendry Morales followed with a double on an 0-2 count and was replaced by a pinch-runner in Reggie Willits. Papelbon got the first out of the inning when Juan Rivera grounded to short as Willits stayed at second. Papelbon then walked Napoli, who had 2 solo home runs and a double on the afternoon. Erick Aybar struck out for the second out and then Chone Figgins walked to load the bases up.
Papelbon got ahead of Howie Kendrick 0-2 and then Kendrick fouled off 7 straight pitches before finally flying out to right field to end the game. It took Papelbon 39 pitches, 37 of them in the 9th to get the job done.
Brad Penny made his Red Sox debut this afternoon and picked up the win despite allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 6 innings. He also had 2 strikeouts. Ramon Ramirez continued his good start to the season as he allowed just a hit and had a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings.
Joe Saunders started for the Angels (2-3) and gave up 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks in 7 innings of work. He also struck out 2.
Bay was the man for the Red Sox today going 2-for-3 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. Rocco Baldelli and Jason Varitek both added 2 hits for the visiting nine and Mike Lowell knocked in the other 2 runs with a 2-run homer.
The Angels got on the board first in the 1st inning.
Figgins worked a leadoff walk and stole second with Kendrick at the plate. Kendrick moved Figgins over to third with a ground out to the right side and he came around to score on a Bobby Abreu ground out to the right side.
Napoli pushed the lead to 2-0 in the 3rd inning when he led off with a home run.
After a Baldelli fly out, Saunders walked Bay in the top of the 5th. The walk proved to be costly as Lowell connected on a two-run home run to left to tie the game at 2.
The lead didn’t last long though for the Red Sox as Napoli led off the home half of the 5th with another solo home run, his second of the afternoon.
The Red Sox went ahead for good in the 7th inning.
Baldelli reached on an infield single to start the inning. He wasn’t on the bases too long as Bay brought him with a 2-run home run to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead.
Bay gave the Red Sox an insurance run when he hit a solo home run with 1 out in the 9th off of Justin Speier.
The two teams will wrap up their 3-game set tomorrow afternoon at 3:35 PM. Commander Kickass Josh Beckett will get the start for the Red Sox and be opposed by Dustin Moseley.
Notes and musings:
Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4.11.09 box score
Today’s game against the Angels marks the debut of Boston’s new gray primary road uniform.
The Red Sox are slated to be appear six more times on FOX on the network’s initial schedule, including one
more time this month. Here is a look at Boston’s FOX games:
April 11 – at Los Angeles Angels, 4:10 p.m.
April 25 – New York Yankees, 4:10 p.m.
May 9 – Tampa Bay Rays, 3:40 p.m.
June 27 – at Atlanta Braves, 4:10 p.m.
Aug. 8 – at New York Yankees, 4:10 p.m.
Aug. 22 – New York Yankees, 4:10 p.m.
Sept. 5 – at Chicago White Sox, 4:10 p.m.
Jason Varitek is celebrating his 37th birthday today.
With four punch outs in last night’s loss, Tim Wakefield brought his career strikeout total with the Red Sox to 1,801. He joins Roger Clemens (2,590) as the only 2 pitchers in club history to reach the 1,800 K plateau. The Twins (4), Angels (2), Indians (2) and Tigers (2) are the only other A.L. teams to have at least 2 different pitchers reach that mark.
