Everything Is Cured When You Play The Red Sox

Los Angeles was plummeting down the AL West and wild card standings after going 3-7 on a 10-game homestand and losing their last four games in a row. However, they should change their tune in the next 10 days as they play Boston six times in that time frame.

The Angels (63-60, 30-31 away) didn't have the feel of a team in disarray tonight as they beat the Red Sox (59-64, 29-35 home) 5-3 in the series opener at Fenway Park.

Boston honored the late Johnny Pesky before the game and all the Red Sox wore his No. 6 while the grounds crew cut his number into the grass beyond the shortstop position. It was a classy gesture, likewise for the patches the Angels wore on their jerseys for him. Making the mood even more sad for NESN viewers, tonight was also the Jimmy Fund telethon so we were treated to an array of heartbreaking stories about cancer.

Aaron Cook (3-7) might have started his last game for the Red Sox since he continues to get hit hard. In five innings, he allowed five runs (four earned) on 11 hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Ervin Santana (7-10) would fit well in Boston's rotation since he's been brutal this season but he was fine this time around. He lasted 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Boston was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, Los Angeles was 3 for 6. More and more, I understand that is one of the most important statistics in baseball which usually determines who wins and who loses.

When you look at all the talent on the Angels, it's hard to believe they came in only two games above .500. Albert Pujols (2 hits, double) had an RBI single in the third, Erick Aybar had an RBI single in the fourth and Providence native (and URI track and field star) Chris Iannetta added a run on an infield single later in the frame as Los Angeles took a 3-0 lead.

Mark Trumbo (2 hits) crushed his 30th homer of the season in memorable fashion, 440-feet over the Green Monster for a two-run shot and a commanding 5-0 advantage. Rookie superstar and MVP favorite Mike Trout was 2 for 4 with a run and walk in his Fenway debut and first ever game against the Red Sox.

Boston finally got on the board in the sixth on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's (21st of the season) two-run homer that just got over the fence in right field. Scott Podsednick (2 hits, double) scored on Jordan Walden's wild pitch in the seventh.

The Angels are always known for their outstanding bullpens and this one looks like no exception. Scott Downs and Kevin Jepsen both got two outs before closer Ernestro Frieri had a 1-2-3 ninth for his 15th save of the season.

I guarantee I won't say this more than once or twice the rest of this pointless season but you should tune in to tomorrow night's (7:10 p.m., NESN) Red Sox game. Clay Buchholz (11-3) opposes Jered Weaver (15-3) as two of the most talented pitchers in baseball square off. It has all the makings of a classic pitchers' duel but when it appears so obvious, it'll probably be the exact opposite.

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Angels beat Red Sox in 13 innings, ending at 2:45 a.m. EST

It's only fitting that the Los Angeles Angels finally beat the Boston Red Sox in a game that most either didn't see or gave up on watching and went to bed (even on the West Coast).

The Angels (17-14) won 5-3 in 13 innings last night at Fenway Park against the Red Sox (14-16), in a game that didn't end until 2:45 a.m. EST thanks to a lengthy rain delay (two hours and thirty five minutes).

For someone that never goes to bed at a reasonable hour, it was hilarious to watch the game that would never end. I'd like to give props to the die-hard fans that stayed but you had to be insane to stay for the entire game, a meaningless May game against the Angels.

It was bad luck for both starting pitchers since they were both dealing, particularly Los Angeles' Ervin Santana (4 innings, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts). He had a no-hitter going when the game was put on hold in the top of the fifth. That no-hitter continued until Jed Lowrie got a hit in the bottom of the seventh.

Josh Beckett (4.1 innings, 1 hit, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts) was nearly as dominant but he was also lifted since you never bring back a starting pitcher after a rain delay.

It became a contest decided by random bullpens and wouldn't you know that somehow Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-3) would find a way to screw it up as he took the loss in his first MLB relief appearance (1 inning, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk).

Vernon Wells broke the scoreless tie with a two-run bomb off Dan Wheeler in the top of the seventh.

Adrian Gonzalez reached on an infield single in the bottom of the eighth and Jason Varitek scored on the play as Angels reliever Fernando Rodney decided for some reason to flip the ball to his catcher Hank Conger. Too bad it wasn't even close.

Erick Aybar's sacrifice fly scored Wells in the top of the ninth and gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead.

Boston showed some resiliency as they scored twice in their last at bats against LA's new closer Jordan Walden. Lowrie scored on a throwing error by Conger and then Jacoby Ellsbury delivered with an RBI single that plated Carl Crawford.

Bobby Abreu was the hero for the Angels as he hit a two-run single in the top of the 13th against Matsuzaka, scoring Howie Kendrick and Peter Bourjos.

The fourth and final game of this series has already begun with John Lackey opposing former Red Sox Joel Pineiro. With a 15-2 record the last two seasons against the Angels and 6-1 this year, Boston will try to close out this series on a high note even though they have to be dead tired.

And when J.D. Drew gets hurt, cause you know he will, who's your defensive specialist, eh Hermida?

David Ortiz is officially done, but you already knew that. The Boston Red Sox look great against bad teams (except for the Orioles), but you also knew that.

The Sox (13-14) beat the Angels (12-16) last night at Fenway Park, 5-1 thanks to Jon Lester's great start and Jeremy Hermida's clutch three-run double.

Ortiz? Oh he just went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and he grounded into two double plays. The second was a rare 4-2-3 DP in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded, no outs and the score tied 1-1.

Luckily, Adrian Beltre kept the inning alive with a walk which set the stage for Hermida's Wall scraping double that Juan Rivera should have caught.

Lester (2-2) was a horse, throwing eight innings of one run ball, allowing five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 120 pitches and made manager Terry Francona look smart for keeping in their in the eighth when he ran into some trouble. Dustin Pedroia squelched that by getting a double play to end Lester's night and the inning.

Marco Scutaro continued to be a pleasant surprise at the top of the lineup with Jacoby Ellsbury out. He had three hits and scored the first run. He led off the bottom of the first with a double and eventually scored on Victor Martinez's groundout.

Erick Aybar tied it in the fourth when he scored on Kendry Morales' groundout.

Ervin Santana deserved better for Los Angeles. The up and down righty went seven innings, giving up one run on seven hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

John Lackey faces his old team for the first time tonight as the Red Sox try to make it three in a row over the uncharacteristically bad Angels. LA counters with former Sox pitcher Joel Pineiro.