Angels Tame Red Sox 3-0 In Series Finale To Take Two Out of Three Games

For one of the few times so far this season, it was a very frustrating couple days for the Red Sox. Boston (54-36 overall, 23-20 away) choked away a 7-3 lead in the ninth on Saturday night (the same day that Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Clay Buchholz were named AL All-Stars) en route to a 9-7 loss to the Angels (43-45 overall, 24-25 home) in 11 innings while they came back tonight and were blanked 3-0 by the Angels in the series finale at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Los Angeles won the series (2-1) and this is the last time the teams will see each other in the regular season; I doubt they'll meet in the postseason, don't let the Angels' recent strong play fool you-they have a bad mix of players or something that cannot sustain success for long at all.

Jered Weaver (3-4) got the best of his former teammate John Lackey (6-6). Weaver went 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Lackey went seven innings and allowed five hits with nine strikeouts and one walk. The Angels got all the runs they needed on solo homers by Mike Trout in the first and Hank Conger in the fifth. Mark Trumbo added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Dane De La Rossa got the final out of the seventh for LA before Scott Downs pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for his 17 hold and Ernesto Frieri struck out the side in the ninth (thanks to some generous strike calls) for his 22nd save of the season.

Boston was held to five hits (only one for extra bases-a double by Jacoby Ellsbury) with two walks and they went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

Usually seeing four games against the Mariners (39-49 overall, 4th in AL West) on your schedule is a good thing but for at least the next two nights, the Red Sox face a pair of 2013 American League All-Stars so they'll be sure to have their hands full. Jon Lester (8-4) takes on Felix Hernandez (8-4) tomorrow night (10:10, NESN) in the series opener. Allen Webster (1-2) gets Hisashi Iwakuma (7-4) on Tuesday (10:10, NESN), Felix Doubront (5-3) meets veteran Aaron Harang (4-7) on Wednesday (10:10, NESN) and the last game is Thursday afternoon (3:40, NESN) with Ryan Dempster (5-8) opposing Jeremy Bonderman (1-3) who is trying to resurrect his career.

UPDATE 7/8: Jonathan Diaz was sent back to Pawtucket. Andrew Miller is going to have surgery on his left foot (ligament damage) so he could possibly miss the rest of the season. Tough news for him and the Red Sox, he's been very good in 2013.

UPDATE 7/9: After last night's debacle (an 11-4 loss to the Mariners), reliever Alex Wilson was put on the DL and Jackie Bradley Jr. was recalled from Pawtucket. Brandon Workman was called up from the PawSox as well with Jose De La Torre returning to Triple A.

UPDATE 7/10: Alfredo Aceves and Allen Webster were optioned to Pawtucket with knuckleballer Steven Wright and reliever Pedro Beato getting called up.

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Hey, Let's All Gather Round The Dumpster Fire-I Mean The Los Angeles Angels In 2013

The Angels are proof that you can spend a shit ton of money in MLB and assemble an All-Star lineup yet come nowhere close to being .500. Every time you see Los Angeles (haha them or the Dodgers) you think "hey, they'll turn it around at some point." This weekend at Fenway Park is a statement that no, they probably won't.

The teams split a day-night doubleheader yesterday (after Friday's game was rained out) but Boston (39-25 overall, 21-14 home) beat Los Angeles (27-36 overall, 12-18 away) 10-5 this afternoon. With the win, the Red Sox moved a season-high 14 games over .500, improved to an MLB-best 13-6 in day games and 13-6-2 in all series. Oh and they have the best record in the American League.

I'm not saying it's all Angels manager Mike Scioscia's fault since by and large, I think that baseball managers are mostly useless but after 14 years in charge (longest tenured in MLB), hey maybe it's time for a new voice. Just a thought.

Whatever is going on with the Angels, it's clear that this current group isn't working. They missed the playoffs last season and at this pace, they look like they'll out of contention by the All-Star break this year. Explain to me how that's possible with Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo, Howie Kendrick, Jered Weaver, etc on your club. Weird.

Anywho, Boston took the rubber game by smashing four home runs. Pujols (.241) showed that he's not completely washed up with a solo shot to right center in the first inning but Joe Blanton (1-10) was given the task of winning a game. Haha yeah good luck with that. In five innings of batting practice, he allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts and a walk. He allowed three of the four homers by the Red Sox.

Daniel Nava tied it with an RBI single in the third then David Ortiz crushed a three-run bomb, his 13th of the season, to right center that gave Boston a 4-1 lead it wouldn't relinquish.

Ryan Dempster (4-6) got the ball for Boston and he did enough: six innings, three earned runs, six hits, six strikeouts and two walks. He notched his 2000th career strikeout (which I never would have guessed), only the second Canadian to have done that in MLB (what up Ferguson Jenkins?). If there's one thing that Dempster loves more than strikeouts, it's solo homers. He gave up another one, this time to Alberto Callaspo in the fourth.

Jacoby Ellsbury (walk, run, stolen base) answered with an RBI triple (his sixth of the season) in home half of the fourth. Mark Trumbo (2 hits, 2 walks) had an RBI single in the fifth but that's all the Angels would get until garbage time in the eighth.

Blanton gave up back-to-back solo homers to Mike Carp (6th of the season) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (8th of the season) in the sixth. Salty added a two-run bomb in the seventh.

J.B. Shuck-the guy with one of the best names in MLB had a two-run single in the eighth for Los Angeles. What a waste of Mike Trout's (3 for 5 with 2 doubles, run) many talents.

Boston finished 4-2 on this homestand vs. Rangers and Angels with two more series victories against AL West opponents. Looking ahead, their next 14 games are no joke: three at Tampa Bay (34-28, 4th in AL East), four at Baltimore (35-28, 3rd in AL East) then three at Fenway vs. Rays and four in Detroit. Ouch babe.

The Red Sox are 5-1 against the Rays this season but I don't really expect that to stay so one-sided. Tomorrow night (7:10, NESN), John Lackey (3-5) faces Alex Cobb (6-2)-Tampa Bay's next great young pitcher. On Tuesday (7:10, NESN) Jon Lester (6-2) faces the artist formerly known as Fausto Carmona (now Roberto Hernandez who is 3-6) and Wednesday (7:10, NESN) is Clay Buchholz's spot in the rotation but at the moment he's TBD vs. rookie Chris Archer (1-1).

UPDATE 6/10: Will Middlebrooks was recalled from Pawtucket and Pedro Ciriaco was designated for assignment.

Franklin Morales will start on Wednesday for the Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay. Buchholz is supposedly questionable for a start on Friday which doesn't sound very promising.

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Alfredo Aceves Is A Very Valuable Pitcher But He Is Not A Closer As He Proved Once Again

Things have a way of always turning out poorly on bad teams no matter what the sport. Alfredo Aceves returned from his three-game suspension tonight and wouldn't you know that he played a critical part of why Boston choked away a 5-4 lead in the ninth and lost 6-5 to the Angels in the series opener at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Aceves (2-9, 8 blown saves) got a 1-2-3 eighth but as anyone knows from watching the Red Sox (62-68, 30-30 away) this season, he struggles mightily when called upon for a save longer than an inning. Mike Trout (3 hits, 2 RBIs) tied it with an RBI single then Torii Hunter (run, walk) won it on a walkoff sacrifice fly.

Los Angeles (67-62, 34-29 home) actually trailed 5-2 in the sixth before Albert Pujols (29th of the season) cranked a solo homer and Howie Kendrick cut it to 5-4 with an RBI double.

Clay Buchholz (7 innings, 4 earned runs, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks) and Jered Weaver (7 innings, 5 runs, 4 earned, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk) pitched to a standstill but the Angels improved to 4-0 against the Red Sox this season-all in the span of a week.

The incomparable Trout (25th of the season) gave the Angels a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer to start the home half of the first. Mark Trumbo added a sacrifice fly for the 2-0 LA advantage.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (22nd of the season) cut it to 2-1 with a solo homer of his own in the second. Boston added three runs in the fourth on RBI singles from James Loney (3rd game in a row) and Salty. A run also crossed home plate on Ryan Kalish's double play.

Ryan Lavarnway's sacrifice fly in the sixth put the Red Sox in good position up 5-2. Bobby Valentine's hand was mostly forced since he didn't want to use Andrew Bailey (who pitched in 4 of the last 5 days) or Vicente Padilla. Although, for some reason he had Aceves warming up in the sixth. Clayton Mortensen was an option but he's never closed so I can't say I blame Valentine from staying away from him.

Kevin Jepsen (3-2) unknowingly earned the win with a scoreless ninth.

It was just another soul-crushing loss in a season full of them. Mortensen will be sent back to Pawtucket to make room for tomorrow night's (10:05 p.m., NESN) starter Zach Stewart (1-2), who makes his Red Sox debut vs. C.J. Wilson (9-9). He was the major piece that came over from the White Sox in the Kevin Youkilis trade.

I have to admit that even though they aren't good and they are playing out the string, I enjoy watching this cast of mostly spare parts and minor leaguers play rather than the overpaid underachievers that we were stuck with the last few seasons. Who knows, maybe a few of them will win jobs for next year (Pedro Ciriaco already has).

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Angels Beat Red Sox 14-13 In 10 Innings At Fenway That You Had To See To Believe

For a team that has found a way to fall flat on its face time and again over the past year, you have to admire the Red Sox for still trying out new and different ways of losing. In that sense, it never gets old.

Los Angeles (65-60, 32-31 away) swept three games in Boston (59-66, 29-37 home) thanks to a surreal 14-13 win tonight in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

I'm going to rattle off a bunch of stats I dug up on Twitter after this loss, mostly from Red Sox beat writers. For this memorable game, there were five lead changes, 10 innings, 27 runs, five home runs, 15 pitchers, 410 pitches & three blown saves in four hours and 34 minutes.

This was the second time this season that Boston lost when they scored 12 runs or more. That hadn't happened since 1970 (276-0) before 2012. The frontrunners from Boston are 24-33 in games decided by one or two runs, that includes 2-7 mark in extra innings and 0-5 at home.

The Red Sox have lost nine of their last 11 home games. When you look at their numbers, it's almost impossible to believe that they could possibly lose. They were 9 for 14 with runners in scoring position, they had 18 hits and two guys with four hits apiece yet they still lost.

The Angels had four guys with three hits and three guys with two hits. MVP of the universe Mike Trout was 3 for 6 with two runs, two RBIs, two stolen bases and a walk. Torii Hunter (who is still getting it done at 37) was 3 for 6 with two runs, two RBIs and a walk. Providence native Chris Iannetta continued his tear by going 3 for 6 with two RBIs and a run. Kendry Morales was 2 for 5 with solo homer, three runs, two RBIs and a walk. Vernon Wells doubled and homered for three RBIs and two runs. Howie Kendrick was 2 for 5 with run, RBI and walk.

Fittingly, Boston's catchers Ryan Lavarnway and Jarrod Saltalamacchia were the only players with plate appearances that didn't record a hit. Pedro Ciriaco was 4 for 6 with four runs and a double. Dustin Pedroia was 4 for 6 with five RBIs, 3 runs, a double and home run. Jacoby Ellsbury was 3 for 6 with a double, three RBIs, stolen base and a run. Cody Ross was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and solo home run. Scott Podsednik was 2 for 4 with two runs, an RBI and walk.

Starters Franklin Morales (2.2 innings, 6 runs, 2 earned, 6 hits) and C.J. Wilson (5 innings, 7 runs, 6 earned, 8 hits) were long gone by the time this was decided.

Boston actually built a 6-0 lead by the second inning but it only took Los Angeles one half inning to put eight on the board in response. Adrian Gonzalez had an RBI single in the first before Podsednik and Ellsbury did the same in the second. Pedroia crushed a three-run homer (11th of the season) to put the Red Sox in front by six.

Turns out that Morales and Clayton Mortensen (0 outs, 2 runs, 3 hits) couldn't hold that slim margin. Kendrick had an RBI single, Morales walked with the bases loaded, a run scored on Ciriaco's error, Wells walked with the bases loaded then Iannetta, Trout and Hunter all produced RBI singles.

Ross' RBI single in the fifth trimmed LA's lead to 8-7. Mike Aviles' solo homer (his 12th of the season) and Ellsbury's RBI double in the sixth let the Red Sox grab back the lead at 9-8. Trout tied it in the seventh with an RBI single. Ellsbury added an RBI single in the eighth and Pedroia's infield single plated another run after that.

Handed an 11-9 lead, Alfredo Aceves (2-8, 7th blown save) came through with about the worst ninth inning possible. He allowed three runs and if that wasn't bad enough, he was stuck back out there in the 10th and he gave up two more for good measure.

It all started with Wells' solo homer (8th of the season) that shouldn't have been a homer since it bounced off the line on the Monster and back into play. The problem was that nobody on the Red Sox seemed to notice or care so it wasn't reviewed. Hunter and Mark Trumbo's RBI singles gave Los Angeles a 12-11 advantage.

Cody Ross aka anti-Adrian Gonzalez (more on that later) tied it with a solo homer (his 19th of the season) in the ninth against Angels closer Ernesto Frieri (2-0, 2nd blown save).

Morales greeted Aceves with a solo homer (16th of the season) in the 10th and Wells' RBI double turned out to be a valuable insurance run (aren't they all?).

Pedroia and Ciriaco wouldn't let the Red Sox die as Dustin singled in Pedro. Of course, with a chance to be a hero Gonzalez failed miserably by striking out to end it-he represented the winning run.

I assume you have already stopped paying attention weeks or months ago (I am like a junkie, I can't quit it cold turkey on this car crash season) but by all means, don't watch one second this weekend as the Royals (55-68, 3rd in AL Central) come to Fenway. These two loser teams will play four utterly meaningless contests. The only thing to watch is if the Red Sox will finally give up their charade and admit the sellout streak is over since there is no way you could get a full house for any of these games even if all the tickets were free courtesy of Dr. Creepy.

Jon Lester (7-10) faces Bruce Chen (9-10) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Josh Beckett (5-11) gets former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie (5-12) on Saturday night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Aaron Cook (3-7) opposes the other Will Smith (4-5) on Sunday afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) and Clay Buchholz (11-4) takes the ball on Monday afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) against Luke Hochevar (7-11) in a series and homestand finale that potentially could be attended by six people.

Not making any predictions but keep in mind that Kansas City could have a better record than Boston if they sweep this series.

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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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