Advertisement

Los Angeles Angels quiet David Price, Boston Red Sox

By Gethin Coolbaugh, The Sports Xchange
Los Angeles Angels' Kole Calhoun is congratulated by teammates after returning to the dugout. File photo by Lori Shepler/UPI
Los Angeles Angels' Kole Calhoun is congratulated by teammates after returning to the dugout. File photo by Lori Shepler/UPI | License Photo

BOSTON -- JC Ramirez took his road-warrior status to new heights for the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

Ramirez tossed six one-run innings and got some help from a balanced Angels offense in a 6-3 win over the first-place Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Advertisement

Ramirez (7-5) allowed four hits and no walks while striking out five. He is the first Angels starter to win five consecutive road starts since Jered Weaver won six in a row in 2012.

"This one, especially playing in this park, gave me a lot of confidence," Ramirez said after making his first career start at historic Fenway.

Ramirez has allowed just nine runs in his last 30 innings away from home, good for a 2.70 ERA.

Advertisement

"I'm (getting) better timing with my warmup (on the road) before the game starts," said Ramirez, who is 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA at home this season. "At home, I haven't figured it out yet, but I think I'm getting to that point."

Martin Maldonado, Eric Young Jr., Luis Valbuena and Cameron Maybin and Kole Calhoun each had an RBI as Los Angeles (39-39) bounced back from a 9-4 loss in Friday's series opener.

Mitch Moreland slugged a solo home run, his 10th of the season, and Hanley Ramirez had an RBI for Boston (41-33), which has lost three of its last five games.

Despite the loss, the Red Sox remain a half-game in front of the Yankees atop the American League East after New York's loss on Saturday.

Boston's David Price (2-2) put up a quality start in a losing effort, allowing three runs (two earned), six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in six innings.

"Felt good. Just I didn't make enough big pitches when I needed to," Price said.

Valbuena's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead.

Advertisement

The Angels added two runs in the seventh on Maybin's RBI double and a balk by Boston reliever Fernando Abad later in the inning that allowed Maybin to trot home from third.

Red Sox manager John Farrell came out to argue that time had been called before the balk. Home-plate umpire Ryan Blakney appeared to grant Calhoun time just before crew chief Miller called the balk at third base.

"It started off that Abad had started and stopped before stepping off the back of the rubber," Miller told a pool reporter. "The Red Sox argument was that time had been called by the home plate umpire before he balked. John came out and asked Ryan Blakney what he had, and Ryan told him that he had the balk before he called time."

"It looked like Abad balked, then stopped, and it looked like the catcher (Christian) Vazquez tried to call time, but the balk happened before all that happened," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Farrell got in an animated argument with Miller and poked his chest, leading Miller to give Farrell his first ejection of the season.

Advertisement

"Time was called," Farrell maintained after the game. "Time was clearly called before the balk was called. So that was the dispute."

Calhoun's RBI infield single in the ninth made it a five-run game.

Ramirez dropped a two-out, ground-rule double in the ninth to bring the Red Sox within four.

Angels reliever Cam Bedrosian walked Jackie Bradley Jr. in the next at-bat to load the bases for Christian Vazquez, who reached on a strikeout and a wild pitch to make it 6-3.

Blake Parker got pinch hitter Chris Young to strike out swinging to end the game, clinching his first save of the year.

Los Angeles clung to a 2-1 lead through the fifth.

Maldonado put the Angels on the board first with a two-out RBI single in the opening inning.

Moreland tied the score with an estimated 418-foot blast to center field in the second. He had just one hit in 20 previous at-bats.

Young restored Los Angeles' one-run advantage two innings later with an RBI single.

NOTES: Los Angeles CF Mike Trout (torn ligament in left thumb) hit off a tee for the second straight day. ... Angels 3B Yunel Escobar (left thumb strain) is day to day after being scratched from the lineup and replaced by Cliff Pennington. ... Los Angeles LHP Tyler Skaggs (right oblique muscle strain) made a rehab start in the Arizona League on Saturday. RHP Matt Shoemaker (right forearm extensor strain) has resumed throwing but likely won't make his scheduled start Friday. ... Boston added RHP Doug Fister to the 25-man roster before his Sunday start. Fister was claimed off waivers from the Angels on Friday. RHP Hector Velazquez was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... Red Sox INF Josh Rutledge (concussion) was placed on the seven-day disabled list after being scratched Friday. INF Tzu-Wei Lin was selected from Double-A Portland and INF/OF Brock Holt (vertigo) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. ... Fister makes his season debut opposite Angels RHP Parker Bridwell (1-0, 3.07 ERA) on Sunday.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines