ANAHEIM, Calif. – Mike Napoli homered against former batterymate Jered Weaver and Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run double, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Allen Webster (2-1) allowed two runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings in his third start since getting recalled from Triple-A on July 26, when Jake Peavy was traded to San Francisco. The right-hander struck out three, walked two and hit two batters.
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Saturday's Game
WHO: Red Sox (Buchholz 5-7) at Angels (Richards 12-4)
WHEN: 9:05 p.m.
TELEVISION: NESN
Koji Uehara got three outs during a shaky ninth to get his 24th save.
Weaver (12-7) lost for the first time since June 16, allowing four runs and seven hits through six innings after going 5-0 in his previous nine starts. The Angels’ fourth straight loss matched their longest skid of the season and dropped them four games behind AL West-leading Oakland, following the Athletics’ 6-5 win over Minnesota.
Dustin Pedroia opened the scoring in the Boston third with an RBI single, and Cespedes lined a two-out double just inside the left field line for his first two RBIs since joining the Red Sox from Oakland at the non-waiver trade deadline.
But the Angels got two of the runs back in the bottom half. Efren Navarro drew a leadoff walk and came all the way around when Cespedes misplayed Chris Iannetta’s double in the left field corner for an error. Iannetta scored on Mike Trout’s sacrifice fly.
Last Saturday at Fenway Park against the Yankees, Webster was staked to a 3-0 lead in the second inning before walking his first three batters in the third and giving up four runs en route to a 6-4 loss.
But Napoli, who caught Weaver during their first five seasons in the big leagues, helped make sure there wouldn’t be a repeat of that scenario for Webster when he hit his 14th homer to left-center with two out in the fifth. It was his third against Weaver.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Outfielder Allen Craig, who has played only one game since he was acquired from St. Louis on July 31, got a second opinion on his sprained left foot from Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, North Carolina. There were no new findings.
Angels: Reliever Mike Morin, who hasn’t pitched since July 31 because of a laceration on his left foot, has been doing some long toss and will continue to through the weekend before he gets back on a mound early next week. Manager Mike Scioscia is confident that he will be ready to come off the DL when he is eligible a week from Saturday at Texas.
ON DECK
Red Sox: Right-hander Clay Buchholz (5-7, 6.20 ERA) has never had a season with 30 or more starts – despite the fact that all but two of his 141 big league appearances have come as a starter. This is the fifth straight season he has spent time on the DL.
Angels: Right-hander Garrett Richards (12-4, 2.58 ERA) is coming off his first big league shutout, a five-hitter at Dodger Stadium in which he threw a career-high 122 pitches.
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