BOSTON — Mike Napoli might want to find the child who autographed his bat a couple days ago and have him sign a few more.
Napoli hit his fourth homer in three games – all with a bat he had a child sign before the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels – and drove in four runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 6-1 win Sunday.
Monday's Game
WHO: Red Sox (Kelly 1-3) at Twins (Nolasco 4-1)
WHEN: 2:10 p.m.
TELEVISION: NESN
“Sometimes there’s kids in the dugout (pregame) and I go up and have them sign my bat,” he said. “It’s kind of crazy, the first home run I hit the other day I hit right where he signed it. That was pretty cool.”
All he knows is the child’s name is Ethan and he was one of a few guests in the dugout before Friday’s series opener.
So, he might start looking for him again if he cools off.
“Everybody’s always asking me for my autograph, I think it’s pretty cool to say, ‘Can I get your autograph?”‘ Napoli said. “They love that and they write their name on the bat.”
Napoli belted a two-run home run and a two-run double and improved his career average to .333 with 18 homers and 36 RBI in 47 games against his former team.
“I think there’s always some incentive when you go up against your old organization,” Red Sox Manager John Farrell said.
Mike Trout had an RBI double for the Angels, who closed a 10-game trip against AL East teams at 5-5.
“Tip your cap to Napoli. He had a great series,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.
Napoli, who drove in eight runs to go with the four homers against the Angels, entered the weekend hitting .178 with four homers and 13 RBI.
Wade Miley pitched eight strong innings and Xander Bogaerts went 4 for 4 with a double and three singles for the Red Sox, who took the three-game series after losing the opener Friday.
Miley (4-4) gave up one run and four hits, striking out two and walking one. He’s won his last three starts, giving up just three runs over 21 2/3 innings.
Hector Santiago (3-3) threw a career-high 124 pitches in 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits.
“A guy that’s hot, for some reason they go out there when they’re hot, they just kind of run into balls it seems like,” Santiago said of Napoli. “They don’t miss the mistakes.”
Working his usual quick pace, Miley retired the first 14 batters before walking Chris Iannetta on a 3-1 pitch with two outs in the fifth.
C.J. Cron then singled to left after the Angels unsuccessfully challenged that he was hit by a pitch a couple pitches earlier. The umpires ruled that the ball hit the bat near his hands.
The Red Sox jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning on Napoli’s shot into the center-field bleachers, his fifth homer in the six-game homestand. His double off the Green Monster made it 5-1 in the eighth.
Facing Los Angeles for the first time in his career, Miley was helped by Angels’ hitters swinging early. He needed just 25 pitches in the first three innings.
DIFFERENT LOOK
Switch-hitting Pablo Sandoval, who is just 2 for 41 hitting right-handed this season, had a pinch-hit single from the left side against left-hander Cesar Ramos.
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Farrell said of him continuing to hit left-handed against lefties.
ROUGH RETURN
Right-hander Cam Bedrosian, who was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game, got only one out, allowing four hits and three runs.
HAVE SOME LUMBER
David Ortiz’s bat splintered and went down near first base when he grounded out in the second inning. He took the remainder and tossed it on top of the dugout for a fan.
UP NEXT
RED SOX: Right-hander Joe Kelly (1-3, 5.13 ERA) is slated to go against Minnesota right-hander Ricky Nolasco (4-1, 6.00) as Boston begins a seven-game road trip Monday.
ANGELS: Right-hander Jered Weaver (3-4, 4.37 ERA) is scheduled to face San Diego right-hander Tyson Ross (2-4, 3.93) when Los Angeles opens a 10-game homestand Monday. Weaver is 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA in his last three starts.
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