Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

August 22, 2012

Weaver helps Angels beat fading Red Sox 7-3

The Associated Press

BOSTON — Jered Weaver rebounded from a terrible start by pitching seven solid innings, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the fading Boston Red Sox 7-3 on Wednesday night.

Howie Kendrick hit a solo homer and Torii Hunter had a two-run single for the Angels, who have won the first two in a three-game set at Boston after getting swept in a four-game home series against Tampa Bay over the weekend.

Los Angeles slugger Albert Pujols left in the fourth inning with tightness in his right calf. He went 2 for 2 and scored a run.

Ryan Lavarnway and Mike Aviles had RBI doubles for Boston, which lost for the sixth time in eight games and fell to 6-14 in August.

Weaver (16-3) gave up two runs and seven hits, struck out five and walked one. He was tagged for a season-worst nine runs in three innings during a 12-3 loss to the Rays last Friday.

Boston's Clay Buchholz (11-4) matched his season high for runs allowed, giving up seven in 5 1-3 innings. The 12 hits allowed equaled a career worst, also done in a 4-1 loss at Baltimore on April 26, 2011.

Los Angeles, which had lost 11 of its 14 previous games in Fenway Park before this week, goes for the sweep Thursday when C.J. Wilson faces Boston's Franklin Morales.

Leading 4-2 in the sixth, Kendrick homered into the seats above the Green Monster. Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar then singled, chasing Buchholz. Junichi Tazawa struck out his first batter before Mike Trout's single loaded the bases. Hunter followed with his two-run single, making it 7-2.

The Angels jumped in front 2-0 in the third. Chris Iannetta had an RBI single and the second run scored on Trout's double-play grounder.

Los Angeles made it 4-0 in the fourth when Mark Trumbo and Izturis each had an RBI single.

Consecutive RBI doubles by Lavarnway and Aviles cut Boston's deficit to 4-2 in the fourth.

Pujols pulled up running between second and third on Kendrys Morales' grounder to shortstop before gingerly going into the third-base bag. He then came home slowly on Trumbo's single, limping noticeably as he went to the dugout. He was replaced in the bottom of the inning.

NOTES: Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine wouldn't say what his rotation was for this weekend's home series against Kansas City. There is speculation that Daisuke Matsuzaka could take Aaron Cook's turn in the rotation. Matsuzaka, on the 15-day DL with a strained neck muscle, was impressive in a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, allowing one hit in seven shutout innings. "The reports were good," Valentine said. "Threw the ball good. Kept it down. Came out of it good — just a sore calf." ... The Angels placed OF Peter Bourjos on the 15-day DL with a sore right wrist and recalled RHP Garrett Richards from Triple-A Salt Lake. Manager Mike Scioscia said Richards, who went 3-2 with a 4.42 ERA in nine starts before being sent down on Aug. 2, will work out of the bullpen. "It's certainly a chance for him to fit more into a role, but we'll start with him in the middle and see where it goes from there," he said. "He still has that length (to start), but we'll see where it goes from there." ... Weaver fell down on the mound throwing a pitch to Adrian Gonzalez in the first. ... Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski turned 73 on Wednesday. ... It was Buchholz's 100th career start.

 

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