BOSTON — The Los Angeles Angels benefited from a replay challenge to beat the Boston Red Sox.
Parker Bridwell was solid for 6 2/3 innings and Los Angeles scored three runs after its challenge overturned an inning-ending double play in the second inning, propelling the Angels to a 4-2 win over the Red Sox on Sunday.
Bridwell (2-0) gave up two runs and seven hits while striking out four without issuing a walk.
Yusmeiro Petit pitched two innings for his first save.
“I don’t care if it’s old-fashioned or it’s cutting edge, we need them,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said of Petit’s save. “We need guys to hold leads. Most closers are primarily the one-inning guys that are in that bubble.”
Ben Revere had three singles and Kaleb Cowart drove in two runs for Los Angeles, which won two of three against the Red Sox for its fifth series win in the last six.
Doug Fister (0-1) lost his Red Sox debut, giving up three runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. He was signed by Boston on Friday after being released by the Angels.
Mitch Moreland and Jackie Bradley Jr. each hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who lost their second straight at Fenway Park after winning 10 of the previous 12.
Boston remained one percentage point behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East.
Bridwell was Fister’s teammate at Triple-A Salt Lake before Fister was released.
“That’s weird,” Bridwell said. “I was in the same clubhouse with him a week and half ago or whatever and we were talking pitching. I was asking him certain things he did along the game, and the next thing you know we’re starting against each other on the big-league level.”
The Angels got their first run when Danny Espinosa was ruled safe at first base on the replay challenge, then quickly added two more runs. Cowart followed with an RBI double and Juan Gratetrol had a run-scoring single.
“That’s modern-day baseball,” Scioscia said.
“He’s a bang-bang play from a scoreless outing,” Red Sox Manager John Farrell said.
Except for the loss, Fister was pleased by his first start with Boston, and 200th of his career.
“Overall, it wasn’t a bad day,” he said. “They just put together some timely hits and took advantage of well-placed baseballs. That’s what good clubs do and that’s what they did today.”
Moreland homered over the Angels’ bullpen in the bottom of the second. Bradley homered into the center-field bleachers in the fifth.
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