By Zachary McMahon –
The Boston Red Sox played in their series finale against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, CA on Sunday afternoon. The Angels evened up the series with a 2-1 win on Saturday night after the Red Sox won the series opener when they hit five home runs to make it 8-6.
Tanner Houck started on the mound for the Red Sox for the second time this season. His first start of the season was on Monday when he pitched six shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics, where he allowed three hits, and struck out 10 batters.
Houck pitched six shutout innings for the second start in a row, where he only allowed four hits and two walks, while striking out seven batters. Chase Anderson pitched the rest of the game and earned his second three-inning save of the season while allowing the only two runs that the Angels scored. He also allowed four hits, one walk, and struck out one batter.
David Hamliton started in his first game of the season at shortstop after being called up from Triple-A Worcester after the injury to Trevor Story on Friday. Hamliton had played in 15 games for the Red Sox last season while the Sox dealt with injuries in the middle infield. Hamliton hit his first major league home run in the third inning.
Along with Hamliton, both Rafael Devers and Tyler O’Neil hit solo homers in the third inning to make it 3-0.
Then in the sixth, the Red Sox hit another burst of scoring which started when Masataka Yoshida hit an RBI single that brought home O’Neil. Then, catcher Reese McGuire hit a blast to right for a three-run homer that made it 7-0. McGuire also had an RBI groundout that brought home Ceddane Rafaela, who pinch hit for Wilyer Abreu and delivered a triple.
Anderson gave up his first run in the eighth by a solo shot by Mike Trout to break up the shutout.
The Red Sox then ran away once again in the ninth scoring four runs to close things out including a two-run single by Rafaela as the Sox would go on to win 12-2.
The Red Sox will be playing their home opener on Tuesday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles, where they will be playing a three-game series against the AL East rival. Tuesday’s game will start at 2 p.m. and it will be Brayan Bello vs. Corbin Burnes on the mount for the teams.