By Zachary McMahon –
The Boston Red Sox played the Los Angeles Angels in the series finale at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon. Entering this game, the series was split with a win apiece, whereas the Angels won on Friday and the Sox won the Saturday game. The Sox were looking to win their first series after getting swept by the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the week.
Rafael Devers was out for the fourth straight game with a sore left shoulder, however Sox General Manager Alex Cora thinks he’ll be in the lineup for Monday’s Patriot’s Day game against the Cleveland Guardians. Bobby Dalbec started for the third straight game at third base.
Brayan Bello started for the Sox, where he pitched 5 ⅓ innings, gave up two runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.
The Sox had back-to-back solo homers by Tyler O’Neil and Triston Casas, who hit a homer in the first inning for the second straight game to make it 2-0 after the first inning.
The Angels tied the game up at two when Brandon Drury hit a homer in the second, and Luis Rengifo hit an RBI Fielder’s Choice in the third.
Then, in the fifth inning, Pablo Reyes had an RBI double that helped the Sox take back the lead, and then in the sixth, Masataka Yoshida hit his first home run of the season, which was a two-run homer to the Sox bullpen that also scored Wilyer Abreu, who pinch hit for Dalbec and walked.
Sox pitcher Justin Slaten took over for Bello in the sixth, and pitched until the ninth inning, where he allowed two hits, one run, no walks, and struck out one.
He was replaced by Kenley Jansen, who had to survive the inning when runners were on third and second after Anthony Rendon hit a sacrifice fly when the bases were loaded. He would go on to earn his fourth save of the season as the Sox would hang on in the win against the Angels 5-4.
The Sox will be playing in their traditional Patriot’s Day game against the Guardians tomorrow at 11:30 a.m, where it will be Kutter Crawford starting on the mound for the Red Sox.