Angels go down quietly ... again ... in 6-0 loss to Red Sox
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The Angels’ offense continued to sputter in a 6-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park on Tuesday night, a sluggish start to a challenging nine-game stretch against Boston, Minnesota and Tampa Bay.
The Angels, who are winless in eight games against the Red Sox this season and fell back to .500 (60-60) with the loss, went one for eight with runners in scoring position and are now three for 28 (.107) in those situations in their last five games.
Their only hit with runners in scoring position Tuesday night didn’t even score a run. It came in the eighth inning, when Hideki Matsui singled to right with two outs and two on to load the bases.
Erick Aybar, dropped from the second spot to sixth in the 99th lineup Manager Mike Scioscia has used this season, struck out on three pitches against reliever Felix Doubront to end the threat. Aybar also grounded to first with the bases loaded to end the sixth inning.
Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz, the American League earned-run average leader, blanked the Angels on five hits over seven innings, improving to 14-5 and easily out-pitching Angels ace Jered Weaver, who was rocked for six runs and six hits in five innings, his worst start in more than two months.
Weaver (11-8), who had an 0.82 ERA over his last three starts and leads the major leagues in strikeouts, gave up a solo home run to No. 9 hitter Darnell McDonald in the third inning and a grand slam to No. 8 hitter Ryan Kalish, the seventh slam the Angels have allowed this season, in the fourth. Back-to-back doubles by David Ortiz and Victor Martinez gave Boston a 6-0 lead in the fifth.
-- Mike DiGiovanna in Boston