Red Sox pound three homers in 7-3 win over Angels

Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz cracked back-to-back home runs Tuesday, breaking open a pitcher's duel and powering the Boston Red Sox to a 7-3 victory over the Angels at Fenway Park.

The win was Boston's sixth in as many games against the Angels this season and the Red Sox's 15th in 16 meetings between the teams dating to the start of last season.

Rookie Mark Trumbo's second-inning line-drive home run into the last row of seats above the left-field wall gave the Angels a quick 1-0 lead against Boston ace Jon Lester (4-1). But that was all they got as the let-hander stuck out 11 in seven innings.

The Red Sox started their comeback against Dan Haren, the American League's ERA leader, in the sixth when consecutive two-out hits by Gonzalez, Ortiz and Jed Lowrie gave Boston a 2-1 lead.

After giving up the Gonzalez homer leading off the eighth, Haren (4-2) left in favor of Hisanori Takahashi, who served up a home run to Ortiz on his second pitch. Three batters later Marco Scutaro, a late addition to the lineup, added a two-run homer of his own, his first of the season.

Five players had two hits for the Red Sox, including Gonzalez who also scored twice and knocked in two runs.

Maicer Izturis and Torii Hunter had two hits apiece for the Angels, who made some late noise against Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon by scoring a pair  of ninth-inning runs on a ground-rule double by Erick Aybar and Trumbo's sacrifice fly.

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Luck runs out for Weaver, Angels in Boston

Angels trying Alexi Amarista, Mark Trumbo in outfield

-- Kevin Baxter in Boston

Photo: Boston's Adrian Gonzalez, right, is congratulated by David Ortiz after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of the Angels' 7-3 loss Tuesday at Fenway Park. Credit: Matt Campbell / EPA

Luck runs out for Weaver, Angels in Boston

The Angels' Jered Weaver lived a charmed life in cruising to victories in his first six starts this season. But that luck ran out Monday, when the Boston Red Sox beat Weaver, then battered the Angels'  bullpen, in a 9-5 win at Fenway Park.

The game turned on two key at-bats in the fifth inning -- and both went against Weaver and the Angels.

The first came with one out and Carl Crawford at second, the recipient of a gift double when left fielder Vernon Wells failed to cut off his opposite-field liner, letting it roll to the wall.  Weaver threw a 2-2 pitch to Jason Varitek that looked like a strike but was called a ball by plate umpire Scott Barry.

Weaver immediately lost his cool and his mood didn't  improve when he walked Varitek.  After an infield out, Dustin Pedoria battled  through a 13-pitch at-bat, fouling off seven two-strike pitchers before lining the next delivery up the middle for a two-run single.

Weaver hadn't given up that many runs in an inning, much less on one pitch, in more than two weeks. And his night -- as well as his perfect season -- ended five batters later when he left trailing, 3-2. He gave up six hits and a season-high three earned runs in six innings, his shortest outing of the year.

Boston then pounded relievers Hisanori Takahashi and Francisco Rodriguez for five hits, including Adrian Gonzalez's three-run double and a two-run homer by David Ortiz, in a six-run seventh. That's one more earned run than the Angels' bullpen had given up in its previous eight games combined.

Jered Weaver-Clay Buchholz matchup a tough one to stomach

There's a chance things could get a little messy on the Fenway Park mound Monday night when two pitchers battling stomach sickness square off in the first game of a four-game series between the Angels and Boston Red Sox.

Unbeaten Jered Weaver of the Angels was scratched from his scheduled Sunday start in Tampa with a stomach virus so potent he was sent to a hospital to receive fluids intravenously. He tried to talk Manager Mike Scioscia into letting him pitch anyway, but Scioscia, fearing that Weaver could become dehydrated and suffer an injury, said there was a "0.0%" chance his pitcher would win that debate.

Clay Buchholz was also set to pitch Sunday before being sent home the day before with what his manager, Terry Francona, called "intestinal turmoil."

Weaver has made opposing hitters look sick this year, leading the majors with a 6-0 record and two complete games and topping the American League in strikeouts (49), ERA (0.99) and opponents' batting average (.163). If he wins Monday, he would become the first starter to go 7-0 in his team's first 29 games since Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000.

Angels trying Alexi Amarista, Mark Trumbo in outfield

With the Angels carrying just four outfielders on their roster, Manager Mike Scioscia is looking for a little depth by trying rookie infielders Mark Trumbo and Alexi Amarista in the outfield.

Trumbo, who played 32 error-free games in right field and one in left field during six minor-league seasons, took fly balls in the outfield during spring training and repeated the practice Monday afternoon in Fenway Park prior to the Angels game against the Red Sox.

Trumbo leads American League rookies in nine offensive categories including homers (4), runs batted in (13), runs (11) and hits (23).

Amarista has played 41 games in the outfield in the minors -- most of them in center. But he hasn't played there in three seasons. He also took fly balls in Boston on Monday under the watchful eye of Scioscia and coach Dino Ebel.

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Jered Weaver-Clay Buchholz matchup a tough one to stomach

Vernon Wells runs Angels into 6-5 win over the Rays

-- Kevin Baxter in Boston

Photo: Los Angeles Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo (44) catches a line drive from Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Johnny Damon (22) (not pictured) in the first inning at Tropicana Field on Friday. Credit: Kim Klement / US Presswire