Field Level Media
Sep 1, 2019
Xander Bogaerts finished a triple shy of the cycle, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
Bogaerts hit an RBI single in the first inning, homered in the third and doubled in the fifth. With one opportunity to complete the cycle, he grounded into a double play in the seventh.
J.D. Martinez hit his team-leading 34th home run of the season, and Rafael Devers chipped in with two hits as the Red Sox took two of three in the weekend series and six of eight in a now-concluded road trip.
With the victory, the Red Sox moved to within five games of the Cleveland Indians for the second American League wild card.
Justin Upton homered for Los Angeles.
As he did in the first two games of the series, Mookie Betts led off the game with a hit. He homered in the first inning Friday and singled in the first inning Saturday. On Sunday, he led off with a single, went to second on a wild pitch, third on another wild pitch and then scored on a one-out single by Bogaerts.
The game remained 1-0 until the third until Bogaerts connected for his 31st homer of the season, a two-run blast to center field. Martinez hit the next pitch by Angels starter Andrew Heaney over the fence in left field for a home run for a 4-0 Boston advantage.
Red Sox starter David Price, on a limited pitch count because he hadn't pitched in four weeks due to a cyst on his left wrist, threw two scoreless innings. Price allowed a double to Brian Goodwin in the first and walk to Kole Calhoun in the second.
Travis Lakins replaced Price to start the third and retired the first two batters of the inning before giving up singles to Mike Trout and Goodwin. Albert Pujols followed with an RBI double.
In the fourth inning, Calhoun led off with a walk and later came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Max Stassi to cut the Angels' deficit to 4-2.
Upton's homer in the eighth off Matt Barnes cut Boston's lead to 4-3.
Heaney (3-4), after striking out 24 over his previous two starts, fanned just four in five innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks.
Boston's Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 10th save.
--Field Level Media