ANAHEIM -- The Red Sox pounded out 15 hits -- including six homers, three by Mookie Betts -- and beat up on rookie sensation Shohei Ohtani, capturing a 10-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels for their 14th win in the last 15 tries.
Betts homered to start the game, added another in the third and still another in the eighth for his third career three-homer game. The three homers came off three different pitchers. Jackie Bradley Jr., Brock Holt and Rafael Devers also homered in the power barrage.
Ohtani was ineffective, unable to get the Red Sox to bite at his split-finger fastball. In two innings, he allowed four hits and three runs. He didn't return for the third and the Angels later announced that he had suffered a blister on his pitching hand during the second inning.
The game was played before 44 822, the second-largest crowd at Angel Stadium since the ballpark was renovated in 1998.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels
WHEN: 10:07 p.m. EST
WHERE: Angel Stadium
WHAT'S UP: This series pits the two teams with the best records in the American League, each leading their respective divisions. It also includes Shohei Ohtani, who starts tonight in his third career start. Meanwhile, David Price will be making his first start since coming out of his last start after just one inning after experiencing numbness in his hand due to a circulation issue. The Sox have won 13-of-14 since Opening Day, while the Angels have been similarly streaking.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP David Price (1-1, 2.40) vs. RHP Shohei Ohtani (2-0, 2.08)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
12:24 With a blowout on their hands, Red Sox are getting some regulars some rest. Benintendi out of the game, Holt moves from short to left, Lin in at short and Swihart pinch-hits for Martinez.
11:55 Not a lot of hard-hit balls off Price, but he doesn't have great command, either: he's walked four in four innings.
11:42 Solo shot by Devers, deep to right. Bard has faced 11 hitters and allowed homers to four of them -- none of them cheap
11:31 After walking Mike Trout in the first inning, David Price strikes him out in the third a nasty 3-and-2 cutter on the outside black of the plate.
11:22 Quite the power display by the Red Sox in the top of the third -- three homers, two of the two-run variety -- as they tack on five runs and now lead 8-0. Two homers for Betts tonight, but the one that was most impressive was the one hit by Jackie Bradley Jr., who absolutely crushed a hanging slider and hit it almost halfway up the right field bleachers.
11:08 Red Sox had a good approach vs. Ohtani -- they showed discipline and wouldn't swing at the splitter he kept spiking in the dirt. Without that pitch in his pocket, Ohtani was limited -- even with a fastball that sometimes hit 100 mph.
10:45 Nice AB from Holt, who fights off a four-seamer at 100 mph and inside-outs a blooper to left, scoring Bradley from second base.
10:43 Still no command of the splitter for Ohtani, but that first-pitch four-seamer to Brock Holt registered 100 mph
10:23 Even allowing for the fact that it's a "chase'' pitch and not often meant to be thrown for strikes, Ohtani threw six splitters in the first - none in the strike zone.
10:12 Mookie Betts barrels up a 97 mph four-seamer at the very bottom of the strike zone and hits it out to center. The very epitome of a pitcher's pitch and yet Betts take Shohei Ohtani deep. "Instant offense,'' as Alex Cora likes to say.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Ramirez 1B
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Nunez 2B
Bradley CF
Vazquez C
Holt SS
ANGELS
Kinsler 2B
Trout CF
Upton LF
Pujols DH
Cozart 3B
Calhoun RF
Simmons SS
Marte 1B
Maldonado C
NEWS AND NOTES:
- After a one-game absence from the starting lineup, Mookie Betts, who injured his left foot in a collision at home plate Saturday afternoon, returned Tuesday for the start of the Red Sox' nine-game road trip. "I'm definitely ready to go,'' said Betts. "A couple of days off (out Sunday, rained out Monday) were good. Everything's pretty good. Initially, it was pretty sore, but I was able to walk around (right away) so I knew it wasn't too bad.'' Betts doesn't have the left foot taped.
- Xander Bogaerts did some running in the outfield Tuesday afternoon, then took batting practice and ground balls as he continues to make progress after also suffering a foot injury. "Whenever I feel it makes sense for us, that he's healthy and he can go out there and perform the way we want him to perform, he'll be out there,'' Alex Cora said. "But he's making progress.'' He may be ready to play when the Sox get to Toronto early next week, but because the Rogers Centre has a tough artificial surface and that may be a bad place for him to return.
- Cora acknowledged it would be different for his hitters to prepare to face Shohei Ohtani. There's only so much video of Ohtani pitching against major leagues to watch. "Until you see it (in the batter's box), you don't know the action on the split, or the action of the fastball,'' Cora said. "Everything is small sample size here. There's not too much information. We'll (approach) it just like the rest of the starters we face -- be ready to hit pitches in the zone and put a good swing on it. If we make sure it's in the zone, we'll be OK.''
- With Bogaerts still sidelined, the Sox had Brock Holt at second, believing him to be a good matchup for Ohtani. But with sinkerballer Rick Porcello going Wednesday night, Cora will have Tzu-Wei Lin at short since he's the superior defender. "It is a factor,'' said Cora.
- RHP Steven Wright is close to beginning a rehab assignment.