All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 9-6 win over the Angels, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Kelly melts down in eighth: In the seventh inning, with the Sox clinging to a 6-4 lead, it appeared as though Alex Cora was making the right call to go with Joe Kelly — instead of Matt Barnes -- since the Angels had their three most dangerous hitters due (Mike Trout, Justin Upton, and Albert Pujols) up in the inning. But the move backfired when, after getting Trout on a pop-up, Kelly proceeded to allow three hits to the next four batters, and compounded things when he threw what appeared to be a double-play ball into center field for a costly error. The lead evaporated as the Angels pulled even. Cora said Kelly got too fastball-heavy in the inning, a pattern he repeatedly fell into the last few years. The Red Sox had convinced him that his 100-mph fastball could be that much more effective if he mixed in off-speed and breaking pitches, but sometimes, Kelly reverts back to bad habits and Wednesday was one such example. "We've been talking about pitch mix and he's been successful doing that,'' said Cora. "He threw a lot of fastballs in that inning and he paid the price.''
Porcello uneven in start: Starter Rick Porcello, backed by a six-run inning from his teammates in the second inning, blanked the Angels for the first four innings before allowing a solo homer that sliced the Red Sox lead to 6-1 in the fifth. But in the sixth, he came unglued, allowing consecutive singles after one out, and then, a three-run homer to catcher Martin Maldonado, bringing the Angels to within two. Porcello got one more out, but with 104 pitches thrown and the top of the Angels lineup due, he was lifted. The game marked the second time in the last three starts in which Porcello has allowed four homers. It also marked just the second time this season that he allowed multiple homers in a game. He also failed to get through the sixth inning for the fourth time in 17 starts.
Horrific injury casts a pall on the night: In the bottom of the eighth inning, Angels reliever Jeff Jewell, brought up from the minor leagues earlier in the day, was pitching with J.D. Martinez on third and Xander Bogaerts on second. Jewell tossed a wild pitch that eluded catcher Martin Maldonado and raced to the plate to cover. Just as he arrived, Martinez slid and Jewell collapsed in obvious pain. At first, it was believed that Martinez had accidentally spiked Jewell, but replays showed that Jewell's leg buckled as he arrived at the plate without any contact. Jewell was carted off the field with a serious leg injury. Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed his concern for Jewell before taking questions during his post-game session. "I felt bad,'' said Martinez. "I just kept saying, 'I didn't touch him.' I didn't feel any kind of impact. Those are the scariest ones, almost. It looked like he was in a lot of pain. Prayers to him. I feel bad. You never want to see that happen.''
TURNING POINT
After the Red Sox squandered what had been a 6-0 lead and allowed the Angels to tie the game in the top of the seventh, Rafael Devers drove a ball to the left-center gap, scoring Eduardo Nunez all the way from first base with the go-ahead run.
TWO UP
Sandy Leon: Leon had a big night at the plate, cranking a two-run homer as part of the six-run second inning before adding a big single to knock in a run in the seventh as the Red Sox snapped a 6-6 tie.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1012132874340970496
Matt Barnes: Barnes bailed the Red Sox out of a second-and-third jam in the seventh by striking out Martin Maldonado, then got two more big outs -- both strikeouts -- in the eighth before giving way to Craig Kimbrel.
ONE DOWN
Mitch Moreland: A rare off-night for the first baseman, who was 0-for-5, becoming the only member of the starting lineup to not have at least one hit.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"I'm glad we won the game. It wasn't the prettiest game to watch, but we'll take it.''
— Alex Cora
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Red Sox have outscored the Angels 45-10 in five games to date.
- The Sox have hit 18 homers in those five games, the most ever by any team against another in a season series of six games or fewer.
- Boston has scored at least eight runs in each of the five games.
- When hitting at least two homers, the Sox are 33-5.
- The Sox are 40-13 when Sandy Leon knocks in a run.
- Eduardo Nunez now has a seven-game hitting streak.
- Craig Kimbrel collected his 89th save, passing Jeff Reardon for sole possession of fifth place.
- Rafael Devers had his fifth multi-hit game in his last 11 games.