Bobby Dalbec's two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh helped erase a one-run deficit and drove the Red Sox to a 4-3 comeback win over the Los Angeles Angels Friday night.
The Angels had jumped on reliever Matt Andriese for two runs in the seventh to grab the lead for the first time, but Dalbec responded with his second homer in as many nights.
Nick Pivetta pitched into the seventh and allowed just one run - a solo homer by Shohei Ohtani.
Hunter Renfroe's two-run homer in the second provided an early lead.
WHO: Red Sox (23-16) vs. Los Angeles Angels (16-20)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.19) vs. RHP Griffin Canning (3-2, 5.19)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
ANGELS
Fletcher 2B
Ohtani DH
Trout CF
Rendon 3B
Walsh 1B
Upton LF
Iglesias SS
Ward RF
Butera C
RED SOX
Chavis 2B
Verdugo CF
Martinez LF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Vazquez C
Gonzalez 3B
Renfroe RF
Dalbec 1B
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B7: Bobby Dalbec, who has hit lefties well all years, positively mashes a changeup from southpaw Tony Watson off one of the billboards in the Monster Seats, grabbing the lead back for the Sox.
T7: Andriese has become a concern in the bullpen. After a great April, he's hit a rut. In his last five appearances, he's allowed eight earned runs.
T7: Andriese leaves a fastball up in the top of the zone and Jose Iglesias rips into the right field corner, scoring two baserunners and giving the Angels their first lead.
T7: Pivetta came out to start the seventh, but he didn't stay for long -- on his second pitch, he allows a Wall single to Anthony Rendon and is removed for Matt Andriese. Rendon missed reaching the Monster Seats and tying the game by less than three feet.
T6: Not a bad pitch from Pivetta -- a curveball low and on the outer half -- but Ohtani swats it into the Monster Seats to cut the Sox' lead in half. No,. 11 for Ohtani.
B5: Somewhat quietly, Alex Verdugo is slumping. He's 0-for-3 tonight, 0-for-13 overall and just 12-for-52 (.230) since May 1. With the issues at the bottom of the lineup, his issues have gone pretty much unnoticed.
T4: Nick Pivetta is cruising now. Through four innings, he's allowed just two hits while fanning six. He's retired 11-of-12 since Ohtani's one-out double in the first.
T4: With his power and hit tool, it's easy to forget just how fast Mike Trout is. And then you see him hit a routine grounder to short and watch as he comes within a half-step of beating the throw to first.
B2: Hunter Renfroe gets a four-seamer up and over the middle of the plate and drills it into the CF bleachers. Fifth homer of the season and fourth in the month of May.
T1 Nice inside-out swing by Shohei Ohtani, who lofts a one-out double down the left field line.
WHAT'S UP:. In snapping their three-game losing streak Thursday night, the Red Sox join the White Sox as the only AL teams without a losing streak of four or more games this season. Five NL teams are on that list.. At 23-16 (.590), the Sox are tied for the fifth-best record in the majors (tied for third in AL)....The Sox moved into sole possession of first place in the AL East on April 10 and have held it ever since...Their largest lead of the season is 3.5 games. The AL East is the only division featuring four or more teams with a winning record...The Red Sox scored eight Thursday night, after totaling four runs in their previous three games. The Sox lead MLB in runs (199), doubles (87), extra-base hits (136), slugging percentage .436), and OPS (.761)....The Sox have 19 HR in their last 13 games, third-most in the majors during that time.... The Sox are the only team with multiple qualifying batters with an OPS of at least 1.000, and the only AL team with 3 qualified players with an OPS of at least .900: J.D. Martinez (1.044), Xander Bogaerts (1.009), and Rafael Devers (.905),, Bogaerts (49) and Martinez (48) are first and second in the majors in hits...Martinez (88) and Bogaerts (85) also rank first and second in total bases. Bogaerts, Devers, and Martinez each have 20 extra-base hits...The only other AL player with 20 or more extra-base hits is the Angels' Shohei Ohtani (21).....Martinez leads the majors in RBI (33) and total bases (88), while leading the AL in runs scored (32)...He ranks fifth in the majors in slugging (.624) and OPS (1.044). Bogaerts has eight homers in his last 22 games, most in the AL in that time. Bogaerts leads MLB in hits (49) and ranks fifth in AVG (.348)...He also leads MLB shortstops in AVG, OBP (.406), SLG (.603), OPS (1.009), doubles (12), and extra -base hits (20)... He is tied for the HR lead among AL shortstops (eight). ...The Red Sox went 10-3 against the Angels in 2018 (6-0) and 2019 (4-3)...The teams didn't play last year...Since being acquired by the Red Sox, Nick Pivetta is 7-0 with a 2.89 ERA and a.196 opponent AVG in nine starts....the last pitchers to go unbeaten in their first 10 or more starts with the Red Sox were Matt Clement (2005) and Pedro Martinez (1998). Pivetta is one of only four starters to begin a Red Sox career with seven or more wins before their first loss, joining Dave "Boo'' Ferriss (8-0, 1945), George Winter (7-0, 1901), and John Burkett (7-0, 2002)...Winter (8-2) is the only pitcher to win as many as eight of his first 10 starts with the Sox. Only once have the Sox won as many as nine of a pitcher’s first 10 starts with the club -- 9-1 with Burkett in 2002...Red Sox starters have thrown five or more innings in 32 games this season, tied with the Dodgers for most in the majors...The Sox have received five or more innings from their starters in 17 of the last 18 games; in that time, starters have a 3.54 ERA...The Sox lead the majors in OF assists this season (11), after leading MLB in 2020 (18). According to FanGraphs, Red Sox outfielders rank tied for first in the majors with eight defensive runs saved, as well as fourth with a 5.3 ultimate zone rating. Hunter Renfroe is tied for the lead among OF in defensive runs saved (eight) and assists (five), both most in the AL.
NOTES:
* Competitive reasons aside, Alex Cora saluted Mike Trout. "Forget the tools,'' said Cora. "Obviously, he's above everybody else. But the way he plays the game is impressive. It's eye-opening. He's a joy to watch. (Guys like that) want to be great. They want to keep improving. They're always finding things to work on.''
* With a right on the mound for the Angels, Franchy Cordero was still out of the lineup as he battles another hitless (0-for-17) slump. Cora had J.D. Martinez in left again, with Rafael Devers serving as the DH and Marwin Gonzalez at third base,."That's where we are right now,'' said Cora. "(We'll) keep working with (Cordero) and keep grinding him. He's working hard with Timmy (Hyers, hitting instructor). But we have to maximize our personnel. And today, I felt like this is the lineup we should go with.''
* While Bobby Dalbec has cleaned up against lefties (.351), he's struggled mightily against righties (8-for-68, .118). Still, Cora is trying to be patient and Dalbec was in the lineup against a righty starter Friday. "We've got to get him going vs. righties,'' said Cora. "This weekend, most likely, he'll play the three games. I do believe that he can hit righties. It's just a matter of getting there on time and putting good swings on (them).''
*Cora reiterated that Kike Hernandez (hamstring), scheduled to play two games for Worcester over the weekend, will be ready to rejoin the major league team when it starts a road trip Tuesday. However, Christian Arroyo (hand contusion) who swung at some soft tosses Thursday and was scheduled to hit in the cage Friday, is running a couple of days behind Hernandez's rehab pace.