All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Angels, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Dalbec supplies game-winner: In a low-scoring game like this one, sometimes offensive contributions come from unlikely sources. Such was the case in the sixth inning. With Alex Verdugo on first and two out, Bobby Dalbec took a pitch out over the middle of the plate from Jimmy Herget and hit it on a line to the right-field corner. With two outs, Verdugo was off with the swing and managed to score all the way from first. "I was just trying to stay inside something,'' said Dalbec. "The at-bat before, I kind of pulled off that heater up and kind of capped it, so I was just trying to stay inside and whatever happens, happens.'' For Dalbec, whose playing time has been sharply reduced with the emergency call-up of Franchy Cordero, it was his third RBI in the last two games as he stretched his hitting streak to a modest three games.
Sox win with a funky lineup: Rafael Devers was given a scheduled night off. Kiké Hernandez was placed on the 10-day IL prior to the start of the game with a hip flexor strain. That led to a mish-mash infield for the Sox, with Bobby Dalbec getting a rare start at third base and catcher Christian Vazquez getting an even more rare start at first. None of it mattered, however, as Dalbec made all the plays at third, while Vazquez turned in what may have been the defensive play of the game in the seventh inning. After Kurt Suzuki walked, pinch-hitter Max Stassi hit a chopper to short, with Xander Bogaerts shoveling the feed to Trevor Story at second, and Story, in turn, throwing to first. But Story's throw was the outfield side of the first base bag and low, requiring Vazquez to make a tough pick of the low throw. He did so expertly, completing the double play.
Eovaldi muddles through: Starter Nathan Eovaldi gave the Sox five scoreless innings, and didn't issue a single walk. That was made all the more impressive by the fact that it was revealed after the game that he was pitching despite a sore right hip, which explained why he was lifted after just five innings and 84 pitches. It also helps to explain why his fastball velocity was down by about 3 mph throughout the night. Eovaldi, competitor that he is, pitched through the discomfort and used his whole arsenal of pitches to keep the Angels off balance. Alex Cora said he wasn't concerned about Eovaldi's availability in the long-term, and noted that thanks to the upcoming off day on Monday, Eovaldi could have the benefit of an extra day of rest before his next start comes up in the Red Sox rotation.
TURNING POINT
There were already two out in the sixth when Alex Verdugo came to the plate in the sixth inning of a scoreless game. Verdugo fought through a tough seven-pitch at-bat to work a walk, giving the Sox a baserunner. That proved particularly big when Dalbec contributed an opposite-field double immediately thereafter, and Verdugo was able to score -- for the second time in this series -- all the way from first base for the only run of the game.
TWO UP
John Schreiber: Of the four relievers the Red Sox utilized in the shutout, Schreiber was the only one to pitch more than an inning. He was perfect, retiring all four hitters he faced from the eighth into the ninth before giving way to Matt Strahm.
Jackie Bradley Jr.: Bradley had a hit in four trips, but played some superb outfield defense, too, shifting over to CF to take over for Hernandez. Bradley raced off to cut off a line drive from Jo Adell, and kept him at first. Those are the kinds of plays that get magnified in a 1-0 game.
ONE DOWN
J.D. Martinez: Martinez went without a hit for just the sixth time in the last 47 games. He came up with two on and two out in the fifth and struck out and got the same result in the same situation two innings later.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"The pitching's been great -- starting pitching and bullpen -- have been lock-down right now, and that's huge when we're not scoring five-plus (runs) a game.'' - Bobby Dalbec.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Red Sox improved to 6-1-2 in their last nine series, after going 1-7-1 in their first nine.
* The last time the Sox won two 1-0 games in the same series was in 2006 when they twice beat Kansas City in July.
* Matt Strahm took over the team lead with his third save.
* The shutout was the fifth of the season for the Sox, and second in three days.
UP NEXT: The two teams conclude their four-game series at Angel Stadium Thursday night at 9:38 p.m. It will be RHP Nick Pivetta (5-4, 3.50) vs. RHP Shohei Ohtani (3-4, 3.99).