Final, Angels 4-3: The Red Sox left the potential tying run in scoring position in the ninth inning.
Yoenis Cespedes pinch-hit for Christian Vazquez to begin the ninth. He singled into left field.
Brock Holt dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Cespedes to second base, sacrificing his 12-game hit streak in the process.
After Dustin Pedroia struck out, the Angels opted to intentionally walk David Ortiz with first base open. It was a sensible move, but it wasn’t without risk. Ortiz represented the potential winning run, and the guy waiting on deck, Mike Napoli, is no slouch.
Napoli couldn’t produce a big knock, though. Huston Street struck him out to end the ballgame.
Chris Iannetta’s RBI double in the ninth inning stood as the difference. Iannetta followed Brennan Boesch’s ground-rule double with a fly ball off the Green Monster against Koji Uehara to give the Angels a 4-3 lead.
Allen Webster didn’t factor into the decision but pitched well for Boston. He lasted six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking two. It marked the third straight start in which Webster pitched at least six innings.
David Ortiz homered and reached base three times in the loss. Brock Holt nearly added a three-run homer in the second inning, but right fielder Kole Calhoun robbed the utility man with a great leaping catch in front of the Angels’ bullpen.
The Sox and Halos will do it again Wednesday. Clay Buchholz is scheduled to face Garrett Richards.
Mid 9th, Angels 4-3: The Angels struck for a run against Koji Uehara in the ninth inning.
Uehara surrendered a two-out, ground-rule double to Brennan Boesch. Boesch scorched a drive into the triangle that probably would have been a home run in any other ballpark.
Chris Iannetta then gave the Angels a 4-3 lead with a fly ball off the Green Monster. Daniel Nava leaped up against the wall to no avail.
Fenway’s dimensions helped the Red Sox on Boesch’s double. They certainly hurt Boston on Iannetta’s wall scraper.
Here comes Angels closer Huston Street.
End 8th, 3-3: The Sox and Halos will enter the ninth inning tied at three apiece.
Joe Smith breezed through the eighth inning, retiring Kelly Johnson, Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts in order.
Bogaerts hit a slow roller to short that culminated with a bang-bang play at first base. Albert Pujols scooped it just in time to record the out, and the Red Sox opted not to challenge.
Koji Uehara will pitch the ninth inning for Boston.
Mid 8th, 3-3: Alex Wilson continues to do his job admirably.
Wilson worked another perfect inning in the eighth. He handled Los Angeles’ No. 3-5 hitters without any issues.
Albert Pujols put good wood on a drive to center field. Mookie Betts backtracked to put him away.
Josh Hamilton lined to first base, where Mike Napoli has had a nice night defensively. Howie Kendrick lifted a lazy fly ball into shallow right field handled by Brock Holt.
End 7th, 3-3: Fernando Salas made quick work of the Red Sox in the seventh inning, striking out two in the process.
Salas started the inning by retiring David Ortiz on a fly ball to left field. It was the first time in four plate appearances that Big Papi was retired.
Salas then struck out Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli made a bid for a wall ball down the left field line before fanning.
Mid 7th, 3-3: It doesn’t matter who’s playing third base, apparently.
Will Middlebrooks made a nice play earlier before exiting the game with right hamstring tightness. His replacement, Kelly Johnson, made an excellent stop down at the hot corner to cap the top of the seventh.
Johnson’s play retired Mike Trout and finished off a 1-2-3 inning for Alex Wilson, who has pitched well since being recalled. Wilson tossed 2 1/3 perfect innings Saturday night against the Astros.
End 6th, 3-3: We’re right back where we started.
The Red Sox knotted things up in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Brock Holt. Holt’s hit streak remains in jeopardy, and he was robbed of a home run, but Boston’s superutility player still is making an impact.
Xander Bogaerts began the bottom of the sixth inning with a walk. Christian Vazquez added to the threat with a one-out single.
The Angels turned to their bullpen at that point, calling upon Jason Grilli to replace starter Jered Weaver.
Holt greeted Grilli with the game-tying sac fly.
9:23 p.m., Angels 3-2: Will Middlebrooks left the game with right hamstring tightness, according to the Red Sox.
Mid 6th, Angels 3-2: Dustin Pedroia’s defense has been one constant amid a rollercoaster season for the Red Sox.
Pedroia capped the top of the sixth inning with a great diving stop on the lip of the outfield grass. He popped up and fired to first in plenty of time to nail Brennan Boesch.
Pedroia’s nifty glove work ended a 1-2-3 inning for Allen Webster. Erick Aybar and David Freese also put the ball on the ground in the sixth.
End 5th, Angels 3-2: The Red Sox trimmed their deficit in half in the fifth inning.
Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz both reached with one out. Pedroia ripped a single and Ortiz worked a walk.
Ortiz has reached safely in all three of his plate appearances.
Jered Weaver uncorked a wild pitch with Mike Napoli at the dish. Pedroia and Ortiz each advanced a station.
While Weaver was charged with the wild pitch, it’s worth noting that catcher Chris Iannetta didn’t do a very good job of getting in front of it. The book of Doyle would consider that one a passed ball.
Napoli ended up hitting a dribbler to short. Erick Aybar made the play and tossed to first for the second out, but Ortiz trotted home with Boston’s second run.
Daniel Nava walked, setting up runners at the corners with two down. Kelly Johnson, who entered for the injured Will Middlebrooks, grounded to second base to end the inning.
Mid 5th, Angels 3-1: Allen Webster worked around a one-out walk in the fifth inning.
Pujols worked a free pass after Mike Trout struck out swinging to begin the inning. No sweat.
Webster took care of John Hamilton and Howie Kendrick.
Daniel Nava made a nice running grab over near the left field line to put away Hamilton.
End 4th, Angels 3-1: Will Middlebrooks exited the game in the fourth inning.
Middlebrooks led off with a single to the left side. He initially stayed in the game but was lifted for a pinch-runner in Kelly Johnson after Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging.
Mookie Betts popped out, and Christian Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. Third baseman David Freese nearly botched Vazquez’s grounder but recovered to record the out.
Johnson will remain in the game at third base.
Mid 4th, Angels 3-1: Well, Mookie Betts has the athleticism to make great plays in center field. He’s also inexperienced, which will lend itself to ugly scenes from time to time.
Betts, who made a great play back in the second inning, provided a stinker in the fourth. David Freese hit a line drive to center, and Betts read it poorly off the bat. Betts tried to make up for his bad read by diving in, but he came up way, way, way short. The ball rolled toward the wall, enabling Freese to race into third base with a one-out triple.
The Angels couldn’t cash in, though, thus letting Betts off the hook.
Brennan Boesch struck out swinging. Kole Calhoun followed Chris Iannetta’s two-out walk with a bouncer to the right side handled by Dustin Pedroia.
End 3rd, Angels 3-1: David Ortiz collected his second hit in the third inning. Fortunately for the Angels, this one stayed in the yard.
Ortiz delivered a single into center field with one out. Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a screamer right at third baseman David Freese.
Mike Napoli hit a slow roller back to the pitcher with one out. Ortiz took second base as Jered Weaver opted for the sure out at first base.
Daniel Nava ended the inning with a deep fly ball to center field that sent Mike Trout back to the edge of the warning track.
Mid 3rd, Angels 3-1: There were no shortage of fireworks in the third inning.
Chris Iannetta labeled a double to the wall in left-center field. Mookie Betts tried to toss the ball back toward the infield as quickly as possible, but his throw landed eight miles from second base.
Kole Calhoun, who robbed Brock Holt of a three-run homer in the second inning, knocked in Iannetta with a base hit into center field. That’s quite the impact on the scoreboard for Mr. Calhoun.
Mike Trout continued to assert himself as the best baseball player on the planet by smoking a line drive off the Green Monster. It hit atop the scoreboard in left-center field and bounced into the air. Calhoun scored and Trout raced into third base with an RBI triple.
Will Middlebrooks made an unbelievable play when the next batter, Albert Pujols, ripped a ball to third base. Middlebrooks dived to make a great stop and then threw across the diamond while sitting on his gluteus maximus. Mike Napoli stretched out at first base to complete the out.
The Angels challenged the play, however, and the initial call was overturned. Pujols was ruled safe as Trout scored L.A.’s third run.
Allen Webster plunked Josh Hamilton with an 0-1 slider to put runners at first and second. Howie Kendrick then grounded into an inning-ending double play, though not before the damage was done.
End 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: Kole Calhoun has become quite the thorn in Boston’s side.
Calhoun, who had a very good series against the Red Sox out in Anaheim, made a sensational leaping catch to rob Brock Holt of a three-run homer in the second inning.
Mookie Betts, fresh off a great defensive play of his own, doubled down the left field line with two outs. Christian Vazquez followed with a walk.
Holt, who carries a 12-game hit streak into the contest, drilled a fly ball back toward the right field wall. It looked destined for the Angels’ bullpen, but Calhoun raced back, timed his jump perfectly and prevented Holt from picking up his fourth home run of 2014.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said before the game he’s confident Mookie Betts can be an everyday outfielder at the major league level.
We saw why the GM is so confident in the second inning.
David Freese followed Erick Aybar’s one-out single with a deep drive toward the triangle. Betts raced back — showing excellent range — and made a catch up against the wall, right in front of the Red Sox’s bullpen.
Betts astutely fired back toward the infield, where the Red Sox easily doubled up Aybar. Aybar took off thinking Betts had no chance to make the catch. He was on his way to third base when Betts made the grab.
End 1st, Red Sox 1-0: David Ortiz took aim at the Monster seats in the first inning.
Ortiz lifted an 0-2 changeup into the first row atop the left field wall for a solo homer with two outs. The blast was Ortiz’s 29th of the season.
Mike Napoli followed with a two-out single before Jered Weaver closed off the inning.
Weaver featured a heavy dose of offspeed stuff in his last start against the Red Sox on Aug. 8. That appears to be the game plan again in this contest, though he’ll want to be a bit more cautious with Ortiz next time around.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Allen Webster overcame a two-out wall-ball single by Albert Pujols in the first inning.
Webster started his outing in impressive fashion. He fanned Kole Calhoun on three pitches, using a good mix along the way. Webster, who started Calhoun off with a fastball, put him away with a devastating changeup.
Mike Trout followed with a ground ball to short. Xander Bogaerts made the play, took his time and delivered a strong throw. The shortstop showed good instincts in knowing exactly how long he had to throw out the speedy Trout.
Pujols laced a line drive off the Green Monster with two down. Webster rebounded to retire Josh Hamilton on a fly ball to center.
7:12 p.m.: Allen Webster deals a first-pitch strike. The Red Sox and Angels have kicked things off at Fenway Park.
6:55 p.m.: Yoenis Cespedes is out of the Red Sox’s starting lineup.
Cespedes’ absence is a routine off day, according to manager John Farrell. Cespedes, of course, suffered a hand contusion during Boston’s recent road trip, but that wasn’t a factor in Farrell’s decision.
Daniel Nava will man left field with Cespedes out. Brock Holt will patrol right field while Mookie Betts will earn his second consecutive start in center field. Betts was recalled before Monday’s game following Jackie Bradley Jr.’s demotion.
Tuesday’s complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (56-68)
Brock Holt, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, LF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Mookie Betts, CF
Christian Vazquez, C
Allen Webster, RHP (3-1, 4.79 ERA)
Los Angeles Angels (73-50)
Kole Calhoun, RF
Mike Trout, CF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Josh Hamilton, LF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Erick Aybar, SS
David Freese, 3B
Brennan Boesch, DH
Chris Iannetta, C
Jered Weaver, RHP (13-7, 3.66 ERA)
6:30 p.m. ET: Allen Webster is trending in the right direction. He’ll face a tall task Tuesday.
Webster will go up against Jered Weaver as the Boston Red Sox look to bounce back from a series-opening loss to the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. The Red Sox’s offense produced plenty of chances Monday night, but a lack of timely hits erased their chances of pulling out a win.
Webster has tossed at least six innings in each of his last two starts. That includes a 6 2/3-inning performance against the Angels on Aug. 8 in which he allowed only two runs while earning a victory.
Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m ET. Tune in on NESN and follow along with NESN.com’s live blog.
