Final, Angels 5-4 (19 innings): Albert Pujols had enough.
Pujols led off the bottom of the 19th inning with a walk-off blast to right-center field. The umpires reviewed the home run to make sure there wasn’t fan interference — the ball bounced back onto the field — but the initial call was upheld.
Brandon Workman suffers the loss. Matt Shoemaker earns the win.
Many moons ago, Garrett Richards carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The Red Sox then struck for three runs to grab a 3-2 lead.
Mike Trout tied the game at three apiece with a solo homer in the eighth inning. The score stayed 3-3 until the 14th inning.
The Red Sox jumped ahead 4-3 in the 14th. Dustin Pedroia stole two bases on a heads-up baserunning play and scored on David Ortiz’s sacrifice fly to left field.
The Angels didn’t go quietly. Los Angeles tied the game on a ground ball to short with the bases loaded and no outs. The Red Sox’s infield was playing back — presumably for a double play — and Xander Bogaerts flipped to second base. Dustin Pedroia fired a desperation throw home rather than turn two, and he had no chance of throwing out the runner. Boston escaped the looming jam to extend the game.
Pujols ended the ballgame six hours, 31 minutes after Richards’ first pitch. Clay Buchholz started the game for Boston and pitched pretty well, allowing three earned runs on six hits over eight innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
The Red Sox and Angels will close out their three-game series Sunday at 3:35 p.m. ET. Go rest up.
Mid 19th, 4-4: Brandon Workman, come on down.
Workman will pitch the bottom of the 19th inning. The Red Sox went down in order in the top half.
Brock Holt flied out for the first out of the 19th. Efren Navarro ranged over near the left field seats to make the catch in foul ground.
Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz each grounded out.
End 18th, 4-4: Nothing doing in the bottom of the 18th inning.
Efren Navarro, Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout couldn’t send everyone home happy. We’ll play on into the 19th inning.
Brandon Workman has begun warming up for Boston, though, so that’s an interesting development.
Mid 18th, 4-4: Matt Shoemaker struck out the side in the 18th inning.
Xander Bogaerts, Will Middlebrooks and Christian Vazquez all went down by way of the K. All went down swinging.
Heath Hembree is getting his money’s worth in his Red Sox debut. He’ll come back out for the bottom of the 18th inning.
End 17th, 4-4: The Red Sox escaped a serious jam in the 17th inning.
Josh Hamilton ripped a one-out double into the right field corner. Hamilton has failed to produce in several key spots, but he certainly made life difficult for Heath Hembree in the 17th.
The Red Sox intentionally walked Erick Aybar with first base open. Both Hamilton and Aybar advanced on a wild pitch, prompting the Sox to intentionally walk Howie Kendrick, too.
The Angels couldn’t capitalize on the bases-loaded, one-out situation.
C.J. Cron flied out to shallow left field, not nearly deep enough given Yoenis Cespedes’ laser.
Chris Iannetta grounded into an inning-ending forceout.
Mid 17th, 4-4: Matt Shoemaker was the next man up for L.A.
Shoemaker tossed a scoreless 17th inning. He retired Yoenis Cespedes, Mike Napoli and Jackie Bradley Jr. in order.
Heath Hembree, you’re up.
End 16th, 4-4: Mike Trout brought the fans to their feet in the 16th inning, as he drove a ball to deep left-center field.
It was nothing more than blind optimism, though, as Jackie Bradley Jr. easily sized it up.
Heath Hembree has tossed two scoreless innings in relief. He handled Efren Navarro, Kole Calhoun and Trout in order.
To the 17th inning, we go.
Mid 16th, 4-4: Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless 16th inning for L.A.
Brock Holt attempted to get something going with a base hit into right field. The hit went for naught, as Grilli retired Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz to end the inning.
Ortiz shot a glance toward Grilli following an inning-ending strikeout in Friday’s series opener, as the right-hander marked the occasion with an emphatic fist pump. Papi probably wanted some revenge in the 16th inning of this game, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Heath Hembree will pitch a second inning for Boston. Hembree, who was acquired in the Jake Peavy trade, is making his Red Sox debut.
End 15th, 4-4: Heath Hembree probably didn’t think his Red Sox debut would come in the 15th inning.
But it did.
Hembree overcame a leadoff single to work a scoreless frame. The right-hander retired Howie Kendrick, C.J. Cron and Chris Iannetta in order after Erick Aybar led off with a base hit.
Mid 15th, 4-4: Xander Bogaerts walked with two outs in the 15th inning. The Red Sox couldn’t push him across.
Will Middlebrooks struck out swinging to end the inning. Middlebrooks was visibly frustrated following the K. He slammed his bat and helmet in disgust.
Jackie Bradley Jr. also struck out in the 15th, running his streak to 0-for-30.
Heath Hembree will make his Red Sox debut in the bottom of the 15th. It could be an inning too late, though, as Boston might have been better off going with a fresh Hembree over a worn down Junichi Tazawa in the 14th.
End 14th, 4-4: The Angels tied the game on a weird play.
Junichi Tazawa, pitching for the fourth time in five days, immediately ran into trouble. He surrendered a leadoff double to Chris Iannetta.
Efren Navarro, pinch-hitting for Collin Cowgill, walked. Kole Calhoun singled into left field to load the bases with no outs.
John Farrell opted to keep the infield back. The Red Sox seemingly were playing for a double play rather than cutting down the tying run. Confusion struck, however, when Mike Trout grounded to Xander Bogaerts.
Bogaerts made the play and flipped to second base, presumably the correct play given the Red Sox’s defensive alignment. Dustin Pedroia decided to throw home in desperation after recording the forceout at second, though, and he had no chance of throwing out Iannetta.
Instead of coming away with two outs, the Red Sox faced a daunting set of circumstances. The Angels had runners at the corners with one out.
Albert Pujols ripped a ground ball to third. Will Middlebrooks made the play, looked around the diamond and tossed to first for the second out.
Josh Hamilton, who looks lost at the plate, struck out swinging to end the threat.
Like I said, it was weird. But we’re going to the 15th inning, nonetheless.
Mid 14th, Red Sox 4-3: An incredibly heads-up baserunning play by Dustin Pedroia helped the Red Sox grab a 4-3 lead in the 14th inning.
Pedroia singled into center field with one out. He then took off for second base with David Ortiz batting.
Pedroia slid in safely just ahead of the tag. He immediately noticed that no one was covering third base given that the Angels were in the shift, so he darted toward the bag upon popping up from his slide. Pedroia dived head-first into third, giving him two stolen bases on one play.
Ortiz knocked in Pedroia with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Junichi Tazawa will pitch the bottom of the 14th inning. The Red Sox hoped to stay away from Tazawa given his workload, but he’s the most proven pitcher remaining in the bullpen. Sorry, Heath Hembree.
End 13th, 3-3: The Angels left the potential tying run at third base in the 13th inning.
Tommy Layne recorded two quick outs. Albert Pujols bounced to Mike Napoli and Josh Hamilton struck out swinging.
Erick Aybar made things interesting with a line drive into the right-center field gap. Jackie Bradley Jr. made a solid effort, but the ball was hit too hard. It landed beyond Bradley’s reach and Aybar cruised into third base with a two-out triple.
The Red Sox intentionally walked Howie Kendrick to face John McDonald. The Angels countered with a pinch-hitter in C.J. Cron.
Cron grounded to Napoli, who flipped to Layne for the inning’s final out.
The Angels now are being forced to get creative defensively given the status of their bench. Pujols will play third base for the first time since June 12, 2012.
Mid 13th, 3-3: Will Middlebrooks gave the Red Sox their first hit since the seventh inning. What came after wasn’t as pretty.
The Red Sox put on a hit-and-run with Middlebrooks at first base and Christian Vazquez batting with one out in the 13th. Vazquez hit a little flair to first base that Albert Pujols easily grabbed before stepping on the bag for an inning-ending double play.
Lefty Tommy Layne will pitch the bottom of the 13th inning. He’ll be tasked with facing Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Erick Aybar.
End 12th, 3-3: Koji Uehara sent this game into the 13th inning with a perfect 12th.
Uehara struck out Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout. Trout fanned on a splitter that dropped out of the zone.
Xander Bogaerts, Will Middlebrooks and Christian Vazquez are due up for Boston in the top of the 13th.
Mid 12th, 3-3: The Angels’ bullpen has been brilliant.
Cam Bedrosian kept Boston’s offense at bay in the 12th inning. Yoenis Cespedes, Mike Napoli and Jackie Bradley Jr. went down in order.
Bradley now is 0 for his last 29.
Koji Uehara will pitch the 12th inning for Boston.
End 11th, 3-3: Twelve innings? Why not?
Craig Breslow worked around a one-out single in the 11th inning. They’ll play at least one more frame at Angel Stadium.
Erick Aybar drilled a line drive to begin the 11th. Dustin Pedroia showed some quick reaction time to make the grab.
Howie Kendrick clearly got tired of being robbed by Jackie Bradley Jr. He dumped a base hit into left-center field.
Breslow rebounded to retire former Red Sox utilityman John McDonald and Hank Conger.
Mid 11th, 3-3: The Red Sox only have three hits. All three came in succession during Boston’s three-run seventh inning.
Fernando Salas worked his second straight 1-2-3 inning in the 11th. He chopped down the top of the Red Sox’s order.
Brock Holt struck out, Dustin Pedroia grounded out and David Ortiz flied out. Ortiz wasn’t too happy with himself, evidenced by him slapping his bat aside.
Craig Breslow, who recorded the final out of the 10th inning, will come back out for the bottom of the 11th.
End 10th, 3-3: This hasn’t been Craig Breslow’s year. But the left-hander wiggled the Red Sox out of trouble in the 10th inning.
Burke Badenhop started the 10th for Boston. Collin Cowgill greeted him with a line drive single into left-center field.
Kole Calhoun dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the potential tying run into scoring position. It also left first base open with Mike Trout coming up, though, and the Red Sox opted to intentionally walk the 23-year-old, who homered back in the eighth inning.
It’s funny to see a team dish out an intentional walk to face Albert Pujols, yet that’s exactly what Boston did. It speaks volumes about the type of player Trout has become.
Pujols hit a chopper to second base. Dustin Pedroia looked toward second but took the out at first base.
The Red Sox turned to Breslow to face the left-handed-hitting Josh Hamilton. Breslow pounded him with fastballs inside, ultimately retiring the overpaid slugger on a popup into foul territory along the third base line.
Mid 10th, 3-3: Fernando Salas breezed through the 10th inning.
Xander Bogaerts, Will Middlebrooks and Christian Vazquez couldn’t get anything going.
Burke Badenhop will pitch the bottom of the 10th inning for Boston.
Collin Cowgill, Kole Calhoun and — dun, dun, dun — Mike Trout are due up for Los Angeles.
End 9th, 3-3: Howie Kendrick must be getting sick of Jackie Bradley Jr.’s crap.
Bradley, who absolutely robbed Kendrick in the ninth inning Friday, decided to make it two nights in a row.
Kendrick drilled a ball toward the gap in right-center field with one out in the ninth. Bradley raced over to make a great tumbling catch.
David Freese singled off Edward Mujica with two outs in the ninth. Hank Conger flied out to deep right field to end the inning.
You know what that means. Free baseball!
Mid 9th, 3-3: Talk about irony.
Jackie Bradley Jr., batting for the first time since entering as a defensive replacement, smoked a ball to deep center field. Josh Hamilton raced back to make an excellent running catch — things like that happen when you’re in an 0-for-28 slump — and then doubled up Mike Napoli.
Napoli took off after Bradley drilled the liner, apparently thinking that Hamilton had no chance of tracking it down. He needed to re-tag second base because he rounded the bag, and Hamilton easily started an 8-4-3 twin killing.
Bradley knows a thing or two about those types of double plays.
End 8th, 3-3: Mike Trout. Stud.
Trout keeps finding ways to prove he’s the best baseball player on the planet. The 23-year-old crushed a solo homer to right-center field in the eighth inning to tie the game at three apiece.
Clay Buchholz ended up finishing the inning, reaching the 120-pitch mark before doing so. It was a solid effort for the struggling right-hander, but he won’t factor into the decision unless the Red Sox’s offense alters the scoreboard in the top of the ninth inning.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 3-2: Joe Smith cooled Boston’s bats in the eighth.
Smith worked a 1-2-3 inning. He took care of Brock Holt, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz in order. Holt and Ortiz both struck out.
Clay Buchholz will come back out for the bottom of the eighth inning. The top of the Angels’ order — Kole Calhoun, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols — is due up.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is entering the game as a defensive replacement, just as he did in Friday’s series opener.
Brock Holt will shift to right field. Daniel Nava will grab some pine.
End 7th, Red Sox 3-2: Sometimes, watching the Red Sox play defense is 10 times better than watching them hit.
Christian Vazquez capped the seventh inning with a tremendous play on a dribbler in front of home plate. It looked like Vazquez had no shot at throwing out Collin Cowgill, yet the slick-fielding backstop fired an absolute missile to first base.
It was a big play by Vazquez, as Howie Kendrick led off with a single. Kendrick represented the tying run.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 3-2: Everything came crashing down for the Angels in the seventh inning.
Garrett Richards carried a no-hitter into the seventh. Dustin Pedroia put an abrupt end to that bid, singling into center field to break up the no-no.
David Ortiz broke up Richards’ shutout. Ortiz went the other way with a 1-2 pitch, drilling it into the left-center field gap to score Pedroia from first base. Ortiz cruised into second with his 22nd double of the season.
Yoenis Cespedes kept Boston’s foot on the gas. He singled into left field to put runners at the corners with no outs.
The Angels’ defense then threw up all over itself.
Mike Napoli grounded to the left side. Shortstop Erick Aybar thought about throwing home before corralling the baseball, which never ends well for a fielder. Aybar dropped it and Ortiz raced home with the tying run.
Daniel Nava grounded to second base. The Angels had an excellent opportunity to turn two. Howie Kendrick, like Aybar, totally botched the play. Everyone reached their intended destinations.
Xander Bogaerts gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. That’s when Richards received the hook.
Kevin Jepsen, to his credit, minimized the damage. He struck out Will Middlebrooks and retired Christian Vazquez on a fly ball to center.
This game certainly has changed, though. Clay Buchholz now will head to the mound with a lead for the first time.
11:20 p.m., Red Sox 3-2: No-hitter? Gone.
Shutout? Gone.
Lead? Gone.
The Red Sox have struck for three runs in the seventh inning, thanks in large part to some sloppy defense by the Angels.
Garrett Richards, who entered the inning with a no-hitter intact, is receiving the hook after 6 1/3 innings and 104 pitches.
Boston still is threatening.
End 6th, Angels 2-0: Clay Buchholz gave up his first hit since the first inning. He responded in a big way.
Mike Trout led off with a single into center field.
Albert Pujols followed with a ground ball to second base. Dustin Pedroia grabbed the chopper and looked toward second but had no play. He wisely took the out at first base.
Buchholz capped the inning with back-to-back strikeouts, giving him eight for the game. Buchholz’s two-seamer has been pretty nasty.
Mid 6th, Angels 2-0: OK, so things are starting to get interesting.
Garrett Richards worked another quick 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. The Red Sox still are without a hit.
Will Middlebrooks, Christian Vazquez and Brock Holt all grounded out in the sixth. Richards has allowed just two baserunners — two walks — and quickly wiped one off the bases with a double play.
No-hitter. No-hitter. No-hitter.
End 5th, Angels 2-0: Clay Buchholz followed in Garrett Richards’ footsteps in the fifth inning.
Buchholz, like Richards, issued a leadoff walk. He then, like Richards, induced a double play.
Collin Cowgill followed Hank Conger’s walk with a high bouncer to short. It looked at first like the height of the chopper might be problematic, but Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia executed a quick turn.
Kole Calhoun grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Mid 5th, Angels 2-0: Mike Napoli worked a leadoff walk. No sweat.
Garrett Richards promptly induced a double play. Daniel Nava rolled over a 2-0 fastball to second base, where Howie Kendrick started it up.
Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging for the third out.
End 4th, Angels 2-0: Clay Buchholz overcame a two-out walk for another clean inning in the fifth.
Buchholz grabbed his sixth strikeout, sitting down Erick Aybar for the second out of the inning. Aybar went down swinging on a changeup.
Howie Kendrick walked with two down. David Freese then grounded to short for an inning-ending forceout.
Buchholz has a very good mix of pitches going right now.
Mid 4th, Angels 2-0: Garrett Richards will have to settle for a no-hitter.
Richards allowed his first baserunner in the fourth inning. He walked David Ortiz with two outs.
Ortiz’s time on the bases was short-lived, though. Yoenis Cespedes popped out to second base on the second pitch he saw.
Richards also picked up his fourth strikeout in the fourth inning, as Brock Holt went down looking for the second time.
End 3rd, Angels 2-0: Clay Buchholz is settling into a groove.
Buchholz received some defensive help in the third inning, as Mike Napoli robbed Kole Calhoun with a diving stop up the first base line. The ball briefly bounced away from Napoli, but he scooped it and fired a dart to Buchholz, who covered the bag.
Mike Trout, who is DH’ing, flied out to center field. Albert Pujols, who is responsible for the game’s two runs, struck out swinging.
Buchholz has five strikeouts through three innings. He has retired nine in a row.
Mid 3rd, Angels 2-0: Garrett Richards continues to make quick work of the Red Sox. He has retired the first nine hitters he has faced.
The bottom third of Boston’s order — Xander Bogaerts, Will Middlebrooks and Christian Vazquez — went down without a whisper in the third inning.
Bogaerts lined out to center field. Middlebrooks and Vazquez both put the ball on the ground.
Clay Buchholz has settled down to retire six in a row. Let’s see if he keeps rolling in the third.
End 2nd, Angels 2-0: Clay Buchholz has retired six in a row since allowing three straight hits to begin the game.
Buchholz, who capped the first inning with back-to-back strikeouts, struck out David Freese and Collin Cowgill in the second inning.
Freese swung through a good-looking changeup down. Cowgill was rung up on the fourth of four straight fastballs.
Mid 2nd, Angels 2-0: Garrett Richards hasn’t given the Red Sox an inch through two innings.
Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Nava both flied out in the second. Mike Napoli struck out, giving Richards three K’s for the contest.
Napoli waved at a 3-2 slider in the dirt — similar to how he struck out Dustin Pedroia in the first inning.
Clay Buchholz needs to build on his two strikeouts to end the first inning or else it could be a long night.
End 1st, Angels 2-0: It only took three batters for the Angels to produce two runs against Clay Buchholz.
Buchholz, who has surrendered seven runs in each of his last two outings, struggled (again) in the first inning. He threw 24 pitches before finally escaping the opening frame.
Kole Calhoun led off with a double. Mike Trout followed with a ground ball into the hole that Xander Bogaerts couldn’t do anything with. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch in which catcher Christian Vazquez uncharacteristically pulled up his mitt too early on a ball in the dirt.
Albert Pujols capitalized on the back-to-back hits by dropping a two-run double into right-center field. It landed just beyond a diving Brock Holt.
Red Sox manager John Farrell opted to sit Jackie Bradley Jr., who made a couple of nice defensive plays Friday, for the fourth time in five games. It already is working against the Sox defensively.
Buchholz bounced back to strike out Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick. The damage certainly was done, though.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Garrett Richards brought the filth in the first inning.
Richards started his quest for win No. 13 with back-to-back strikeouts.
Brock Holt went down looking at a 96 mph fastball on the outside corner. Richards dialed it up to 96 mph while painting the black.
Pedroia went down on three pitches. Richards started him off with back-to-back 97 mph fastballs before chucking a slider in the dirt. Pedey couldn’t hold up.
David Ortiz grounded out to end the inning.
9:07 p.m.: Garrett Richards hits the mound. Away we go.
8:05 p.m.: Jackie Bradley Jr. will sit for the fourth time in five games.
Bradley is mired in a major slump — 0-for-27 with 13 strikeouts since July 26 — and has been victimized by Boston’s crowded outfield. Even with Allen Craig sidelined with an ankle injury, the Red Sox continue to opt for a trio sans Bradley.
Yoenis Cespedes (left field), Brock Holt (center field) and Daniel Nava (right field) are penciled into Saturday’s starting nine. Holt has shown signs of busting out of his recent slump, so it’s understandable that Red Sox manager John Farrell wants to keep him in the lineup in some capacity.
Saturday’s complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (51-64)
Brock Holt, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Christian Vazquez, C
Clay Buchholz, RHP (5-7, 6.20 ERA)
Los Angeles Angels (67-48)
Kole Calhoun, RF
Mike Trout, DH
Albert Pujols, 1B
Josh Hamilton, CF
Erick Aybar, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
David Freese, 3B
Hank Conger, C
Collin Cowgill, LF
Garrett Richards, RHP (12-4, 2.58 ERA)
7:45 p.m. ET: Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz appeared to make progress immediately after returning from the disabled list at the end of June. His rebound was short-lived.
Buchholz enters Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on the heels of back-to-back disasters. The right-hander has allowed 14 runs on 15 hits over his last 10 innings (12.60 ERA). He has walked nine batters in that span, which is very discouraging considering he walked only one batter in his first five starts — 35 2/3 innings — off the DL.
The Red Sox need Buchholz to return to form. Pinpointing the exact cause of his struggles, however, has been difficult, so the club essentially is holding its breath every time he takes the mound.
Buchholz will face a tall task in Saturday’s start against the Halos. Not only is he facing a very potent lineup, he’s also going up against Garrett Richards, who has become an ace in his fourth major league season.
Saturday marks another late start with the Sox playing on the West Coast. It is an hour earlier than Friday’s game, though, so surely you can stay up late to see how Buchholz and Co. fare.
Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. Tune in on NESN and keep it right here with NESN.com’s live blog.
