The Angels had six opportunities to beat the Red Sox this season, and they were unable to cash in on any of them.
Boston completed a series sweep of Los Angeles with a 4-2 victory over the Angels on Thursday night at Fenway Park.
The win secures the three-game series sweep for the Sox as they claim the season series 6-0. In that stretch, they outscored the Angels 49-12.
The Red Sox climb to 55-27 with the win, while the Angels fall to 41-41 with the loss.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Sweep.
Even though Thursday was a tight affair, it marked the conclusion of thorough dominance over the Halos this season.
ON THE BUMP
— Brian Johnson did his job in the spot start, with the starter-turned-long reliever giving the Sox four innings, allowing one run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
The left-hander pitched a 1-2-3 first inning, then got through the second and third without issue. But with one out in the fourth, he left a 1-0 curveball over the edge of the plate to Andrelton Simmons, who pulled it into the Green Monster seats to make it 1-0. Johnson then retired the next two batters, ending his night.
— Hector Velazquez entered in the fifth and allowed runners to reach first and second, but struck out Justin Upton to end the inning. He then finished his final inning of work by posting a 1-2-3 sixth.
— Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless, hitless seventh, striking out a pair.
— Joe Kelly entered in the eighth and got into some trouble. The righty walked Mike Trout to begin the inning, with Trout moving to third the next at-bat on an Upton single. With runners on the corners, Albert Pujols drove in Trout with a single to cut the lead to 4-2 with no outs.
But from there, Kelly buckled down and got three outs with runners at first and second thanks to nice catches on the first two outs from Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi.
— Craig Kimbrel walked one in a scoreless, hitless ninth inning, striking out three.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— After a quiet opening four innings, Rafael Devers tied the game up with a solo shot in the fifth.
— With the game locked at one in the bottom of the sixth, the Sox loaded the bases and inched ahead. J.D. Martinez worked a one-out walk, then moved to third on a Mitch Moreland double the next at-bat. Angels manager Mike Scioscia then ordered an intentional walk of Xander Bogaerts to load the bases and get to Brock Holt, with Holt working a walk to plate Martinez and make it 2-1. Devers then grounded into a 1-2-3 double play the next at-bat to end the inning.
— An inning later, Jackie Bradley Jr. gave the Sox a nice cushion by belting a two-run homer into right field to make it 4-1.
— Christian Vazquez led Boston with a pair of hits. Betts, Moreland, Bogaerts, Devers and Bradley all tallied one apiece.
— Martinez and Holt went hitless.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Wow.
UP NEXT
The Sox will head to The Bronx for a big three-game set with the New York Yankees beginning Friday, with first pitch in the series opener from Yankee Stadium set for 7:05 p.m. ET. Eduardo Rodriguez is expected to get the ball for Boston and will be opposed by CC Sabathia.
