The Boston Red Sox rallied in the eighth inning to defeat the Los Angels Angels 9-7 in the second game of the four-game series at Fenway Park.
Yu Chang had struggled this season, going hitless in his first 16 plate appearances, but that would all change on Jackie Robinson Day. In Boston’s win, the 27-year-old infielder put the Red Sox on his back twice.
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth, Chang homered on the second pitch of his at-bat, an 88 mph fastball that he launched to left center, hitting the DraftKings Sportsbook banner above the Green Monster, giving the Red Sox a 5-4 lead.
“I’m so happy the team gave me the consistent opportunity to play every day even though I didn’t hit the ball well in the beginning (of the season),” Chang said through an interpreter on NESN’s postgame coverage. “But today, I just got the chance to hit the ball as a homer, and I’m so happy about this.”
In the bottom of the eighth, Boston was trailing 7-6 when Angels catcher Matt Thaiss committed two interference penalties, extending the inning for the Red Sox. Chang would capitalize on the errors by hitting a single to left, scoring Kiké Hernández and Raimel Tapia.
“He got a pitch he can handle and put a good swing, and even the strikeout, it was a good at-bat,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters on NESN’s postgame coverage. “So, we felt there. You know what? Let’s keep rolling with him. And he put a good swing there, got a hit, and played great defense. Very happy for him, you know, just that’s can only rely on one guy here.”
Cora added that he had never seen a catcher called for the same infraction twice.
Here are some more notes from Red Sox-Angels on Saturday:
— Nick Pivetta pitched four innings, giving up six runs on five hits, including a grand slam to Gio Urshela in the first after he walked back-to-back hitters with two outs.
“I was able to settle down in innings two through five,” Pivetta told reporters as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “That was pretty good considering I didn’t have my best stuff out there.”
— Kenley Jensen earned his fourth save of the season, second in as many games. He got out all three batters he faced in the top of the ninth.
— Rafael Devers was 1-for-5 at the plate, but the third baseman launched his league-leading seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the first. Devers is slashing .276/.323/.690.
— MLB for the 20th annual Jackie Robinson Day. All players on both clubs donned No. 42 on the back of their jerseys, honoring the 76th anniversary of Robinson’s first game at Ebbets Field.
— The Red Sox continue their four-game series with the Angels on Sunday. Pregame coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET on NESN, followed by a special 2013 10-Year Reunion Ceremony before first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET. The Red Sox will welcome the Zac Brown Band to Fenway to perform the national anthem.
