Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels Box Score on Jul 21, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 22, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- If Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the rest of the Los Angeles Angels hitters figured they had a big challenge ahead of them in facing Boston ace Chris Sale Friday night, imagine their thoughts after the Red Sox batted in the top of the first inning.

Before Sale even took the mound for the bottom of the first, Boston put up a five-spot on Angels starter Ricky Nolasco in the top of the inning, creating what would seem an insurmountable mountain to climb.

Sale, the American League All-Star starting pitcher, had allowed as many as five runs in a game only once in 19 starts this season, and he wasn't about to let it happen again.

Sale shut the Angels out on four hits in six innings, riding the five-run first inning and lifting the Red Sox to a 6-2 win at Angel Stadium.

The six innings were Sale's fewest in his last eight starts. But he made 112 pitches to get there, so manager John Farrell had no reason to tax his ace with such a big lead.

Sale (12-4) struck out nine Angels hitters, reaching the 200-strikeout milestone for the season. It took him just 141 1/3 innings to get there, the fastest to 200 in major league history. Sale has reached double digits in strikeouts in 13 of his 20 starts, getting nine strikeouts four other times.

He struck out everyone in the Angels starting lineup at least once except for No. 9 hitter Cliff Pennington, who had a single and double against him.

The Red Sox had nine hits, all nine coming off Nolasco (4-11), who gave up all six runs and lasted just four innings. Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. each had two hits for Boston (55-43), which increased its lead in the American League East to 3 1/2 games over the Rays and Yankees.

The loss dropped the Angels to 47-51, 4 1/2 games out of the second American League wild-card spot.

The Angels' first run of the night came in the seventh inning with Sale out of the game. On reliever Kyle Martin's first pitch of the inning, Angels catcher Martin Maldonado homered to left field, his 11th of the season.

The Angels added a run in the ninth on an RBI single by Ben Revere.

The Red Sox got to Nolasco for five runs and six hits in the first inning. Betts led off with a blooper to shallow left-center, where shortstop Andrelton Simmons, left fielder Shane Robinson and center fielder Trout all converged, but nobody could make a play.

Betts legged out a double on the play, then scored on Andrew Benintendi's RBI single. One out later, Mitch Moreland singled, Hanley Ramirez singled, Xander Bogaerts singled and Bradley doubled, making it 5-0.

Sale didn't give up a hit until Angels Pennington singled with one out in the third inning. But Pennington was stranded and the Red Sox tacked on a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Betts to make it 6-0.

The Angels' best chance to score against Sale early came in the fifth when Martin Maldonado singled and went to third on Pennington's two-out double. But Sale struck out Yunel Escobar to end the threat.

NOTES: Red Sox RHP Doug Fister has been moved to the bullpen from the starting rotation. The Red Sox came out of the All-Star break using a six-man rotation, but decided to go back to five, and Fister was the odd man out. Since being claimed off waivers from the Angels, Fister is 0-4 with a 7.89 ERA in five games (four starts). Since he last pitched on Thursday, he isn't likely to be available out of the bullpen until Sunday. ... The Angels did not commit an error Friday, their 14th consecutive game without one. It tied a club record accomplished in both 2005 and 2006.