Taylor Ward highlighted his three-RBI night with a home run while Reid Detmers threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings to lead the visiting Los Angeles Angels to a 7-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
Ward became the last Los Angeles batter to record one of the team’s 12 hits when he socked a two-run shot in the sixth inning.
Anthony Rendon, Nolan Schanuel and Aaron Hicks finished with two hits apiece for the Angels, supporting Detmers (3-0) who struck out seven while allowing just three hits — none after the third inning — and two walks.
Boston’s defensive miscues behind starting pitcher Tanner Houck (2-1) helped the visitors to take immediate control, never looking back after turning in a three-run first inning.
After Anthony Rendon sent a single into right and Nolan Schanuel was hit by a pitch to begin the Angels’ at-bats, Mike Trout reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases as Red Sox shortstop David Hamilton bobbled a potential double-play turn.
Another double play that wasn’t finished allowed Ward to reach and Rendon to score the first Angels run before Hicks’ line single to center in the next at-bat doubled the lead. After a wild pitch, Brandon Drury’s grounder made it 3-0.
Schanuel led off the Los Angeles half of the third with a ground ball single to second and scored the fourth Angels run on Boston center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s relay throwing error following the second of consecutive hits by Hicks and Drury.
The Red Sox had chances to break through against Detmers, recording hits in each of the first three innings including a Jarren Duran double in the third. Double play balls extinguished two of those opportunities.
A run of three straight one-out hits in the fourth ended with Schanuel roping a fly ball double to deep center, scoring Zach Neto to extend the Angels’ lead to 5-0.
In the sixth, Ward’s two-out, two-run homer over the Green Monster and everything in left-center field followed a Mike Trout single. Houck had his day end there after 5 2/3 innings, as he allowed seven runs (four earned) on 12 hits while striking out just two.
Relievers Luis Garcia, Jose Cisnero and Hunter Strickland preserved the shutout over the final 2 2/3 perfect frames.
–Field Level Media
