Aroldis Chapman became Major League Baseball’s all-time strikeout leader among relievers, while rookie left-hander Jake Bennett delivered another impressive performance as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 on Friday night.
Chapman recorded his 1,364th career strikeout as a reliever in the ninth inning, surpassing Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm for the most in major league history. Bennett, making just the seventh start of his career, carried a dominant outing into the eighth inning as Boston continued its strong run by winning for the sixth time in eight games.
The Angels dropped their fourth straight game after struggling to generate offense for most of the night against Bennett and the Red Sox pitching staff.
Bennett Controls Angels Lineup
Bennett showed command from the opening pitch and kept the Angels off balance throughout his outing.
The rookie retired the first 13 batters he faced before Vaughn Grissom broke up the perfect start with a single in the fifth inning. Bennett continued to cruise after that, retiring 22 of the first 24 Los Angeles hitters while limiting hard contact.
The left-hander struck out six without issuing a walk, allowing five hits over 7 2/3 innings to improve to 3-3 on the season.
His latest outing continued an encouraging start to his major league career. Just six days earlier, Bennett had baffled the Yankees by preventing their first 15 hitters from recording a hit.
The Angels finally broke through in the eighth inning when Jose Siri connected for a solo home run. Zach Neto followed later in the inning with a two-out RBI single, ending Bennett’s night after he had largely controlled the game.
Boston Builds Early Lead
The Red Sox offense gave Bennett plenty of support.
Caleb Durbin started the scoring by leading off the fifth inning with his eighth home run of the season, putting Boston ahead and providing an early spark.
Romy Gonzalez continued the rally and finished with three hits while driving in two runs. His consistent production helped the Red Sox steadily build their advantage against Angels starter Reid Detmers.
Boston’s balanced offense created scoring opportunities throughout the game, combining timely hitting with disciplined at-bats to keep pressure on the Angels’ pitching staff.
Detmers’ Strong Stretch Ends
Detmers entered the game riding one of his best stretches of the season but could not extend it against Boston’s lineup.
The left-hander worked five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits while walking three batters. He also struck out several hitters but struggled to limit traffic on the bases as the Red Sox capitalized on their opportunities.
The defeat marked Detmers’ first loss in eight starts dating back to May 19, ending an extended run of consistent performances.
Boston’s offense remained aggressive throughout his outing, forcing him into difficult situations before eventually chasing him from the game.
Chapman Makes History
The ninth inning belonged to Chapman.
The veteran closer entered needing one strikeout to surpass Wilhelm’s long-standing record for relief pitchers. He wasted little time, striking out Denzer Guzman to register his 1,364th career strikeout out of the bullpen.
The milestone established Chapman as the most prolific strikeout reliever in major league history. Wilhelm, whose career ended in 1972, had held the record for decades.
Chapman’s inning briefly became more complicated after the historic strikeout. He surrendered consecutive singles to bring the tying run closer to the plate.
The veteran quickly regained control, inducing Jo Adell to ground into a game-ending double play and securing his 17th save of the season.
Angels Face Another Setback
Los Angeles also dealt with an injury concern during the game.
Starting catcher Logan O’Hoppe exited in the third inning after taking a foul ball off his mask. Medical staff evaluated him for a possible concussion, an especially cautious measure given his recent history.
O’Hoppe spent time on the concussion-injured list last September after being struck by a backswing. He also underwent concussion protocol earlier this season following a collision at home plate with Texas infielder Josh Jung.
The Angels managed only two late runs after Bennett departed, but were unable to recover from Boston’s early advantage.
The combination of Bennett’s efficient start, consistent offense, and Chapman’s historic milestone helped the Red Sox open their road trip with another victory while extending the Angels’ recent slide.
Up Next
The series continues Saturday with the Angels scheduled to start left-hander Sam Aldegheri, who enters with a 3-3 record and a 4.85 ERA. The Red Sox will counter with veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, who is 9-1 with a 2.69 ERA.