Sonny Gray delivered another dominant outing, and Willson Contreras and Romy Gonzalez supplied the power as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels 8-1 on Saturday night.
Gray worked six effective innings and received early run support as Boston continued its strong stretch, winning for the seventh time in nine games. The Red Sox also received another shutdown performance from their bullpen, while the Angels dropped their fifth straight game and continued a difficult run that has seen them lose 11 of their last 17 contests.
Boston struck quickly against Angels starter Sam Aldegheri and never surrendered control, combining timely extra-base hits with efficient pitching throughout the evening.
Red Sox Take Early Control
The Red Sox wasted little time building a comfortable lead.
Aldegheri walked two batters in the opening inning before Contreras stepped to the plate and launched a 421-foot home run into the left-center field seats. The three-run blast, his 19th of the season, immediately gave Boston a 3-0 advantage.
The early deficit put pressure on the Angels, but Los Angeles answered in the second inning.
Josh Lowe connected for a solo home run to trim the lead to 3-1. Jo Adell followed with a walk, and Wade Meckler added a single to give the Angels another scoring opportunity.
Gray responded by striking out Donovan Walton and Tyler Heineman to end the threat, preserving Boston’s two-run lead.
Gray Continues Outstanding Season
After allowing the early home run, Gray settled into another impressive performance.
The veteran right-hander limited the Angels to one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out seven, walked one and induced two double-play ground balls, repeatedly escaping trouble before it developed into larger rallies.
Gray improved his record to 10-1 while extending his streak of quality starts to six consecutive outings dating back to May 30. During that span, he has compiled a 5-0 record with a 1.97 ERA, continuing one of the strongest stretches by any starter in the American League.
Despite leading the league in victories and ranking among its ERA leaders, Gray was not selected to the American League All-Star team earlier in the day.
Boston Extends The Lead
The Red Sox created separation in the fifth inning.
Anthony Seigler opened the frame with a double before Ceddanne Rafaela reached on a walk. Wilyer Abreu then drove both runners home with a double off the right-field wall, stretching Boston’s advantage to 5-1.
Moments later, Gonzalez added another big swing.
Earlier in the game, Jo Adell had robbed Gonzalez of a potential home run with a leaping catch at the wall in right field. This time, Gonzalez left no doubt, sending a towering drive over the short wall in left field for his first home run of the season.
The two-run shot pushed Boston’s lead to 7-1 and effectively put the game out of reach.
The Red Sox added one final run in the eighth when Rafaela delivered an RBI single, completing the scoring.
Angels Unable To Generate Offense
Los Angeles struggled to build sustained rallies against Gray and the Boston bullpen.
Lowe’s solo homer accounted for the Angels’ only run. Although the club put runners on base during the second inning, Gray escaped without further damage and consistently kept hitters from delivering timely hits.
Aldegheri recovered well after the difficult opening inning. He did not allow a hit during the second, third or fourth innings, but his pitch count climbed quickly. After throwing 88 pitches through four innings, he left the game in favor of rookie left-hander Samy Natera Jr.
Natera surrendered two runs in the fifth, ending an encouraging run in which he had allowed just one run across his first nine major league appearances.
Bullpen Finishes The Job
Boston’s relievers preserved the comfortable lead with little difficulty.
Jovani Morán, Greg Weissert and Alec Gamboa combined to throw three hitless innings, preventing the Angels from mounting any late comeback attempt.
The bullpen’s efficient finish complemented another complete performance by the Red Sox, who combined strong starting pitching, timely offense and dependable relief work to secure another convincing victory.
Boston’s balanced attack continued its recent momentum, while the Angels remained unable to halt their slide despite another solid effort from parts of their pitching staff after the first inning.
Up Next
The Red Sox conclude the series Sunday night with left-hander Ranger Suárez, who enters with a 4-3 record and a 2.94 ERA, scheduled to face Angels rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson, who is 1-3 with a 7.40 ERA.