Red Sox at Angels
Mookie Betts rescued the Boston Red Sox in the 15th inning of the series opener, and the team hopes to build off that momentum when it visits the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. The Red Sox squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning on Friday, but Betts belted his second homer of the game with two outs in the 15th for a 7-6 victory as Boston improved to 5-1 on its eight-game road trip.
Betts finished 3-for-7 and J.D. Martinez went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs to extend his hitting streak to seven contests as the Red Sox remained 5 1/2 games behind Oakland for the second wild-card spot in the American League. Boston used eight pitchers in the victory and likely will send several to the mound again on Saturday while the Angels counter with Dillon Peters, who has gone 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA in his six starts. Los Angeles has fallen well out of the playoff race with seven losses in its last eight games but battled back from an early four-run deficit on Friday. Future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols snapped out of an 0-for-11 slump with four hits and three RBIs in eight at-bats while Brian Goodwin launched two solo homers and scored four times for the Angels in the series opener.
TV: 9:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox TBD vs. Angels LH Dillon Peters (3-2, 4.11)
The Red Sox did not announce a starter for Saturday after using all but four of their pitchers in the series-opening marathon. Brian Johnson (1-3, 6.83 ERA) would appear to be the logical choice to start but has struggled in his last two appearances, losing both while allowing six runs and 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old Floridian gave up three runs on two hits and two walks in 2 2/3 frames of a loss to the Angels on Aug. 9.
Peters was roughed up in his last two starts, permitting 10 runs - seven earned - on 12 hits and six walks over 8 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old University of Texas product started the month with three quality starts, including a six-inning effort at Boston on Aug. 8 in which he permitted three runs. Sandy Leon and Sam Travis have homered against Peters, who is 2-0 with a 3.63 ERA in five games (two starts) on the road this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pujols is two hits away from tying Cal Ripken Jr. (3,184) for 14th place on the all-time list.
2. The Red Sox have hit at least one homer in 19 straight games, tying the second-longest streak in franchise history (1996).
3. Los Angeles CF Mike Trout is four homers away from matching the single-season club record set in 2000 by Troy Glaus (47).