Red Sox Lose 12-5 To Angels Thanks To 9-Run Inning

It only took one bad inning for the Boston Red Sox to lose control of the game.

After twice taking the lead, the Red Sox gave up nine runs in the fifth inning and never recovered as the Los Angeles Angels beat Boston 12-5 on Friday night. The Red Sox also committed three errors while losing their third straight game.

"There's definite frustration. And that's shared by all in our clubhouse," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "We expect more from ourselves. That's a given."

Boston took a 1-0 lead on Mike Napoli's homer in the second. The Angels scored two in the fourth, but the Red Sox took a 3-2 lead on a two-run double by Brock Holt.

It didn't last long.

Chris Iannetta and Erick Aybar homered in the Angels' nine-run fifth, and Mike Trout had two singles in the inning, when they sent 13 batters to the plate. Albert Pujols also hit a home run for Los Angeles.

"Nine runs is a tough way to go," Farrell said.

Boston loaded the bases in the seventh with nobody out and two runs already in, but Jose Alvarez struck out David Oritz and then got Daniel Nava to hit into an inning-ending double play.

It was the fifth straight scoreless outing for Alvarez, who has lowered his ERA from 10.38 to 2.84 since April 17.

"Jose's really coming on," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "You're hoping just to trade an out for a run, an out for a run, and get out of it. And he gets a big strikeout of Ortiz and a double-play ball."

Garrett Richards (4-2) allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out one in six-plus innings.

Rick Porcello (4-3) allowed seven runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out four.

Matt Barnes relieved him with one out and one on in the fifth, then walked Matt Joyce and gave up Iannetta's homer. Right-fielder Rusney Castillo dropped a fly ball for an error, and one out later Aybar homered to make it 11-3.

HANLEY'S HAND

Hanley Ramirez remained in the game after getting hit by a pitch in the fourth inning, but Farrell pulled him in the sixth because of left-hand soreness. He was replaced by Nava, who went 0-for-2.

"We'll check him when he comes in tomorrow." Farrell said. "He had a difficult time gripping the bat, and I had to get him out of there."

A scan of Ramirez's hand was negative, Farrell said.

KICKING IT AROUND

The Red Sox didn't help themselves in the fifth inning, making two errors that led to a pair of unearned runs. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts threw the ball past the third baseman to allow Aybar to score and Trout to take second. Later, after Iannetta's three-run homer, right-fielder Rusney Castillo dropped a high fly popup by Marc Krauss; he scored when Aybar, batting for the second time in the inning, homered.

Bogaerts committed another throwing error in the seventh. The Angels made two errors - a total of five in the game for the teams that had been first and second in the AL in fielding percentage this month.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: Pujols was back in the lineup two days after being hit in the left wrist by a pitch. Although the original fear was he would have to go on the disabled list, tests showed he had only a bruise accompanied by swelling.

Red Sox: OF Shane Victorino, who was scratched from the lineup on Thursday with a sore left calf, missed another game. 3B Pablo Sandoval got the game off, one night after entering as a pinch hitter. He was hit by a pitch on the side of the left knee on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Angels: C.J. Wilson (2-2) will pitch the second game of the three-game series against Boston. He is 6-3 with three saves and a 2.63 ERA against the Red Sox in his career.

Red Sox: Steven Wright (1-1) will face the Angels for the first time in his career on Saturday.