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Pen Blows 4-Run Lead, Red Sox Fall 9-7 To Angels

Koji Uehara entered Saturday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels hoping he'd get one more chance to make the AL All-Star team because of the last-chance fan ballot. He might want to rethink his plans for the break.

Uehara was brought in by manager John Farrell with two out in the ninth inning after the Angels loaded the bases against Alex Wilson. The Red Sox were still leading by four runs, but Uehara surrendered a two-run single by Albert Pujols and an RBI single by Josh Hamilton before a throwing error by third baseman Brandon Snyder allowed the tying run to score.

Craig Breslow then gave up a two-run homer in the 11th by Hamilton that gave the Angels a 9-7 victory and snapped Boston's five-game winning streak.

"Unfortunately, I brought Koji into a spot where he had no room to maneuver, and they got a couple of hits off the end of the bat," Farrell said. "All in all, it was just a tough game to lose. But we've had games like this already this year. Our guys are a veteran group that have the ability to put tonight past us."

Brad Hawpe, who came in to play first base in the 10th, singled with one out in the 11th against Breslow (2-2). Hamilton drove the next pitch - a fastball on the inside part of the plate - to right-center for his 12th homer and second dramatic blast in three nights.

It was the third pulsating comeback win at home for the Angels in less than four weeks. On June 20, they turned a 7-0 deficit against Seattle into a 10-9 win, and they rallied with three runs in the ninth against St. Louis on Thursday - including a two-run homer by Hamilton - for a 6-5 win.

"I was trying to do a little too much at the plate earlier in the game, and then I understood that I should just be relaxing up there like I've been doing the last couple of weeks," Hamilton said.

Boston was leading 7-3 in the seventh when Andrew Bailey relieved injured pitcher Andrew Miller with one out and runners at the corners. He retired Mike Trout on an inning-ending double play with his first pitch. Bailey then pitched a scoreless eighth before everything came apart.

The Angels got the tying run when Howie Kendrick hit a grounder to Snyder, whose throw to second base sailed into right field, allowing pinch-runner Collin Cowgill to score the tying run.

"I thought I was closer to the base, and my first instinct was to think I could underhand it," Snyder said. "When I looked up, I realized how far I was and Josh was coming down. I didn't know if I was going to make it, so I just rushed and never got a grip. There isn't a worse feeling."

Uehara blew his third save in eight chances.

Daniel Nava tied a career high with four hits and scored twice for the Red Sox.

Boston starter Ryan Dempster allowed three runs - two earned - and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings. Two of the hits off the right-hander were leadoff home runs by Kendrick in the second and Trout in the third.

"They're a tough lineup and you try to get through it," Dempster said. "As the game went on my slider and split felt a lot better and that helped me out a lot."

Angels starter Jerome Williams gave up five runs - four earned - and seven hits in his second start in four days. Williams had a quick turnaround after allowing seven runs, four hits and four walks in 1 2-3 innings of a 12-2 loss Wednesday against St. Louis. Jacoby Ellsbury singled to center on Williams' second pitch of the evening, extending his hitting streak to 16 games.

Trout, the only Angels player voted onto the AL All-Star team, put them ahead 3-2 with a shot over the double-decker bullpen in left field for his 14th home run and team-high 56th RBI.

The Red Sox grabbed a 5-3 lead with three runs in the fourth, the first two coming in on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's double. Dustin Pedroia made it 6-3 with an RBI single after a triple by Shane Victorino.

Kendrick's homer was his 11th, three more than he had last season. The eight-year veteran, whose 105 hits are the most by an Angels second baseman before the All-Star break, finished seventh in fan balloting at his position.

This program aired on July 7, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

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