Anaheim, CA – Zack Greinke had seven strikeouts over seven innings and Albert Pujols delivered a two-run double in the opening frame, as the Los Angeles Angels swept the Boston Red Sox, 5-2, Thursday night.
Torii Hunter had three hits and scored twice for the Angels, who beat Boston for the eighth straight time. Prior to win streak, the Halos were 2-17 in their last 19 versus the Red Sox.
Greinke (3-2) allowed five hits and two runs, one on a homer by James Loney, his first in a Boston uniform.
"I had better location tonight," Greinke said. "They popped up my fastball a lot, but they were in the park and the outfielders were able to run them down."
The Angels, winners in seven of their last nine games, also got an RBI from Mark Trumbo and Alberto Callaspo.
Loney had three hits for the Red Sox, who went 0-6 against the Angels this season. This marks the first time ever in a season series against any opponent of at least six games that the Red Sox were swept. They've lost eight of 11 overall.
Jon Lester (8-11) allowed nine hits and went the distance for his third complete game of the season and ninth of his career, but his three-start winning streak was broken.
The finale of this three-game series started out with a bang for the Angels as Mike Trout walked and Hunter singled to begin the opening frame. Pujols then laced a double past the outstretched glove of a diving Pedro Ciriaco at third base.
Loney scored on Mike Aviles' bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the second, but Ciriaco then fanned to end the inning.
Loney left a runner at third in the next inning, and the Angels added to their lead on run-scoring singles from Trumbo and Callaspo, who entered as a pinch- hitter when Howie Kendrick had to leave the game due to a sore right knee.
"When I started to put pressure on it, it didn't want to hold up," Kendrick said. "It's kind of strange. It's just a pain inside my knee. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get on it and we'll see how it feels."
Vernon Wells scored on Trout's double-play groundout in the fourth inning before Loney homered tight to the line in right field in the sixth.
With runners on first and second in the top of the eighth, Kevin Jepsen worked out of trouble by retiring Cody Ross on a line drive to left and Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a fly ball to center field.
"We hit the balls hard, but the outfielders were in the right spot," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "James Loney did well. We just didn't follow him up tonight."
Ernesto Frieri stranded a runner at third in the ninth to pick up his 16th save of the year.
Game Notes
Greinke is 2-4 lifetime against the Red Sox. He's allowed a home run in six straight starts, tying a career-high ... The Red Sox recalled pitcher Daniel Bard from Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday and also optioned pitcher Zach Stewart to Pawtucket ... Kendrick's 15-game hitting streak came to an end ... The Angels have outscored the Red Sox 63-32 during the streak. The Angels' record for consecutive wins versus Boston is nine, April 23, 2008 - April 10, 2009.
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