Boston, MA – Vernon Wells' RBI double during a two-run 10th inning proved to be the difference as the Los Angeles Angels survived a wild night at Fenway Park to complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 14-13 victory on Thursday.
Facing Alfredo Aceves (2-8), Kendrys Morales launched the first pitch he saw deep down the line in right and into the seats just inside the Pesky Pole. Erick Aybar singled and Wells smoked a line drive down the line in left off Craig Breslow to score Aybar and give the Halos a 14-12 advantage.
Wells' double made a winner out of Ernesto Frieri (2-0) who allowed the game- tying home run to Cody Ross in the ninth and a run in the 10th, but fanned Adrian Gonzalez with a runner on base to preserve the win.
Wells finished with three RBI, but his home run in the ninth inning that caromed off the top of the Green Monster likely wasn't a homer, but was ruled so. The Red Sox didn't challenge the call and replay wasn't used.
"When I hit it, I was just thinking it hit off the wall," Wells said. "Then I saw the way it bounced off so I assumed it was a home run. But once I got in [clubhouse], they told me otherwise but we'll take it. It was a great game to be a part of. We've come out on the wrong end of lot of those games in the last couple of weeks so it was good to see this team fight and score enough runs to win this game tonight."
Chris Iannetta, Torii Hunter, Morales and Mike Trout all added a pair of RBI. Howie Kendrick and Mark Trumbo added an RBI in the triumph.
Dustin Pedroia ripped a three-run home run and had five RBI, while Mike Aviles added a solo shot for the fading Red Sox, who have lost four straight and five of six.
Earlier, the Red Sox opened the scoring in the second inning when Pedroia ripped a two-out double into center field and came around to score on a base hit by Gonzalez.
Boston blew the game open with five more runs in its next at-bat. Mauro Gomez got things started with a double down the line in left and scored on a base hit by Scott Podsednik. Pedro Ciriaco singled to put two runners on and Jacoby Ellsbury followed with an RBI single before Pedroia capped the rally with a towering shot over the Green Monster in left, making it 6-0.
The Angels roared back with eight runs in the third to take the lead. Iannetta got the rally started with a base hit and Hunter singled before Kendrick ripped an RBI single up the middle. Alberto Callaspo walked to load the bases with two outs.
Morales drew a bases-loaded walk and Aybar reached on an error by Ciriaco to make it 6-3. Red Sox starter Franklin Morales was pulled for Clayton Mortensen, but he allowed a bases-full walk to Wells, a two-run single to Iannetta, and RBI base hits Trout and Hunter, giving the Halos an 8-6 lead.
Ross knocked home Pedroia with two down in the fifth to pull the BoSox within 8-7, and the Red Sox put up two runs in the sixth on a solo shot by Aviles and an RBI double by Ellsbury to take a 9-8 lead.
The Angels got it right back in the seventh. Kendrys Morales and Aybar singled off Andrew Bailey to start the inning and Trout tied the game for the Angels with a sharp base hit back through the box.
Ellsbury singled home Podsednik and Pedroia singled to third, which allowed Ciriaco to score in the eighth to give the Red Sox an 11-9 lead.
The Angels battled back with three runs in the ninth. Wells started the inning with a solo shot off the top of the Monster in left and Hunter drove in the tying run with a single to left before Trumbo ripped a single to center, scoring Hunter to give the Angels a 12-11 lead.
But, on the first pitch of the bottom of the inning, Ross took Frieri deep to tie it back up at 12.
"It was a crazy night and you feel like whoever was hitting last was going to win," Pedroia said.
Game Notes
Angels starter C.J. Wilson allowed seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts over five innings. He is winless since the All-Star break and has not won in his last 12 starts ... The Angels announced on Thursday that slugger Albert Pujols, who missed the game, is day-to-day with inflammation in his right calf ... The Red Sox have lost 11 of their last 15 games and are 16-23 since the All-Star break ... The Red Sox walked three men with the bases loaded and lead the American League in that category with 14 ... The Red Sox announced during the game that outfielder Carl Crawford underwent successful Tommy John surgery on his left elbow ... Franklin Morales allowed six runs on six hits and two walks in just 2 2/3 innings.
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