The Red Sox wasted no time turning Labor Day afternoon into a loud one at Fenway Park. A four-run second inning powered Boston to a 5-2 win over the Angels on Monday, with Jarren Duran and Adley Rutschman both leaving the yard and Brayan Bello doing his part by blanking Los Angeles through five innings.
Boston’s fifth straight win pushed the club to 80-65 and carried over the momentum from its four-game sweep of the Orioles. The opener of a six-game homestand started with a jolt from Duran, who crushed a 425-foot solo shot to right field in the second inning for his 20th homer of the season and a 1-0 lead.
The inning kept rolling from there. Roman Anthony drew a walk with one out, Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed with another free pass two batters later, and Rutschman delivered the big blow. His three-run homer to right field, his 12th of the year, stretched the lead to 4-0 and gave Boston immediate breathing room.
The Red Sox added one more in the third. Caleb Durbin singled, advanced to third on Kiner-Falefa’s hit, and scored when Eli White beat out an infield single.
That was plenty for Bello, who mixed through four hits and two walks across five scoreless innings. He struck out seven and threw 103 pitches to earn the win, improving after entering the day with a 5-7 record and a 5.07 ERA. The Angels had traffic, but not the hit they needed, finishing 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and leaving eight men on base.
Boston’s bullpen handled the rest. Wyatt Olds took over in the sixth and gave up a solo homer to Moises Ballesteros, the only hit he allowed in two innings.
Olds struck out five and didn’t walk anyone. Angel Gamboa was charged with Los Angeles’ second run in the eighth, when Christian Moore’s groundout scored Wade Meckler.
Garrett Whitlock then closed out the ninth and stopped any late push.
Duran finished 2-for-4 with a homer, double and RBI. Durbin and White each had two hits, and Rutschman drove in three of Boston’s five runs.
Overall, the Red Sox collected nine hits, drew five walks and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position. After some offensive frustration in Baltimore over the weekend, Monday gave them a cleaner start to a week that opened at Fenway with power, pitching and a win.
Boston and Los Angeles will meet again Tuesday night in the second game of the three-game series.
In Other News...
Red Sox Prospect Is Easing One Big Adley Rutschman Trade Fear
Hayden Mullins has been one of the quieter bright spots in the aftermath of Bostons Aug. 3 deal for Adley Rutschman, and the pitching prospect is doing his part to ease some of the early anxiety that followed the move. Mullins has continued piling up solid outings, trimming his season ERA and giving the Red Sox a better-looking strikeout-to-walk ratio as he settles into the stretch run.
The encouraging part for Boston is that Mullins has not just been serviceable, he has been consistently effective, which matters when a trade of that size invites instant second-guessing. The other side of the equation has been encouraging too, since the players Boston received in the swap have also turned in strong work in Baltimores system, leaving the deal in a place where both clubs can point to early returns and still wonder how it will age. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face A Tough Ranger Suarez Decision At The Worst Time
Bostons rotation has started to show the strain that tends to surface in September, with a few starters wobbling in recent outings and the group lacking the crispness it had earlier in the year. That is what makes the conversation around Ranger Suarez so tricky. The Red Sox need stability, but they also need to decide how much weight to give a pitchers recent form versus the kind of track record that can matter most once the games tighten up.
Jonathan Papelbon has already made clear where he stands, saying he would leave Suarez out of a playoff rotation because of the way things have gone lately. Still, Suarez brings something Boston cannot ignore if the club is building a postseason plan for October: he has been effective in the playoffs before, with a strong ERA and WHIP that suggest a starter who can handle pressure when it matters most. The Red Sox are being asked to choose between what they have seen recently and what Suarez has shown in bigger moments, and that is not an easy call this time of year. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Bullpen Just Took A Late-Season Turn Fans Feared
Justin Slaten had only just started to throw again in his recovery before the right elbow inflammation symptoms flared up and shut him back down. For a Red Sox bullpen that has managed to keep its performance in a strong place, the setback is a reminder that late-season stability can change quickly, especially when one of the relievers the club hoped to count on is not able to build any momentum.
The encouraging part for Boston is that Tanner Houck and Garrett Crochet are both moving ahead in rehab assignments, giving the staff at least a chance to get reinforcements later on. Slatens return, though, is now far less certain than it was even a short time ago, and for a bullpen that has been one of the teams quiet strengths, his situation is becoming one of the more important health stories to watch. [Read more 🡒]