Ramirez rescues Red Sox in ninth
The Angels trail in the ALDS, 2-0, but play at home next.
BOSTON (AP) — One fan got a baseball. The rest left with a memory.
Manny Ramirez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Francisco Rodriguez and the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 Friday night, taking a 2-0 lead in their AL playoff series.
The Red Sox, who tied the game in the fifth thanks to the friendly — and legal — grab of a front-row fan, have a chance to complete the sweep on Sunday.
Curt Schilling will face Jered Weaver in Game 3 in Anaheim. The bloody-socked hero of Boston’s 2004 World Series run was on his way to the West Coast with Game 1 and 4 starter Josh Beckett, manager Terry Francona said a few hours before Friday’s game.
If so, they landed in time to catch the ending of the grueling, four-plus hour affair, in which Daisuke Matsuzaka needed 60 pitches to get through the first two innings.
Four relievers from Boston’s well-rested bullpen threw 41⁄3 innings of hitless ball, with Jonathan Papelbon getting the last four outs for the win.
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LOS ANGELESBOSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Figgins cf5111Pedroia 2b5110
OCbera ss4011Yukilis 1b4100
VGrero rf3000DOrtiz dh1210
Napoli c1000MRmrz lf3113
GAndsn lf4020Lowell 3b2001
Izturis 3b5010JDrew rf4012
Ktchm 1b2100Varitek c4000
Morles dh4110Crisp cf3010
Kndrck 2b4010JLugo ss4110
Mathis c3001
JRivra ph0000
Willits cf0000
Totals35373Totals30666
Los Angeles030000000—3
Boston200010003—6
Two outs when winning run scored.
E—Lowell (1). DP—Los Angeles 1. LOB—Los Angeles 11, Boston 8. 2B—Figgins (1), OCabrera (1), GAnderson (1), Pedroia (1). HR—MRamirez (1). SB—Izturis 2 (2), Kendrick 2 (2), Willits (1), Crisp (1). SF—Lowell.
IPHRERBBSO
Los Angeles
KEscobar543355
Shields200031
Speier L,0-11 1-311100
FrRodriguez1-312211
Boston
Matsuzaka4 2-373333
Lopez1-300000
Delcarmen1 1-300001
Okajima1 1-300002
Papelbon W,1-01 1-300021
HBP—by Delcarmen (VGuerrero). WP—Matsuzaka.
Umpires—Home, Dan Iassogna; First, Brian Runge; Second, Ted Barrett; Third, Tim Tschida; Left, C.B. Bucknor; Right, Gary Darling. T—4:05. A—37,706.
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