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.

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.