Red Sox Sweep Angels 7-5 in Dominant Relief Performance

Key Offensive Explosions

Jarren Duran and Willson Contreras each launched home runs to ignite Boston’s offense. Duran’s 13th HR, a two‑run shot to right‑center off Ryan Johnson, tied the game at 2‑2 in the second inning, while Contreras uncorked his league‑leading 20th homer—a 446‑foot blast to left‑center that left his bat at 112 mph, giving the Red Sox a crucial 5‑3 cushion in the third.

Pitching Comeback

Ranger Suarez, an All‑Star newcomer, exited early with a left adductor strain after jumping for Jo Adell’s chopper over the mound. The Boston bullpen responded with a six‑frame hold, as Greg Weissert, Tyron Guerrero and Garrett Whitlock combined for 4 1⁄3 hitless innings. Justin Slaten surrendered a run in the eighth before Aroldis Chapman closed out the game, allowing only Zach Neto’s solo homer in the ninth and earning his 18th save.

Game Flow and Turning Points

The Angels jumped out to a 2‑0 lead in the first on Jorge Soler’s groundout and Adell’s RBI single. After Boston tied it, Neto’s double put Los Angeles ahead 3‑2, but Neto’s 14th error on a routine grounder sparked three unearned Red Sox runs in the third. A sacrifice fly from Ceddanne Rafaela (actually Abreu) and Masataka Yoshida’s RBI single in the seventh padded the lead to 7‑3, and the Angels answered late with Donovan Walton’s double and Adell’s RBI single to make the final score 7‑5.

Final Details

The victory marked Boston’s eighth win in ten games and completed a three‑game series sweep of the Angels. Los Angeles slipped to a six‑game losing streak and now 12‑7 in its last 19 contests dating back to June 14.

Upcoming Matchups

Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle (4‑6, 3.39 ERA) will face White Sox southpaw Noah Schultz (2‑5, 5.86) in Chicago on Tuesday night. The Angels will travel to Texas, where right‑hander Jose Soriano will oppose Rangers ace Jacob deGrom (7‑5, 3.48 ERA) in a showdown at Globe Life Field.