Weaver got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to the centerfield wall to start. Dustin Pedroia got a base hit to right and looked to have stolen second....but Angels manager Mike Scioscia challenged that Dustin was out. Sure enough, replays showed Pedroia was out and Xander Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning. Price got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Yunel Escobar hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Kole Calhoun struck out swinging and Mike Trout grounded out to short to end the inning.
David Ortiz walked to start the top of the second but Hanley Ramirez lined out to a running Gregorio Petit. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging and Travis Shaw flied out to left to end the inning. Albert Pujols got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second but Jefry Marte grounded into a double play. Andrelton Simmons grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Sandy Leon lashed a base hit to right to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt ripped a base hit to right to move Leon to third and Mr. Mookie hit a sac fly to left to score Leon. Pedroia hit a bullet to Simmons who doubled Holt off first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Jet Bandy got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third but Gregorio Petit grounded into a double play. Johnny Giavotella struck out swinging to end the inning.
Bogaerts flied out to left to start the top of the fourth but Ortiz lined a base hit to right. Ramirez singled to center but JBJ grounded into a double play to end the inning. Escobar grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Calhoun caught Price asleep with a bunt single. Trout forced Calhoun at second and Pujols took strike three to end the inning.
Shaw lined out to second to start the top of the fifth and Leon flied out to left. Holt lined out to second to end the inning. The Angels threatened in the bottom of the fifth as Marte got a base hit up the middle to start. Simmons struck out swinging but Bandy walked. Marte was thrown out trying to steal third but Petit singled to center. Giavotella singled to right to load the bases but Escobar forced Giavotella at second to end the inning.
Mr. Mookie flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Pedroia flied out to right. Bogaerts ripped a base hit to center and Ortiz was intentionally walked. JC Ramirez was brought in to face Ramirez and Hanley flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Calhoun grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Trout grounded out to short. Pujols lined out to center to end the inning.
Fernando Salas came in to pitch the top of the seventh and JBJ grounded out to first to start. Shaw singled to right but Leon forced him at second. Holt grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Marte grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Simmons took strike three. Bandy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Joe Smith came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mr. Mookie singled to left to start. Betts got picked off and Pedroia grounded out to second. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. Price returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Petit grounded out to third to start. Giavotella flied out to right but Escobar singled to center. Calhoun struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Price who pitched arguably his best game of the season, tossing 8 shutout innings allowing 7 hits and a walk.
Cam Bedrosian came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Ortiz popped up to third. Ramirez and JBJ both struck out swinging to end the inning. Brad Ziegler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Trout beat out a grounder to third to start. Pujols ripped a base hit to left and Carlos Perez pinch hit for Marte. Ji-man Choi pinch ran for Pujols, but Perez fouled off a bunt for strike three. Simmons ripped a base hit to center to load the bases and old pal Daniel Nava pinch hit for Bandy. Ziegler was 0-2 on Nava when Daniel hit a routine grounder to Ramirez. Hanley threw home....5 feet over the glove of Leon. Both Trout and Choi scored to win the game for the Angels 2-1 just like that.
Angels win
Nice throw, Jackass
Jackass of the Night is Hanley Ramirez. His error led the game winning runs to score.
The Good:
David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.
Travis Shaw was 1 for 3.
Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Brock Holt was 1 for 3.
David Price deserved the win with 8 shutout innings allowing just 7 hits and a walk while striking out 6.
The Bad:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Brad Ziegler took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with an rbi but got picked off in a one run game.
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 and was caught stealing in a one run game.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base.
Final Thoughts:
That game and especially that ending was an absolute nut punch. The last two weeks the Sox either get outslugged or outpitched when desperately needed. David Price pitches arguably his best game of the season and the Sox can only scratch out a run against Michael Fulmer and Cam Bedrosian. Even in the ninth inning all Ramirez had to do was throw correctly home and they might have won this one. Still, it was Ziegler who walked the bases loaded and the offense that only scored one run. No one is safe in this one, even Mr. Mookie got picked off and Pedroia was thrown out trying to steal. The return of Craig Kimbrel soon should give the Sox a proven closer back but Ziegler's been shaky the last two games. If the AL East race wasn't so close, every game wouldn't be as important. Unfortunately this was a winnable game and they blew it big time. Two days in a row they allow a last second home run and now they've lost 6 out of their last 7 games. Only thing they can do is try to salvage the rest of this series. The loss dropped the Sox to 55-45, 2.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back against the Angels tomorrow night when "Slick" Rick Porcello (13-2) takes on former San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum. The game begins at 10:10 PM Eastern time at Angel Stadium.
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