Red Sox Fall to Halos in Extra-Inning Extravaganza

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox fell to the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 in a 19-inning extravaganza Saturday night. It was a back-and-forth battle throughout the the epic tilt, but in the end it was Albert Pujols closing the curtain on Boston with a walk-off jack. The three-game series is now tied at one game aside.

Pujols’ homer in the bottom on the 19th was subject to review after Sox manager John Farrell argued that it failed to clear the outfield fence. Upon review, the umpires ruled in favor of Pujols, spelling defeat for Boston.

The never-ending affair didn’t conclude until 3:30 a.m Eastern Time. In playing two games worth of ball that spanned over six hours, the Sox exhausted their entire 8-man bullpen. Starter Brandon Workman was called upon in the end to pitch.

Clay Buchholz and Garrett Richards started the game for their respective teams. Each pitcher threw the ball well, leaving their club in a position to win. Buchholz fanned eight batters over eight innings of work, surrendering just three runs. Richards lasted 6.1 innings. He struck out five and allowed three runs, one of which was earned.

The Sox held a 3-2 lead over the Angels in the 8th, but Mike Trout was able to smash a solo shot off Buchholz to even the game. Tied at three runs aside, neither team would score again until the 14th.

In the 14th, Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a single. He then stole second and later scored on a sacrifice fly from David Ortiz. Junichi Tazawa surrendered the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Trout grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bags full to even the score.

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Heath Hembree made his Sox debut. He came on to pitch four scoreless innings. He tossed a total of 62 pitches.

The Angels had several opportunites to end the game over the course of the evening. They belted out 15 hits to Boston’s six.

“As hard fought as we played this game, as did they, sometimes these extended games when you come out on the short end can feel like two losses,” John Farrell said. “I couldn’t be more happy and proud of the way we continued to battle the entire night.”

If there’s anything to take away from the loss, it’s Buchholz’s perfromance. He looked more in command of his arsenal of pitches and appeared more into the game. In Prior starts, Buchholz pitched terribly, leaving many to question why he was even on the mound.

The Sox will battle the Angels in the third and final game of the series on Sunday afternoon. Hector Santiago will oppose Rubby De La Rosa.