The Los Angeles Angels became the first visiting team to hit three home runs in the first inning of a game at Fenway Park and held on for a 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series on Monday night.
Jo Adell had a two-homer game, while Mike Trout highlighted a 3-for-4 night with a three-run shot, the Angels’ second of three in the opening frame against Boston starter Richard Fitts (0-3).
Leadoff hitter Zach Neto opened the six-run inning with a homer.
Trout’s 1,675 career hits are second in Angels history. Garret Anderson is first with 2,368.
Ryan Zeferjahn (3-1) tossed a perfect seventh, while former Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 12th save in as many chances.
From the top of Boston’s lineup, Jarren Duran went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs.
The Angels scored five of their six first-inning runs before Fitts recorded his first out on his 33rd pitch, taking a 1-0 lead on Neto’s drive that sailed over the Green Monster in left field and out of the ballpark.
After Nolan Schanuel walked and reached third on Taylor Ward’s single to right, Jorge Soler drove in a run while reaching on Red Sox third baseman Abraham Toro’s fielding error. Trout’s three-run homer to deep center — 454 feet away — made it a 5-0 Los Angeles lead.
The next batter, Logan O’Hoppe, lined the first out against Fitts to first base, but Adell added to the visitors’ lead with a solo shot to left-center.
After Red Sox reliever Hunter Dobbins worked through the second and third innings by facing the minimum with the help of a double play ball, the hosts got on the board on back-to-back doubles by Duran and Rafael Devers with one out in the third. Devers lined his two-bagger past the dive of Ward in the left-center gap.
Los Angeles starter Tyler Anderson started the fifth with his fifth and final strikeout, but did not complete the frame after the next four Red Sox reached base. He finished 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks.
Rob Refsnyder’s wall-ball single and a Carlos Narvaez line double to left plated runs, then with Hunter Strickland in for relief, Romy Gonzalez knocked a two-run double inside the first-base line to bring Boston within one.
Adell wasted no time getting the run back for the Angels, crushing the first pitch of the sixth inning out to left-center.
–Field Level Media
