Garrett Whitlock dominates Angels, Justin Turner homers as Red Sox win, 2-1
Ryan Brasier #RyanBrasier
BOSTON — On a day the Red Sox honored the 10-year anniversary of their 2013 World Series championship team, it was fitting that the player who boasts the best beard on the team led them to a win over the Angels.
Justin Turner provided all the offense Boston needed behind a great start from Garrett Whitlock, hitting a two-run homer as the Sox won their third straight with a 2-1 victory over the Angels. Whitlock posted the best start by a Red Sox pitcher so far this year, allowing just three hits and recording five strikeouts in seven innings.
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Los Angeles drew first blood on a cloudy afternoon at Fenway Park. Anthony Rendon led off the second with a double, then scored on a two-out single by Brandon Drury. A half-inning later, Turner laced his first Red Sox homer off lefty Reid Detmers, plating Alex Verdugo and giving the Sox a 2-1 advantage they wouldn’t surrender.
Whitlock settled in after the second, facing the minimum in the next five innings. Behind him, the Red Sox turned two double plays. In his second start of the season, the righty became the first Sox pitcher to pitch into the sixth inning this season (and the seventh).
With Kenley Jansen unavailable after pitching two straight days and Chris Martin being placed on the injured list, manager Alex Cora turned to Kaleb Ort for the eighth inning and Ryan Brasier for the ninth. Ort allowed a single and a walk before picking Brett Phillips off second base to end the threat; Brasier recorded a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Mike Trout and getting Shohei Ohtani to fly out to end the game.
Verdugo and Turner were the only Red Sox hitters with multiple hits. With the win, the Red Sox got back to .500 at 8-8. The game was the first Sox game under two hours in 2023, lasting one hour and 57 minutes.
Bello gets Marathon Monday nod
Right-hander Brayan Bello will come off the injured list and make his 2023 season debut on Marathon Monday against superstar Shohei Ohtani. First pitch, as is customary, is set for 11:10 a.m. ET.
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