The Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 on Friday night, July 3, in Anaheim. The win came during the start of a long road trip for the Red Sox. Rookie left hander Jake Bennett earned the victory with a solid performance that kept the Angels in check for most of the game.
Bennett worked into the eighth inning and limited the damage from the home team. He allowed just two runs overall in the contest. The Angels scored both of theirs late in the eighth. Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman then entered and secured the save. Chapman also set a new MLB career record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher during the appearance. The mark had stood since 1972.
Offensively, the Red Sox built their lead early. In the second inning, Jarren Duran hit a sacrifice fly that scored Romy Gonzalez. The third inning brought more runs. Gonzalez delivered a key single that brought home Willson Contreras and another runner. Duran added a sacrifice bunt that scored Caleb Durbin amid an error by the Angels first baseman. In the fifth, Durbin connected for a solo home run off Angels starter Reid Detmers. The blast traveled 358 feet and pushed the score to 5-0. It was Durbin’s eighth homer of the season and his seventh since joining the Red Sox from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Angels managed only five hits in the game and could not mount a serious threat until the late innings. Their two runs came after Bennett left the game. Chapman closed things out to preserve the victory.
The result links Bennett’s strong start directly to the Red Sox taking an early lead and maintaining control. Durbin’s contributions tie into the team’s timely hitting that created separation. Chapman’s record breaking save connects to his role in finishing games during this stretch. For the Angels, the loss extended their current skid to four games and highlighted struggles against effective left handed pitching. The Red Sox improved their road performance while the Angels continued to search for consistency at home.