Red Sox outlast Angels on Ceddanne Rafaela’s walk-off HR

Ceddanne Rafaela’s walk-off, two-run homer inside Pesky’s Pole with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning propelled the Boston Red Sox to an 11-9 win over the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday afternoon.
Rafaela’s third home run in as many games landed just 308 feet from home plate but allowed Boston to salvage a win in the three-game series. The game featured five lead changes and three ties.
The previous batter, Abraham Toro, dunked a single into shallow center — also off Brock Burke (4-1).
Wilyer Abreu, Toro and David Hamilton all had two hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox. Cooper Criswell (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief to post the victory.
The Sox tied the game at 9-9 in the eighth. Trevor Story reached on an error, and a walk to Jarren Duran set the table for Rafael Devers’ game-tying, ground-ball single through the middle.
Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel both had two extra-base hits and scored two runs apiece for Los Angeles.
A big first inning set the Red Sox back for the second time in the series, as the first five Angels reached before an out was recorded and four scored. Immediate back-to-back doubles by Neto and Schanuel plated the opening, and after a Mike Trout single, Taylor Ward’s three-run homer made it 4-0.
The Red Sox responded right away and took the lead on five runs on five hits.
After Duran’s leadoff single and a Devers walk, Abreu’s line single to center got Boston on the board. Carlos Narvaez loaded the bases on a knock to right, and Marcelo Mayer’s walk brought in another run. Toro’s knock made it a one-run game before Hamilton’s two-run double to left flipped the score.
The Angels regained the lead with three runs, ending Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito’s day after 1 2/3 innings. After Kevin Newman led off with a double, Neto’s RBI triple to deep center and a Schanuel double off the Green Monster marked the scoreboard.
While the Angels’ Jose Soriano retired the Boston side in the second and third, a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity turned into a pair of fourth-inning runs. Abreu’s sacrifice fly and a Narvaez single through the right side knotted the score at 7-7.
The Angels clawed back in front in the fifth, as Logan O’Hoppe hit a wall-ball single that scored Matthew Lugo, who singled and advanced on an errant pickoff throw.
In the Red Sox seventh, a Narvaez walk and Romy Gonzalez single preceded Toro’s sac fly to center, but the Angels grabbed the lead again after a Chris Taylor double and Newman RBI single in the eighth.