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Kotchman, Hunter propel Angels past Red Sox

Jul 29, 2008 - 4:40 AM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim used an unconventional weapon to beat the Boston Red Sox on Monday night at Fenway Park.

Casey Kotchman belted a two-run homer and Torii Hunter connected for a three-run shot in a six-run sixth inning as the Angels beat the Red Sox, 7-5, in the opener of a three-game series.

Jered Weaver (9-8) allowed three runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings to earn the win for the Angels, who entered the contest ranked 21st in baseball with just 96 home runs.

Anaheim has won six of seven meetings from the team that beat it in the 2004 and 2007 American League Division Series.

"They might be the class of the American League right now," Boston manager Terry Francona said.

"We did a little bit of everything," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of the six-run sixth. "Good (base-running) first to third, we got a squeeze bunt and a couple of home runs. He (Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka) made a couple of mistakes that inning, and we didn't miss them, Kotch and Torii."

The Red Sox have the second best home mark in the league at 40-16, but have lost three of their last four games here. Nevertheless, Scioscia knows it is not easy to win at Fenway Park.

"You need every run you can, against that club, especially playing here," Scioscia said.

Jose Arredondo allowed two hits over 1 1/3 innings and Scot Shields allowed an RBI single to Jacoby Ellsbury in the eighth before giving way to All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez. Rodriguez allowed a two-out solo home run to Manny Ramirez, but nailed down his 44th save in 47 chances. Rodriguez is 13 shy of tying Bobby Thigpen's record of 57 saves set in 1990.

The Angels roughed up Matsuzaka (11-2) for seven hits and six runs over five-plus innings, ending his three-game personal winning streak.

"I think that when I'm facing a good team like the Angels I need to mix up my pitches a little bit more and add some more variation," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter.

After retiring the side in order in the first, Matsuzaka immediately ran into trouble in the second. Vladimir Guerrero and Hunter opened with singles and a one-out walk to Howie Kendrick loaded the bases.

Juan Rivera lifted a fading fly ball toward the right-field line. J.D. Drew made a running grab near the line. but Guerrero scored to put the Angels up, 1-0. The Red Sox grabbed their only lead when Ramirez singled home Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz in the fourth as the first three batters of the inning reached against Weaver. However, the righthander escaped without further damage.

"That was huge," Weaver said of avoiding the big inning. "Anytime they get something going you try to diminish it as much as possible. Anyone can hurt you up and down their lineup."

Meanwhile, Matsuzaka seemed to be settling into a groove. The Japanese righthander retired eight in a row before the wheels came off in the sixth. Chone Figgins walked and Kotchman matched a career high with his 12th homer, a two-run shot to Red Sox's bullpen in right field. The blast put the Angels ahead, 3-2.

Maicer Izturis and Guerrero followed with a single and double, respectively, before Hunter launched a towering drive over the "Green Monster" in left-center for his 16th of the season and a 6-2 lead.

"Last year, I faced him about two or three times and I still don't know much about him," Hunter said. "He threw strikes today, and we were able to capitalize on the strikes he threw."

"I thought he was throwing the ball pretty well," Francona said. "That happened in a hurry. Then, he leaves the last pitch up to Hunter, and that's an exclamation point on the inning."

Anaheim sent 10 batters to the plate in the six-run sixth, which was capped off by a suicide squeeze bunt by Jeff Mathis that scored Kendrick.

The Red Sox knocked Weaver out of the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring once on an RBI double by rookie Jed Lowrie. But Arredondo escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Ellsbury.