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Angels-Red Sox Preview

May 2, 2010 - 11:10 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Los Angeles (12-13) at Boston (11-13), 7:10 p.m. EDT

As if things weren't bad enough for the Boston Red Sox after their first losing April in 14 years, they were swept by the worst team in the majors to begin May.

Even a return to Fenway Park is not as reassuring as it once was.

The Red Sox hope their upcoming 10-game homestand brings better results than their last one - starting Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels, who eliminated Boston from the 2009 playoffs in their last appearance at Fenway.

Los Angeles has faced the Red Sox in an AL division series each of the last three years, and the Angels finally managed to beat Boston with a three-game sweep in October.

The Red Sox (11-14) will need to climb out of an early hole if they hope to reach the playoffs again. Their first sub-.500 April since 1996 was sealed with Friday night's 5-4 loss at Baltimore, where Boston then dropped two more over the weekend.

Following their 12-9 win over the Red Sox on Saturday night, the lowly Orioles completed the sweep with a 3-2, 10-inning victory Sunday, scoring the winning run off closer Jonathan Papelbon.

"A sweep's a sweep. It's frustrating for us, to go home like that," starter Josh Beckett said. "We've got to go out and win games. It doesn't matter what month it is."

Boston only won four of 10 on its last homestand, slipping to 5-8 at Fenway. The team went 56-25 at home each of the last two years, the best home record in the majors in that stretch.

This season's club has had problems in all areas. The Red Sox were held to seven hits Sunday, playing without cleanup hitter Kevin Youkilis (groin). Outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron are on the disabled list.

Boston's pitchers allowed 12 runs for the second time on the road trip Saturday, and the team made four errors in three games against Baltimore.

"We're going to have to regroup in a hurry and figure it out," manager Terry Francona said.

The Angels (12-14) are only one half-game ahead of Boston, but their chances of recovering are much better in the AL West. The Red Sox already trail Tampa Bay by seven games and the New York Yankees by 5 1/2.

Los Angeles, however, will also be trying to rebound from a sweep after beginning its 10-game trip with three straight losses at Detroit. The Angels were limited to four hits in a 5-1 defeat Sunday.

It may not be much easier against Clay Buchholz, who has been an early bright spot for the Red Sox.

Buchholz (2-2, 2.19 ERA) turned in his best outing of the season Tuesday at Toronto, allowing one run in eight innings of a 2-1 victory.

The Game 3 starter for Boston in last year's playoffs, Buchholz held the Angels to two runs in five-plus innings and was in position for a victory until Papelbon blew the save in Los Angeles' 7-6, series-clinching win.

Buchholz hasn't found similar success against the Angels in the regular season, going 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA.

Los Angeles' Joe Saunders is 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA in his career against Boston and 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA at Fenway, but the left-hander has gotten off to a rough start in 2010.

Saunders (1-4, 5.74) gave up three runs, nine hits and four walks in five innings of a 9-2 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday.

"Joe hasn't quite found his balance of command and movement," manager Mike Scioscia told the Angels' official website. "There are some mechanical things he is trying to figure out."