Red Sox 4 - 2 Angels
Final/11
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Red Sox hope to stay on winning path as they open set with Angels

Apr 21, 2011 - 2:43 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox hope they have turned a corner. Tonight, they try to make it two straight wins on the road when they open a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium.

The Red Sox picked up their first win away from home on Wednesday, as Jed Lowrie blasted a two-run homer, and Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew added solo shots, to help Boston beat Oakland, 5-3, to earn a split in the two-game set.

Youkilis finished with two runs scored, while going 2-for-4 for Boston, which had been 0-7 on the road and has won four of its last five contests overall.

"It's a little late, but it feels good," said manager Terry Francona on the road win. "If we bog ourselves down with what we did two weeks ago, what we're going to do is bog ourselves down. We need to try and stay in the moment and win."

Clay Buchholz (1-2) earned the win after allowing just one earned run in 5 1/3 innings. Jonathan Papelbon picked up his third save of the young season.

The Red Sox could continue their recent run this evening, as they send the red-hot Josh Beckett to the hill. After losing his first start of the year, Beckett has rebounded with a pair of brilliant outings that have seen him surrender one run and five hits over 15 innings, while racking up 19 strikeouts.

Beckett, who is 3-4 lifetime against the Halos, was terrific against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, holding them to a run and three hits over seven innings, as he improved to 2-1 on the year to go along with a 1.80 ERA.

"How many starts do we have to go and then we forget about last year?" said Beckett, who pitched to a 5.78 ERA last season. "I know I stunk last year. We all know that. I think maybe we need to move forward a little bit."

Los Angeles, meanwhile, sent a message to the Texas Rangers this past week, taking two of three from the defending American League champions after a 4-1 win in Wednesday's rubber match.

Jered Weaver continued his red-hot start to the 2011 season by pitching the fifth complete game of his career and gave up one run on six hits and struck out eight to record his fifth straight win for Los Angeles, which went 5-1 on a six-game road trip.

Vernon Wells and Howie Kendrick hit solo homers for the Angels, who got an RBI apiece from Jeff Mathis and Maicer Izturis.

"One thing we're doing well is pitching and playing terrific defense," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Hoping to continue that terrific pitching tonight will be 21-year-old righty Tyler Chatwood, who enters tonight's opener on the heels of his first big league win. Chatwood defeated the Chicago White Sox on Saturday and surrendered a run and five hits in seven innings to improve to 1-1, while lowering his ERA to 3.75.

"He had great life in the zone," Scioscia said of Chatwood's pitches. "He pitched very well with his fastball."

Chatwood may have his work cut out for him tonight, though, as the Angels dropped nine of their 10 meetings with the Red Sox last season and have lost 11 of the previous 13 regular season matchups.






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