Red Sox 5 - 0 Angels
Final
  for this game

Red Sox go for fourth straight win in Anaheim

Apr 23, 2011 - 3:22 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox shoot for their fourth straight win tonight against the LA Angels of Anaheim in the third test of a four-game series from the Big A.

Boston has won three in a row and six of seven games, including Friday's 4-3 victory behind six shutout innings from Jon Lester. Jonathan Papelbon came on in the ninth to record his fifth save of the season.

"I felt all right early on, I had good fastball command," Lester said. "They hit a lot of foul balls and I had to grind it out."

J.D. Drew finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Red Sox, winners in six of seven games. The Red Sox are 3-1 on a nine-game trek and did not have third baseman Kevin Youkilis on Friday because of a bruised left shin. He could return this evening.

Coming off his best performance so far this season, Red Sox Japanese starter Daisuke Matsuzaka goes back to work this evening in Anaheim in hopes of winning consecutive starts since last July 11-19.

Matsuzaka defeated Toronto with seven shutout innings of one-hit ball and struck out a season-high three batters. Dice-K got more than enough run support in the 9-1 drubbing of the Blue Jays to push his 2011 mark to 1-2 and lower his earned run average from 12.86 to 6.43.

The right-hander had an awful outing on April 11 versus Tampa Bay, as he allowed a season-high seven runs and eight hits in just two innings.

Meanwhile, the Angels hope to bounce back from their third loss in 10 tries when they entertain the Red Sox again. Angels starter Dan Haren lost for the first time this season (4-1) after he gave up four runs -- two earned -- and five hits in six innings.

Bobby Abreu and Jeff Mathis had an RBI apiece for Anaheim. Erick Aybar ended with a team-high two hits and a run scored.

"I felt pretty good, but walks hurt me and a couple of balls found holes," Haren said. "I don't want to lose, but I wasn't planning on going 34-0."

Haren was trying to become the Halos' second five-game winner, along with teammate Jered Weaver. The Angels will also host Oakland for three games on the residency.

Angels righty Ervin Santana would like to put an ugly start behind him when he takes the ball tonight versus the Red Sox. Santana previously pitched in Monday's 7-1 loss at Texas and was pounded for six runs and 10 hits in only four innings of work to fall to 0-2 in four starts.

Santana, whose ERA grew from 3.74 to 5.26, has surrendered at least three runs in each of his starts this season. The right-hander won a career-best 17 games a year ago (17-10) and looks to move his lifetime mark against Boston over the .500 mark. He is 2-2 with a 4.31 ERA in the first eight starts in this series.

Boston has won 11 of its last 12 meetings with the Angels.






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