BOSTON — Los Angeles Angels catcher Chris Iannetta could sense the mood changing in the visitor’s dugout at Fenway Park.
A nine-run inning will do that.
Iannetta and Erick Aybar homered as the Angels sent 13 batters to the plate in the fifth inning, and Albert Pujols also hit a home run on Friday night to lead Los Angeles to a 12-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
“Everyone’s having a lot more fun after that inning,” Iannetta said. “It was a little more loose, a little more laid back.”
Mike Trout had a pair of hits – both in the fifth, when the Angels took an 11-3 lead.
Boston loaded the bases in the seventh with nobody out and two runs already in, but Jose Alvarez struck out David Oritz and then got an inning-ending double play.
It was the fifth straight scoreless outing for Alvarez, who has lowered his ERA from 10.38 to 2.84 since April 17.
“Jose’s really coming on,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “You’re hoping just to trade an out for a run, an out for a run, and get out of it. And he gets a big strikeout of Ortiz and a double-play ball.”
Garrett Richards (4-2) allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out one in six-plus innings.
Rick Porcello (4-3) allowed seven runs on seven hits and three walks for the Red Sox, striking out four. Matt Barnes relieved him with one out and one on in the fifth, then walked Matt Joyce and gave up Iannetta’s homer.
“Nine runs is a tough way to go,” Red Sox Manager John Farrell said.
Right-fielder Rusney Castillo dropped a fly ball for an error, and one out later Aybar homered to make it 11-3.
Boston committed three errors.
“There’s definite frustration. And that’s shared by all in our clubhouse,” Farrell said. “We expect more from ourselves.”
KICKING IT AROUND
The Red Sox didn’t help themselves defensively in the fifth inning. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts threw the ball past the third baseman to allow Aybar to score and Trout to take second. Later, after Iannetta’s three-run homer, Castillo dropped a fly ball by Marc Krauss, who then scored when Aybar, batting for the second time in the inning, homered.
HE’S IN THERE
Trout scored a run, drove in another, threw a runner out at the plate and singled twice in one inning. But the most impressive thing he did might have been his head-first slide into third for a stolen base.
The throw from catcher Blake Swihart was there in time, but Trout bent himself out of the way of the tag and reached around the third baseman to get the base. As he slid over the bag, he got his leg onto it before pulling his hand off. Third-base umpire John Tumpane called him out, but Trout immediately signaled for Scioscia to appeal.
The replay showed he never lost contact with the base.
TRAINER’S ROOM
ANGELS: Pujols was back in the lineup two days after being hit in the left wrist by a pitch. Although the original fear was he would have to go on the disabled list, tests showed he had only a bruise accompanied by swelling.
RED SOX: Left fielder Hanley Ramirez, who was hit by a pitch in the left hand in the fourth inning, left the game with what the team said was “soreness.” Farrell said he had a difficult time gripping the bat. Outfielder Shane Victorino, who was scratched from the lineup on Thursday because of a sore left calf, missed another game. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval got the game off, one night after entering as a pinch hitter. He was hit by a pitch on the side of the left knee on Tuesday.
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