Angels stay hot in 4-2 victory over Red Sox

KEY MOMENT: With the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, reliever Mike Morin got Dustin Pedroia to chop a grounder to shortstop Erick Aybar, who teamed with second baseman Howie Kendrick on an inning-ending double play that preserved a 2-1 lead. “The ball wasn’t hit with a lot of pace,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Erick did a great job to get it to Howie with a quick feed, and Howie made a great turn. It certainly wasn’t a routine double play. That was a huge out.”

AT THE PLATE: Mike Trout showed signs of emerging from a lengthy slump with a sharp single to left in the first and a laser of an RBI double off the center-field wall in the third. Albert Pujols followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. Kole Calhoun, who had two hits, two walks and two runs, followed Chris Iannetta’s leadoff walk in the eighth with a double off the base of the wall in center. After Trout’s strikeout and an intentional walk to Pujols, Boston reliever Junichi Tazawa bobbled Kendrick’s comebacker and threw wildly past home, allowing two runs to score.

ON THE MOUND: C.J. Wilson said his game plan was “to stay on the corners, to not come over the middle of the plate regardless of the situation,” and that was reflected in his high pitch count (115 pitches in 51/3 innings) and five walks. But he held the Red Sox to one run and five hits, escaping a two-on, no-outs jam in the first and pitching around David Ortiz’s leadoff double in the fifth.

ON THE SHELF: Cleanup batter Josh Hamilton, hitting .132 with 18 strikeouts in 10 games, sat out for the second straight game. Scioscia said Hamilton will have an extensive early session with hitting coaches Don Baylor and Dave Hansen on Tuesday afternoon and will play Tuesday night. “We figured another day is going to be beneficial,” Scioscia said. “He’ll go one-on-one with Don and Dave and hopefully find a comfortable concept in the batter’s box that he can take into the game.”

EXTRA BASES: Of the Angels’ 16 wins since the All-Star break, 13 have come by two runs or fewer. … Calhoun is batting .448 (26 for 58) when leading off the first inning of games this season, and he is 17 for 41 (.415) in his last nine games.

UP NEXT: Right-hander Jered Weaver (13-7, 3.66 ERA) will oppose Boston right-hander Allen Webster (3-1, 4.79 ERA) at Fenway Park on Tuesday at 4 p.m. PDT. On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 830, 1220.