Angels Beat Red Sox for 5th in Row

For most of the game Thursday night at Anaheim Stadium, it was tit for tat. The Boston Red Sox had an answer for whatever the Angels did.

But bit by bit, the Angels took over. By the end, Wally Joyner’s two-run, two-out single in the seventh inning and Bryan Harvey’s relief performance left the Red Sox grasping for a final comeback. It fell short, and the Angels held on for a 3-2 victory and a three-game series sweep in front of 27,227.

It was the Angels’ fifth consecutive victory, their longest streak since September of last season, and it left them with a growing sense of confidence.

“It’s a very, very good feeling,” said the Angels’ Mark Langston, who has won six of his past seven starts and was solidly in control through seven innings, keeping the Red Sox in check.

Langston (7-2) was strong, but that wasn’t enough. So was Boston starter Danny Darwin, who kept tabs on the Angels.

Dave Winfield gave the Angels an early lead with a first-inning home run that continued his climb up baseball’s all-time lists. This time, the 389th homer of his career tied him with Johnny Bench in 25th place, one behind Graig Nettles in 24th.

The lead lasted only until the fourth inning, though, when Tom Brunansky counter-punched with a homer of his own, his 10th of the season.

It wasn’t until the seventh inning that the Angels would break the 1-1 stalemate.

“Day in, day out, this team has a very potent offense,” Langston said. “You know if you can keep it close, they’ll score some runs.”

Jack Howell walked with one out in the seventh, and Dick Schofield followed with a double to left. With runners on second and third, and Luis Polonia coming to the plate, Darwin was through, after giving up five hits.

The Red Sox brought on left-hander Tony Fossas to face Polonia, who is also left-handed, and who is dangerous in such situations. In 48 at-bats with runners in scoring position this season, Polonia was hitting .458 with 15 runs batted in.

This time, he tapped the ball back to Fossas, who threw home. Catcher Tony Pena then tagged out Howell between third and home. Polonia, though, was safely in at second on the fielder’s choice, with Schofield at third.

That set the stage for Joyner, who had cooled at the plate recently after leading the major leagues in batting for a time, partly with the help of a career-best 16-game hitting streak that ended May 21.

Joyner had only four hits in his previous 29 at-bats. But he lined Fossas’ 2-and-2 pitch to right field, and Schofield and Polonia scored easily, giving the Angels a 3-1 lead.

Winfield popped out to short to end the inning.

“Wally gave us a tremendous clutch hit, just like he’s been doing,” Langston said. “And I thought Dick Schofield’s hit was just as big.”

Like Darwin, Langston’s pitching gem was not to be completed. Langston, who gave up only three hits in seven-plus innings, ran into trouble after walking the leadoff hitter, Pena, in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Kevin Romine then singled to center, putting runners on first and second and chasing Langston.

Mark Eichhorn, a right-hander, came on to face Jody Reed, and when Reed bunted between third and the mound, Eichhorn barehanded the ball and got Pena at third.

But then, with runners on first and second, Carlos Quintana singled to left, and Romine scored, narrowing the lead to 3-2.

“He hit the ball pretty good,” Eichhorn said afterward. “It worked out great. If we can just keep (it) going here.”

Eichhorn departed, and Bryan Harvey, a right-hander, came on to face Wade Boggs. He got ahead of the five-time batting champion 0-and-2 before retiring him on a grounder to first, on which the runners advanced.

Harvey got ahead of the next hitter as well, going to an 0-and-2 count on Brunansky. Brunansky worked back to a full count, but then Harvey sent him down swinging. The Angels mounted a mild threat in the bottom of the inning, when Gary Gaetti reached on an infield single with one out. But Lance Parrish lined to right, and Gaetti, already at second, was easily out at first on the double play.

Then it was back to Harvey, who retired the side in order in the ninth for his 14th save.

The Angels had put him in position to do what he does best.

“I hope they keep it up,” Harvey said, and then checked himself. “I know they will. I just hope I do.”