Angels Blast Three Homers to Stun Red Sox at Fenway

The Los Angeles Angels reminded the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park that you cannot simply out-slug a team armed with Ryan Johnson‘s arm and a lineup capable of launching baseballs into the Green Monster seats. The Angels punched their ticket to a 6-4 victory, a win that felt less like a competitive baseball game and more like a batting practice demolition.

Let’s be honest about what happened here. Jake Bennett was absolutely shelled in the top of the third inning, and the Angels’ early offensive explosion set the tone for everything that followed. Zach Neto, that slick-fielding shortstop who has quietly become one of the more complete players in the American League, launched a three-run homer to left field that would have been memorable even in a vacuum. But this wasn’t happening in isolation. Jose Siri followed with his own two-run blast to right-center, and suddenly the Angels had six runs on the board before most of Boston’s fans had finished their hot dogs.

Then came Denzer Guzman‘s solo shot in the fourth, because apparently the Angels decided that one round of home run derby was simply insufficient for their tastes on this particular Wednesday evening. Three different Angels went yard, and Bennett looked like a man trying to throw a beach ball past a slugging contest. The Red Sox hitter needed four innings and change before getting yanked, having surrendered six earned runs on nine hits. That’s not a pitching line you hang your hat on.

Johnson Masterclass, Red Sox Rally Falls Short

If Bennett’s performance was the villain of this story, Ryan Johnson played the hero for the Angels. The right-hander was economical and efficient, spinning six solid innings while allowing only five hits and three earned runs. He struck out five Boston batters and made the Red Sox earn every single base hit they managed. This is a pitcher who understands how to work within his game, who doesn’t beat himself, and who understands that sometimes your team is going to score six runs in the third inning and your job is simply to protect that lead.

The Red Sox attempted a comeback that never quite had enough juice. Roman Anthony crashed one out to right in the fifth to cut into the deficit, and Wilyer Abreu added a solo shot in the sixth. But here’s the thing about rallies: they need momentum and good pitching on the other side to fail them. Boston never quite got close enough, and Ben Joyce slammed the door with a save, hitting 104 mph and looking every bit the dominant closer teams pray to develop. When you’re trailing by two heading into the ninth, a single from Nate Eaton and a Jarren Duran run aren’t nearly enough.

Angels Prove Point, Knock Off Struggling Red Sox

This game was decided by the Angels’ willingness to take advantage of poor pitching and their ability to execute on fastballs left up in the zone. The Red Sox made mistakes, the Angels punished them, and baseball unfolded exactly as it should have on this September Wednesday. Nothing revolutionary here, just superior baseball prevailing over sloppy pitching changes. The Angels are a team capable of beating anybody when they show up ready to play, and on Wednesday night, they showed up hungry.