The Boston Red Sox continue to own the Los Angeles Angels heading into the third game of a four-game set at Fenway Park.

Los Angeles Angels at Boston Red Sox

The Los Angeles Angels simply can’t figure out a way to beat the Boston Red Sox after dropping a 7-3 contest on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.  The Angels have lost 15 of the last 16 meetings, including all six this season.  “It’s not losing 15 out of 16 to, no disrepect, like the Mariners or the Pirates.  It’s the Boston Red Sox.  They’re a good ball club,” said starting pitcher Dan Haren.  “We’ve got to just hope we can scratch one out and then go from there.”  Six of the club’s 14 losses this season have come against tonight’s opponent.  Los Angeles is a solid 10-7 in road games this year and 96-88 away from Southern California the past three seasons.

Angels starting pitcher Ervin Santana is 1-3 with a 4.89 ERA in six starts this season, but has managed to strike out 33 batters and walk just 10 in 38.2 innings of work.    The right-hander picked up his first victory of the season last time out in Tampa Bay, allowing  four runs (one earned) and four hits over six frames.  Santana will be toeing the rubber on the road for the fourth time in 2011, producing an even 1-1 mark and 5.40 ERA.  In nine previous starts versus the Red Sox, he has garnered a 2-3 record and 4.58 ERA, including a 1-2 mark and 4.58 ERA in six appearances at Fenway Park.

Boston has outscored Los Angeles 16-8 in taking the first two games of this week’s series and pushed its record to 7-6 at home on the season.  The Red Sox are now just one win away from reaching the .500 mark for the first time this season.  A key component to the squad’s recent success is the pitching staff, which has held opponents to five runs or less in each of the last 17 games since April 16 and has a Major League-best 2.37 ERA in that span.  Boston batters are also doing their part in getting on base by ranking second in the Majors with 113 walks.  The team is 10-8 versus right-handed starters this season.

Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett is enjoying a renaissance year early during the 2011 campaign, entering with a 2-1 record and 2.65 ERA in five starts.  The hard-throwing right-hander is coming off his worst start of the year at Baltimore, giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings of work.  Beckett is a perfect 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in two home starts this season, as he’s managed to strike out 19 batters and issue just three walks in 15 innings.  He picked up a no-decision two starts back on the road against Los Angeles, surrendering two runs and three hits over eight innings, but Boston prevailed 4-2 in the contest.

Bettors will likely back the Angels due to their 20-8 record with Santana on the mound as an underdog, while the Red Sox are 2-6 in Beckett’s last eight outings as a favorite.