Anderson leads Angels to easy 9-2 win over Red Sox

[July 31, 2008]  BOSTON (AP) -- Garret Anderson went 4-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs, Joe Saunders earned his 14th win and the Los Angeles Angels swept the lackluster and error-prone Boston Red Sox 9-2 Wednesday night.

It was the second three-game sweep in two weeks by the Angels over the Red Sox, who showed little spark during their fifth loss in six games. Reports of trade talks focusing on a disgruntled Manny Ramirez didn't make the night any better for Boston.

With Thursday's 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline approaching, Ramirez is in the final guaranteed year of his $160 million, eight-year contract with Boston. The Red Sox, who have a $20 million option on Ramirez for next year, are off Thursday.

"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," Ramirez said in an interview with ESPNdeportes.com on Wednesday. "During my years here I've seen how they have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them."

One slugger who did get traded recently, first baseman Mark Teixeira, went 0-for-4 in his debut with Los Angeles after being obtained from Atlanta on Tuesday.

While the Angels improved baseball's best record to 67-40 with their 12th win in 14 games, the second-place Red Sox dropped three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East. The New York Yankees trail the Rays by four.

The Angels finished 8-1 against Boston this season, winning the final eight meetings. They were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007, and Boston went on to win the World Series both times.

Boston's recent woes began with two losses in three home games against the Yankees last weekend. Then the Red Sox dropped the opener to the Angels 7-5 before going hitless for 8 1-3 innings against John Lackey on Tuesday night. Dustin Pedroia singled and Kevin Youkilis homered, but Lackey completed the 6-2 win.

Then came Wednesday's loss in which usually reliable Josh Beckett gave up seven earned runs, the most since he allowed eight in his last game of 2006. The Red Sox matched a season high with four errors -- three in a five-run sixth when the Angels took an 8-2 lead.

Torii Hunter's 17th homer made it 9-2 in the ninth.

Saunders (14-5) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. Both runs scored on Coco Crisp's two-run homer in the fifth that cut the lead to 3-2.

Anderson hit his 11th homer, his second in two days, and has 22 RBIs in his last 22 games.

The Angels took a 3-0 lead in the fourth against Beckett (9-8).

Maicer Izturis led off with a double and scored on Vladimir Guerrero's single. Hunter doubled Guerrero to third and both scored on Anderson's single.

Then came the sixth, when the Red Sox fell apart in the field.

Hunter walked and Anderson homered to make it 5-2. Howie Kendrick singled, went to second on a groundout and third on Beckett's wild pickoff throw for an error.

Jeff Mathis singled in Kendrick and moved to third on a single by Chone Figgins. Figgins stole second and Mathis scored when Jason Varitek's throw went into center field for another error. A sacrifice fly by Izturis made it 8-2.

Teixeira reached on an error by Youkilis at first base, and Guerrero doubled on a ball that dropped between three fielders in shallow center field. Neither runner scored, however.

Notes: Hunter extended his hitting streak to 12 games. ... Crisp's homer was his sixth of the season but first of the year at Fenway Park and first since June 17. He was 3-for-36 before hitting the ball into the Green Monster seats in left field. ... Beckett has lost three straight decisions for the first time in three years with Boston and the second time in his career.

[Associated Press; By HOWARD ULMAN]

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