Mathis, Angels nick Red Sox 5-4 in 12 innings

[May 15, 2009]  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Jeff Mathis hit an RBI single in the 12th inning, Torii Hunter had a two-run double and an RBI triple, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Thursday.

Boston slugger David Ortiz went 0 for 7 and stranded 12 runners. He struck out three times, once with the bases loaded in the fourth, and left the bases loaded again in the 12th with a dribbler in front of the plate as his average plummeted to .208.

The five-time All-Star has gone 144 at-bats since his last home run on Sept. 22 against Cleveland's Zach Jackson at Fenway Park. He is one at-bat from equaling his longest dry spell.

Boston manager Terry Francona was ejected by plate umpire Bill Miller in the 10th after Julio Lugo -- who tied a career high with five hits -- took a called strike with a 3-0 count on him. Nine Red Sox batters looked at called third strikes to that point, compared to only one Angels batter.

Juan Rivera led off the 12th with a single against Manny Delcarmen (1-1). Pinch-runner Reggie Willits advanced on Erick Aybar's sacrifice and scored when Mathis lined a 1-1 pitch to left-center.

Jason Bulger (1-1) got two outs for the win.

An umpire's ruling against the Red Sox in the third was reversed, enabling them to take a 2-1 lead. Dustin Pedroia, who had four hits, led off with a fly ball that landed just inside the right-field line and bounced into the stands after a long run by Bobby Abreu.

First base ump and crew chief Derryl Cousins called it a foul ball, and Francona came out to argue. Cousins then conferred with his three colleagues, and Pedroia ended up with a ground-rule double. He scored from third on Jason Bay's groundout.

Pedroia returned to the lineup after missing two games because of a groin strain. One of his hits was a two-out RBI single against reliever Scot Shields that tied the score 4-all in the eighth -- increasing Shields' ERA to 7.90 in 16 appearances.

The Angels tied a club record with three triples, including one by Abreu in the eighth. Abreu tried to score on Hunter's flyout to short right field and was easily thrown out by J.D. Drew.

Ervin Santana, one of the mainstays of the Angels' injury-ravaged rotation, made his season debut after missing the first 32 games because of elbow pain. The right-hander, who pitched in his first All-Star game last season, allowed three runs and seven hits over five innings.

Santana struck out five, including Ortiz on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded to end the fourth after the Red Sox tied the score 3-all with a two-out RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury.

Brad Penny was charged with four runs and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings. The Red Sox right-hander was replaced by Hideki Okajima with a 3-2 lead after giving up a one-out triple by Erick Aybar, who scored the tying run after Bay made a diving catch of Mathis' sacrifice fly in left field.

Notes: The Angels are 13-0 when Hunter has at least three RBIs. ... Boston's starting pitchers have an AL-worst 5.90 ERA.

[Associated Press]

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