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 While he was clearly concerned with the game at hand, he was also
thinking about teammate Garrett Richards, lost for the rest of the
season with a torn left patellar tendon he suffered a day earlier.
"Up until game time, it was really heavy on my mind," Shoemaker
said. "During the game, I was trying to focus on pitching, which I
think was a good thing because that's what 'G' does.
Shoemaker, continuing his strong first year, flirted with a
no-hitter in leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 2-0 win and a sweep
of the four-game series.
"One word -- sensational," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia after
Shoemaker lost a no-hit bid with two out in the seventh -- the only
hit he gave up in 7 2/3 innings.
Shoemaker, the fifth pitcher to take a no-hitter into the seventh
inning against the last-place Red Sox this season, hit the first
batter of the game. He then struck out the next three and retired 20
in a row before third baseman Will Middlebrooks doubled with two
outs in the seventh.
"I threw a split. It was supposed to be down," said Shoemaker, who
said he wasn't aware of a no-hitter "until about the fifth or the
sixth.
"It was probably thigh to belt high, middle in, he said. "He just
roped it down the line. Definitely just an unfortunate pitch, given
the circumstances."
 Middlebrooks sat out Wednesday's game and didn't start Thursday due
to a tight hamstring. He came on in the fourth inning when left
fielder Yoenis Cespedes exited for what Red Sox manager John Farrell
called "a family medical emergency."
"As a guy on the bench you start getting loose around the sixth
inning for a possible pinch hit, maybe the seventh, eighth, ninth
innings," said Middlebrooks, who grabbed at the back of his leg
going into second base but said he was able to play. "In the third
it was kind of out of nowhere. I just had to try to get as loose as
I could and get out there and try and help us win."
Shoemaker (12-4) threw a career-high 116 pitches, walked one and
struck out nine. Mike Morin ended the eighth with a strikeout, and
Jason Grilli pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save, his first
with the Angels, capping the combined one-hitter.
The win completed Los Angeles' second four-game sweep at Fenway Park
(the other was in 1962) and increased the Angels' lead in the
American League West to two games over the idle Oakland Athletics.
The teams open a three-game series in Oakland on Friday night, then
play four games in Anaheim the following weekend.
Shoemaker pitched three hitless innings of relief to win a 19-inning
game against the Red Sox in Anaheim on Aug. 9, so he had thrown 9
2/3 consecutive hitless frames against Boston before Middlebrooks
lined his hit down the left field line.
"We couldn't get anything going against him," said Farrell. "He's
been very consistent for them. In addition to the extra-inning game
out in Anaheim, he's pitched very well against us."
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Angels first baseman Albert Pujols and manager Mike Scioscia were both
ejected from the game by plate umpire Andy Fletcher after arguing balls
and strikes in sixth inning.
The Angels, who got confirmation earlier in the day that Richards will
undergo season-ending surgery friday, are 6-1 on their current road trip
and have won eight of their past nine. The Angels (76-50) have also won
10 of their last 12 at Fenway and 16 of their last 21 against the Red
Sox overall.
Los Angeles designated hitter Josh Hamilton continuing his climb out of
a slump, doubled home a first-inning run against right-hander Rubby de
La Rosa (4-5). Right fielder Kole Calhoun added a seventh-inning
sacrifice fly.
Shortstop Erick Aybar went 3-for-4 and was robbed of another hit, stole
a base and scored the second run.
De La Rosa pitched well, allowing two runs and eight hits in 6 2/3
innings. The Red Sox (56-71) lost their fifth straight and fell to a
season-worst 15 games under .500.
NOTES: Los Angeles promoted LHP Wade LeBlanc from Salt Lake to replace
RHP Garrett Richards, who was placed on the 60-day disabled list. ...
The Angels acquired 2B Gordon Beckham from the Chicago White Sox for a
player to be named or cash, and also optioned OF Brennan Boesch to
Triple-A Salt Lake and recalled RHP Cam Bedrosian. ... The Red Sox
activated OF/1B Allen Craig from a rehab assignment and he was the DH on
Thursday, with David Ortiz resting. Craig went 0-for-3. ... Boston
optioned OF/1B Alex Hassan to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... Red Sox management
took the Ice Bucket Challenge on the field Thursday. ... LHP Hector
Santiago opens the Angels' big series in Oakland on Friday night. ...
RHP Joe Kelly goes for his first win in four tries for his new team when
Boston hosts Seattle and ace RHP Felix Hernandez on Friday night; while
LHP Hector Santaigo opens LA's three-game series in Oakland.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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