Skaggs' solid outing spoiled by Red Sox rally against Street

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - It was a surreal day for Tyler Skaggs until the Boston Red Sox spoiled his first home start in more than two years.

Dustin Pedroia hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off Huston Street with two outs in the ninth inning and Xander Bogaerts followed with another home run to lead the Red Sox over the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 Sunday.

Street (3-2) entered with a 3-0 lead, walked Jackie Bradley Jr. and allowed Aaron Hill's single. After a pair of strikeouts, Mookie Betts singled in a run and Pedroia homered to center on a 1-0 slider as Mike Trout climbed the center-field fence in vain.

Bogaerts fell behind 0-2 in the count, then homered on another slider from Street, who blew a save for the third time in 12 chances.

"It's been tough, it's been tough to get in a groove," Street said. "I felt like I'd get in a groove, and then this is, like, my second back-to-back in 100 days, so it is what it is. Some seasons are a battle. I expected to get it done today, I had no reason not to."

Pedroia hit his second go-ahead homer run in the ninth inning or later. The other was a tiebreaking, two-run drive off Street in the 10th inning of a 13-11 win at Colorado on June 24, 2010.

"The Pedroia pitch, it just wasn't very sharp, it just kind of rolled in there," Street said. "The right location I wanted to throw it in, just wasn't very sharp. Then after the homer, I thought I had (Bogaerts) and I just made a mistake. It is was it is. It's a terrible day and I'm frustrated by it. Only thing I can do is wake up tomorrow. I feel bad for Skaggs. That's the thing I pretty much feel the worst about."

Exactly two years to the date that Skaggs tore his ulnar collateral ligament in a start against the Baltimore Orioles, Skaggs scattered four hits over five 1/3 innings and struck out eight in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery.

"I've come a long way in those two years," Skaggs said. "I'm bigger, stronger and I'm throwing a lot harder. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise."

Skaggs touched the mid-90s with his fastball and used his curveball for strikeouts. No strikeout was bigger than the last one he recorded.

"I'm happy (Angels manager Mike Scioscia) let me go out there and get the last batter in David Ortiz," Skaggs said. "It's his farewell tour, so it was nice to go out there and finish it off."

Clay Buchholz (4-9) pitched three scoreless innings, and Brad Ziegler got three outs for his 20th save in 23 opportunities.

Knuckleballer Steven Wright allowed his first four batters to reach but didn't allow a run thanks to two alert plays he made.

Yunel Escobar tried to score from second on Trout's single but stumbled past the plate as left fielder Bryce Brentz's throw got away from catcher Ryan Hanigan. Wright picked up the ball and tagged Escobar for the inning's first out.

After Albert Pujols' single put runners at the corners, Aldrelton Simmons struck out out as the ball bounced off Hanigan's glove and went to the backstop. The catcher then threw to the plate, where Wright tagged out Kole Calhoun.

Wright took a ground ball from Trout off of his left forearm in the third but remained in the game. The Angels went ahead in the fifth on Trout's RBI single, Pujols' run-scoring grounder and Jefry Marte's run-scoring single.

Red Sox manager John Farrell was ejected in the fourth. Pedroia took a called third strike on the outside corner and began arguing with home plate umpire Gabe Morales. Farrell came out continue the argument and was ejected by crew chief Joe West a few minutes later.

"Do you know how quick his trigger is? He was on the verge (of being ejected)," Farrell said. "I was out supporting (Pedroia) and from the height of the pitch, he had every right to argue. As quick as his trigger is, (Pedroia) might have been very close. Thankfully, he comes up big in the ninth."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: INF Cliff Pennington will be activated in time for Tuesday's series opener against the Oakland Athletics. Pennington was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 1, with a right hamstring strain. ... RHP Nick Tropeano will get another evaluation on his torn ulnar collateral ligament at home in New York. The West Islip native is still weighing conservative options before deciding whether or to have Tommy John surgery.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4) is to make his first career appearance against Seattle on Monday. In three starts since his July 16 recall, Rodriguez is 1-1 with a 3.06 ERA.

Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker (5-11) starts Tuesday against Oakland. He is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in three starts against the Athletics this season.