The Boston Red Sox will look to turn the page following a rough weekend series opener and aim for their first home win of the season when they host the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday afternoon.
Not only was Boston held to three hits — including left fielder Jarren Duran’s third double in a two-game span — in a 7-0 loss Friday, but the Red Sox made three errors to bring their MLB-worst total to 16.
“The physical ones, they’re part of (the game). We will make mistakes, we will make errors,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “The mental ones are the ones we’ll have to eliminate. We work so hard to get right, and we’re still going to work hard to get it right. We have to do it (Saturday).”
The negative news for the Red Sox wasn’t just on the field, though, as Cora indicated that third baseman Rafael Devers likely would see his return from a shoulder injury delayed at least another day.
“We’ll probably stay away from him (on Saturday),” Cora said.
The Red Sox officially have yet to name a starter for Saturday’s game, but it appeared likely to be right-hander Cooper Criswell, who has not pitched this season after going 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA for Tampa Bay last year. He was added to Boston’s taxi squad earlier in the week.
Friday marked the fourth straight game in which Boston allowed seven or more runs after giving up four or less in nine of the previous 10 contests.
The current four-game losing streak for the Red Sox has opened a season-long homestand of 10 games. Duran, however, has been a recent bright spot with hits in nine of his last 10 games, going 18-for-44 in that span.
After Reid Detmers picked up his third straight win on Friday, the Angels will hand the ball Saturday to right-hander Griffin Canning (0-1, 8.38 ERA) for his third start of the season.
Canning is in a different position than his predecessor, having allowed nine earned runs in 9 2/3 innings over his first two starts and coming into Saturday on an extra day’s rest.
It also will be the 27-year-old’s second straight outing against Boston. He received a no-decision in which he allowed four runs on five hits in the first 4 2/3 innings of his team’s 8-6 loss on April 5.
“I’m a feel pitcher, so if I feel like something’s off, maybe it feels bigger than it needs to be,” Canning said. “But I feel like I’m getting my rhythm.”
Canning is 1-0 with a 3.06 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings in three career starts against the Red Sox.
Canning can only hope for an offensive effort like Detmers was gifted on Friday, as the Angels banged out 12 hits, got three multi-hit efforts, and a two-run home run by Taylor Ward in the sixth that put the game out of reach.
“We really put it together (on Friday),” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said. “I think that’s the best way to put it. Our approach was good. Everyone attacked the game plan. We’re gonna get it rolling.”
Prior to Friday, the Angels had lost back-to-back games and four of six dating to the start of the two teams’ previous head-to-head series last weekend in Anaheim, Calif.
