Big Papi passes Ted Williams on career HR list with No. 522
BOSTON — David Ortiz celebrated two milestones on one hit and the Boston Red Sox survived two very close calls.
Ortiz's solo homer in the fifth inning Friday night was his 2,000th hit with Boston and 522nd career home run, moving into sole possession of 19th place on baseball's all-time list and breaking a tie he held with a trio of Hall of Famers including Red Sox great Ted Williams.
"The man did it all," Ortiz said of Williams after Boston's 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Ortiz and Mookie Betts had three hits apiece for the Red Sox, who held on after a taking a 5-0 lead and handed the Angels their fourth straight loss and 10th in 11 games. Brock Holt had two doubles in his return to the lineup after missing more than a month with a concussion.
C.J. Cron hit a grand slam for the Angels, who lost yet another game and a crucial ninth-inning challenge.
Los Angeles nearly scored the tying run in the ninth but Mike Trout had to stop at third on Daniel Nava's ground-rule double down the right-field line that bounced over the short wall. The Angels challenged, saying a fan touched the ball while it was still in play, but after a brief video review the call on the field stood.
"I don't know what they're looking at in New York, but that ball is absolutely in the field of play when that fan touches it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Absolutely. It's a joke."
Craig Kimbrel finished up for his 17th save. Knuckleballer Steven Wright (9-5) got the win despite struggling with his control when the rain got heavy in the sixth. The rain delayed the game for 1 hour, 35 minutes.
The Angels had the potential tying run on third in the eighth when Johnny Giavotella tripled to left-center with one out. The Angels tried getting him home with a safety squeeze that reliever Koji Uehara foiled with a great defensive play. Uehara scooped up Carlos Perez's bunt and flipped the ball with his glove to Christian Vazquez in time to tag Giavotella at the plate.
"Key play that takes you back to spring training," Boston manager John Farrell said. "That's something you do repetitively for 45 plus days and it showed up to be a pivotal play."
Ortiz hadn't homered since tying Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas on June 17 against Seattle. Ortiz broke the tie with a line drive to right to put Boston up 3-0 in the fifth.
Jackie Bradley Jr. followed with a single and scored on a double by Holt, who scored on a single by Vazquez to put Boston up 5-0.
The rain started after Ortiz's homer and was falling steadily by the top of the sixth, when Wright's shutout bid unraveled quickly. The knuckleballer struggled in the weather and the Angels loaded the bases with nobody out for Cron, who drove a 3-2 pitch over the Green Monster.
"Just looking for a pitch in the zone and I think I got it," Cron said. "It's cool. Any first in this league is awesome."
That was all for Wright, who allowed four runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out three.
Jhoulys Chacin (2-5) allowed five runs on 12 hits in just 4 2/3 innings.
NEXT UP
Now alone at 19th on the all-time home run list, Ortiz trails No. 18 Jimmie Foxx (534) by a dozen and Mickey Mantle (536) for 17th. Ortiz, who is planning to retire at the end of the season, said he isn't looking at his statistics.
"One day I will, but right now I don't have time," he said.
GOOD KID
Boston right fielder Betts had a much lighter outlook on Nava's ground-rule double and the young fan who touched the ball.
"That ball was going to come back in play and obviously Trout is probably going to score on that ball," Betts said. "Fortunately, he has pretty good hand eye coordination."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (torn ulnar collateral ligament) underwent Tommy John surgery in Los Angeles, likely sidelining him until the 2018 season.
Red Sox: Holt was activated and start in left field, his first game since going on the concussion DL as of May 19. Holt had one of the defensive plays of the night in the fourth when he threw out Cron at second as he tried to stretch a line drive into a double.
UP NEXT
Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (4-4, 5.27) returns after getting tagged for six runs on seven hits and walks in a no-decision Sunday against Oakland.
Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz (3-8, 5.90) is 0-2 in his return to the rotation after spending a few weeks in the bullpen.
