RECAP: Pujols, Angels open doubleheader with 11-1 rout of Red Sox
Kole Calhoun and Albert Pujols homered during Los Angeles' seven-run second inning, and the Angels opened their first home doubleheader since 2003 with an 11-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
David Freese also hit a three-run homer in the AL West-leading Angels' fourth straight win and their 14th in 17 games overall.
All-Star Hector Santiago (7-4) matched his career high with 10 strikeouts despite laboring into the sixth inning.
Mike Napoli drove in Boston's only run of the series' first three games in the fourth inning. The Red Sox lost their fourth straight.
Steady precipitation on Sunday caused the first rainout at Angel Stadium since June 16, 1995. Monday's sunny, 84-degree weather was back to normal, and groundskeepers dried the marshy outfield with a low-hovering helicopter.
Johnny Giavotella had a two-run single and Daniel Robertson hit an RBI double over a flailing Hanley Ramirez in left during Los Angeles' big rally against Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3), who left after 1 2/3 innings. The Angels eventually scored seven runs in a span of eight pitches by the 22-year-old Venezuelan.
#Angels' rotation will get crowded when Weaver returns from DL, via @BearHeiser. http://t.co/IE0hk4Y1TN #MLB pic.twitter.com/Sbckh9nWmk
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) July 19, 2015
Calhoun hit a two-run shot for his third homer in two games shortly before Pujols chased Rodriguez with his 547th career homer, moving him one behind Mike Schmidt for 15th place on baseball's career list.
Pujols also pulled even with Mike Trout for the AL lead with 27 homers. Trout went 1 for 4 with a walk.
Santiago lowered his tidy ERA to 2.30 while matching his career-best strikeout performance from Oct. 1, 2012, yet he needed 114 pitches to do it. But after struggling for run support throughout his two seasons with the Angels, Los Angeles has scored 31 runs in his last three starts.
After Napoli's RBI single in the fourth, Santiago escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Ryan Hanigan and Mookie Betts.
Boston rookie Noe Ramirez got cheers from friends and family when the Southern California native who played up the street at Cal State Fullerton relieved Rodriguez.
Ramirez then gave up four unearned runs in the fourth when Pablo Sandoval's two-out error on Pujols' hard-hit ball eventually allowed Freese to hit his 11th homer over the ficus trees in center field, an estimated 452-foot shot.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia went 0 for 2 with a walk before leaving early. He planned to sit out the nightcap while being cautious with his previously strained right hamstring.
Angels: Pujols was the designated hitter to keep his legs fresh.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Steven Wright (3-2, 4.15 ERA) attempts to avoid a series sweep.
Angels: Andrew Heaney (3-0, 1.32 ERA) looks to build on his spectacular start in Orange County.
