G119: Angels 13, Red Sox 4

The dogs have been walked, the wine is cold, and channel 450 has Boston (69-49, 4.5 GA in East) at Anaheim (69-51, 2 GA in West).

Red Sox 1st: The first pitch is a Bartolo Colon 94 mph fastball taken for a strike by Johnny Damon at 10:08. Colon retires the Sox in order in four minutes on 11 pitches. Damon and Renteria ground out to Orlando Cabrera at shortstop and David Ortiz is caught looking at a fastball on the outside corner.

Angels: Tim Wakefield falls behind Chone Figgins 3-0, gets two called strikes and then strikes him out swinging. Cabrera hits the first pitch to the track in left-center. Damon and Ramirez sprint over and nearly collide at the wall -- their hats go flying -- and Damon throws the ball in. No one is hurt and it's a double for the OC. Darin Erstad's grounder to Kevin Millar gets Cabrera to third. Vladimir Guerrero -- 4-for-10 against Wakefield, with four home runs -- gets ahead 2-0, and is then walked intentionally. It's a smart move, as Bengie Molina grounds out to shortstop.

Red Sox 2nd: After Ramirez gets called out on strikes, Tony Graffanino drops a single into right center. Millar (after hitting a line drive down the left field foul line) grounds into a 5-4-3 double play. The legend continues. ... Millar's jogging down the first base line (as usual) as the first baseman takes the throw, but he will not be criticized in the press for his lack of hustle.

Angels 2nd: After Casey Kotchman drills a 3-1 pitch to right center for his fifth home run of the year -- Angels 1-0 -- Wakefield sets down the 7-8-9 hitters.

Red Sox 3rd: With one out, Doug Mirabelli singles to center. After Gabe Kapler flies out, Damon singles to right-center. Guerrero bobbles the ball and The Stud races to third without a throw. Renteria sees eight pitches -- half of Colon's total for the inning and a couple of them clocked at 97 -- and strikes out swinging.

Angles 3rd: Wakefield looks good: Figgins and Cabrera strike out, Erstad singles to center, and Vlad flies out to right.

Red Sox 4th: Colon looks better: Ortiz flies to shallow right-center, Ramirez whiffs on 97 heat up and in, and Graffanino grounds to short.

Angels 4th: With one out, Casey Kotchman walks and takes second on a wild pitch. Juan Rivera rips an 0-2 pitch down the third base line. Mueller dives into foul territory to snare it, but his throw to first pulls Millar off the bag. However, a run is saved. Wakefield then strikes out Finley and gets Kennedy to ground out first to pitcher. Still 1-0.

Red Sox 5th: Colon at 47 pitches through four innings (11-12-16-8). Millar hacks at the first pitch and fouls out to first. Mueller grounds to third (on seven pitches) and Mirabelli flies to right (on eight).

Angels 5th: Cabrera walks with one out. On a stolen base attempt, Belli's errant throw short-hops Edgar and goes into center. Damon throws a slow rainbow to third, well behind Cabrera. Infield in. Erstad loops a ball to left. Ramirez runs to his right, the ball drops and gets by him; Manny chases it to the track and Erstad goes to third (single and two-base error). The day off has done nothing to help his fielding. Guerrero is walked again. Molina pokes an outside pitch to right, Erstad scores and Vlad takes third. Kotchman lines a ball off Wakefield's right shin. Another run scores. Wakefield has to leave the game, although after 92 pitches and allowing the last five Angels to reach, he was probably close to done anyway. Myers (?) in -- against a RH?

      IP   H BB  K  WHIP  AVG  OBP  SLG
V LH 20.2 12  4 13  0.77 .176 .219 .250
V RH  6.0  9  5  0  2.33 .346 .485 .500

Maybe Tito knows something we don't. Rivera nails Myers's second pitch to deep left for a three-run home run. Anaheim's 4-0 lead is now 7-0. Nope, Tito's just an idiot.

Red Sox 6th: Does Kapler have the worst batting stance on the team? Despite his muscular build, he swings flat-footed and generates no power with his swing. He pops out in the infield. It's a 10-pitch AB, but then Damon (F8) and Renteria (4-3) end the inning on only three pitches.

Angels 6th: Figgins (another RH batter) doubles into the right field corner on Myers's first pitch. Two ground balls get him home and Anaheim leads 8-0.

Red Sox 7th: Colon at 76 pitches. Tiz whiffs on 96 heat, but Manny rips an opposite field ground rule double into the right field corner. A start of something? Graffanino fouls out to first, but Millar singles to left center! An RBI for Cabin! The Sox are on the board. Mueller lines a single past Colon's head and into center. Two men on for Belli. And he grounds a hit into right. Bases loaded for Kapler. Bud Black visits Fat Bart. Kapler singles up the middle -- two runs in. 8-3. Four straight singles -- but Damon flies out to shallow left. Colon at 104 pitches.

Angels 7th: Remlinger in. If Tito isn't throwing up the white flag, he clearly believes the team cannot come back, and is saving the better arms for Friday night. Two singles and a walk loads the bases with one out. Francona leaves Remlinger in to give up a two-run single to Figgins. 10-3. It must be tough pitching with a huge fork sticking out of your back. Remlinger remains in the game, and finally gets the third out.

Red Sox 8th: Brendan Donnelly in for Colon. He throws 22 pitches and gets the Sox in order.

Angels 8th: Remlinger is out for yet another inning. He gets the first two Angels (though one of them is a shot to deep center), but then gives up a double, single and home run (Rivera's second bomb of the night; he's 4-for-5, with 6 RBI). 13-3.

Red Sox 9th: Greg Jones in for Anaheim. Mueller hits a two-out solo home run. Game over at 1:03. The lead in the East is down to four games.