Thanks in part to home runs from Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were able to defeat the Boston Red Sox by a score of 5-3 on Sunday. Long reliever Darren Oliver notched the victory, while Tim Wakefield took the loss. 

Jon Garland, acquired in an off-season trade, got the start for the Angels. Garland was good, going six and two third innings, striking out six and allowing two earned runs. After Garland’s exit, the LA bullpen was excellent. Darren Oliver went 1.1 innings with three strikeouts, setting the stage for Francisco Rodriguez in the 9th. K-Rod was dominant, striking out Coco Crisp, Sean Casey, and Jacoby Ellsbury to slam the door. Rodriguez’s save was his 40th on the season, putting him in good position to break Bobby Thigpen’s single season saves record (57).

The Angels took the lead early on, when Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter hit back-to-back home runs. The game was tied at three in the 8th inning, when flame-throwing Manny Delcarmen allowed a two run double to first baseman Casey Kotchman.