ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Swapping out their manager didn’t change the Los Angeles Angels’ fortunes Tuesday night.
The Halos matched a franchise record with their 13th straight defeat hours after firing manager Joe Maddon, falling 6-5 to the streaking Boston Red Sox on Christian Vázquez’s go-ahead single in the 10th inning.
Interim boss Phil Nevin lost his managerial debut and Angels star Mike Trout exited with left groin tightness as Los Angeles tied the franchise mark for its longest skid set from 1988-89. The Angels dropped the final 12 games on the 1988 schedule — their worst stretch in a single season before this one — and then their 1989 opener.
“I’m not worried about morale at all,” Nevin said. “You saw the effort from everyone. We had good at-bats. I thought there was a lot of great things. It was just a game where we ended up on the wrong side.”
Boston won its sixth straight with a 15-hit effort, including two from Vázquez. Bobby Dalbec had two RBIs.
Trout homered in the first inning and gingerly ran out a double in the third before leaving with the groin issue. He said he felt a little sore but isn’t overly alarmed. There was no scan or MRI done after Trout left the game.
“Coming out of the box, I didn’t feel it and then I felt like a little cramp. Then I got to second base and a little achy and tried to be smart about it. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow,” Trout said. “At least it isn’t nothing crazy.”
With Trevor Story as the automatic runner in the 10th, Vázquez had a one-out base hit through the hole at second base off Jaime Barria (1-1) to drive in the go-ahead run.
“That was a big hole at second base,” Vázquez said “I love those clutch situations. Somebody needs to do it so why not me?”
Jo Adell had an RBI…