Major League Baseball

Boston Red Sox blast Angels

Published May. 4, 2010 12:22 a.m. ET

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The Boston Red Sox made a small attitude adjustment and put up big numbers.

Dustin Pedroia's three-run homer capped Boston's seven-run sixth inning and sparked the Red Sox to a 17-8 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

Bill Hall and Adrian Beltre each hit their first homers in a Red Sox uniform, both two-run shots, and Kevin Youkilis had a solo blast.

After an embarrassing weekend, when they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles, Pedroia felt the team needed.

``We changed our mindset,'' he said. ``We needed to play well. We didn't play well in Baltimore. We expected things to happen.''

Clay Buchholz (3-2) gave up four runs on eight hits in 5 2-3 innings - his worst start of the season. It was the first time in five starts he's given up more than three earned runs.

But the offense made his night look easy.

``It was nice to have a night like that,'' Boston manager Terry Francona said. ``They felt good about themselves. A lot of good things happened from top to bottom.''

Mike Lowell went 4 for 4 with four RBIs and three doubles, and J. D. Drew had four hits and drove in three runs.

Boston entered the game just 5-8 at Fenway Park, but jumped out quickly.

The Red Sox built a 5-0 lead with three runs in the second and two in the third off Joe Saunders (1-5).

The Angels have lost four straight for the second time this season.

``This wasn't pretty tonight,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``Some of the guys on our team are going to have to get into the game and make some adjustments.''

Maicer Izturis hit a two-run double for Los Angeles.

The Angels closed it to 7-4 but Boston broke it open when it sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth.

A big roar from the crowd went up when the scoreboard operator walked onto the left-field track before the bottom of the sixth and updated the Green Monster's manual scoreboard with the Bruins' 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL playoffs.

The crowd had plenty to cheer about in the bottom of the inning when the Red Sox scored seven. Drew had an RBI single, scored on Lowell's double and Beltre homered to left, making it 11-4.

Darnell McDonald walked and Marco Scutaro singled before Pedroia hit reliever Brian Stokes' second pitch into the left-field seats for his team-leading seventh homer to make it 14-4.

``We feel like we have the right combination, maybe this will get us going,'' Lowell said.

Saunders, who has gotten a decision in each of his starts, went four-plus innings, allo wing seven runs, nine hits, with four walks and three strikeouts.

``I'm just getting the bad ones out of the way, getting them done early,'' Saunders said. ``They say you have five good ones, five bad ones and the other 20 are what make you a man when you can battle.''

Boston added three runs in the seventh.

``Tonight was a great feeling,'' Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez said. ``It doesn't matter how. We were able to put a lot of good at-bats together.''

Youkilis, back in the lineup after missing Sunday's loss in Baltimore with a left groin strain, led off the second with his homer and Hall added his three batters later, making it 3-0.

Lowell's two-run RBI double in the third increased it to 5-0.

The Angels closed the gap to 5-3 in the fourth on Izturis' two-run double and Howie Kendrick's run-scoring ground out.

Drew's bases-loaded two-run single made it 7-3 in the fourth.

Kendrick's sacrifice fly had made it 7-4.

The clubs both entered under .500 and it showed in the stands. About 15 minutes before the first pitch it was less than half full, looking more like the opener of a twi-night doubleheader, before the crowd filled in on Fenway Park's major-league record 564th straight sellout.

NOTES: Buchholz was hit on his left foot by Kendry Morales' liner in the second. Francona and the club's trainer came out quickly, but the right-hander took a few warmup pitches and remained in the game. ... Plate umpire John Hirschbeck issued warnings to both dugouts after Saunders hit Youkilis with a pitch in the third. ... Kendrick entered hitting .442 (19 for 43) in his career in Fenway, and went 1 for 3.

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