The Red Sox can only hope to retain a small bit of dignity as they set out to salvage a game from their series against the Angels.
We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Los Angeles.
Angels 5, Red Sox 2, Mid 8th -- The Sox manage to bring the tying run to the plate against Kevin Jepsen, but get no further as Cody Ross lines out and Salty follows suit to end the threat.
Angels 5, Red Sox 2, End 7th -- Lester does manage to make his way through the seventh without offering up anything to the Angels, allowing him to leave with some positives taken from this even if the Red Sox seem unlikely to.
Angels 5, Red Sox 2, Mid 7th -- The Red Sox get their fifth hit of the night on a Mike Aviles single, but nothing more. Time is fast running out to make something of this game.
Angels 5, Red Sox 2, End 6th -- Lester gives up just a Chris Iannetta walk as he gets through a scoreless sixth. If he can make his way through the seventh, he'll at least have pulled this back from the point of disaster, though it still will be a far cry from a good outing.
Angels 5, Red Sox 2, Mid 6th -- James Loney takes a big looping swing at a a bit of a looping slider, and gets his full weight behind it, curling the ball around the right field foul pole for a solo shot that brings the Sox within three.
Angels 5, Red Sox 1, End 5th -- Lester's second 1-2-3 inning of the night is slightly better than his first, with less loud contact to go around.
Angels 5, Red Sox 1, Mid 5th -- An impotent inning for the Red Sox leaves them retired in order, much like in the first, just with each batter shifted up one, starting with Pedro Ciriaco rather than Scott Podsednik.
Angels 5, Red Sox 1, End 4th -- Lester surrenders another run, with his start clearly no longer a matter of a rough start to a good outing. It's not Zach Stewart level, but incredibly concerning given how Lester was just starting to find his way back into form before tonight.
Angels 4, Red Sox 1, Mid 4th -- Another wasted baserunner marks the fourth--this time a single from the leadoff spot courtesy of Cody Ross. The catchers can't get a ball out of the infield, however, and Mike Aviles hits a fly ball to end the inning.
Angels 4, Red Sox 1, End 3rd -- Ironically enough, Jon Lester's best inning, arguably, costs him two more runs. The problem this time is that ground balls don't do the trick for him, with three straight getting through for hits. A flare into the outfield is enough to complete the rally before Lester can finally get the outs he needs.
Angels 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 3rd -- A one-out double from Dustin Pedroia that nearly gets out of the park altogether is wasted, as Jacoby Ellsbury grounds out and Vernon Wells manages to...adjust after nearly overrunning a line drive from James Loney, falling backwards as he makes the grab for the third out.
Angels 2, Red Sox 1, End 2nd -- Jon Lester survives perhaps the worst perfect inning of all time, surrendering hard contact and loud fly balls or line drives to each batter he faces. Every one finds a glove, but that was far from a guarantee.
Angels 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 2nd -- The Red Sox grab one back in the top of the second, but it could have been more. With James Loney being granted a generous single on a low throw from Erick Aybar, the Red Sox picked up a pair of one-out walks from their catchers to load the bases. From there, however, they could grab only a sacrifice fly, scoring just the one run.
Angels 2, Red Sox 0, End 1st -- Even against Jon Lester, the Angels continue to pound the Red Sox into submission in the early innings. This time the first costs Lester two runs in the first, with four pitches giving the Angels a leadoff walk, and two more giving Torii Hunter a flare to center. Up comes Albert Pujols with two men on, and he makes good, cleaning out a fastball down and slightly in for a line drive down the left field line that plates both runners. Lester manages to get the next three outs in order, and he's had some bad beginnings to good starts of late, but this is the last thing the Sox needed.
Red Sox 0, Angels 0, Mid 1st -- An unimpressive beginning for the Red Sox against Zack Greinke. There's little in the way of contact for the top three, and none for Dustin Pedroia, who goes down swinging at strike three.