(Sports Network) - Torii Hunter hit a three-run home run and Casey Kotchman added a two-run blast as part of a six-run sixth inning that propelled the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim past the Boston Red Sox, 7-5, in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Vladimir Guerrero went 2-for-4 and scored twice for the Angels, who have won six straight against Boston and five of their last six overall. Juan Rivera and Jeff Mathis knocked in a run apiece, and the Angels left just four men on base for the game.

Jered Weaver (9-8) picked up the win after allowing three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking three. Francisco Rodriguez allowed a run in the ninth, but continued his history-making pace by notching his 44th save of the season. Rodriguez is now just 13 behind Bobby Thigpen's single-season record with 57 games remaining.

Manny Ramirez homered and drove in three runs for the Red Sox, who have lost three of their last four. Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury each knocked in a run, while David Ortiz went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (11-2) was tagged for six runs on seven hits in five-plus innings to lose for just the second time all season.

"I thought he was throwing the ball pretty well," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "That happened in a hurry. Then he leaves the last pitch up to Hunter and that's an exclamation point on the inning. If he makes a pitch there, like he did earlier with the bases loaded in a similar situation, he has shown that ability to escape. That's not what we were looking for."

Down 2-1, the Angels knocked Matsuzaka around in the sixth inning and never looked back. Chone Figgins worked a leadoff walk, and Kotchman immediately put Los Angeles in front with a homer to right that just evaded the reach of J.D. Drew. Maicer Izturis followed with a double, and after Guerrero singled, Hunter followed by launching a 2-1 change-up over the Green Monster to give the Angels a 6-2 lead and chase Matsuzaka.

"Last year, I faced him two or three times and I still don't know much about him," Hunter said. " We were just trying to work him, saw film and things like. He threw strikes today and we were able to capitalize on some of the strikes he threw."

Justin Masterson came on in relief, and with runners at the corners and one out, Mathis executed a perfect squeeze bunt to bring in Howie Kendrick.

Boston started to chip away in the home sixth, as Lowrie stroked a ground-rule double to right to score Ortiz and finish off Weaver's outing. Jose Arredondo came on in relief and walked Jason Varitek to load the bases before escaping the frame.

"Anytime they get something going, you try to diminish it as much as possible," Weaver said. "Anybody can hurt you up and down their lineup. They've got a lot of guys who are patient at the plate but they'll turn aggressive on you, too. You've got to be careful, make sure you locate and keep the ball down as much as possible in this park."

Arredondo tossed a scoreless eighth, but the BoSox continued to reel in the deficit in the eighth when Drew doubled off Scot Shields and scored on Ellsbury's two-out single.

Rodriguez retired the first two batters in the ninth before Ramirez homered to left to cut the lead to 7-5. Mike Lowell then hit a towering fly ball to left, but Garret Anderson caught it in front of the warning track to end the game.

The Angels threatened in the second when they loaded the bases with one out, but a Rivera sacrifice fly was all the scoring they could muster.

Boston countered in the third when Kevin Youkilis worked a walk, Ortiz scorched a double to left-center to move him to third and Ramirez plated both runners with a single.

Game Notes

Ramirez's homer was his 20th of the season, making him just the eighth player in major league history with at least 14 straight seasons of 20 homers or more...Kotchman's homer was his 12th, tying a career high...The Angels improved their major league-best road mark to 34-19 and improved to 6-1 against Boston this season...The six runs allowed in the sixth were the most runs the BoSox have surrendered in an inning this season.



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