Photo/Illutration Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) loses his batting helmet while swinging a strike during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Anaheim, Calif., June 6, 2022. (AP Photo)

ANAHEIM, Calif.--Michael Wacha pitched a three-hitter for his first shutout in five years and the streaking Boston Red Sox beat Los Angeles 1-0 on Monday night to hand the Angels their 12th straight defeat.

Christian Vázquez had an RBI single in the second inning and the Red Sox won their sixth in a row.

The Angels matched their longest slide in a single season, last done to end the 1988 schedule.

Wacha, who hadn’t worked into the eighth inning since 2018, threw 105 pitches for his second career complete game in 190 starts and first since a three-hit shutout for St. Louis at the New York Mets on July 18, 2017.

It was the first complete-game shutout by a Boston pitcher in three years. The veteran right-hander outpitched Noah Syndergaard, who went six strong innings for Los Angeles, and lowered his ERA to 1.99 in his first season with the Red Sox.

Angels star Mike Trout had a first-inning single off Wacha to end an 0-for-26 drought, the longest hitless run of his career, but the Los Angeles offense mustered little else in the opener of a seven-game homestand.

Wacha (4-1) issued one walk and had six strikeouts in his second scoreless outing against the Angels this season. The former St. Louis Cardinals standout went 5 2/3 shutout innings against Los Angeles at home on May 3.

Syndergaard (4-4) gave up five hits with one walk and three strikeouts. The former New York Mets star also matched up against Wacha on May 3, giving up three runs on eight hits over seven innings while taking the loss.

The Angels appeared to be in business in the first inning, getting consecutive one-out singles from Shohei Ohtani and Trout. But then Ohtani was doubled off second base to end the threat after Jared Walsh lined out to first baseman Franchy Cordero.

The Red Sox used Alex Verdugo’s speed to score in the second. Verdugo singled leading off the inning and was attempting to steal second with two outs when Vázquez singled toward the gap in left-center. Trout cut off the ball but Verdugo scored anyway ahead of the throw home.

Wacha threw a pair of 96-mph fastballs while striking out Ohtani in the sixth inning and a 94-mph fastball while striking out Jo Adell to end the eighth.

He completed the outing by getting Ohtani on a grounder to second base before pumping his fist and greeting catcher Vázquez near the first-base line.

HIDDEN FIGURES

Wacha tossed just the 10th complete game in the majors this season, fifth that was a shutout. Boston has three complete games, most for the Red Sox since throwing five in 2017. Nathan Eovaldi and Nick Pivetta pitched one apiece this season.

It was Boston’s first complete-game shutout since Chris Sale’s three-hitter at Kansas City on June 5, 2019. Wacha’s 105 pitches were his most since throwing 113 for the Cardinals against Colorado on Aug 25, 2019.

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