The Angels’ Taylor Ward watches the flight of his go-ahead two-run home run during the 10th inning of their game against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The celebratory cowboy hat is placed on the Angels’ Taylor Ward by teammate Tyler Wade after Ward’s go-ahead two-run home run against the Red Sox during the 10th inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani looks back at the umpire after striking out during the first inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Angels second baseman Tyler Wade dives to catch a line drive hit by the Boston Red Sox’s Rafael Devers during the first inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon drops a foul pop-up hit by the Red Sox’s Kike Hernandez during the second inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Andrew Velazquez dives back to first on a pickoff attempt from Red Sox starting pitcher Michael Wacha to first baseman Franchy Cordero during the third inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Boston Red Sox’s Trevor Story runs after hitting a two-run double during the third inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Red Sox’s Bobby Dalbec scores as Angels catcher Max Stassi looks on during the third inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani reacts to fouling off a pitch during the fourth inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani bats during the fourth inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani runs out a groundout during the fourth inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Fans sitting in the Green Monster seats can’t grab a home run hit by the Angels’ Max Stassi during the fifth inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Max Stassi, right, is congratulated at home plate by teammate Jared Walsh after his two-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Max Stassi (33) returns to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run that also scored Jared Walsh during the fifth inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Red Sox’s Trevor Story watches his RBI double as he runs to first during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Red Sox’s Christian Arroyo, right, high-fives teammate Rafael Devers after scoring during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Red Sox’s Christian Arroyo, center, celebrates with teammate Bobby Dalbec, right, as he crosses home plate after scoring during the third inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Red Sox’s Trevor Story smiles on second base after hitting a double during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
After jumping to catch a high throw, Angels first baseman Jared Walsh gets his toe back on the base before the Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts gets there, for an out during the fifth inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Anthony Rendon reacts as he crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run to tie the score during the seventh inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Anthony Rendon returns to the dugout and receives the celebratory cowboy hat from teammate Tyler Wade after hitting a solo home run to tie the score during the seventh inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Red Sox’s Bobby Dalbec breaks his bat on a ground out during the seventh inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts and Angels catcher Max Stassi watch the flight of Bogaerts’ go-ahead home run during the eighth inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
As Angels catcher Max Stassi hangs his head, the Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts tosses his bat after hitting the go-ahead home run during the eighth inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Angels relief pitcher Aaron Loup reacts after giving up a go-ahead solo home run to the Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts during the eighth inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts, right, celebrates with teammate J.D. Martinez after hitting a go-ahead solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Mike Trout scores the tying run during the ninth inning of their game against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward runs the bases after hitting a go-ahead two-run home run off of Red Sox relief pitcher Matt Barnes during the 10th inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Matt Barnes walks off the mound as the Angels’ Taylor Ward circles the bases after hitting a go-ahead two-run home run during the 10th inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward is greeted as he returns to the dugout after hitting a go-ahead two-run home run during the 10th inning of their game against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park. The Angels erupted for six runs in the top of the 10th and won, 10-5. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Red Sox relief pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura throws to the plate during the 10th inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Red Sox relief pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura walks back up the mound as the Angels’ Jared Walsh circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the 10th inning on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Jared Walsh, right, is greeted at home plate by teammates Anthony Rendon, left, and Shohei Ohtani after his three-run home run during the 10th inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. The Angels tied the score on Walsh’s single in the top of the ninth, then his three-run home run capped their six-run 10th inning in a 10-5 victory. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Angels’ Jared Walsh, right, is greeted at home plate by teammates Anthony Rendon, left, and Shohei Ohtani after his three-run home run during the 10th inning of their game against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park in Boston. The Angels tied the score on Walsh’s single in the top of the ninth, then his three-run home run capped their six-run 10th inning in a 10-5 victory. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON — Joe Maddon, the man who controls how often Jared Walsh faces lefties, knows that Walsh isn’t thrilled when he gets benched.
But he certainly enjoys the way Walsh is trying to prove him wrong.
“He’s on a mission,” the Angels manager said after Walsh came up with a hit against a lefty to set the stage for a dramatic 10-5, 10-inning victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. “This is a wonderful young man who works really hard at his craft. And I was very happy for him.”
The Angels were down to their final strike, trailing by a run, when Walsh singled against lefty Jake Diekman, driving in the tying run. Walsh and Taylor Ward hit home runs in a six-run 10th as the Angels put the game away.
When Walsh was told of Maddon’s comment about his “mission,” he smiled and said it’s simpler than that.
“I just enjoy playing enjoy playing every day, so I just want as many at-bats as I can get,” Walsh said. “I’ve got a short window to live out the dream here.”
A couple of the biggest hits in the major league dream that Walsh has lived have come against lefties. He hit a grand slam last year against New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman.
For his career, though, Walsh still has work to do to prove he can hit lefties. Coming into Wednesday’s game, he had a .901 OPS against righties and a .612 mark against lefties.
The hit against Diekman and the homer against Chapman certainly show what Walsh can do against lefties when the pressure is the highest.
“When the whole stadium is going crazy, you got to really slow yourself down and live in that moment,” Walsh said. “That might be it. Just trying to have an extra layer of focus there.”
When Walsh came to the plate in the ninth, he was trying to get the score tied for the third time. Max Stassi’s two-run homer in the fifth – which also snapped the Angels’ 22-inning scoreless streak – had tied it at, 2-2, and Anthony Rendon’s solo homer in the seventh made it 3-3.
The Angels were down 4-3 in the ninth, just after Xander Bogaerts had hit a homer against Aaron Loup in the bottom of the eighth, when they mounted a rally.
Former Angels closer Hansel Robles started the ninth, but he walked Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani with one out. After Rendon hit a flyout, Walsh came to the plate, and Boston manager Alex Cora went to try to exploit Walsh’s perceived weakness against lefties by bringing in Diekman. Walsh had been hitless in four at-bats against Diekman, with two strikeouts.
“He throws really hard,” Walsh said. “I’ve had my struggles against him. Gotta stay in there and try to see the slider. He throws really hard, so gotta be geared up for a mid-90s fastball too. I was thankful I fouled off a few of those sliders until I got one I could drive.”
Walsh fouled off three 3-and-2 pitches before knocking the game-tying hit.
Right-hander Ryan Tepera got the game to extra innings by pitching a scoreless ninth, with a strikeout-caught stealing double play ending it.
The Angels then broke the game open. With two outs in the 10th and the Angels’ automatic runner still standing at second, Taylor Ward blasted a homer over the center field fence. Trout then singled, Ohtani walked and Rendon hit one off the wall, driving in another.
Walsh then hit one over the wall, turning the game into a rout.
By the time the Angels put the game away in the 10th, the start for lefty Reid Detmers was easily forgotten. Detmers gave up three runs in 4-2/3 innings.
Detmers said he felt like he had “the best stuff I’ve had all year,” even though the results didn’t show it.
In the third, Detmers hung a curveball that Trevor Story yanked into left field, driving in two. In the fifth, Detmers left a slider at the thighs and Story whacked it off the Green Monster.
“I was right there,” Detmers said. “Obviously you don’t want to get ahead of yourself. But if I just got ahead a little bit on those two guys, made one more pitch. It would have been a quality start. You just gotta live with it, learn from it and move on.”
Detmers was spared a loss when Rendon tied the score with his homer, and he also got a boost from Oliver Ortega. Ortega followed Detmers to the mound and pitched 2-2/3 scoreless innings.
“Ortega did a great job out of the bullpen,” Maddon said. “That’s permitted this whole thing to happen. If we had to use more pitchers right there, it gets more problematic later. Give him a lot of credit. It’s a team win. … I love when that happens, and everybody takes part in ownership. It’s always a wonderful moment.”
Tied up again in Boston!
On a full count with two outs in the ninth, Jared Walsh ties it with a single to score Mike Trout
pic.twitter.com/jNzlGXkpYC
— Just Baseball (@JustBBMedia) May 5, 2022
The reigning AL Player of the Week stays hot.
(MLB x @loanDepot) pic.twitter.com/dmeyBDjYKi
— MLB (@MLB) May 5, 2022
The Angels cannot stop scoring off the Red Sox in the 10th
They've now put up six after a three-run 107.3 mph missile by Jared Walsh
— Just Baseball (@JustBBMedia) May 5, 2022
Taylor Ward caught up with @EricaLWeston after the W! He had a huge go-ahead home run in the 10th!#GoHalos | @Angels pic.twitter.com/sWNjO5ouhq
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) May 5, 2022
Tony hit this one wicked fah #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/kj4LXx7fCe
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 5, 2022
This bat drop was cold.
(MLB x @SportClips) pic.twitter.com/tHny87gqan
— MLB (@MLB) May 5, 2022