Los Angeles @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 21, 2012 ) LA Angels 5, Boston 3

Changing their pitching coach did not yield immediate dividends for the Boston Red Sox, though at this point small changes are unlikely to turn the season around. The Los Angeles Angels are clinging to a bit more hope, however, and ending a four-game losing streak by beating the Red Sox on Monday kept them very much alive in the wild card race. The Angels will try to keep it going behind ace Jered Weaver on Tuesday.

Boston fired Bob McClure on Monday’s off day and replaced him on an interim basis with manager Bobby Valentine’s choice, Randy Niemann, who had to prepare for the likes of Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo in his debut. The Angels ended up with a 5-3 victory, dropping the Red Sox five games under .500 (59-64) for the first time since May 12. Los Angeles moved back to three games above .500 (63-60) and is four games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the second wild card spot. Trumbo hit his career-high 30th home run in Monday’s win.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSW (Los Angeles), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (15-3, 2.74 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (11-3, 4.19)

Weaver’s Cy Young candidacy took a big hit last time out, when he was knocked around for nine runs in three innings for the worst statistical start of his career. The right-hander’s ERA rose over half a run from 2.22 to 2.74 in the disaster. Weaver has struggled in his career against Boston, going 2-5 with a 4.41 ERA in 11 career starts. But Carl Crawford and David Ortiz, who are a combined 15-for-44 with three homers against Weaver, will be out of the lineup.

Buchholz has been unquestionably Boston’s best starter since the start of June, going 7-1 with a 2.16 ERA in his last 11 starts while holding opposing hitters to a .203 batting average. The right-hander has worked at least seven innings in each of his last six starts. Buchholz is 5-2 with a 3.95 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels.

WALK-OFFS

1. Trout was caught stealing in the ninth inning on Monday, snapping a streak of 30 straight successful attempts.

2. Red Sox RH Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched seven scoreless innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket and could be back in the majors this weekend.

3. Boston CF Jacoby Ellsbury, normally the leadoff hitter, was batting in the No. 3 spot on Monday for the first time in his career.