Homers by Contreras, Gonzalez back Gray’s strong start in Red Sox’s 8-1 win over Angels

By: Mike Digiovanna, The Associated Press Posted: 11:39 PM CDT Saturday, Jul. 4, 2026

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Willson Contreras and Romy Gonzalez homered to back the superb pitching of Sonny Gray, who allowed one run and four hits in six innings of the Boston Red Sox’s 8-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

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Wilyer Abreu added a two-run double, and relievers Jovani Morán, Greg Weissert and Alec Gamboa combined for three hitless innings for the Red Sox, who have won seven of nine games. The Angels have lost five straight and 11 of 17 since June 17.

Gray (10-1) induced two of Boston’s three double-play grounders, struck out seven and walked one. The 36-year-old right-hander has six straight quality starts since May 30, a stretch in which he’s gone 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA.

Boston Red Sox's Romy Gonzalez runs after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Though he leads the American League in wins and ranks second with a 2.61 ERA this season, Gray was not named to the AL All-Star team Saturday.

Angels starter Sam Aldegheri (3-4) walked two ahead of Contreras’ 19th homer, a 421-foot blast to left-center that gave Boston a 3-0 lead in the first.

Josh Lowe’s one-out solo homer pulled the Angels to within 3-1 in the second. Jo Adell walked, and Wade Meckler singled, but Gray struck out Donovan Walton and Tyler Heineman to escape the jam.

Aldegheri did not allow a hit in the second, third and fourth, but with his pitch count at 88, he was pulled in favor of left-hander Samy Natera Jr., who gave up one run in his first nine big-league games.

Anthony Seigler led off the fifth with a double, Ceddanne Rafaela walked, and Abreu slammed a two-run double off the right-field wall for a 5-1 lead.

Gonzalez, robbed of a potential first-inning homer when Adell made a leaping catch of his drive above the wall in right, followed with a towering 368-foot fly that cleared the short left-field wall for his first homer of the season and a 7-1 lead. Rafaela’s RBI single in the eighth made it 8-1.

Up next

Red Sox LHP Ranger Suarez (4-3, 2.94 ERA) will oppose Angels RHP Ryan Johnson (1-3, 7.40) in Sunday night’s series finale.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb