BOSTON -- Scot Shields may have slain his Fenway Park demons Sunday night, throwing 2 1/3 hitless innings with three strikeouts to highlight a strong performance by the team's short relievers in a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of the American League division series.
Shields, who began the playoffs with an 0-3 record and 13.85 earned-run average in 13 career innings in Fenway Park, replaced Darren Oliver with a runner on in the seventh inning and struck out Kevin Youkilis to end the inning.
The right-hander then retired six batters in a row in the eighth and ninth innings to send the game into extra innings.
Rookie Jose Arredondo replaced starter Joe Saunders with two on and two out in the fifth inning and struck out Mike Lowell looking at a full-count pitch to end the inning. The right-hander then retired the side in order in the sixth.
The Red Sox threatened in the 10th inning when David Ortiz walked with one out against closer Francisco Rodriguez and Youkilis singled.
Rodriguez struck out Jason Bay for the second out but walked Lowell on a borderline pitch to load the bases. Rodriguez fell behind Jed Lowrie, 2 and 0, but came back with a strike and then got Lowrie to fly to right field, ending the inning.
Jered Weaver, making the first relief appearance of his career, pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three, to earn the win.
Coming up short
Until Erick Aybar's game-winning hit in the 12th inning, it was another night of missed opportunities for the Angels, which has been the theme of a division series for a team that has gone seven for 35 with runners in scoring position and stranded 36 base-runners.
The Angels left the bases loaded in the first and fourth innings and two on in the second, seventh and 11th innings, failing to knock out starter Josh Beckett, who gave up only one run in the first inning despite throwing 30 pitches and walking two.
The Angels scored on Juan Rivera's bases-loaded walk in the first inning, but Mike Napoli, who went on to hit two home runs, grounded into an inning-ending fielder's choice. With two out and two on in the second, Mark Teixeira grounded out to third.
With the bases loaded after singles by Chone Figgins and Teixeira and a four-pitch walk to Vladimir Guerrero in the fourth inning, Torii Hunter grounded out to second base.
