''We had a chance, and a lot of times we come through," said Sox manager Terry Francona, after his club had been blanked at home for the first time since the Indians whacked them, 7-0, June 27.
There was a golden chance in the eighth, when Boston had two on and nobody out and Manny Ramirez up to pinch hit. There was another in the ninth, when Kevin Millar was up with two on and one out. But both came to nothing, as Shields struck out three men looking, then Rodriguez whiffed three more -- John Olerud, Millar, and Petagine -- to end it.
''We had no margin for error," said Francona, whose people still held on to their four-game divisional lead after the Yankees lost yet again, 7-4, to lowly Tampa Bay at home. ''Three runs loomed larger than they usually do against us."
With Matt Clement (13-4), who hadn't lost since the Yankees beat him here July 16, on the hill, Boston figured to have a good chance to sweep the Angels in a three-game set for the first time in the regular season since 2001.
Clement started marvelously, setting down the first nine batters and striking out two, with only two balls leaving the infield. But the Angels nicked him for a run in the fourth inning, when Chone Figgins and old friend Orlando Cabrera led off with back-to-back doubles.
Then they got a couple of more runs in the seventh after Clement plunked leadoff hitter Vladimir Guerrero in the back and allowed a bloop single to right-center by Darin Erstad. Three fielder's choices later, the visitors were up, 3-0. Had the Sox been able to turn a 6-4-3 double play, commenced deftly by Renteria, they would have been out of the inning. But Robb Quinlan beat the relay by a step and Erstad scored. That was all Los Angeles-of-Anaheim needed to beat a club that had won 13 of their previous 16 meetings.
''If I throw that game out there 10 times with our team, we're going to win eight or nine of them," said Clement, who allowed just five hits in 6 2/3 innings. ''I ran into a tough customer tonight. He did a good job."
