Angels rally, defeat Red Sox, 9-7, in extra innings

Josh Hamilton’s two-run home run in the 11th inning gave the Angels a 9-7 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night at Angel Stadium.

Hamilton’s walk-off homer against Boston reliever Craig Breslow, following a single by Brad Hawpe, came after the Angels had roared back with four runs in the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings in front of 36,112.

It was the first time the Angels won a game after trailing by four runs or more in the ninth inning since 2005.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox vs. Angels

Behind 7-3 entering the ninth, the Angels scored three runs on singles by Chris Iannetta, J.B. Shuck, Albert Pujols and Hamilton, along with Mike Trout being hit by a pitch.

Yet Boston still held a 7-6 lead when, with two outs, Howie Kendrick hit a routine grounder to Red Sox third baseman Brandon Snyder that appeared set to end the game.

But in trying to get the final out on a force play at second base, Snyder threw the ball away, enabling pinch-runner Collin Cowgill to come home and tie the score, 7-7.

The Angels needed their ninth-inning comeback after starting pitcher Jerome Williams struggled to bounce back, on only two days’ rest, from a poor outing in his previous start.

Williams was roughed up for five runs (four earned) by Boston, after giving up seven earned runs Wednesday.

Wobbly from the start, Williams -- who started again so soon because he threw only 55 pitches Wednesday -- gave up two runs (one unearned) in the first two innings Saturday night.

Then he was chased in the fourth inning when Boston scored three more runs before the Angels could get an out.

Williams this time threw 61 pitches as his earned-run average climbed to 4.16.

The Angels’ Trout and Kendrick tried to help Williams with solo home runs off Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster.

Kendrick’s homer came in the second inning, his 11th of the season, and Trout’s blast into the left-field stands came in the third inning, his 14th. Iannetta also had a run-scoring single.

Hamilton’s game-winning homer also was a measure of redemption for the right fielder, who again fumbled a play that allowed Boston to score its seventh run in the eighth inning.

After Dustin Pedroia singled, Daniel Nava hit a line drive that Hamilton first tried to backhand. He fell as he ran past the ball, then struggled to pick the ball up before finally getting it back to the infield.

By then Pedroia had scored, with Nava being credited with a double and Hamilton drawing an error.

Trout again an All-Star

Trout again made the AL All-Star team, as he did last season in his rookie year, but this time he’ll be starting the game.

Trout, 21, would be the first Angels position player to start the All-Star game since Vladimir Guerrero in 2007.

“It’s pretty cool to start,� said Trout, who finished second in the voting for AL outfielders behind Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles. “I’m just going to go out there and have some fun.�

Trout, the only Angel to make the All-Star team, came into Saturday batting .314 with 108 hits.

“Mike has accomplished a lot in the first half of the season, especially coming off what he did last season,� Manager Mike Scioscia said. “There’s no doubt he’s an All-Star; he’ll be an All-Star for years to come.�

The All-Star game at New York’s Citi Field is July 16.

An ‘incredible gesture’

Jered Weaver and his wife Kristin named their first child Aden David Weaver in honor of the late Nick Adenhart, Weaver’s former teammate.

A promising pitcher, Adenhart, 22, and two friends were killed in 2009 when their car was struck by a drunk driver in Fullerton.

Adenhart “was somebody that was pretty important to me and pretty important to a lot of people, so I think it was a cool thing� to name his son after him, said Weaver, who’s scheduled to start Sunday’s game against Boston.

“It’s an incredible gesture from Kristin and Jered that they would honor a close friend in that way,� Scioscia said.

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Times staff writer Lance Pugmire contributed to this report.