The Red Sox will try to avoid a sweep against the Angels behind James Paxton

James Paxton will be on the mound Boston Red Sox Wednesday night a Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, California, something neither the left-handers nor the organization could have been sure would happen a few months ago

Paxton’s first two starts in the Red Sox earlier this month, a year and a half after he signed with the club as a free agent. THE Red Sox He signed a contract with Paxton in December 2021, despite the fact that he is expected to miss the entire 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery.

THE Red Sox He paid Paxton $6 million in 2022, essentially rehabbing the former Mariner and Yankee. However, the club declined an option to pay him $13 million per season in both 2023 and 2024. However, Paxton had a $4 million player option to remain in Boston through 2023, and he took it.

“For me, I was just trying to get my foot back in the big leagues,” Paxton said. “These guys (a Red Soxthe coaching staff and the medical team) are very well known, they rehabbed all year last year and did a fantastic job at it. I felt good in this group. I just felt like this was the right group to get me on my feet in the big leagues.

Paxton might have been able to get more on the open market, but after talking with his agent, Scott Boras, the 34-year-old Canadian opted to stay.

“It wasn’t the longest conversation we’ve had,” Paxton said. “It was just that, ‘Look, you haven’t played in a few years, now you feel good there. It’s about getting back on the mound and having fun.” It just felt like it was the right place and (Boras) agreed.

“There is also the part where I felt I owed it to the team to play here.”

He is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts this season, including his first win since August 15, 2020, when he allowed just one run and five hits in six innings against the San Diego Padres on Friday.

Paxton pitched well against it Angels went 4-3 with a 2.43 ERA in 12 career starts. He tries to help a Red Sox avoid being a Angels after losing the first two games of the series 2-1 on Monday and 4-0 on Tuesday

Left-hander Tyler Anderson (1-0, 5.27 ERA) will make his ninth start of the season. Angels. He won his first start on April 2nd against the Oakland A’s, but has gone no-decision in all seven starts since. In his most recent outing, Thursday at Baltimore, Anderson allowed three runs and six hits in five innings.

He is 0-0 with a 7.56 ERA in two starts against Boston.

Anderson has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past four starts, including his longest shutout of the season on April 28 when he gave up one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers to snap a season high. high seven.

“That was his best” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “That’s what we saw last year (when Anderson started for the Dodgers, going 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA). He’s in a really good spot. His changeup was really good. He gave me some speed. I think it’s really good volt.

THE Red Sox he hopes they can attack Anderson more than they did in the first two games of the series. Boston allowed one run, six hits and four walks while striking out 16 times in the two losses

— Field Level Media