Gonzalez helps Boston take win streak to seven

Down to their last strike, the Red Sox rallied in the ninth -- their third comeback of the game -- off Halos closer Brian Fuentes, walking off as winners on Alex Gonzalez's RBI single following two walks and a hit. The Sox, who won their seventh in a row to draw 6 1/2 ahead of the Rangers in the AL Wild Card, scored five in the sixth.

One strike from defeat, the Red Sox turned the tables on the Angels, pulling out a wild 9-8 victory capped on a walk-off bloop single to left by Alex Gonzalez in the bottom of the ninth.
The Red Sox trailed, 8-7, entering the inning, and they had two outs and nobody on when the most unlikeliest rallies of the season ensued against Angels closer Brian Fuentes.

David Ortiz drew a walk. J.D. Drew reached on an infield single. Jed Lowrie, a forgotten man, came off the bench and drilled a single down the third-base line, loading the bases. Pinch-hitter Nick Green walked on a borderline 3-2 pitch to tie the game.

Gonzalez ended it, flaring one just out of the reach of Juan Rivera, setting off euphoria in the middle of the diamond. The Red Sox swarmed Gonzalez between first and second.
Coupled with the Rangers' 4-0 loss to the A's, the Red Sox now hold a 6 1/2-game lead in the American League Wild Card race.

On a night closer Jonathan Papelbon (tightness in his back) was unavailable for the Red Sox, the Angels took the lead against rookie reliever Daniel Bard in the top of the ninth. Bard had retired the first two batters of the inning, but Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar kept hope alive with back-to-back singles. In a big spot, Bobby Abreu came through, belting an RBI single to left that snapped a 7-7 tie.

The Red Sox, down 7-5, came back with two in the bottom of the eighth to tie it. With runners at the corners and one out, Casey Kotchman worked a nine-pitch against Darren Oliver that ended in an RBI fielder's-choice grounder.

Gonzalez then drew a walk -- his first in 96 at-bats since rejoining the Red Sox. That set the stage for Jacoby Ellsbury, who ripped an RBI single to right to tie the game.