BOSTON — Red Sox starter Richard Fitts made no excuses Monday after he gave up six runs on three homers in the first inning against the Angels.
Fitts lasted just one inning and the Red Sox lost 7-6 here at Fenway Park to drop to four games under .500 (29-33).
Mike Trout blasted a three-run homer against Fitts that traveled 454 feet and left his bat at 112.1 mph.
“Horrible,” Fitts said. “I felt our team did enough to win tonight outside of me.”
The Red Sox did battle back after falling behind 6-0. A four-run fifth inning cut it to 6-5.
“So I feel terrible about it,” Fitts said. “Put us in a terrible spot not just for this game but for days to come with our bullpen, too. So nobody hates this more than I do.”
The Red Sox rushed Fitts (right pectoral strain) back last week without a rehab assignment out of necessity.
The team needed a starter last Tuesday in Milwaukee after it played a doubleheader three days earlier. So Fitts — instead of making his scheduled rehab start for Triple-A Worcester that day — pitched vs. the Brewers. He was only able to go three innings (44 pitches).
Manager Alex Cora said before Fitts’ start here Monday that he was built up enough to throw 75-80 pitches.
But it took 33 pitches before Fitts recorded his first out in an ugly first inning. Righty Hunter Dobbins took over to begin the second inning. He pitched well, allowing just one run in 5 innings.
“I was falling behind in counts with my offspeed stuff, whether it was good shapes or not,” Fitts said. “Getting into counts where (the) hitter knows (a) fastball is coming. … And it’s right down the middle. These are really good hitters and anybody can hit that ball out and those guys did the damage on it. And that’s all there is.”
Fitts threw 3 scoreless innings vs. the Brewers last Tuesday but it looked like the lack of a rehab assignment caught up to him vs. the Angels.
“Last outing I felt great. This outing I felt great physically. Just wasn’t able to execute,” Fitts said. “I don’t think there’s anything about me being out of the game or anything. I think it just comes down to not being able to get the job done today.”
