ANAHEIM, Calif. — The non-waiver trade deadline is Monday afternoon and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski took much of his staff on the road with the Red Sox. They filled a booth on the press level at Angel Stadium on Saturday night.
They watched a team that has already made four trades but may need to do more.
Drew Pomeranz, the pitcher obtained earlier this month to stabilize the rotation, couldn’t get though six innings as the Angels beat the Sox, 5-2.
That’s seven losses in nine games for the Red Sox, including two in the last three nights against an Angels team with the third-worst record in the American League.
The Sox are 7-8 since the All-Star break, but are somehow only two games out of first place in the AL East.
Pomeranz (0-2) allowed five runs on six hits and two walks over 5⅓ innings. He has a 7.53 earned run average in three starts with the Sox, putting 24 men on base in 14⅓ innings.
After dominating for San Diego, the lefthander has been just another battered starter in the back end of the Red Sox rotation.
The Sox left 11 men on base and were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Hector Santiago was the winning pitcher despite walking six over five innings. The last pitcher to pull that was Joba Chamberlain, who walked seven over five innings in a 2009 start for the Yankees and still beat the Sox.
The Sox fell to 5-33 when they fail to score at least five runs.
The Sox need a victory Sunday afternoon to split the four-game series. Steven Wright faces Tyler Skaggs.
With David Ortiz out of the lineup, the Sox used Hanley Ramirez as the designated hitter, moved Travis Shaw to first base and started Aaron Hill at third base.
Manager John Farrell threw a changeup by hitting Jackie Bradley Jr. cleanup for the first time in his professional career.
“Not since college,’’ Bradley said.
Farrell wanted Bradley, a lefthanded hitter, to break up what otherwise would have been a string of righthanders in the order. The Angels have seven relievers, six of them righthanded.
“Jackie is swinging the bat well and has swung the bat well all year,’’ Farrell said. “To keep that continuity, Jackie is the logical choice.’’
The lineup worked well in the first inning as the Sox scored two runs. But they missed an opportunity for more, a theme that ran through the game.
Mookie Betts started the game with a home run off Santiago. Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts then drew walks, giving Bradley an immediate chance to clean up. He struck out looking.
Ramirez came through with an RBI single to left. Shaw walked with two outs to load the bases before Bryce Brentz struck out looking.
Bogaerts singled and Bradley walked to start the third inning. This time, Ramirez struck out and Hill popped to center. Shaw again walked to load the bases and Brentz again went down looking.
The Sox left two more runners on in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth.
Pomeranz was shaky throughout. Two singles, a wild pitch, and a groundout gave the Angels a run in the first inning. Los Angeles then took the lead in the third when Pomeranz walked Yunel Escobar and Albert Pujols homered deep to left.
It was the 580th home run of his career and his 1,190th extra-base hit. That tied Lou Gehrig for ninth all-time.
Andrelton Simmons led off the fourth inning with a double and scored on a single by Johnny Giavotella.
Pomeranz walked Simmons in the sixth inning and was replaced by Joe Kelly. The first batter he faced, rookie Jett Bandy, hammered a hanging curveball to left field for an RBI double.
Brock Holt, who hit for Brentz in the top of the inning, had a play on the ball but could not bring it in.
Pomeranz allowed five or more earned runs twice in 17 starts for San Diego. It has happened twice in three starts for the Red Sox.
Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
