BASEBALL/Cheng Tsung-che collects first two-hit game in Red Sox win

Taipei, July 6 (CNA) Taiwanese infielder Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) recorded the first two-hit game of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career Sunday as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels 7-5 for their third straight victory.

The 24-year-old, who started at shortstop and batted ninth for the visiting Red Sox, finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored while striking out twice as Boston completed a three-game sweep of the Angels. His batting average improved to .211.

Cheng's first hit came in the top of the third inning, when he laid down a perfect bunt toward third base that did not even draw a throw to first. He later scored on a Willson Contreras three-run homer.

Cheng added another single to center field with one out in the fourth against Angels starter Ryan Johnson, marking the first multi-hit game of his big league career. He struck out in his final two plate appearances in the sixth and eighth innings.

The Angels jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second before Jarren Duran tied the game with a two-run homer in the next frame.

Los Angeles regained the lead in the bottom of the second on Neto's RBI double, but Contreras' three-run blast in the third put Boston ahead for good.

Boston added two insurance runs later in the game, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the seventh before Masataka Yoshida drove in another run with an RBI single.

The Angels cut the deficit to 7-4 in the eighth, and Neto hit a solo homer in the ninth, but the rally fell short.

Greg Weissert earned his first win of the season after retiring all four batters he faced in relief, striking out two over 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

With the win, the Red Sox improved to 40-48 and remained fifth in the American League East, half a game behind the fourth-place Baltimore Orioles and 12.5 games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays.