BOSTON — Mike Trout had three hits, including a three-run, 454-foot homer off the left-centre field light stanchion in the Angels’ six-run first inning on Monday night and Los Angeles held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6.

Zach Neto homered to lead off the game, and the Angels opened a 5-0 lead before before Red Sox starter Richard Fitts (0-3) recorded his first out. Jo Adell also homered in the first and added another solo shot in the sixth after Boston cut the lead to 6-5.

Jarren Duran had three hits for Boston, including a double to start the four-run fifth inning. Ceddanne Rafaela homered to make it 7-6 in the eighth. 

Ryan Zeferjahn (3-1) was credited with the win, pitching a scoreless seventh inning and striking out two. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 11th save, getting Romy Gonzalez on a line drive to the warning track in right to end it. 

Boston scored four in the fifth to make it 6-5 and loaded the bases in the sixth before reliever Reid Detmers got cleanup hitter Carlos Narváez on a slow chopper to third to end the inning. 

Trout spent a month on the injured list with a bone bruise on his left knee. He returned on Friday and has gone 8-for-14 since then.

Neto’s homer was followed by a walk, single, error and Trout’s homer. One out later, Adell added a solo homer.

With hits in his first three at-bats, Trout reached 1,675 in his career, passing Tim Salmon for second all-time in franchise history. Garret Anderson is first with 2,368.

Boston RHP Brayan Bello (2-1) faces Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi in the second game of the three-game series.