ANAHEIM Lance McCullers Jersey , Calif. (AP) — For the first time in the 21st century, the Los Angeles Angels are looking for a manager.The person who lands the job will play a major role in determining whether the Angels keep Mike Trout, get the most out of Shohei Ohtani — and finally end a nine-year postseason victory drought for this big-budget underachiever of a baseball club.A day after the Angels finished 80-82 and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, general manager Billy Eppler set no timetables and confirmed no candidates as he began what’s expected to be a lengthy process to identify the successor to Mike Scioscia, who stepped down Sunday after 19 seasons in the Big A’s home dugout.Eppler praised Scioscia as “a lighthouse for this organization” and touted the manager as a Hall of Fame candidate. The GM also gave a few indications of what he’s seeking in a leader when he puts his numerous managerial candidates through a lengthy interview process.“What we’re looking for in that next manager is connectivity with the players,” Eppler said. “We’re looking for somebody who can think with a probability-based mindset. We’re going to look for someone that’s eager to grow (and) evolve. Someone that can develop a culture that will put the welfare of the team above any singular person.”Although the Angels still haven’t posted a winning record during Eppler’s three seasons in charge, the GM feels his new manager will have the ingredients to create a winner, and he plans to get more talent in the free-agent market.The Angels haven’t won a playoff game since 2009, and they’re in a streak of three consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1994 — but any organization that can build around Trout and Ohtani has a firm foundation, and Eppler is eager to continue the work he’s been doing.“We need to win for our fans,” Eppler said. “Win for our fans, win for our owner. That’s where the mindset is.”More things to watch during the long offseason in Anaheim:INJURIOUS EPIDEMICInjuries were the root of almost every problem for the Angels this season, with a jaw-dropping 25 players missing a significant amount of playing time. The Angels ended the season with 11 players on the DL, including key contributors such as slugger Albert Pujols, former ace Garrett Richards, free-agent signee Zack Cozart and former closer Keynan Middleton. They had to use 16 starting pitchers during a season in which they lost seven potentially important big-league starters to arm surgery, including Ohtani. Although there appears to be no common thread in this enormous tapestry of injury, Eppler said the Angels will try some new things next season in an effort to preserve their players’ health — but Eppler declined to say exactly what those things would be.FOR STARTERSDurable starting pitchers will be atop Eppler’s list of desired free agents, but he also emerged happy with Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and surprising rookie Jaime Barria. All three made at least 24 starts for an otherwise patchwork rotation — and while they weren’t stars, they were solid. “It was difficult to navigate,” Eppler said. “There was some instances where we were looking for starters the night before games sometimes, and we tested our depth. We tested the airport, we were in there so much running guys back and forth. But what our goal is is to get through the season with five or six starters next season. That would be great.”UP WITH OBPEven with a lineup featuring talents like Trout, Andrelton Simmons, Pujols, Justin Upton and Ohtani, the Angels scored only 721 runs — good for just 15th in the big leagues. Eppler distilled his plans for the Angels’ 2019 offense to one key statistic: “Our team on-base percentage (.313) was low. It was too low, simply put. We were seventh in home runs in baseball (214). All the teams in front of us were in the postseason except one (Toronto). We were 20th in on-base percentage, which is why we were only 15th in runs scored. A lot of solo home runs. We need to be on base. It is the only statistic that correlates with runs scored.”TROUT’S FUTURETrout will be at least 28 years old before he wins his first playoff game, and the amiable outfielder is frustrated by losing. But he has remained publicly content with Eppler’s efforts to build a winner around him while restocking a farm system left bare by previous GM Jerry Dipoto. Trout was the highest-paid player in baseball this season under a contract that runs through 2020, and Eppler declined to say anything Monday about the Angels’ reported desire to lock up the two-time AL MVP to an even longer-term, more lucrative contract. Trout batted .312 with 39 homers and 79 RBIs in 140 games this season, and he led the majors with a .460 on-base percentage and a 1.088 OPS.SHOHEI’S RECOVERYOhtani had Tommy John surgery on Monday, less than 24 hours after he singled in the final at-bat of his unique rookie season. Although the two-way star has many months of rehabilitation ahead, Eppler remains confident Ohtani will hit for the Angels in 2019 before he resumes his pitching career in 2020. Ohtani will spend plenty of time in Southern California during the winter, and he is a top candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year award. BOSTON (AP) — Andrew Benintendi’s hit bounced a handful of times before finding its way into center field for the winning run and a big four-game sweep over the rival Yankees.The Red Sox now find themselves in firm control of the AL East.Benintendi’s RBI single with two outs in the 10th capped Boston’s rally from three runs down in the ninth against New York closer Aroldis Chapman, and the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep with a 5-4 victory Sunday night.“Any 10 hopper that goes through for a hit feels pretty good,” the usually quiet Benintendi said, breaking into a grin. “Everybody knew how big the series was. We came in and did what we wanted to do. We kind of stole this one.”Boston opened a 9 1/2-game lead atop the division over the Yankees http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-mike-scott-jersey , who lost their season-high fifth straight.“It feels like another great win, obviously it was against our rivals,” Boston’s J.D. Martinez said.Mookie Betts hit his 26th homer for Boston (79-34), which has won eight of nine games and owns the majors’ best record.The Yankees hadn’t been swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox when they entered a series 30 or more games over .500 since Hall of Famer Ted Williams’ rookie season in 1939, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.“A tough way to obviously end a tough weekend, but we can’t let this define what’s been a great season,” manager Aaron Boone said.Sandy Leon looped a two-out single off Jonathan Holder (1-3) in the 10th and advanced on a wild pitch. Tony Renda pinch-ran before Benintendi’s single up the middle to the right of the second-base bag into center field.Matt Barnes (4-3) worked a perfect inning in the top of the 10th.For the Yankees, it was a stunning reversal of the Boston Massacre in 1978 when the Yankees came to town and swept the Red Sox en route to erasing a large lead and capturing the AL East.“We lost these four games here, but what I can tell you is that we’re gonna keep battling. We’re gonna keep playing ball,” Chapman said through a translator. “There’s no looking back.”It snapped his streak of converting 22 straight opportunities since his last blown save on May 4.With New York leading 4-1 in the ninth, Chapman loaded the bases on walks before Martinez’s two-out, two-run single pulled Boston within one. Third baseman Miguel Andujar then bounced a throw to first on Xander Bogaerts‘ grounder, with pinch-runner Jackie Bradley Jr. racing home with the tying run.Red Sox starter David Price took a shutout into the seventh, giving up two runs and four hits with five strikeouts and three walks.Playing on a beautiful mid-summer night with a sellout crowd amped from the opening pitch, Price and Masahiro Tanaka were locked in a scoreless duel before Betts hit a hanging cutter completely out of Fenway Park over the Green Monster in the fifth.Price, tagged for 12 runs over 4 1/3 innings in his other two starts against the Yankees this season, left to a rousing ovation with two on and nobody out in the seventh.Heath Hembree walked Shane Robinson before Bogaerts booted what looked like a sure double-play grounder, allowing two runs. Stanton followed with an RBI single and Gleyber Torres had a sacrifice fly.Tanaka gave up one run and six hits, striking out nine and walking one in 4 2/3 innings.NOT FOR SALERed Sox ace Chris Sale, on the 10-day disabled list with mild left shoulder inflammation, will miss his second straight start.Manager Alex Cora had been saying the hope was for him to start Wednesday in Toronto. However, when the team listed its probable starters for the next series, it was RHP Rick Porcello.A-ROD SPEAKSWorking the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball telecast for his first time in Fenway, color analyst and former Yankee Alex Rodriguez discussed his fight with former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek in 2004 during the broadcast, saying the current Yankees need a spark.“The fans here, they took that as a pivotal moment on winning a championship,” he said. “And I’m not saying the Yankees need to start a fight by any means, but I’d love to see more fight, more action, more Paul O’Neill attitude and sometimes you want a guy in the room to stand up and not necessarily throw a chair, but get in somebody’s face and show some emotion, some passion.”Boston rallied from a 0-3 series deficit in the 2004 ALCS en route to winning its first World Series since 1918.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: OF Aaron Judge (fractured right wrist) played catch, but still hasn’t swung a bat. Boone said: “They hope it’s a pain-free situation. There is a chip in there, a broken wrist, you’ve got to get it right.” … Boone also said he hopes C Gary Sanchez (strained right groin) will be running at full speed by the end of the week and LHP J.A. Happ (hand, foot and mouth disease) could start Thursday.Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (sprained right ankle) threw a bullpen that Cora called “impressive.” … 3B Rafael Devers (strained left hamstring) is slated to play for Single-A Lowell in a rehab assignment Monday.UP NEXTYankees: RHP Lance Lynn (7-8, 4.89 ERA) is in line to make his first start for the Yankees on Monday against the White Sox. He was acquired from Minnesota on July 30.Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-5, 6.56) is slated to start the opener of a nine-game road trip Tuesday in Toronto.