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AL: Red Sox come home with victory over Twins
By The Associated Press
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 | No comments posted.
The Boston Red Sox were back where they win.
Coming off a 3-7 road trip, the Red Sox got great starting pitching from Daisuke Matsuzaka and a clutch hit from Manny Ramirez for a 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
Boston, which fell into second place behind Tampa Bay in the AL East on the road trip, improved to 23-6 at Fenway Park this season.
Matsuzaka pitched 7 1-3 innings, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out five. Hideki Okajima (2-2) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth for the win, and Jonathan Papelbon got the final three outs for his 26th save as Boston posted its major league-best 10th shutout.
“Of all our starting pitchers, I’m the only one who hasn’t been able to get really deep into the games,” Matsuzaka said through a translator. “So what I’ve been trying to do is go deep into the game and help out the bullpen.”
Matsuzaka hadn’t pitched beyond five innings in his three starts since returning from the DL on June 21.
“That was probably his best outing as far as his ability to command the strike zone,” Boston catcher Jason Varitek said. “It’s good. It seemed like our bats were a little slow. We needed a good pitching performance.”
Dustin Pedroia extended his career-high hitting streak to 15 games with a double on the first pitch from reliever Brian Bass (3-3) in the eighth. A groundout moved Pedroia to third and Ramirez lined a single to right through a drawn-in infield.
Scott Baker allowed five hits, walked two and struck out seven in seven innings in matching Matsuzaka.
“A heck of a baseball game,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. “I think both teams had lots of opportunities all the way through. They finally came through and got a hit.”
The Twins lost just their fourth in 22 games, ending a five-game winning streak.
“Obviously, with them playing at home, they play very well here,” Baker said. “I gave it everything I had. We made some great defensive plays, allowing me to continue to pitch and pitch into the seventh inning.”
Royals 7, Rays 4
John Buck and Mike Aviles hit 10th-inning homers as Kansas City snapped the Rays’ seven-game winning streak.
Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a solo homer off All-Star closer Joakim Soria.
Billy Butler reached second to start the 10th on a throwing error. One out later, Dan Wheeler (2-4) intentionally walked Ross Gload and Buck hit his fourth homer. Two pitches later, Aviles homered to make it 7-3.
Soria (1-1) blew his second save in 25 chances. He also allowed Eric Hinske’s solo homer in the 10th.
Aviles had three hits and David DeJesus had three hits and two RBIs for the Royals, who avoided being swept in the four-game series.
Angels 9, Rangers 6
Torii Hunter homered twice, the first capping a six-run second inning, and Los Angeles held on.
Vladimir Guerrero, Jeff Mathis and Hunter homered in the second inning to give the Angels an 8-0 lead. All three were off starter Luis Mendoza (1-3), who allowed eight runs in 1 1-3 innings.
Hunter had an RBI single in the first and homered in the seventh.
Ervin Santana (10-3) allowed six runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out six in winning for just the second time in six starts.
David Murphy and Chris Davis homered off Santana in Texas’ five-run fifth that made it 8-6.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 35th save, the most ever before the All-Star break.
Athletics 4, Mariners 3
Wes Bankston hit his first career homer, and Dana Eveland won his third straight decision as Oakland ended an eight-game home losing streak to Seattle.
Bankston, called up from Triple-A on Wednesday, hit a two-run homer off starter Jarrod Washburn in the fifth. He doubled and scored in the second.
Ryan Sweeney’s RBI single in the fifth drove in the eventual game-winning run for the A’s, who hadn’t beaten the Mariners at the Coliseum since July 5, 2007.
Eveland (7-5) gave up three runs in the first and pitched with runners in scoring position in five of the first six innings. He left after allowing nine hits over 5 1-3 innings.
Huston Street, the last of three Oakland relievers, pitched the ninth for his 17th save.
Adrian Beltre finished 4-for-5, and Richie Sexson added a three-run homer for the Mariners.
Coming off a 3-7 road trip, the Red Sox got great starting pitching from Daisuke Matsuzaka and a clutch hit from Manny Ramirez for a 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
Boston, which fell into second place behind Tampa Bay in the AL East on the road trip, improved to 23-6 at Fenway Park this season.
Matsuzaka pitched 7 1-3 innings, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out five. Hideki Okajima (2-2) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth for the win, and Jonathan Papelbon got the final three outs for his 26th save as Boston posted its major league-best 10th shutout.
“Of all our starting pitchers, I’m the only one who hasn’t been able to get really deep into the games,” Matsuzaka said through a translator. “So what I’ve been trying to do is go deep into the game and help out the bullpen.”
Matsuzaka hadn’t pitched beyond five innings in his three starts since returning from the DL on June 21.
“That was probably his best outing as far as his ability to command the strike zone,” Boston catcher Jason Varitek said. “It’s good. It seemed like our bats were a little slow. We needed a good pitching performance.”
Dustin Pedroia extended his career-high hitting streak to 15 games with a double on the first pitch from reliever Brian Bass (3-3) in the eighth. A groundout moved Pedroia to third and Ramirez lined a single to right through a drawn-in infield.
Scott Baker allowed five hits, walked two and struck out seven in seven innings in matching Matsuzaka.
“A heck of a baseball game,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. “I think both teams had lots of opportunities all the way through. They finally came through and got a hit.”
The Twins lost just their fourth in 22 games, ending a five-game winning streak.
“Obviously, with them playing at home, they play very well here,” Baker said. “I gave it everything I had. We made some great defensive plays, allowing me to continue to pitch and pitch into the seventh inning.”
Royals 7, Rays 4
John Buck and Mike Aviles hit 10th-inning homers as Kansas City snapped the Rays’ seven-game winning streak.
Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a solo homer off All-Star closer Joakim Soria.
Billy Butler reached second to start the 10th on a throwing error. One out later, Dan Wheeler (2-4) intentionally walked Ross Gload and Buck hit his fourth homer. Two pitches later, Aviles homered to make it 7-3.
Soria (1-1) blew his second save in 25 chances. He also allowed Eric Hinske’s solo homer in the 10th.
Aviles had three hits and David DeJesus had three hits and two RBIs for the Royals, who avoided being swept in the four-game series.
Angels 9, Rangers 6
Torii Hunter homered twice, the first capping a six-run second inning, and Los Angeles held on.
Vladimir Guerrero, Jeff Mathis and Hunter homered in the second inning to give the Angels an 8-0 lead. All three were off starter Luis Mendoza (1-3), who allowed eight runs in 1 1-3 innings.
Hunter had an RBI single in the first and homered in the seventh.
Ervin Santana (10-3) allowed six runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out six in winning for just the second time in six starts.
David Murphy and Chris Davis homered off Santana in Texas’ five-run fifth that made it 8-6.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 35th save, the most ever before the All-Star break.
Athletics 4, Mariners 3
Wes Bankston hit his first career homer, and Dana Eveland won his third straight decision as Oakland ended an eight-game home losing streak to Seattle.
Bankston, called up from Triple-A on Wednesday, hit a two-run homer off starter Jarrod Washburn in the fifth. He doubled and scored in the second.
Ryan Sweeney’s RBI single in the fifth drove in the eventual game-winning run for the A’s, who hadn’t beaten the Mariners at the Coliseum since July 5, 2007.
Eveland (7-5) gave up three runs in the first and pitched with runners in scoring position in five of the first six innings. He left after allowing nine hits over 5 1-3 innings.
Huston Street, the last of three Oakland relievers, pitched the ninth for his 17th save.
Adrian Beltre finished 4-for-5, and Richie Sexson added a three-run homer for the Mariners.
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