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Dice-K still unbeaten as Sox top Brewers in opener
2008-05-17
Daisuke Matsuzaka remained unbeaten, holding Milwaukee to a pair of unearned runs pitching into the seventh inning, and David Ortiz hit a three-run homer to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Brewers 5-3 on Saturday in the opener of a split doubleheader. Matsuzaka (7-0) gave up seven hits over 6 2-3 innings and tied the Angels' Joe Saunders for the AL lead in wins. Dice-K held the Brewers scoreless until two outs in the seventh, when Rickie Weeks reached on a fielding error and Mike Cameron homered to left. Jason Varitek added a pair of doubles for the Red Sox, who avoided matching their longest losing streak this season. Boston had lost its previous four games to close a 10-game trip. Manny Ramirez, two homers shy of becoming the 24th player in major league history to hit 500, singled and was hit by a pitch. Ortiz homered into the first row of the seats above the Green Monster in the second off Brewers starter Jeff Suppan (2-3), driving in Julio Lugo and Jacoby Ellsbury and extending the Red Sox lead to 4-0. Matsuzaka walked the first batter he faced -- an increasingly familiar refrain for a starter averaging 4.2 walks per game -- but settled down after that. He escaped a jam in the sixth with runners on second and third and no outs, striking out Corey Hart and J.J. Hardy before Joe Dillon flied out. The Red Sox have won Matsuzaka's last 11 starts. Jonathan Papelbon got the final three outs for his 12th save, despite giving up a solo homer to Ryan Braun with two out. Suppan gave up four runs on nine hits in six innings, and lost for the third time in four starts. The Brewers have lost three straight overall. After retiring the first two batters in the first, Suppan walked Ortiz, hit Ramirez on the left hand and allowed Kevin Youkilis' single. J.D. Drew then walked to give Boston a 1-0 lead. Suppan wound up throwing 31 pitches in the inning. Notes:@ Arizona's Brandon Webb leads the majors with nine wins. ... Boston had lost five straight in late April. ... Red Sox manager Terry Francona said before the game that LHP Hideki Okajimi has been bothered by a sore wrist. ... Boston RHP Curt Schilling, rehabbing from shoulder weakness since spring training, threw from 90 feet Friday. ... Brewers manager Ned Yost switched his lineup a couple of hours before game time, swapping Fielder from 1B to DH with Dillon to avoid playing Fielder in the field for two games.
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