Sun Jun 29 18:10:14 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Astros down Red Sox, who drop into second place

---

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Mark Loretta's pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth sent Houston past Boston, 3-2, in the rubber match of a three-game interleague set from Minute Maid Park.

Doug Brocail (4-3) picked up the win by striking out three and not allowing a run or hit in 1 2/3 relief innings.

Geoff Blum homered and Lance Berkman contributed a run-scoring single for the Astros, who have won two in a row and four of six.

Dustin Pedroia and Manny Ramirez hit solo home runs for the Red Sox, who dropped the final two games in the series. Boston dropped out of first place in the AL East, falling a half-game behind Tampa, which won 4-3 in Pittsburgh earlier Sunday.

The Red Sox travel to St. Petersburg for a three-game set with the Rays starting on Monday.

Sox reliever David Aardsma (2-2) took the loss, charged with the winning run in just one-third of an inning.

Houston picked up the go-ahead run in the eighth.

Miguel Tejada singled with one out off Aardsma, before he was lifted for Hideki Okajima. A wild pitch put Tejada at second, but Blum's grounder failed to advance the runner. Loretta came out as a pinch-hitter for Brocail and laced a single up the middle to score the deciding run.

Jose Valverde closed out the game with scoreless ninth to earn his 21st save and second in as many contests.

Blum's solo homer in the second put the Astros on the board, then Pedroia equalized in the third.

Berkman added another timely hit, this one an RBI base hit in the fifth to put the Astros ahead by one.

The Sox wasted a golden opportunity in the sixth inning. Boston had runners on first and second with one out thanks to a walk to Jason Varitek and a single by Julio Lugo. Astros starter Brian Moehler fanned Josh Beckett then exited in favor of Wesley Wright, who walked Jacoby Ellsbury to load the bases. However, Pedroia struck out swinging to end the threat.

Ramirez belted a solo homer to right-center with one out in the seventh to knot the game, 2-2. Later in the frame, the Sox had two men on with two outs but came away with no runs as Brocail was the beneficiary of a high third- strike call facing Lugo.

Game Notes

Boston completed its interleague play by falling to 11-7, while Houston improved to 7-11 and won six of its last nine...Loretta had just two hits in the series but drove in four runs...Moehler limited the Sox to seven hits and one run over 5 2/3 innings, while Beckett allowed eight hits and a pair of runs in seven full frames.