Thu Apr 10 23:05:26 2008

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Red Sox down Tigers in series finale at Fenway

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Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Sean Casey drove in three runs as Boston doubled up Detroit, 12-6, in the finale of a three-game set at Fenway Park.

Manny Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis, J.D. Drew and Coco Crisp all had two RBI for the Red Sox, who rapped out 13 hits in the game and also drew nine walks.

Tim Wakefield (1-0) allowed two runs on four hits in five innings for Boston, which took two of three games in the series. The veteran knuckle-baller issued five walks and fanned five en route to his first win of the season.

Magglio Ordonez homered for the Tigers, who are off to a miserable 1-8 start. Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco each added two RBI for Detroit.

Nate Robertson (0-1) surrendered four runs on eight hits, while walking two and striking out six in 5 1/3 innings.

Down 2-0, the BoSox responded with four runs in the fourth. After fanning the struggling David Ortiz, Robertson lost the strike zone and issued consecutive walks to Ramirez and Youkilis. Drew followed with an RBI single before Crisp deadlocked things by slicing a ground-rule double that bounced and hit Pesky's Pole in right. Casey followed with a hard grounder to first that chased home Drew before Kevin Cash capped the frame with a two-out RBI single to left.

The Tigers closed the gap in the seventh when Ordonez slammed a belt-high Manny Delcarmen fastball over the Green Monster in left to make it a 4-3 game.

The Red Sox bounced back with four big runs in the home-half of the seventh. Zach Miner issued consecutive one-out walks to Dustin Pedroia and Ortiz before Ramirez laced a two-run double into the gap in left-center. Tigers manager Jim Leyland had seen enough of Miner at that point and went with Francis Beltran.

After getting Youkilis on a groundout, Beltran intentionally walked Drew and issued another free pass to Crisp before Casey came through with a two-run single to right that made it 8-3.

The game looked to be well in hand for Boston but Julian Tavarez struggled mightily in the eighth. The reliever sandwiched a pair of walks around an Ivan Rodriguez single to load the bases.

Inge and Polanco followed with consecutive RBI singles as Detroit played station-to-station baseball. Tavarez then finally recorded an out when Gary Sheffield grounded into a double play that scored Marcus Thames to make it an 8-6 game. Red Sox manager Terry Francona lifted Tavarez for Jonathan Papelbon, who got the last out of the inning.

Boston rebounded again in the bottom of the eighth as the offensive fireworks continued. Yorman Bazardo gave up a one-out single to Pedroia and then loaded the bases by walking Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Youkilis sliced a two-run, ground-rule double to right and Drew followed by lofting a sacrifice fly to center that made it an 11-6 game. Crisp then finally capped the scoring in the game with an RBI single.

The Tigers took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. Rodriguez drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on Thames ground ball single to right, Detroit's first hit of the game. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a passed ball before Inge plated Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly to center. Polanco then capped the frame with an RBI single off the Green Monster.

Game Notes

Boston slugger David Ortiz is just 3-for-36 on the year...The Red Sox placed third baseman Mike Lowell on the 15-day disabled list before the game with a sprained left thumb. Lowell was hurt in Wednesday's game versus Detroit when he fell to his knees fielding a Rodriguez grounder to open the game. X-rays were negative. To replace Lowell on the roster, the Red Sox purchased the contract of infielder Jed Lowrie from Triple-A Pawtucket.