Youkilis gives Red Sox wild 19-17 win over Rangers

[August 13, 2008]  BOSTON (AP) -- In one of the wildest games of the season, Kevin Youkilis' go-ahead homer sent the Boston Red Sox to a 19-17 win after the Texas Rangers fought back from a 10-run first inning Tuesday night that included a pair of three-run homers by David Ortiz.

Youkilis drove a three-run shot over Fenway Park's Green Monster in the eighth inning for his second homer of a dizzying night, bringing fans to their feet as he circled the bases with uncharacteristic speed.

It came after Dustin Pedroia doubled in a run and Ortiz was intentionally walked to get to Youkilis, who was batting in the cleanup spot held by Manny Ramirez until he was traded July 31 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 19 runs were the most scored by the Red Sox this season and they ruined a Rangers comeback that matched the greatest ever against Boston. The Red Sox also squandered a 10-run lead on June 4, 1989, against Toronto when they lost 13-11 in 12 innings after they led 10-0 through six.

Texas' Marlon Byrd and Pedroia had five hits each. Ortiz had six RBIs, Youkilis had five and Ian Kinsler and Chris Davis had four apiece for Texas. And Rangers starter Scott Feldman became the first major league pitcher in 90 years to allow 12 runs and not take the loss since Gene Packard of the St. Louis Cardinals got the win in a 16-12 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 3, 1918.

But Texas wasn't done after Youkilis' second homer, off Frank Francisco (2-4). Brandon Boggs doubled in a run in the ninth, but Jonathan Papelbon settled down to record his 32nd save in 36 opportunities.

Hideki Okajima (3-2) got the win in a game that lasted 3 hours, 58 minutes.

Texas put on another hitting display after its 15-7 win over Baltimore on Sunday. The Rangers got 20 hits for the second straight game and lead the majors in batting average.

Ortiz's first homer followed a leadoff walk to J.D. Drew and a single by Pedroia. His second came after RBI singles by Drew and Pedroia. The other runs in the first inning scored on Jed Lowrie's two-run double.

Texas cut the lead to 10-2 on Davis' two-run single in the second, but Boston scored twice in the third off Josh Rupe on a bases-loaded walk to Mike Lowell and an RBI single by Jason Bay.

Then the Rangers batted around in the fifth and sixth -- sending 20 batters to the plate and scoring 13 runs. They scored eight in the fifth, cutting the lead to 12-10. And after Boston scored two in the bottom half on Youkilis' two-run homer, his 21st of the year, the Red Sox took a 15-14 lead with five runs in the sixth.

Charlie Zink made his major league debut for Boston, pitching in place of injured Tim Wakefield -- a fellow knuckleballer. Zink was lifted with one out in the fifth after giving up a run-scoring single to Josh Hamilton, an RBI double to Byrd and a two-run double to Frank Catalanotto.

Javier Lopez allowed Davis' run-scoring single that made it 12-7. After Lopez struck out Ramon Vazquez, Kinsler hit a three-run homer, his 16th, off David Aardsma.

The Rangers fell behind 14-10 after five, but quickly overcame that in the sixth when the first four batters reached base. The first run scored on Byrd's single, the second on Catalanotto's double and the third on Gerald Laird's sacrifice fly.

The Rangers finally erased that 10-0 lead when Catalanotto slid in ahead of Kevin Cash's tag on a throw from second baseman Pedroia. Then Kinsler gave the Rangers their first lead with a sacrifice fly.

Byrd made it 16-14 in the seventh with an RBI single, but Boston scored in the bottom half when pitcher Jamey Wright fielded Youkilis' grounder and threw wildly to third, allowing Pedroia to score from second on the error.

Notes: Byrd went 5-or-6 and is 21-for-34 in his last eight games. ... The last time a team came back from a 10-run deficit was May 8, 2004, when the Rangers rallied from a 14-4 deficit to win 16-15 in 10 innings, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Boston acquired RHP Paul Byrd from Cleveland for cash or a player to be named and placed Wakefield on the 15-day disabled list with a stiff right shoulder. ... Lowell left after straining his right side muscle during his at-bat in the seventh.

[Associated Press; By HOWARD ULMAN]

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