Red Sox score 4 runs in 8th to rally past D'backs

[June 25, 2008]  BOSTON (AP) -- A slumping Jason Varitek capped a four-run eighth inning with a go-ahead single, and the Boston Red Sox resumed hitting just in time to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 Tuesday night.

The Red Sox had six hits in the inning, one more than their total in the first seven innings and two more than they managed in Monday night's 2-1 loss in the series opener.

It was Varitek who delivered the decisive blow, lining a single to right that scored Mike Lowell, whose two-run double tied the game. Varitek was 1-for-30 before that at-bat, dropping his batting average to .227.

Chris Smith (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of another rookie, Justin Masterson, for his first major league win. Jonathan Papelbon struck out two in the ninth and earned his 22nd save in 26 opportunities.

Arizona led 4-1 going into the bottom of the eighth behind the pitching of Doug Davis and the hitting of Chad Tracy, who singled home a run in the second and hit a three-run homer, his third of the season, in the third.

Dustin Pedroia's seventh homer in the first was the only run off Davis through seven innings.

But the left-hander allowed singles to the first two batters in the eighth, Julio Lugo and Jacoby Ellsbury, and was replaced by Chad Qualls (1-6). Pedroia then singled in Lugo, but Qualls nearly got out of the jam by striking out J.D. Drew and retiring Manny Ramirez, who has just one RBI in 11 games, on a grounder to third.

Then, with runners at second and third, Lowell lined a 2-0 pitch over the head of left fielder Eric Byrnes. Ellsbury and Pedroia scored easily, tying the game at 4.

The switch-hitting Varitek, batting lefty against the right-handed Qualls, then singled for his first RBI in nine games.

Davis was solid through seven innings. After allowing three hits in the first, he faced just two batters over the minimum in the next six innings, giving up two hits and one walk and striking out five.

Masterson, who started the season in Double-A, allowed four runs for the second time in his seven starts and put runners on base in each of his six innings but the first.

Notes: The start was delayed 36 minutes by rain. It was Boston's third straight game and fourth of the last five that have been delayed at the start by rain. ... Brothers J.D. and Stephen Drew are a combined 0-for-16 in the series. ... The Red Sox beat the Diamondbacks for the first time at Fenway Park after losing the other four meetings. The only team Boston hasn't beaten there in the regular season is the Chicago Cubs. They haven't played each other at Fenway. ... Byrnes made outs in his first two at-bats and was 0-for-7 since returning Monday from a right hamstring injury before getting a single in the fourth. ... David Ortiz, sidelined the last 22 games with a wrist injury, might hit off a tee Wednesday. ... Kevin Youkilis, who didn't start after being hit in the face by a one-hop throw in practice Monday, replaced Brandon Moss at first base in the ninth.

[Associated Press; By HOWARD ULMAN]

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