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David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez also hit back-to-back homers on successive pitches in Boston's fifth straight win and seventh in the last eight games. Detroit, which was shut out for the fifth time this season, has lost five straight.
Wakefield's knuckler was in classic form as it befuddled the Tigers all night long as he improved his record to 3-1, with his first win since April 20. He had a season-high six strikeouts and didn't walk a batter.
The only hits Wakefield allowed were Carlos Guillen's two-out single in the first and Ivan Rodriguez's double with two out in the eighth.
He retired 17 in a row from the first inning until second baseman Dustin Pedroia booted Guillen's grounder for an error with one out in the seventh. Wakefield then retired Magglio Ordonez on a pop to short and Miguel Cabrera on a weak fly to left to end the inning.
Mike Timlin pitched the ninth, allowing a hit.
Tigers' starter Nate Robertson (1-4) took the loss. He allowed four runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out four. He was pulled after allowing Ortiz's home run with one out in the seventh. The drive deep into the right-field stands, estimated at 414 feet, was Ortiz's seventh and second in two nights and made it 4-0.
Robertson was then replaced by rookie Freddy Dolsi, making his major league debut. Ramirez, who had three hits, hammered Dolsi's first pitch over the centerfield fence, 420 feet away. It was Ramirez's seventh homer and was estimated at 427 feet.
Boston took a 3-0 lead in the second on J.D. Drew's RBI single, Kevin Cash's run-scoring double and a Coco Crisp groundout.
[Associated Press]
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