Bay hits 3-run homer as Red Sox win 11th straight

[April 28, 2009]  CLEVELAND (AP) -- Jason Bay took another star closer deep.

The Boston outfielder hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning off Cleveland's Kerry Wood to give the Red Sox their 11th straight win, 3-1 on Monday night.

Bay fell behind 0-1 before pulling a 99-mph fastball from Wood (0-1) into the left-field seats as Boston extended its longest winning streak since 2006.

Bay's third hit sent the Red Sox to another drama-filled win. They were coming off an emotional three-game sweep at Fenway Park over the rival New York Yankees, a series that began with Bay connecting for a two-run, two-out homer in the ninth off Mariano Rivera.

In his last four games, Bay has nine hits with two homers and nine RBIs.

Cleveland's Cy Young winner Cliff Lee and Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield matched strikes and zeros for seven innings.

Lee went 22-3 last season with the last loss to the Red Sox in Boston on Sept. 23. The left-hander, though, was in award-winning form, allowing five hits in eight innings. He walked none and struck out five, but threw 106 pitches.

Wood, the former Chicago Cubs All-Star, walked Dustin Pedroia to open the ninth and David Ortiz blooped a single. Bay then pounced on Wood's second pitch for his fifth homer.

Wakefield blanked the Indians on one hit -- a first-inning single by Victor Martinez -- over seven innings. He walked four, hit a batter and threw one wild pitch. Manager Terry Francona pulled the right-hander to start the eighth for Manny Delcarmen (1-0).

Jonathan Paplebon gave up Mark DeRosa's RBI single in the ninth before getting his fifth save.

Wakefield's had the Indians off-balance and Boston catcher George Kottaras also had a hard time spearing his pitches. He had two passed balls that put Cleveland runners in scoring position, but each time Wakefield worked out of it.

The Indians played the final five innings without manager Eric Wedge, who was ejected in the fourth after calls on consecutive pitches went against Cleveland.

The Indians got runners to second and third with two outs in the fourth on a hit batter, walk and passed ball. But Wakefield retired Jhonny Peralta on a fly to deep right.

Cleveland's Grady Sizemore, who received his 2008 Gold Glove in a pregame ceremony, took an extra-base hit away from Kevin Youkilis in the fourth with a diving catch in right-center.

Notes: Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury's "straight" steal of home on Sunday against the Yankees was the first by a Boston player since Billy Hatcher did it on April 22, 1994. Ellsbury said he received more than 30 text messages about his crime. "The most since the World Series," he said. "Pretty neat. The guys were fired up in the dugout and it was fun to see the fans and my teammates' reaction." ... OF Matt LaPorta, acquired by the Indians from Milwaukee in the deal for CC Sabathia last summer, is batting .400 at Triple-A Columbus. He batted .520 and was the International League's top player last week.

[Associated Press; By TOM WITHERS]

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