Pavano strong again as Indians beat Red Sox 9-2

[May 07, 2009]  BOSTON (AP) -- Carl Pavano pitched his third strong game in three weeks, Victor Martinez homered and drove in four runs, and the Cleveland Indians ended the Boston Red Sox's nine-game home winning streak with a 9-2 victory Wednesday night.

The right-handed Pavano allowed two runs in six innings and lowered his ERA in his last four games to 3.75. It was 16.71 after his other two starts

Cleveland's beleaguered bullpen got a boost from its newest member, Aaron Laffey. He had been scheduled to start Thursday night, but the Indians moved him to a relief role and he allowed two hits in three scoreless innings for his first career save. He is 2-0 this year and all 29 of his previous major league appearances were as a starter.

Pavano (2-3) allowed both runs in the second. Cleveland pulled to 2-1 on Asdrubal Cabrera's RBI single in the third before scoring three in the fifth on Martinez's two-run double and Shin-Soo Choo's RBI single.

In the seventh, Martinez singled in a run and Mark DeRosa hit a two-run homer. Martinez added a leadoff homer in the ninth before Ben Francisco singled home the final run.

Justin Masterson (2-2) got his first loss at Fenway Park after going 7-0.

Pavano agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with Cleveland as a free agent in early January.

He had spent most of the previous four seasons on the disabled list with the New York Yankees with shoulder and elbow problems on a contract worth $39.95 million. He made only 26 starts for them and missed the entire 2006 season.

Pavano's track record against the Red Sox has been poor. In his last start against them, he allowed five runs in 3 2-3 innings in a 17-1 loss in New York on May 28, 2005. And in his other two starts at Fenway, he was 0-2 with a 24.75 ERA.

Pavano retired eight of his last nine batters and finished with four strikeouts and three walks. He was helped by double play grounders in the first and second and gave up just two hits in his last four innings.

His roughest inning was the second when the first three batters reached base on a walk to Jason Bay, a double by Mike Lowell and a walk to Jason Varitek that loaded the bases. Bay scored on Jeff Bailey's double play and Lowell came in on Jonathan Van Every's single.

Notes: Boston played without 1B Kevin Youkilis, who had tightness in his left side, and CF Jacoby Ellsbury, who had a tight right hamstring. Both were hurt in the two-games series at the New York Yankees that ended Tuesday. ... The Indians called up RHP Matt Herges from Triple-A Columbus and optioned LHP Rafael Perez to the minor league team. They also released RHP Juan Salas. ... Red Sox SS Jed Lowrie, on the disabled list following surgery on his left wrist, said before the game he hopes top return by the All-Star break.

[Associated Press; By HOWARD ULMAN]

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