Red Sox wild in 4-2 loss to Twins

[May 28, 2009]  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Daisuke Matsuzaka and the rest of Boston's pitchers tied a modern-day record with six wild pitches while Twins starter Kevin Slowey was the picture of control in Minnesota's 4-2 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday night.

Matsuzaka (0-3) tied a franchise record set 80 years ago with four wild pitches, while relievers Manny Delcarmen and Justin Masterson also sent catcher George Kottaras scrambling. It was just the fifth time since 1900 that a team threw six wild pitches in a game.

Slowey (7-1) gave up two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and just one walk in six innings.

Speedy Denard Span had four hits, a walk and two runs scored for the Twins. Five of the wild pitches came with him on base.

Matsuzaka was all over the place in his second start off the disabled list. He gave up three runs on nine hits in five innings with three walks and six strikeouts. He became the first Red Sox pitcher to throw four wild pitches in a game since Milt Gaston on Sept. 14, 1929.

Matsuzaka was even wild during warmups. When he came out in the fifth inning, he bounced one in front of first baseman Jeff Bailey, who was filling in while Kottaras got his gear on.

His relievers weren't much better. When Masterson wasn't bouncing pitches in the dirt, he was hitting Twins batters. The lanky right-hander plunked Michael Cuddyer with the bases loaded in the sixth to score Span and give the Twins a 4-2 lead.

Jacoby Ellsbury had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 22 games and Jason Bay hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, snapping a string of 11 straight home runs that came with runners on base. That was one short of the major league record.

Jason Kubel had two hits, two walks and an RBI and Joe Mauer had a single and a sacrifice fly for the Twins.

Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier threw two innings of hitless relief to set up Joe Nathan's eighth save.

Boston's slumping slugger, David Ortiz, batted sixth again and continued to look slow with the stick. He struck out on three pitches in his first at-bat, the last an 89 mph fastball that Slowey left up and over the middle of the plate.

Big Papi hit one to the warning track in center field in the sixth, then walked to the dugout shaking his head. He finished 0 for 4 to drop his average to .193.

Notes: The California Angels were the last team to throw six wild pitches in a game, against Minnesota on April 13, 1991. ... Twins 3B Joe Crede said his bruised hand felt better on Wednesday and he expected to be back in the lineup on Thursday. ... Normally sure-handed Twins SS Nick Punto had an error for the second game in a row. His fifth error of the season came in the first inning when he overthrew Justin Morneau at 1B, allowing Dustin Pedroia to get to second. ... Pedroia singled in the third to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. ... Twins LF Delmon Young snapped an 0-for-19 skid with a sharply hit single in the second inning.

[Associated Press; By JON KRAWCZYNSKI]

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