Beckett flirts with no-hitter; Red Sox top Tigers

[June 04, 2009]  DETROIT (AP) -- Josh Beckett did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the seventh inning and David Ortiz hit a two-run double, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 10-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.

The Red Sox, though, lost Kevin Youkilis to a freak injury in the eighth inning. Youkilis was stretching for a throw at first when Josh Anderson appeared to step on the back of his right ankle.

Beckett (6-2) gave up a single to Curtis Granderson with two outs in the seventh to end the no-hit bid. Beckett retired 18 straight batters after walking Placido Polanco with one out in the first until he walked Magglio Ordonez with one out in the seventh. Miguel Cabrera hit a fly to the warning track in right-center before Granderson singled to right.

The Tigers broke up the shutout with five unearned runs in the eighth thanks to three Boston errors and a bases-loaded triple by Granderson. Beckett left with two outs to a loud ovation from the Comerica Park crowd.

Detroit loaded the bases in the ninth, but Anderson lined out to end the game.

Beckett (6-2) allowed three unearned runs on two hits and two walks, striking out nine. In his last three starts, he has allowed one earned run in 22 2-3 innings -- a 0.40 ERA.

The only Tiger to come close to a hit in the first six innings was Gerald Laird, who led off the sixth with a bunt that just rolled foul.

Armando Galarraga (3-6) fell to 0-6 in seven starts since May 1, allowing four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and two walks in seven innings.

For the second straight night, the Red Sox needed just two batters to take the lead. This time, it was a Dustin Pedroia single followed by J.D. Drew's 200th career homer.

The Red Sox doubled their lead in the fifth. With one out, Jacoby Ellsbury lined a single off Galarraga, and he scored on Nick Green's double. Pedroia then grounded out to third, and when Green tried to advance to third, Cabrera threw wildly.

Green collided with Galarraga, who was backing up the play, and was awarded home, making it 4-0.

The Red Sox scored six runs in the eighth, including Ortiz's double with the bases loaded.

Notes: Beckett hit Laird in his first at-bat after the bunt attempt. ... Ellsbury picked up a hit from Tuesday's game after a scoring change was announced before Wednesday's first pitch. The second-inning play had originally been ruled an error on Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello. ... Detroit manager Jim Leyland said before the game that he was considering no longer using the usual extreme shift that several teams employ against Ortiz. He chose to use a modified version of it, playing SS Adam Everett just to the left-field side of second base instead of past the bag. ... Mike Lowell was ejected after the top of the ninth.

[Associated Press]

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