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Nix, Marte homer for Indians in 9-1 win vs. Boston

Aug 5, 2010 - 3:30 AM By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer

BOSTON(AP) -- Justin Masterson doesn't hold a grudge against the Red Sox for shipping him to Cleveland at the trading deadline last year.

Instead, he holds on to the things he learned during his three years in the Boston organization.

"It keeps you locked in the whole time, because you know that at any time they can make that comeback," Masterson said Wednesday night after beating his former team for the second time this season, pitching five solid innings to lead the Indians to a 9-1 victory over the Red Sox.

Andy Marte hit a three-run homer in a five-run seventh inning, and Jayson Nix homered off the Fisk Pole to give Cleveland its fourth win in five games. The Indians took advantage of three Boston errors to score seven unearned runs, including all five in the seventh when they turned a 4-1 game into a 9-1 blowout.

The Indians, who put catcher Carlos Santana and designated hitter Travis Hafner on the disabled list this week, improved to 12-8 since the All-Star break and moved out of last place and into a tie for fourth. Nix was at DH on Wednesday, and Lou Marson went 1-for-4 at catcher.

"A lot of them are happy to be here and see the ballpark and all that," manager Manny Acta said. "They've got an opportunity to impress us over the next two months."

Masterson was the winning pitcher for Boston in Game 5 of the 2008 AL championship series when the Red Sox staged the biggest postseason rally since 1929, coming back from a 7-0 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays. With Cleveland this year, he is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA against Boston and 2-10 with a 6.06 ERA against everyone else.

Masterson threw a two-hit shutout against the Red Sox on June 9, a game in which not a single Boston baserunner reached second base. He wasn't quite that good on Wednesday, but he held the Red Sox scoreless long enough for his teammates to take a 4-0 lead.

Making his first start at Fenway Park against the team that developed him, Masterson allowed one run on four hits and four walks, striking out three in five-plus innings.

"Unfortunately, (he was) pretty good," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We didn't have much to show for it when it was 4-1 and started to make him work and got him out of there."

David Ortiz homered for Boston, extending his hitting streak to 13 straight games - his longest in three years.

Jon Lester (11-7) gave up four runs - two of them earned - on seven hits and four walks, striking out three in five-plus innings. He has lost four consecutive starts for the first time in his career; he has gotten a total of three runs of support while he was in the game over that span.

Lester allowed one third-inning run and two more in the fifth, when Francona noticed him stretching out a cramp and came out to check on him for the first time. There was another problem in the sixth, but Lester stayed in; Nix homered on the next pitch to make it 4-0.

"He was cramping up," Francona said. "He didn't look too good (in the 6th). I went out there after the first two pitches. I felt bad leaving the mound. I felt like I gave up the home run."

Lester said he had a cramp in his left hamstring that may have been an effect of the hot (86 degree), humid weather.

"You're not used to pitching in these conditions," he said. "I'm in a funk right now. Weird things are happening. I've just got to keep working. Am I throwing the ball the best I can? No. But I've just got to keep grinding it out."

Jason Donald singled off Scott Atchison to lead off the seventh, then Asdrubal Cabrera reached on an error and went to second when his grounder over the bag got past first baseman Victor Martinez. Shin-Soo Choo was intentionally walked to load the bases; Donald scored on Shelley Duncan's grounder when shortstop Marco Scutaro's throw home pulled the catcher off the plate for another error.

One out later, Nix hit a sacrifice fly, and Marte homered with a high fly ball that bounced on the shelf atop the Green Monster and into the light stanchion.

NOTES: The Red Sox activated OF Jacoby Ellsbury from the disabled list before the game. He played CF and batted leadoff. It was just his 10th game of the season. ... Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia, who has been on the DL since June 26 with a broken left foot, will test it before Friday's game against the New York Yankees. ... The Red Sox had a message on the video board wishing "Coach Farnell" a happy 75th birthday. Pitching coach John Farrell is actually 48. ... Indians RHP Josh Tomlin makes his third major-league start on Thursday. He defeated the New York Yankees in his debut on July 27. ... Red Sox 1B/3B Kevin Youkilis is going to Cleveland to have his right thumb examined.