Red Sox 4 - 2 Guardians
Final
  for this game

Red Sox get by Indians behind Varitek, Beckett

May 25, 2011 - 4:38 AM

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Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Jason Varitek hit a two-run home run to back a strong start by Josh Beckett to help the Boston Red Sox take a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Indians in the second of a three-game series.

Jed Lowrie and Adrian Gonzalez each drove in a run for the Red Sox, who bounced back from Monday's 3-2 loss that saw Cleveland score twice in the eighth for the win.

Beckett (4-1) went 6 2/3 innings and was charged with one run on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts to help Boston win for a ninth time in its past 11 games.

"I had a few more [tough spots] today that I would have liked...but I made pitches when I needed to," Beckett said.

Travis Buck hit a solo home run while Ezequiel Carrera drove in the other run for the Indians, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Fausto Carmona (3-5) gave up four runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts over eight-plus innings to take the loss.

The Indians grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Buck led off with a single and Orlando Cabrera was then hit by a pitch. After the next two batters struck out, Carrera singled to center for score Buck for a 1-0 lead. On the play, Cabrera was thrown out trying to take third to end the inning.

Boston, though, answered in the third to take the lead. Carl Crawford was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning and promptly stole second. After Drew Sutton hit into a groundout that moved Crawford to third, Jacoby Ellsbury walked and Lowrie tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Gonzalez later doubled home Ellsbury for a 2-1 advantage.

The Indians had runners caught stealing in the third and fourth, and Carrera lined into a double play to end the fifth inning.

"You have to make sure they work for all of their outs, and we gave up a few on the bases," Indians manager Manny Acta said.

After the Indians were retired in order in the sixth, the Red Sox padded their lead on Varitek's two-run homer that hit the right field foul pole for a 4-1 lead.

Cleveland put men on first and third with two outs in the seventh, but Rich Hill took the mound and got Jack Hannahan to look at strike three.

Hill worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth inning while Jonathan Papelbon gave up a one-out solo home run to Buck before setting down the next two batters to pick up his ninth save of the year.

Game Notes

Beckett improved to 4-5 in nine starts against Cleveland...Carmona fell to 2-4 in nine games (seven starts) against Boston...Despite the loss, Cleveland is 19-5 at home this year, the best home mark in the majors...Cleveland came into the game having won all four contests against Boston this season.






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