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Ramirez, Ortiz lead balanced attack in Red Sox win

May 26, 2007 - 7:30 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- With David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez appearing in the heart of the lineup, the Boston Red Sox expect to score runs.

Ortiz and Ramirez each had two hits, scored a run and posted an RBI as the Red Sox downed the Texas Rangers, 10-6, in the first game of a three-game series on Friday.

With Boston trailing, 5-4, in the fifth, Ortiz belted a double to deep right off Rangers reliever Wes Littleton (0-1) to tie the score at 5-5. Ramirez followed with a single to center to score Ortiz to put the Red Sox up for good at 6-5.

"We came back after we gave up that lead," said Boston catcher Jason Varitek, who had two RBI. "We came back with some real good at-bats and were able to push two across (in the fifth). That was an important part of the game because the momentum had already swung their way."

Boston pulled away with a four-run sixth off Rangers reliever Frank Francisco as Jason Varitek, Coco Crisp, Julio Lugo and Kevin Youkilis each had run-scoring hits to extend the lead to 10-5.

Youkilis posted two hits for the Red Sox, extending his hit streak to 17 games.

Every Red Sox batter, with the exception of Dustin Pedroia, scored a run. J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell were the only Boston hitters to not record a hit or a RBI.

"I think that's a big part of any team having success - one through nine - having guys chip in," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "Pedroia got a bunt down right in the middle of that rally (in the sixth), it ended up being big. That's a good formula for winning."

Daisuke Matsuzaka (7-2) benefited from the strong Boston offense once again as they provided him six runs - the seventh straight start that the Japanese righthander has received at least that much run support.

He surrendered five runs and seven hits - including two homers - with three walks and six strikeouts. Matsuzaka tied his season low by lasting only five innings before leaving the contest due to nausea.

"I felt very good coming out of my warmup in the bullpen and I was looking forward to pitching this game, but all of a sudden, I didn't feel too well," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter. "I tried my best to take the team as deep into the game as possible to fulfill my responsibility as the starter."

"You couldn't see any signs of it or evidence of it pre-game," Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell said. "The first inning, he went out (and) felt fine, but in the bottom of the second, you could see it coming on, the pain was starting to emerge, even to the point there was some dry-heaving on the mound in the second inning. By the fifth inning, it was coming on again and it was time to get him out of there."

Farrell did not think Matsuzaka's illness affected his performance despite the righthander allowing five runs in the fourth. The Japanese import received IV fluids after the game.

"His velocity was still strong throughout the fifth inning," Farrell said. "I think the fourth inning was more a result of not changing speeds as effectively as he had done. I wouldn't say the five-run fourth was a result of how he was feeling as much as it was just not mixing his stuff as effectively as he was prior to that. But I think the fact that he got through five innings speaks volumes to the competitor he is."

Rangers starter Brandon McCarthy threw 66 pitches as he lasted just two innings before succumbing to a blister on his right middle finger. He allowed one hit and four runs with four walks and a strikeout.

"It was on the finger tip," McCarthy said. "It keeps reforming and this time I couldn't get rid of it. I kept throwing, thinking it was going to get better."

"I wouldn't say it affected him, he just couldn't find his control," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "When you face a team like that, they're not going to swing if it's not over the plate. If you walk four guys in an inning against that team, eventually someone's going to get you."

Friday's outing marked the third time in 10 starts the righthander has failed to pitch more than two frames.

"It's pretty annoying," McCarthy said. "It's a tough one to swallow but the job is to move on and get better."

Littleton yielded two runs and five hits over three innings in relief of McCarthy to take the loss.

Frank Catalanotto and Ramon Vazquez each homered for the Rangers, who have lost three straight.

"Every night, we come out and know we have to score a lot of runs," Catalanotto said. "This is a good hitting team and a lot of times, we will score a lot of runs."

The start of the game was delayed one hour, 57 minutes by rain.

"It was tough with the rain delay," said Lugo, who registered two RBI and two stolen bases. "Every time you play after a rain delay, it's tough because you don't know when the game's going to stop or when it's going to start, but we kept our minds into this game."