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Ortiz, Matsuzaka lead Red Sox past Brewers

May 18, 2008 - 12:42 AM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer BOSTON (Ticker) -- With all eyes on Manny Ramirez as he stands two homers shy of 500, it was David Ortiz who supplied the home run power Saturday afternoon.

Ortiz homered and scored twice while Daisuke Matsuzaka scattered seven hits over 6 2/3 innings as the Boston Red Sox took the first game of a split doubleheader from the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-3, at Fenway Park.

Matsuzaka (7-0) became the first 7-0 pitcher in the American League and tied Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hurler Joe Saunders (7-1) for the league lead in wins.

"As a player, I want to keep winning but I think that Boston's ace is Josh Beckett," Matsuzaka said.

Jason Varitek doubled twice and scored for the Red Sox, who ended their four-game losing streak by beating former Boston righthander Jeff Suppan while Milwaukee fell for the third straight time in the opener of the weekend interleague series.

Suppan (2-3), who pitched for the Red Sox from 1995-97 and in 2003, retired the first two batters before running into problems with his command.

Ortiz worked a walk and Ramirez was hit on the left hand with a fastball. Kevin Youkilis singled to load the bases before J.D. Drew worked a bases-loaded walk on eight pitches to force Ortiz home with the first run.

With runners at first and second, Ortiz was again at the heart of Boston's rally in the second when he drilled a full-count pitch from Suppan into the first row of seats above the "Green Monster" in left for a three-run homer.

"I was going in, and it ran to the other side of the plate and, in that situation, that's not where I want to throw it. He's got a lot of power to all fields," Suppan said. "He's a good hitter."

Ortiz's eighth homer of the season put Boston up, 4-0.

"His command was off," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said of Suppan. "It was obvious, his pitch count got up real high. After the second inning, into the third, he settled down and his command was a lot better. He did a great job of keeping us in the ball game."

Suppan allowed nine hits and four runs over six innings, while walking two, striking out one and hitting a batter.

As he has done all season, Matsuzaka worked his way out several jams of his own making.

With the two outs and none on in the fifth, the Brewers managed to load the bases but Mike Cameron flew out to center. In the sixth, Ryan Braun opened with a single and Prince Fielder immediately doubled him to third.

But Matsuzaka retired the next three batters and held Milwaukee scoreless.

Matsuzaka allowed seven hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings, while walking two and striking out six.

"He did a good job," Varitek said of his battery mate. "When he got in trouble, he was able to settle down and make pitches and I think that's pretty key in this game. Rather than things escalating, he was able to make pitches and get himself out of it."

"It wasn't great but I felt that I was able to get out of some jams and build myself a decent game today," Matsuzaka added.

He retired the side in order just once - in the fourth.

"We felt like we were in it," Yost said. "We never felt like we weren't in it. We know that we've got the capabilities of putting some runs on the board in a hurry and getting back into any game. One inning, we had the bases loaded and didn't score. We got the pitch count up high and that was a nice inning to battle through, make him throw pitches and got his pitch count up to 80."

Youkilis, who entered with a major league record 221-game errorless streak at first base, played third for the resting Mike Lowell.

He booted Rickie Weeks' grounder with two outs in the seventh, opening the door again for the Brewers to rally.

"I don't ever like seeing any of our guys get errors but the fact you can go over there and play a major league third base is what we appreciate," Francona said.

Following the rare Youkilis miscue, Cameron then drilled a fastball from Matsuzaka over the wall in left to halve the deficit.

"He got into a rhythm as the game progressed," Francona said of Matsuzaka. "He left a cutter out over the middle to Cameron. He did a good job. He threw his off speed for strikes. He had the one long inning but other than that everything was 12, 13, 10, 11 (pitches). He was around the plate."

Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 12th save.