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Bay hits 3-run homer as Red Sox win 11th straight

Apr 28, 2009 - 3:11 AM By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND(AP) -- Jason Bay watched Kerry Wood's first fastball, a stitched, spinning blur, whizz past without taking a swing.

He watched the next one, too.

All the way into the bleachers.

Bay took another star closer deep, hitting a three-run homer in the ninth inning off Wood as the Red Sox won their 11th straight, 3-1 over the Cleveland Indians on Monday night.

Down one strike, Bay pulled a 99-mph heater from Wood (0-1) into the left-field seats as Boston extended its longest winning streak since a 12-gamer in 2006.

"The guy throws like 100 miles an hour," Bay said. "You have to put it your mind to try and hit a mistake. I got a fastball up over the plate, and I didn't miss it."

Bay's third hit sent the Red Sox to another drama-filled win. They were coming off an emotional three-game sweep at Fenway Park over the rival New York Yankees, a series that began with Bay connecting for a two-run, two-out homer in the ninth off Mariano Rivera.

First Rivera. Now Wood. Bay's afraid he's going to end up on someone's hit list.

"There's going to be a bounty out on me," he said with a laugh.

In his last four games, Bay has nine hits with two homers and nine RBIs.

Wood replaced starter Cliff Lee, who shut out the Red Sox for eight innings, to start the ninth. He walked Dustin Pedroia to open the ninth and gave up David Ortiz's bloop single to center before Bay pounced on a pitch Wood wishes he could have back.

"It was a matter of missing my spot," Wood said. "Good hitters hit those pitches, bad hitters hit those pitches. Cliff shuts them down for 106 pitches, then I throw 12 and we're down 3-0. It's not good to waste a great performance by your ace pitcher.

"I didn't do my job."

Lee and Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield matched strikes and zeros for seven innings.

Lee went 22-3 last season with the last loss in Boston on Sept. 23. The left-hander, though, was in award-winning form, allowing five hits in eight innings. He walked none and struck out five.

"That was the Cy Young guy from last year," Bay said. "He was around the plate and getting outs with that fastball. The radar gun says 92-93, but he's got some life on it and it plays a little bit harder than that."

The Indians have dropped six of eight.

"Obviously we're not happy with where we are," said Lee, who has allowed two runs in his last 16 innings. "We think we are a better team than this."

Wakefield blanked the Indians on one hit - a first-inning single by Victor Martinez - over seven innings. He walked four, hit a batter and threw one wild pitch. Manager Terry Francona pulled the right-hander to start the eighth for Manny Delcarmen (1-0).

Jonathan Paplebon gave up Mark DeRosa's RBI single in the ninth before getting his fifth save.

Wakefield had the Indians off-balance, and Boston catcher George Kottaras had a hard time spearing the soft tosses. He had two passed balls that put runners in scoring position, but each time Wakefield worked out of it.

The Indians played the final five innings without manager Eric Wedge, who was ejected after calls on consecutive pitches went against Cleveland. Wedge was most upset with plate umpire C.B. Bucknor for overruling the third base ump on a grounder.

"It's not his call right there," said Wedge, still fuming hours later. "The third-base ump is closer, had the best look and made the right call. Cliff's out there working his tail off and has to get the guy out twice - at least."

Notes: Cleveland's Grady Sizemore, who received his 2008 Gold Glove in a pregame ceremony, took an extra-base hit away from Kevin Youkilis in the fourth with a diving catch in right-center. ... Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury's "straight" steal of home on Sunday against the Yankees was the first by a Boston player since Billy Hatcher on April 22, 1994. Ellsbury said he received more than 30 text messages about his crime. ... OF Matt LaPorta, acquired by the Indians from Milwaukee in the deal for CC Sabathia last summer, is batting .400 at Triple-A Columbus. He batted .520 and was the International League's top player last week.