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Bay-watch: Homer sparks Red Sox over Athletics

Aug 3, 2008 - 3:38 AM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Jason Bay continued his honeymoon with the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night.

Bay and Kevin Youkilis connected for home runs to highlight a five-run first inning outburst as the Red Sox rolled over the Oakland A's, 12-2, at Fenway Park.

Youkilis finished with four RBI and added his second two-run homer of the night in the eighth to cap Boston's breakout night.

With Manny Ramirez now playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Youkilis leads the team in RBI with 74.

"He seems to have that (power) in spurts," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of Youkilis. "He had a real good run early. The reason I don't say much about it is because if he swings at strikes, whatever we get, it doesn't necessarily have to be home runs, but driving the ball in the gap, we'll take that. That's good enough.

"It's certainly great to see the ball leave the ballpark but he hasn't sold out his swing to hit home runs."

Jon Lester (10-3) pitched seven innings, allowing two runs and seven hits while joining Daisuke Matsuzaka as 10-game winners on the Boston staff.

The first five Boston batters facing Oakland lefthander Dana Eveland (7-8) collected hits, including Bay's three-run blast - his first homer in a Red Sox uniform and 23rd this season.

"It was the last thing on my mind, which is usually what happens when you hit home runs," Bay said. "You're not trying to. Youkilis tied it and to kind of come right back and get the lead after that first inning, it was big. It was a good all-around night offensively."

It was also Bay's first homer before the home fans at Fenway Park, a venue he's not accustomed to yet.

"I learned yesterday that you don't come in the dugout after you score a run because you get pounded in the head pretty good," Bay said. "I took that thing off immediately when I got there. Other than that, some guys had a couple of laughs because I was running down the line pretty hard and that ball went out by a pretty good margin. I'm not used to the park yet but hopefully it will come to me."

The five-run first was no joke to Eveland.

"I felt really, really good today," Eveland said. "Even while they were hitting me around, I felt really good. It's the best I've thrown the baseball in a month and a half and to have that outcome is pretty frustrating for me."

Emil Brown got the night off on the right foot for Oakland when he drove a hanging curve over the "Green Monster" for his 10th homer and a 2-0 A's lead.

"We got a nice two-run homer in the first that got us up and they struck back so quick with five straight hits," A's manager Bob Geren said. "His command in the strike zone just wasn't there. When he did throw strikes, they weren't in the right locations and there's no doubt he struggled tonight."

Eveland was knocked out of the game in the third when Jed Lowrie added a three-run double. Eveland allowed eight hits and nine runs, all earned, while walking two and striking out two. It was the shortest outing of the season for the rookie.

Lenny DiNardo finished the game, throwing 89 pitches over six innings, allowing six hits and three runs.

"(Eveland) did bounce back in the second and thought he maybe he could salvage a start and we're only down three but he didn't have the command in the third. To the credit of Lenny, he came in and really saved the bullpen," Geren said.