Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Daisuke Matsuzaka threw seven strong innings as the Boston Red Sox downed the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-1, in the second of a three-game set at Fenway Park.
Matsuzaka Dominates Blue Jays In Red Sox Win
Matsuzaka (2-1) gave up just one run on three hits with no walks and a season- high nine strikeouts for the Red Sox, who have won three straight and seven of nine. Jason Varitek went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs scored.
Fred Lewis drove in the lone run while John Buck went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Blue Jays, who have dropped three of four. Dana Eveland (3-2) went four-plus innings in the start and was charged with six runs -- five earned -- on five hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
The Red Sox worked a pair of runs across in the first inning. Marco Scutaro led off with a walk and Dustin Pedroia followed with a ground-rule double. J.D. Drew brought home the first run when he grounded out to first and Kevin Youkilis followed with a sacrifice fly to right for a 2-0 lead.
Boston made it a 3-0 game in the second as Varitek smoked a one-out, 2-0 pitch over the Green Monster for his sixth home run of the season.
Boston loaded the bases in the third with one out, but Mike Lowell hit into a double play to end the inning.
However, the Red Sox padded their lead with another run in the fourth inning. With one out, Varitek singled and Bill Hall followed with a blooper to right- center that fell between three Jays and Vernon Wells was charged with the error. Darnell McDonald then doubled to left to score Varitek.
Meanwhile, Matsuzaka was cruising through his start. Through five innings, he gave up just a one-out single to Buck in the third inning.
Boston got two more runs in the fifth as a wild pitch from Shawn Camp scored Drew and Hall later hit into a fielder's choice that scored Youkilis for a 6-0 lead.
Toronto finally got to Matsuzaka in the sixth. Buck led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Travis Snider struck out, Lewis doubled off the wall in center to plate Buck. Matsuzaka, though, got Aaron Hill to foul out and Adam Lind to strike out to end the frame.
Ramon Ramirez gave up a two-out walk to Snider and a single to Lewis in the eighth, but then got Hill to ground out.
Hideki Okajima then tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the win.
Lewis extended his hitting streak to eight games while Buck stretched his to six...Boston has won five straight against Toronto and 11 of the past 14...Matsuzaka is 5-1 over eight games against Toronto...Eveland fell to 0-3 in five starts against Boston...Youkilis went 0-for-1 in the game and had a nine-game hit streak end while Scutaro finished 0-for-3 and had an eight-game hit streak stopped.
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