Manny Ramirez Powers Red Sox Over Indians, 14-9
Manny Ramirez was 3-for-4 with two homers as Boston crushed the Tribe. (AI Wire photo)
Manny Ramirez hit the third-longest home run at Jacobs Field, a tree-clearing solo shot, and added a two-run homer as the Boston Red Sox outslugged the Cleveland Indians, 14-9, on Thursday night.
Ramirez’s tape-measure rocket in the second inning off Cliff Lee (5-8), conservatively estimated at 481 feet, set the tone for the Red Sox, who won three of the four games against one of the AL’s other premier teams.
After the Indians closed to 12-9, Ramirez connected again with an eighth-inning drive that barely cleared the wall in center. It was his 49th multihomer game, tying Hall of Famers Mel Ott and Eddie Mathews for 12th on the career list.
Wily Mo Pena hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs, and Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell drove in two runs apiece for Boston.
Ryan Garko hit a three-run shot and Franklin Gutierrez homered for the Indians.
Julian Tavarez (6-8) relieved starter Kason Gabbard in the fifth, working out of a bases-loaded jam. He lasted 2.1 innings.
The Red Sox opened a 9-1 lead with a five-run fifth, putting Gabbard in position to improve to 5-0, but he couldn’t maintain his effective pitching in the bottom half of the inning and was pulled.
Boston paid -114 on the moneyline (meaning a winning wager of $114 would net a $100 profit).
In other early AL action on Thursday:
Chicago White Sox 4, Detroit 3: Scott Podsednik scored from first base on pitcher Zach Miner’s throwing error in the ninth inning, and host Chicago took three of five against the defending AL champions. Podsednik, who came off the disabled list Tuesday after recovering from a strained left rib cage and finishing a five-game rehab stint at Triple-A Charlotte, stole 59 bases for the White Sox in 2005, but has been bothered by a number of injuries since. He has only played in 23 games for Chicago this season. Podsednik led off the ninth with a base hit against Miner (1-3) and Josh Fields sacrificed. Miner bobbled the ball and then made a bad throw to second baseman Placido Polanco, who was covering first base, allowing the winning. The White Sox paid +151.
Baltimore 10, Tampa Bay 7: Brian Roberts hit a three-run homer, walked three times and scored twice, leading the Orioles to a win at Camden Yards that paid their backers -125 straight up. Kevin Millar, Nick Markakis and Chris Gomez had two RBIs apiece for the Orioles, now 9-4 since the All-Star break. Baltimore has won four in a row and is 18-13 under interim manager Dave Trembley.
For complete MLB odds for Friday, visit the Bodog Sportsbook.