Red Sox, Braves trade wins

ByReuters

Published 20/05/2007 at 05:54 GMT

Round-up: The Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves traded one-sided victories in a double-header at Fenway Park. In the opener, Boston's Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka got his sixth win of the season and the Red Sox hit four home runs and had a season-hi

BASEBALL 2007 MLB Daisuke Matsuzaka Boston red Sox

Image credit: Reuters

John Smoltz then pitched seven shutout innings in the second game and the Braves registered a season-high for runs and hits in a 14-0 rout.

It was American League-leading Boston's worst shutout loss in 17 years.

Matsuzaka worked eight innings and is 3-0 with a 1.87 ERA in his last three starts. He is 6-2 in his first season in the Major Leagues.

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Speaking via an interpreter, he said he was beginning to feel more settled since coming to the United States from Japan.

"I feel like I am doing better compared to the outset of the season, so it definitely looks like that," he said.

With Boston holding a massive lead in the first game, Matsuzaka was lifted after eight innings, denying him the chance at two straight complete games.

Mike Lowell stroked four hits, including a grand slam homer, and drove in five runs. Julio Lugo, Kevin Youkilis and Wily Mo Pena also homered for the Sox.

In the second of the two games, both played with light to steady rain falling much of the time after Friday night's game was rained out, Chipper Jones, Matt Diaz and Kelly Johnson hit home runs.

The Braves had 18 hits, including 12 extra base hits, one shy of the club record. Johnson also had a double and triple and drove in five runs.

Smoltz, who dislocated the pinky finger on his right hand in his previous start, allowed just three hits and moved his season's record to 6-2, tallying his 199th career victory.

Pitching for the first time after turning 40, he moved into 17th place on the all-time Major League strikeout list (2,833) and has now thrown 20 2/3 scoreless innings at Fenway Park.

Tom Glavine earned his 295th career win and David Wright hit a pair of two-run homers as the New York Mets beat their Big Apple rivals the Yankees 10-7.

Derrek Lee smacked a pinch-hit grand slam in a six-run eighth inning that carried the Chicago Cubs to an 11-6 win over the White Sox.

Minnesota scored their 12th straight inter-league win with a 5-2 victory over Milwaukee.

Detroit won their second straight over St. Louis in the rematch of last year's World Series, winning 8-7.

REUTERS

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