Rizzo, Padres Beat Red Sox, 5-4
BOSTON (AP) -- Former Boston prospect Anthony Rizzo drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and the San Diego Padres snapped a season-long six-game losing streak with a 5-4 win over the Red Sox on Tuesday night.
Rizzo grounded out with the bases loaded to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, traded to Boston in the offseason for Rizzo and two other minor leaguers. Chase Headley scored on the slow roller that Gonzalez bobbled before getting the out at first.
Boston, losing for just the third time in 17 games, had tied it in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Gonzalez, who leads the
majors with 68 RBIs.
Chad Qualls (4-3) pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings to get the win. Heath Bell worked the ninth for his 19th save in 20 opportunities.
Boston's AL East lead dropped to one game over the New York Yankees, who were rained out at Cincinnati.
Headley started the seventh with a single off Dan Wheeler (0-1). Ryan Ludwick flied out, but Headley advanced to third on Jesus Guzman's ground-rule double and Orlando Hudson was walked intentionally.
Daniel Bard replaced Wheeler and allowed Rizzo's run-scoring grounder before Cameron Maybin bounced out to end the inning.
The Red Sox, who had scored at least 10 runs in five of their previous nine games, went ahead 1-0 on Kevin Youkilis' RBI double in the first.
Alfred Aceves, who got the start for Boston in place of major league ERA leader Josh Beckett, lost his control after retiring the first two batters in the second. He allowed two runs when he walked five consecutive batters -- Maybin, Nick Hundley, Chris Denorfia, Jason Bartlett and Headley. Then Ludwick flied out.
Aceves set down the first two batters in the third before getting into trouble again. Rizzo doubled and scored on Maybin's
single, and Hundley's run-scoring double put the Padres ahead 4-1.
Beckett has a stomach ailment and manager Terry Francona hopes he will be able to pitch Saturday at Pittsburgh.
The Red Sox got a run back in the third when Josh Reddick tripled and came home on Jacoby Ellsbury's single. Reddick, playing left field with Carl Crawford on the disabled list, added an RBI double in the fourth.
NOTES: The paid attendance of 38,422 was the largest at Fenway Park since the end of World War II. The previous top paid attendance was 38,347 on May 21, 2009, for a 5-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. ... The Padres made six player moves. They put 1B Brad Hawpe on the 15-day disabled list, optioned LHP Wade LeBlanc to Triple-A Tucson, promoted LHP Josh Spence from Double-A San Antonio, recalled Catcher Kyle Phillips from Tucson, designated OF Luis Durango for assignment and requested unconditional release waivers on INF Jorge Cantu. ... Boston DH David Ortiz's hitting streak at Fenway Park ended at 14 games.
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