Red Sox Score 6 In 1st To Roll Past Brewers 12-3
BOSTON (AP) -- Kevin Youkilis hit a three-run homer to highlight Boston's six-run first inning and Tim Wakefield held Milwaukee to three hits over eight innings, carrying the Red Sox to a 12-3 win over the Brewers on Sunday.
Dustin Pedroia had a solo homer and drove in two runs, and Marco Scutaro hit a two-run shot for the Red Sox, who won their 13th in 15 games.
Nyjer Morgan and Prince Fielder homered for Milwaukee, which dropped two of three games at Fenway Park this weekend and have lost five of seven overall since winning eight of 10.
Wakefield (4-2) only gave up Casey McGehee's second-inning double besides the two homers in posting his 183rd career win with the Red Sox. He struck out six and walked one.
A few minutes after the Red Sox honored the Stanley Cup champion Bruins with a pregame ceremony, they turned Fenway into a TD Garden atmosphere during their six-run first inning, blaring a loud fog horn and playing the same music that's played down the other end of the city when the hockey team scores.
Jacoby Ellsbury and Pedroia each singled and advanced on a wild pitch before Adrian Gonzalez reached on starter Yovani Gallardo's fielding error when he dropped first baseman Fielder's toss covering the bag. Ellsbury scored on the play. Youkilis then followed with his homer into the seats above the Green Monster, making it 4-0.
David Ortiz and J.D. Drew followed with singles, and Josh Reddick walked with two outs, loading the bases for Ellsbury's ground-rule double that made it 6-0.
Gallardo (8-4) was tagged for eight runs -- five earned -- on nine hits, walked two and struck out four in three-plus innings. The right-hander had allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts.
Milwaukee cut it to 6-2 on Morgan's two-run homer in the top of the second, but Boston broke it open with two in fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Boston chased Gallardo in the fourth when Pedroia homered leading off and Gonzalez tripled for his 1,000th career hit. Gonzalez scored on Ortiz's ground out, making it 8-2.
Pedroia also had a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Scutaro's two-run homer off Sergio Mitre made it 11-2 in the sixth.
Fielder homered into the right-field seats in the seventh. Gonzalez added an RBI single in the seventh.
Notes: Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said he wasn't sure if Shaun Marcum, who left Friday's game with a left hip flexor, would make his next start. "We'll have to make that decision (Monday)," he said. The manager said Marcum had an MRI on Saturday and will be checked out again at home on Monday. ... Roenicke proved to be correct about Wakefield in his pregame meeting with the media. "It's completely different (facing him)," he said. "You can't prepare for him. If he's got a good knuckleball you're not going to hit him." ... The Red Sox placed RHP Clay Buchholz on the 15-day DL with a strained lower back that's been bothering him for a few games and recalled LHP Andrew Miller from Triple-A Pawtucket. Miller, who went 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA in 13 games with the Pawsox, is scheduled to start on Monday. "We're hoping to see exactly what he was doing in Triple-A -- pound the strike zone," Boston manager Terry Francona said. ... Brewers usher Bob Kozlowski sang 'God Bless America' during the seventh-inning stretch. ... Gonzalez matched his career-high with his third triple of the year.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
