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GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) -- Things went much smoother for Eric Milton in his
latest start against the Boston Red Sox.
Milton gave up four hits in eight shutout innings as the
Minnesota Twins beat the Red Sox for the first time in eight games
this season, 4-2 on Monday night.
|  | | Left-hander Eric Milton ended an awful 0-4 stretch (with an 8.02 ERA to boot) with eight scoreless innings in Boston. |
Milton gave up seven runs in three innings during a 14-4 loss to
Boston on July 4, triggering a rough stretch in which he went 0-4
with an 8.02 ERA.
"It's a matter of pitching a good game," Milton said. "I had
a real bad game the last time that I faced them. I was horrible.
Sometimes you have two pitches. Sometimes you have three. I had all
four working."
Last September 11, Milton no-hit Anaheim at home -- but manager Tom
Kelly was more impressed with Monday's effort.
"That may be the best game he's ever pitched," Kelly said. "I
know he's pitched a no-hitter and you're going to say `What the
heck are you talking about?', but he mixed all of his pitches. He
threw 111 pitches and pitched a heck of a game."
Before the game, Red Sox center fielder Carl Everett
unexpectedly dropped his appeal of a 10-game suspension for bumping
plate umpire Ronald Kulpa twice during a July 15 game. He will be
eligible to return when Kansas City comes to Boston on August 4.
Everett withdrew his appeal because of a sore right hand,
incurred when he punched a bat rack after he was ejected.
Milton (9-6) allowed only one runner to reach second base on
Monday, when Jeff Frye doubled leading off the fourth. After Frye's
hit he retired the side in order, striking out the last two. He
finished with one walk and eight strikeouts.
"He's been tough in the past," Boston catcher Scott Hatteberg
said. "You've got a guy like that on the mound and it's tough to
score runs. Good pitching beats good hitting."
Boston, which lost for just the fourth time in 12 games since
the All-Star break, outscored the Twins 68-37 in the previous seven
meetings.
The Red Sox didn't have Everett in the lineup and Milton took
care of the rest of the hitters.
"When Eric throws like he did, it makes it tough on the other
team to score," said Ron Coomer, who hit a two-run homer for
Minnesota.
Corey Koskie and Chad Moeller each drove in runs for the Twins.
Bob Wells got one out in the ninth before allowing Nomar
Garciaparra's double. Eddie Guardado relieved and got another out
before Israel Alcantara hit his second career home run to cut it to
4-2. Guardado then struck out Sean Berry to end the game.
Tomo Ohka (0-1), making his first start with the Red Sox this
season after being recalled from Pawtucket on July 21, gave up four
runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings. He was 9-6 with a 3.08 ERA
in Triple-A.
Minnesota, which was swept and outscored 44-27 by Boston in a
four-game series at home earlier this month, went ahead 1-0 in the
first when Koskie doubled home David Ortiz, who singled.
Coomer made it 3-0 with his 13th homer in the third following
Denny Hocking's single. Moeller's RBI double made it 4-0 in the
fourth.
Game notes
Ohka was 1-2 with a 6.23 ERA with the Red Sox last season.
... Boston GM Dan Duquette discussed the club's decision to
designate Mike Stanley for assignment Sunday saying, "It's a good
time to remind everyone we're here to win the pennant. A lot of
times you have to make tough decisions." Stanley has until
Wednesday to accept the assignment or become a free agent. ...
Ortiz singled in his first at-bat, giving him 16 hits in 24
at-bats, before going hitless his next three trips. ... Minnesota
3B Koskie fell into his own dugout after catching a foul pop in the
first. ... Boston right-hander Bret Saberhagen, recovering from
offseason shoulder surgery, threw 52 pitches for Pawtucket in his
second rehab start, working four scoreless innings. He allowed two
hits, walked two and struck out two. ... Red Sox OF Bernard Gilkey
is in a 2-for-20 slump.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
Yankees reportedly in negotiations with Orioles for Surhoff
RECAPS
Arizona -1
Cleveland -1
Minnesota 4
Boston 2
Tampa Bay 4
Detroit 2
NY Yankees 4
Baltimore 3
Chi. White Sox 7
Kansas City 6
Anaheim 6
Texas 5
Seattle 6
Oakland 4
Houston 7
Cincinnati 5
Los Angeles 4
Colorado 1
San Francisco 3
San Diego 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Scott Hatteberg says Carl Everett is tough to replace.
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