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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- Steve Ontiveros isn't the answer to a Boston
rotation that remains very thin behind Pedro Martinez.
Juan Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Billy
McMillon a two-run triple in the second as the Detroit Tigers beat
the Red Sox 12-2 Saturday night to gain a split of a day-night
doubleheader.
|  | | Nomar Garciaparra, left, and Carl Everett high-five after Boston's win over the Tigers. Both had run-scoring singles that sparked the Red Sox's comeback. |
In the opener, Carl Everett hit a tiebreaking RBI single and
Nomar Garciaparra followed with a two-run single in the ninth as
the Red Sox won, 8-5.
The split left Boston 1½ games behind Cleveland and Oakland in
the AL wild card race.
Ontiveros' first big-league appearance since 1995 lasted just 10
batters in one-plus innings. The 39-year-old right-hander (0-1),
who had "Tommy John" surgery twice on his elbow, gave up six
runs, five hits -- four for extra bases -- with two walks and a
strikeout.
"It didn't work tonight, so we move on," Boston manager Jimy
Williams said. "They hit the ball hard and scored runs. He just
got hit."
Ontiveros was his own worst critic after throwing just 44
pitches
"I don't go a whole game throwing that many pitches up in the
zone. I can't understand how everything was so up today,"
Ontiveros said. "When I throw changeups chest-high up and away,
that is not me. That's not even close to me.
"Unfortunately I put the team in a huge hole. No excuses.
There's absolutely no reason for me to pitch the way that I did. I
just put us in such a deep hole we couldn't get out of it."
A seven-run second helped the Tigers break out to a 9-0 lead en
route to just their second win in 11 games.
"Well, that's better, obviously," manager Phil Garner said.
"All the hits we haven't been getting we got in one inning."
"It's been a while since we've gone out and put runs on the
board like that," said Dean Palmer, who had two doubles and an
RBI. "It was a great feeling."
Hideo Nomo (7-11), who has won four of five decisions, allowed
solo homers by Brian Daubach and Izzy Alcantara but little else. He
gave up eight hits and struck out seven in eight innings as Detroit
won for the second time in 11 games.
"Even though I gave up a couple of home runs, we got so much
(scoring) I just try to throw strikes," Nomo said through an
interpreter. "It's OK every once in a while. I love these kinds of
games."
Gonzalez, whose home run Friday was the first ball he'd hit out
of Comerica Park since June 17, gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead with his
22nd homer after Damion Easley singled in the first. Gonzalez also
had an RBI single in the second.
"He smoked a couple of balls," Garner said. "And when he hits
the ball good, he picks everyone else up."
McMillon's triple finished Ontiveros and was the big hit in the
second, which also included run-scoring hits from Juan Encarnacion,
Bobby Higginson, Deivi Cruz and Brad Ausmus.
Easley's sacrifice fly gave Detroit a 10-1 lead in the fifth,
and the Tigers added two in the eighth on Robert Fick's sacrifice
fly and Palmer's run-scoring double.
Pinch hitters did the damage for Boston in the opener as Everett
had a pinch-hit single in a three-run eighth, then pinch singles
from Midre Cummings and Scott Hatteberg helped key a three-run
ninth that provided the last of four lead changes.
Garciaparra, who had three hits and three RBI, hit an RBI
single in the eighth after he should've walked. With the scoreboard
out and plate umpire Rick Reed confused after a couple of wild
pitches moved Everett to third, Garciaparra stayed at the plate
after taking a ball on what should've been a full count and singled
on the next pitch.
"I had no idea what the count was. I was so focused on getting
a hit. I figured if it was a walk the umpire would tell me,"
Garciaparra said. "I kind of looked up and saw it kept saying 1-2.
I knew it was something different than that. I saw (Everett) get to
third and then I thought 'try to get a knock here; be patient.' A
4-2 pitch; good piece of hitting."
Neither Reed nor the other umpires would comment.
Trot Nixon hit a leadoff homer in the first, tripled in the
eighth and scored three runs for Boston.
With the score tied 5-all in the ninth, Cummings hit a one-out
pinch single off Matt Anderson (3-2). Hatteberg singled off Todd
Jones before a two-out walk to Jose Offerman loaded the bases.
Everett, who flared a pinch RBI single just over the infield in
the eighth, beat out a slow roller to shortstop, scoring
pinch-runner Donnie Sadler. Garciaparra followed with a solid
single that made it 8-5.
Hipolito Pichardo (6-3) got two outs for the win, and Derek Lowe
pitched the ninth for his 36th save.
McMillon homered in the first off Boston starter Rolando Arrojo
and Rich Becker hit a tying two-run homer in the eighth.
Game notes
Garciaparra sat out the nightcap. ... After using 24
players in Friday's 7-6 win, the Red Sox used 22 in Saturday's
opener. ... Arrojo made his 10th start for Boston and gave up three
runs and seven hits in seven innings. Detroit's first-game starter,
Brian Moehler, allowed three runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings.
... Nixon's leadoff homer was the second of the season for the Red
Sox. Offerman did it April 25 against Texas' Rick Helling.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 8
Detroit 5
Detroit 12
Boston 2
(2nd game)
NY Yankees 6
Cleveland 3
Oakland 5
Tampa Bay 2
Seattle 14
Baltimore 0
Chi. White Sox 6
Toronto 3
Anaheim 7
Minnesota 6
Kansas City 8
Texas 5
Cincinnati 7
Milwaukee 3
St. Louis 7
Chicago Cubs 6
Atlanta 12
Arizona 10
NY Mets 10
Montreal 4
Florida 3
Philadelphia 2
Houston 10
Pittsburgh 9
San Francisco 4
San Diego 3
Los Angeles 5
Colorado 4
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