David Ortiz hit a home run and a two-run single in a six-run fourth inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Florida Marlins 8-2 in an interleague game on Tuesday.
Ortiz led off the fourth with a solo home run to right field and drove in two more runs later in the inning with his single to center field that gave the Red Sox an 8-1 lead.
“Like I told you guys at the beginning, it’s all about timing,” Ortiz said to reporters. “It’s working. I was trying to get my timing.”
PHOTO: AP
Ortiz, who had earlier been mired in a batting slump that forced him to have his eyes tested, has now hit safely in 10 of the past 13 games, driving in 10 runs and scoring six times.
Boston’s Tim Wakefield (9-3) earned the win, holding the Marlins to six hits and two runs over six innings. He struck out four and walked one.
The 42-year-old knuckleballer has never been an All-Star but is hoping his performance this season will draw additional votes.
“I’ve been [a candidate] a couple of times in my career,” he said. “Hopefully I’m at least considered for a spot [this year], and if I make it, great. If not, I’ll finish up the second half.”
Manager Terry Francona said the Red Sox were trying to be more conservative in how long they keep Wakefield in the game.
“In the past couple of years, we have gotten toward the end and he’s worn down and his shoulder has bothered him,” Francona said. “If we can be cognizant of that, we won’t get to that point.”
The American League East division leading Red Sox chased Florida starter Chris Volstad (4-7) after he loaded the bases with a walk with two out in the fourth.
Reliever Burke Badenhop walked in a run, then gave up the two-run single to Ortiz.
Chris Coghlan drove in both of the Marlins’ runs with a single in the third and a double in the fifth.
RANGERS 6, ASTROS 1
At Arlington, Texas, Ian Kinsler homered twice and Texas beat Houston as the Astros’ Ivan Rodriguez matched the major league record for games caught.
Rodriguez, who began his career at age 19 in 1991 and played 12 seasons in Texas, homered for the Astros. It was his 2,226th career game behind the plate to tie Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk.
Kinsler, 4 for 33 with no RBIs the previous eight games, put the Rangers ahead to stay with his fourth leadoff homer this season. He added another solo shot in the second off slumping left-hander Wandy Rodriguez (5-6).
Kevin Millwood (7-4) worked seven innings, allowing one run to win his third straight start.
RAYS 12, ROCKIES 4
At Denver, Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and the Tampa Bay Rays powered their way past Colorado, snapping the Rockies’ 11-game winning streak.
Longoria and Pena hit two of the Rays’ five homers. Kapler, Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upton also homered.
In Tuesday’s other games it was:
• Mets 6, Orioles 2
• Yankees 5, Nationals 3
• Brewers 7, Indians 5
• Cardinals 11, Tigers 2
• Royals 5, Diamondbacks 0
• Twins 8, Pirates 2
• Mariners 5, Padres 0
• Angels 8, Giants 1
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was