Red Sox slam Royals to lift Matsuzaka to 8-0
BOSTON (Reuters) - J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell both slugged grand slams to lift the Boston Red Sox to an 11-8 win and four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
The victory lifted starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to an American League leading 8-0 record.
Drew launched an opposite field homer with the bases loaded in the second inning and Lowell repeated the feat by clearing the Green Monster wall in the sixth.
Matsuzaka struggled with his control and pitched 5 2/3 innings, yielding six hits, six walks and two wild pitches. He also struck out seven before leaving with a 5-3 lead.
Royals starter Brian Bannister (4-6) allowed seven runs on 12 hits in 5 1/3 inning. Reliever Jimmy Gobble gave up the grand slam to Lowell in the sixth.
Four relievers followed Matsuzaka to the mound with closer Jonathan Papelbon getting the last three outs for his 14th save.
Matsuzaka was working with back-up catcher Kevin Cash, who replaced the resting Jason Varitek.
"We went over signs and pitches very briefly before the game, but I realized in hindsight that we could have probably discussed a few more things in depth," Matsuzaka told reporters.
Cash said Matsuzaka came through when he needed to.
"When he gets in a jam, he has the knack to make that one pitch he needs to make in order to get that big out," Cash said.
Jose Guillen went 4-for-5 with a home run and three runs batted in, and catcher Miguel Olivo slugged a three-run homer in the eighth off reliever David Aardsma for the Royals.
The win improved the Red Sox to a major league-best record of 31-19.
(Writing by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Greg Stutchbury) 