Recap: Boston vs. Atlanta

Sports Network | June 19, 2009

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Garret Anderson went 3-for-3 with a walk and drove in four runs, as Atlanta defeated Boston, 8-2, at Fenway Park to open a three-game interleague series.

Nate McLouth homered for a second straight game and ended with two hits, two RBI and two runs scored for the Braves, who avoided a three-game sweep by the Reds on Thursday but have just three wins in the last nine games.

The country of Japan was well represented with Atlanta's Kenshin Kawakami and Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka drawing the starting assignments.

Both import arms have struggled thus far in 2009 but Kawakami (4-6), winless over his previous four starts, fired six innings and surrendered just two hits and two runs with three walks and five strikeouts to pick up his first win since May 22.

Matsuzaka (1-5), who has just one win in eight starts and an 8.23 earned run average this season, was tagged for six runs on eight hits and four walks over four-plus frames. The right-hander hasn't gotten out of the sixth in any of his 2009 starts.

Jason Bay slugged his 18th home run of the year, a two-run shot for the Red Sox, who lost their second in a row following a stretch of seven wins in eight games. Bay also doubled and walked to account for each of Boston's two hits.

The Braves jumped on Dice-K early as McLouth took the first pitch of the game out to right for his 12th home run of the year and each of the next four batters reached base. Yunel Escobar singled and Chipper Jones doubled before Matsuzaka walked the next two to force in a second run. Matt Diaz struck out and Casey Kotchman lined into a double play to limit the damage.

A two-out Atlanta rally in the fourth yielded two more runs. Kelly Johnson drew a walk and scored on a McLouth double to left. Escobar followed with an RBI single to extend the margin to 4-0.

The visitors posted an additional two runs in their next at-bat. Brian McCann opened the fifth with a double and Anderson followed suit to plate a run and chase Matsuzaka. Justin Masterson came on and got Diaz on a fly out to right but Anderson tagged and later scored on a Casey Kotchman sac fly.

Bay's two-out, two-run blast over the Green Monster made it a 6-2 game in the sixth but Anderson's RBI single an inning later and a sac fly in the ninth kept the Braves in control.

Peter Moylan, Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez combined to pitch three perfect innings in relief of Kawakami to assure the victory.

Boston won four of six versus Atlanta back in 2007, winning the three-game series played at Fenway Park with a pair of victories. The Red Sox have notched a victory in eight of their last 11 overall versus the Braves...In the second installment of this series on Saturday, former Sox hurler Derek Lowe will get the start for Atlanta opposite Boston ace Josh Beckett...Red Sox infielder Jed Lowrie, out since April 12 following left wrist surgery, will begin a rehab stint with Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday.