Brewers Take Down Red Sox 4-2, Spoil Jon Lester’s Bid for 10th Win

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Jun 18, 2011

Brewers Take Down Red Sox 4-2, Spoil Jon Lester's Bid for 10th Win BOSTON — Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart homered on consecutive pitches in the first inning to help the Milwaukee Brewers spoil Jon Lester's bid to become the majors' first 10-game winner in a 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night.

Randy Wolf (5-4) battled through seven tough innings and George Kottaras also hit a solo homer for Milwaukee, which won for just the second time in its last six games.

Wolf scattered nine hits, walked one and fanned three, ending a string of four straight no-decisions. Kameron Loe pitched a hitless eighth before John Axford got the final three outs for his 19th save in 21 chances.

Lester (9-3) allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits, walked three and struck out eight. He matched his career high of three homers allowed, the other time coming on opening day in Texas.

The Brewers broke a two-all tie with a pair of runs in the third. Former Red Sox catcher Kottaras led off with a homer over Boston's bullpen. After Lester retired the next two batters, he walked Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder before Casey McGehee singled on a grounder to right, making it 4-2.

Milwaukee had grabbed a 2-0 lead on Weeks' and Hart's homers just four pitches into the game. After first baseman Adrian Gonzalez dropped leadoff batter Weeks' foul pop for his first error of the season, the shortstop belted the next pitch into the Green Monster seats for the 24th leadoff homer of his career. Hart followed by hitting the next pitch over Boston's bullpen. Braun then doubled on the ensuing pitch before Lester retired the next two hitters, including McGehee's inning-ending double-play liner.

Boston tied it with a pair of runs in the second. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Mike Cameron had consecutive RBI singles after Kevin Youkilis doubled and David Ortiz walked.

Wolf got out of trouble the next two innings after the Red Sox tied it. He left runners on first and second in the third and allowed a leadoff double to Marco Scutaro before retiring the next three batters in the fourth.

Boston had won its last 11 when facing a left-handed starter, its longest stretch since 13 in a row in 2008.

Notes:
It was Weeks' fourth leadoff homer this season. … The Red Sox placed left fielder Carl Crawford on the 15-day DL before the game with a strained left hamstring. He suffered the injury beating out an infield hit in Friday's 10-4 win. … Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said right-hander Shaun Marcum, who left Friday's game with a left hip flexor, was expected to be checked out by a doctor at Fenway Park on Saturday night and again by the Brewers medical staff on Monday. "He was scheduled to throw a side on Monday, but he may have to skip a start," Roenicke said. … The Brewers' manager also said that right-hander Takashi Saito, on the 60-day DL with a strained left hamstring, "felt great throwing Friday," but "had a little tightness in his oblique." He went on to say that he was going to be checked out by the club's medical staff sometime Saturday. … The game was moved from a scheduled 1:10 start to 7:10 to help reduce congestion around the city as many fans were attending a "Rolling Rally" in the afternoon to celebrate the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup. … Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon served the second of his three-game suspension handed down for bumping plate umpire Tony Randazzo on June 4.

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