Clement rebounds at Tigers' expense
DETROIT — After two frustrating starts, Butler native Matt Clement got a little tired Sunday afternioon in Detroit.
But he got the win.
Clement (5-4) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings to get the victory as the Boston Red Sox defeated the slumping Tigers, 8-3, at Comerica Park.
He struck out five, walked two and left with a 2-1 count to Detroit's leadoff hitter in the seventh. The Red Sox said the unusual departure, which was instigated by catcher Jason Varitek, was due to fatigue.
"Tek didn't like what he saw," Francona said. "If that runner had reached base, he was coming out anyway."
Clement felt he probably worked too hard after a pair of poor starts.
"I did a lot more throwing, and I think that's why I tuckered out," he said. "It was a good start, though. All of my pitches were better."
David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hurt the Tigers with their bats and their patience.
Ortiz and Ramirez hit two of Boston's four homers and drew two of its three bases-loaded walks to lead the Red Sox to the win.
Alex Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis also homered for the Red Sox, who won two of three in Detroit before a four-game series at the New York Yankees.
"This was an important series, and the next one is an important series," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
Detroit only trailed 5-3 going into the eighth, but three pitchers combined to walk four batters and hit another in a 50-pitch inning.
Jason Grilli failed to retire any of the four batters he faced. He hit Youkilis to load the bases, then walked Ortiz, Ramirez and Trot Nixon before being pulled from the game.
"I failed out there today," he said. "I need to be better than that."
Tigers manager Jim Leyland was ejected for arguing balls and strikes during the walk to Ramirez.
"I'm never going to talk about umpires," he said. "We just didn't throw strikes."
Detroit has lost six of eight, including five of seven in back-to-back series against the Yankees and Boston.
"This was kind of a blah homestand," Brandon Inge said. "We didn't play very well, which is funny to say, because not very well this year was really, really good in past years."
Gonzalez hit a two-run drive off Zach Miner in the second inning to give Boston a 2-0 lead. The Red Sox then loaded the bases with two outs in the third before Miner (0-1) got J.T. Snow to line out to left to end the inning.
The Tigers cut it to 2-1 on Ivan Rodriguez's RBI single in the fourth, but the Red Sox added two more in the fifth inning.
Youkilis led off with his second homer in three games to make it 3-1 and chase Miner from the mound. Jamie Walker relieved and allowed Ortiz's 436-foot drive to right-center field.
