A POWERFUL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
A huge game from Dustin Pedroia

June 15, 2007 ... Dustin Pedroia showed a few things with the first five-hit game of his budding career, while Tavarez got in the last word with seven strong innings in a 10-2 Red Sox win over the Giants before a crowd of 36,508 in Fenway Park. The Sox prevailed behind Pedroia, who hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first after Barry Bonds had narrowly missed going deep in the top of the inning.

Pedroia, who singled in his next three at-bats and doubled in two runs in the eighth, and J.D. Drew, who was hit by a pitch, singled twice, hit a two-run double, and scored three times, combined to reach base nine times without being retired. Pedroia became the first Sox rookie with a five-hit game since Brian Daubach Aug. 14, 1999, against Seattle. He knocked in five runs, Drew three. The two combined for eight hits, five runs, and eight RBIs.

Bonds, after his long drive in the first drifted just to the right of the foul pole, popped out to second in the second, drew an intentional walk with first base open in the third, and grounded out to second against an exaggerated shift in the sixth, all against Tavarez, who earlier this week said he didn't recall having any conversations with Bonds when they played together. In his last at-bat, against left-handed reliever Hideki Okajima, Bonds lined a 2-and-0 pitch into right field.

While the Sox knocked around Barry Zito, the free agent pitching prize Theo Epstein eschewed last winter in favor of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tavarez remained undefeated in his last six starts. He gave up two quick runs in the first, which began with an embracing ovation for Dave Roberts, the Giants center fielder whose stolen base in the 2004 American League Championship Series was rated the most exciting play of his managing career by Terry Francona. When the cheers subsided, Roberts singled and came around to score on a double by local boy Mark Sweeney, playing for the first time in Fenway in his 13-year career. Sweeney advanced to third on an infield out and, after Bonds popped out, scored on a two-out wild pitch.

Tavarez allowed only four hits thereafter, and left a runner stranded on third with his signature bowling play, rolling a strike to first baseman Kevin Youkilis after fielding Randy Winn's two-out tapper in the fifth.

Zito opened the first by hitting Drew in the sleeve with a pitch, then serving a home run ball to Pedroia, who went deep for the third time this season and first time in 51 at-bats since taking Eric Gagne of the Rangers deep May 27.

The Sox took a 3-2 lead in the third after Drew and Pedroia singled and Wily Mo Pena, who had replaced Ortiz, drew a walk to load the bases. Manny Ramirez ran hard enough to beat out a double-play ball while Drew scored. The rally went no further as Youkilis grounded into a double play.

Mike Lowell, who otherwise had a frustrating night (two whiffs, one on a highly dubious called third strike, and a ground out), saved a Sox rally that might have fizzled if not for his smart play on the base paths. Lowell was on third and Julio Lugo on first with two outs when Zito caught Lugo breaking for second and threw to first baseman Sweeney. Sweeney ran toward third, where Lowell had been caught in no-man's land, but threw belatedly to the bag as Lowell eluded the tag with a hook slide and Lugo made it to second safely, credited with a stolen base. Drew followed with a two-run double to center and scored on Pedroia's base hit to make it 5-2.

The Sox added a sixth run when Coco Crisp, who was on base three times (walk, error, double), reached on an error by third baseman Pedro Feliz, stole second, and scored on Drew's single to right. Every starter (plus Pena) reached base safely for the Sox, who had been held to two runs or fewer in seven of their last nine games.

David Ortiz's first-inning ejection last night was the sixth of his career, his third with the Red Sox, and first since Aug. 19, 2005, when he was tossed for arguing after striking out in Anaheim, Calif. The previous year, Ortiz had been suspended five games following another whiff when he threw bats out of the dugout in the direction of umpire Bill Hohn and pushed manager Terry Francona into umpire Matt Hollowell. While upset at being called out last night, Ortiz was considerably more benign in his response, forcefully thrusting his bat and helmet to the ground on his way back to the dugout. But umpire Tony Randazzo decided that response warranted Ortiz's ejection, a point Francona argued vigorously but to no avail. Wily Mo Pena replaced Ortiz as DH