Matzuzaka leads 5-hitter, Red Sox keeps Tigers winless, 5-0

BOSTON -- Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed four hits in 6 2-3 innings and the Boston Red Sox returned from their three-country trip to beat the winless Detroit Tigers 5-0 on Tuesday.

Matsuzaka (2-0) began the home portion of his second season in Boston with seven strikeouts and four walks. Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima completed a five-hitter.

The Tigers are batting just .235 and have scored 15 runs this year, ahead of only Colorado (12) entering Major League Baseball play Tuesday night.

Orioles 8, Rangers 1 In Arlington, Texas, Scott Moore and Luke Scott hit early home runs and Baltimore ruined Texas’ home opener.

The Orioles (6-1) have the American League’s best record and a six-game winning streak, already matching their longest of last season.

Moore led off the second with a homer, and Scott followed an inning later with a two-run shot that made it 4-0 off Jason Jennings (0-2). Aubrey Huff matched a career high with four hits, and drove in four runs.

Royals 5, Yankees 2 At Kansas City, Missouri, Alex Rodriguez struck out four times in a game for only the fourth time in his major league career, and Kansas City won its home opener.

With captain Derek Jeter sidelined for the three-game series by a strained left quadriceps, the Yankees wasted a 2-1 second-inning lead against a team it took nine of 10 from last season. New York struck out 11 times in all, three by Jeter’s replacement at shortstop, Wilson Betemit.

Ross Gload drove in two runs for the Royals, who at 5-2 under new manager Trey Hillman are off to their best start since opening 2003 with nine straight wins.

Brian Bannister (2-0) allowed two runs, five hits and four walks in five innings, striking out six. Joakim Soria pitched the ninth for his fourth save in four opportunities.

Mariners 6, Rays 5 At St. Petersburg, Florida, Erik Bedard struggled through six innings but got enough support from the Seattle’s sputtering offense to ruin Tampa Bay’s home opener.

Bedard (1-0) allowed five runs and five hits while improving to 11-3 in 19 career starts against Tampa Bay. The other 10 victories came while he was with the Orioles, who dealt him to Seattle just before the start of spring training.

Richie Sexson drove in three runs, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the third and hitting a two-run single off Gary Glover (0-1) in the sixth. Brad Wilkerson also had a two-run single for the Mariners, who staggered into town after losing four straight in Baltimore.

Athletics 9, Blue Jays 8 At Toronto, Ryan Sweeney hit a tiebreaking triple in the ninth inning, and Oakland ended Toronto’s three-game winning streak.

Kurt Suzuki singled up the middle off right-hander Jeremy Accardo (0-1) with two outs in the ninth. Sweeney then hit a triple to right. He finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Alan Embree (1-1) got the win despite allowing a two-run homer to Frank Thomas in the eighth to make it 8-all. The homer was Thomas’ third in three games.

Indians 4, Angels 3 At Anaheim, California, Travis Hafner hit a two-run homer off emergency closer Justin Speier with two outs in the ninth inning, and Jake Westbrook (1-1) earned his first complete game since 2006 as Cleveland edged the Angels.

Speier, forced to close because Francisco Rodriguez has an injured ankle, got the last out in the eighth and retired his first two batters in the ninth before walking Asdrubal Cabrera.

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 Matzuzaka leads 5-hitter, Red Sox keeps Tigers winless, 5-0 
Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan pitches to the Detroit Tigers in the first inning of their MLB American League baseball game in Boston, Massachusetts Tuesday. (AP)

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