Red Sox rally for twinbill sweep

Boston used two lineups littered with backups.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE -- Doug Mientkiewicz hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 Saturday night for a doubleheader sweep.
In the opener, Bronson Arroyo threw three shutout innings in his final tuneup before the playoffs, and Johnny Damon drove in three runs to lead Boston to a 7-5 victory.
The Red Sox, who long ago clinched the AL wild-card slot, used two lineups littered with backups. Manny Ramirez did not play in either game, David Ortiz and Kevin Millar sat out the opener, and Damon and Bill Mueller were among those who spent the nightcap on the bench.
But Boston pulled off a sweep anyway. The Red Sox have won seven of eight, and are assured of going 11-1-2 in their final 14 series of the regular season.
Boston (98-63) moved 35 games over .500 for the first time since finishing the 1978 season 99-64.
Early leads
In the first game, the Red Sox scored six runs in the second inning against Daniel Cabrera before making an out and led 7-0 in the third.
In the nightcap, Javy Lopez hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run first inning against Pedro Astacio. But the lead didn't last.
Orlando Cabrera hit a three-run shot off Sidney Ponson to bring Boston to 5-4 in the sixth, and after Mark Bellhorn tied it with a seventh-inning RBI single off Jason Grimsley (5-7), Mientkiewicz tripled into the right-field corner off Buddy Groom to put the Red Sox ahead to stay.
Byung-Hyun Kim (2-1) worked 21/3 perfect innings and Curtis Leskanic retired David Newhan and Miguel Tejada with runners on second and third for his fourth save.
In the opener, Arroyo was lifted after throwing 45 pitches and with Boston up 7-0. He has been tabbed by manager Terry Francona to start either Game 3 or 4 in Boston's opening-round playoff series against Anaheim or Minnesota.
First game
BOSTONBALTIMORE
abrhbiabrhbi
Damon cf3013BRbrts 2b5110
Hyzdu lf2010Newhn rf4000
DRbrts lf5000Mora 3b4010
Mntkw 1b4010Tejada ss4122
Varitek c4100RPlmo dh4110
Burks dh2110JvLopz c4121
Yukilis dh2000Surhoff lf4122
OCbera ss3111Raines pr0000
Gterrez 2b2000Gbbons 1b4010
Mueller 3b2200Bigbie cf4000
Kapler rf4121
Reese 2b3111
Totals36786Totals375105
Boston061000000--7
Baltimore000010220--5
E--Tejada (24). LOB--Boston 8, Baltimore 5. 2B--Hyzdu (2), OCabrera (19), BRoberts (49), Mora (41), RPalmeiro (29), JvLopez (33). HR--Tejada (34), JvLopez (22), Surhoff (8). SB--Varitek (10).
IPHRERBBSO
Boston
Arroyo310001
Adams W,6-4221101
Mendoza1 2-322200
MMyers2-321100
Timlin2-311101
Foulke S,32120003
Baltimore
Cabrera L,12-81 1-356632
Rodriguez2-300000
Bedard421012
Rakers2 1-310012
Williams2-300011
WP--Arroyo, Cabrera. Umpires--Home, Paul Nauert; First, Kevin Kelley; Second, Randy Marsh; Third, Troy Fullwood. T--3:21. A--48,540.
Second game
BOSTONBALTIMORE
abrhbiabrhbi
DRbrts cf4100BRbrts 2b4110
Bllhorn 2b5231Newhn rf5110
Millar dh3110Tejada ss5111
Hyzdu dh1100RPlmo 1b3110
DOrtiz 1b2120JvLopz dh3113
Mntkw 1b2012Bigbie lf4011
Nixon rf5001LLopez 3b4010
OCbera ss3113GGil c4010
Gterrez ss1000Raines cf3010
Mrbelli c3010Mora ph0000
SMrtinz c1000
Yukilis 3b4020
Kapler lf3000
Totals377117Totals35595
Boston000103300--7
Baltimore400010000--5
DP--Baltimore 1. LOB--Boston 8, Baltimore 7. 2B--DOrtiz (47), Bigbie (23). 3B--Mientkiewicz (1). HR--OCabrera (6), JvLopez (23). SB--DRoberts (5), BRoberts (28), Newhan 2 (11), Bigbie (8). S--BRoberts.
IPHRERBBSO
Boston
Astacio474404
Williamson111121
BKim W,2-12 1-300001
Embree2-310001
Leskanic S,4100011
Baltimore
Ponson674421
Grimsley L,5-7 1-313311
Groom2-310011
Julio220001
Embree pitched to 1 batter in the 9th. HBP--by Grimsley (Millar). WP--Ponson. Umpires--Home, Sam Holbrook; First, Larry Vanover; Second, Troy Fullwood; Third, Kevin Kelley. T--3:11. A--47,320.
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