Varitek's Pinch-Hit HR in 9th Lifts Red Sox Past Indians

Boston takes 4-game win streak into series with New York
By Doug Sweeney,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 15, 2008 10:28 PM CDT
Varitek's Pinch-Hit HR in 9th Lifts Red Sox Past Indians
Boston Red Sox's Jed Lowrie hits a two-run single with the bases loaded off Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Rafael Perez during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 15, 2008.   (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Jason Varitek sat long enough. After resting for eight innings, Boston's catcher Varitek hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning off Jensen Lewis to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night, sweeping the two-game ALCS rematch. Varitek didn't start as Kevin Cash caught knuckleballing starter Tim Wakefield.

But he came up with one out in the ninth and drove a 1-2 pitch from Lewis (0-1) the opposite way to left-center for his third career homer as a pinch-hitter. Following Varitek's third homer this season, Boston loaded the bases and made it 5-3 on Kevin Youkilis' RBI single.  David Aardsma (1-1) got the final out in the eighth. (More Boston Red Sox stories.)

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