G29: Red Sox 7, Mariners 2

David Ortiz is glad to be home: "Fenway, I miss you." Tiz doubled off the Wall in his first at-bat and homered down the right field line in his second at-bat. Boston battered Jamie Moyer early and often, scoring three times in the second and third innings, and beat Seattle 7-2.

Matt Clement pitched seven magnificent innings, allowing only five hits and no earned runs. Unlike his last start in Texas, Clement's control was sharp last night. He went to a three-ball count only three times (Raul Ibanez in the first and third and Miguel Olivo in the 7th). His only walk was to Olivo, the 26th batter he faced.

Clement: "During that Texas start, I finally just said, 'The heck with this,' and threw the ball like I'm used to throwing. I think I was more worried about mechanics and what I was doing, it was causing me to get behind in counts. In the middle of that Texas start, I kind of found a couple of keys to go with and I felt like I threw the ball a lot more free and easy at the end of that start and again today."

Both Johnny Damon and Edgar Renteria got the night off -- and Manny Ramirez went 0-for-4 with a walk -- but the offense rolled on without them. Moyer retired the Red Sox on only seven pitches in the first inning, but Boston made him work after that. He threw 36 pitches in the second (as the Sox batted around) and 29 more before being relieved with two outs in the third.

Bill Mueller drove in four runs -- indeed, Jay Payton, Mueller and Ramon Vazquez (the 7-8-9 hitters) drove in six of Boston's seven runs. Ortiz got the other RBI on his solo home run.

Last night in the Bronx, the Yankees lost to Oakland 6-3. In the 10th, the A's batted around against Mariano Rivera, scoring three runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. Three Yankee errors (including two on one play by Tino Martinez) in that inning helped send New York to its fourth straight loss. The Yankees (11-19) are off to their worst start since 1966. ... And George Steinbrenner is pissed at Mel Stottlemyre: "Our pitchers are not improving. That's what a pitching coach is supposed to do - make your pitchers improve ... We're just not getting the pitching. I don't know whether we have to think of some changes there or what." ... Once today's Kentucky Derby is over, Steinbrenner can turn his full attention to his baseball team.

Jeremi Gonzalez / Joel Pineiro at 7:00. The threat of rain tonight is so strong that the Red Sox have a tenative plan for a doubleheader tomorrow if tonight's game is washed out. The games would be at noon and 5:00.