G44: Red Sox 5, Phillies 0

Red Sox  - 000 140 000 - 5  9  0
Phillies - 000 000 000 - 0  1  0

Matsuzaka was four outs away from a no-hitter when Juan Castro lifted a little flair into short field. Marco Scutaro could not grab it and it fell for a single. Dice: 8-1-0-4-5, 112.

The hit came right after Adrian Beltre made a phenominal diving catch to his left at third, then got up and fired a bullet to first, doubling off Carlos Ruiz, who had walked. (Matsuzaka snared a smoking liner off the bat of Jayson Werth to end the seventh inning.)

The Sox put the game away with three two-out hits in the fifth -- J.D. Drew's RBI single, David Ortiz's RBI double, and Beltre's 2-RBI double.

Daniel Bard pitched the ninth, getting the Phillies to hit three ground balls to Dustin Pedroia.

The Rays won and the Yankees (now 5 GB) and Blue Jays (now 7 GB) lost. The Red Sox remain 8.5 GB.

Daisuke Matsuzaka / Kyle Kendrick

Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Ortiz, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Hermida, LF
Varitek, C
Scutaro, SS
Matsuzaka, P

Jacoby Ellsbury returns to the lineup for the first time since April 11. To make room on the roster, Jonathan Van Every (who is out of options), was designated for assignment and will be exposed to waivers.

Kevin Youkilis has reached base in 21 straight games, but David Ortiz gets the start at first base.

Matsuzaka complained about Victor Martinez's pitch-calling after his last start (PA: "That did not sit well in the clubhouse"), so we'll see how Dice does with Jason Varitek today.

May 22, 1957: The Red Sox set an American League record by hitting four home runs in the sixth inning. Gene Mauch, Ted Williams, Dick Gernert, and Frank Malzone go deep off Cleveland's Cal McLish within a span of 16 pitches. (Williams had helped set the AL record in 1940, with Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin, and Jim Tabor.)

May 22, 1977: The Red Sox and Brewers tie a major-league record when they combine for 11 home runs (Lynn (2), Hobson, Evans, Scott, and Yaz for Boston). Evans's blast clears the new upper section of the CF wall, about 20 feet to the right of the flag pole. Boomer's tater is a grand slam. Boston wins 14-10. It's the first game of a doubleheader; the Sox get only two hits in the nightcap and are shutout 6-0.

Also:

Rays at Astros, 7 PM
Yankees at Mets, 7 PM
Blue Jays at Diamondbacks, 8 PM