Byline: JOE CHRISTENSEN; STAFF WRITER
FORT MYERS, FLA. - One day after the Twins feasted on Red Sox lefthander Jon Lester, the newest addition to Boston's starting rotation shut them down completely.
John Lackey retired all six batters he faced Saturday, and the Red Sox went on to a 9-3 victory over the Twins at City of Palms Park.
Lackey made his first Boston appearance since signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract.
The victory gave Boston a 2-1 edge in the annual battle for the Fort Myers Mayor's Cup, with four games remaining.
After Glen Perkins gave up two runs in the fourth inning, the Twins came back to take a 3-2 lead. Rookie catcher Wilson Ramos hit an RBI double off Brian Shouse in the sixth inning, and rookie third baseman Danny Valencia added an RBI single off Joe Nelson in the seventh.
But Boston regained the lead in the seventh, when Tug Hullet drilled a three-run homer off Jeff Manship.
Manship pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning but gave up four runs on six hits in the seventh.
'They weren't actually killing the ball, but they were feathering it because everything was up [in the strike zone],' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Manship's performance.
JOE CHRISTENSEN
BOSTON 9, TWINS 3
Up next: split squad games
Today vs. N.Y. Yankees, 12:05 p.m., 1500-AM
Today vs. Pittsburgh, 12:05 p.m., no radio
