Wakefield listed as day-to-day after getting hit

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Richie Sexson hit his 19th home run, and Wes

Helms and Royce Clayton also homered as the Milwaukee Brewers beat

the Boston Red Sox 9-3 Friday night for their season-high fourth

straight win.

Boston starter Tim Wakefield left in the third inning after he

was hit on the right ankle by a pitch from Wayne Franklin. Manny

Ramirez homered for the Red Sox, who lost for the eighth time in 11

games and dropped 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees

in the AL East.

Wakefield, batting for the first time in interleague play this

season, was carted off the field. X-rays revealed no fracture, just

a bruise. He is listed as day-to-day.

The knuckleballer allowed three runs in the second on Helms'

two-run homer and Clayton's solo shot. He struck out four and threw

28 pitches, 20 for strikes.

With the game tied at 3, Milwaukee broke it open with five runs

in the sixth off reliever Hector Almonte, highlighted by Sexson's

435-foot homer to center.

Sexson is tied with Cincinnati's Adam Dunn for the major league

lead with 19 homers.

Helms followed with a sacrifice fly. Keith Osik had a

run-scoring single and pinch-hitter Brady Clark drove in two with a

double.

Almonte (0-1) gave up five runs on six hits in 1 2-3 innings.

Geoff Jenkins' RBI single in the seventh made it 9-3.

Boston erased the Brewers' 3-2 lead and chased Franklin in the

sixth.

Ramirez hit a two-out solo shot to tie it, and Franklin gave up

a single and two walks to load the bases.

Jayson Durocher (2-0) took over and retired Doug Mirabelli on a

popup to the catcher. He was the only batter Durocher faced.

Boston scored twice in the fifth.

Bill Mueller walked and scored on Trot Nixon's triple, and Nixon

scored on first baseman Sexson's throwing error. Mirabelli popped

out in foul territory near the seats and Sexson caught the ball

with his back to home, turned and threw past the catcher as Nixon

came down the line

Todd Walker went 0-for-3 with a walk for Boston, snapping his

20-game hitting streak.

It was the first time Milwaukee faced a knuckleball pitcher this

season.

NOTES Milwaukee improved to 11-19 at Miller Park. ... It was the

Brewers' first interleague game. The Red Sox are 2-2 against the NL

this season. ... The Red Sox and Brewers last faced each other

Sept. 14, 1997, before Milwaukee switched to the NL. ... Tony

Cloninger, Boston's pitching coach, will go on indefinite medical

leave to focus on treatments for bladder cancer.