Slow Start Doesn’t Deter the Red Sox

Boston rallied from a five-run deficit and beat Tampa Bay, 7-6, on Tuesday night when Trot Nixon singled in the winning run with two out in the bottom of the ninth.

Making his first start at Fenway Park since April, Curt Schilling gave up five runs in the first two innings before settling down with four scoreless innings.

Boston trailed 5-0 after two innings and 6-4 in the eighth before tying it on Bill Mueller’s RBI groundout and John Olerud’s pinch-single.

There was one out in the ninth when David Ortiz was walked by Joe Borowski (1-1) and took third on Manny Ramirez’s single off Danys Baez. Jason Varitek drew a walk and Johnny Damon hit a liner to right that was too hard for Ortiz to score.

Nixon followed with a similar shot, a little shallower, and it fell in for a single.

Mike Timlin (6-2) pitched one inning of perfect relief.

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Toronto 7, Baltimore 2 -- Rafael Palmeiro inserted earplugs after he was loudly booed during his first at-bat in the Orioles’ loss at Toronto.

He went 0 for 4, leaving him with two hits in 26 at-bats, an .077 average, since a 10-day suspension for testing positive for steroids.

Palmeiro expressed disbelief when Oriole spokesman Kevin Behan told him the first few questions to interim Manager Sam Perlozzo were about his earplugs. Palmeiro declined to talk to reporters, saying through Behan that he’ll speak today.

Shea Hillenbrand tripled during a four-run second inning, and hit an RBI double in a three-run fifth for the Blue Jays.

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Seattle 8, New York 3 -- Ichiro Suzuki hit a three-run homer in a five-run second inning, and the Mariners rolled over the Yankees at Seattle.

Alex Rodriguez hit his AL-leading 40th homer and joined Joe DiMaggio as the only right-handed hitters to reach 40 homers with the Yankees. DiMaggio hit 46 in 1937.

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Texas 8-0, Chicago 6-8 -- Brandon McCarthy pitched two-hit ball over 7 2/3 innings for his first major league win and Jermaine Dye had two homers and six RBIs as the White Sox salvaged a doubleheader split at Arlington, Texas.

In the first game, rookie left-hander C.J. Wilson gave up one run and two hits in five innings of relief for his first major league win and Mark Teixeira drove in six runs and hit two two-run homers.

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Minnesota 7, Kansas City 4 -- Joe Mauer singled, doubled and tripled and Justin Morneau hit a three-run homer for the Twins at Kansas City, Mo.

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Detroit at Cleveland, ppd. -- The game involving the Tigers and Indians was postponed because of rain. A makeup date was not immediately set.