That led plate umpire Jim Joyce to warn both benches, even though Masterson already had demonstrated a lack of control in the game. He had walked three batters, one of which loaded the bases in the first, and hit Izturis.

But the last time these teams faced each other, April 12 at Angel Stadium, Beckett had incited a near-brawl by throwing a pitch inches from Bobby Abreu's face when the plate umpire had called a late time out. That episode obviously had an impact here.

With Daisuke Matsuzaka still on the disabled list, Masterson was doing his best impression of the injured starter. He loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, surrendering just one run, though, on a first-inning sacrifice fly by Kendry Morales.

With one out, Izturis singled in front of Sox left fielder Bay. Masterson then walked Abreu and Hunter. Morales got the run home on his sac fly to left, but Masterson got out of the inning on a fielder's choice.

In the second, he walked Howie Kendrick and gave up a single to Jeff Mathis. He got a fly out from Chone Figgins but hit Izturis with that pitch.

It was bases loaded, again, but his 12th batter of the first two innings, Abreu, ended the frame with a fly ball to left.

``Obviously, early on, he was really struggling to find it,'' Francona said of Masterson. ``He was scattering balls. I know the ball to Hunter looked probably awful. He was not trying to do anything. I thought the last couple innings he kind of settled in a little bit.''

``I couldn't throw a strike,'' said Masterson, who ended up going six innings and allowed just two earned runs. ``The looks of it were not that good, but there was no intention whatsoever on that pitch behind [Hunter].''

Drew homered to center off Jered Weaver in the second inning to tie the score, but the Angels broke the tie in the fourth when another Masterson walk, to Kendrick, started the inning. Mathis singled, Figgins executed a sacrifice bunt, and Kendrick scored on a sac fly by Izturis.

Weaver had surrendered just two hits and one walk by the end of the fifth.

After Drew's blast, and a single by Varitek in the second, Weaver got the next 10 batters, until Jacoby Ellsbury's bunt single to open the sixth.

Ellsbury promptly stole second, moved to third on a fly out by Julio Lugo, then positioned himself to come home on a fly out by Ortiz.