Broussard’s Big Game Beats Boston

Ben Broussard was glad he didn’t hear the fans calling his name.

Broussard drove in a career-high eight runs and the Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox, 15-3, Thursday night at Cleveland, handing Josh Beckett his first loss with his new team.

“I didn’t hear it,” Broussard said about the fans’ chanting “Ben-ny, Ben-ny,” each time he came to bat after hitting his fourth grand slam in the first inning.

“I was locked in. It’s probably good that I didn’t hear them. I would have probably started to overswing.”

Instead, Broussard added a solo homer and went four for five as Cleveland won the final two games of a three-game series. Boston has lost five of its last seven.

Beckett (3-1) gave up six hits and eight earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in his first loss since Aug. 28 when he was with the Florida Marlins. Broussard’s slam was the first yielded by Beckett in 638 innings.

“It was one of those nights, just brutal, brutal, brutal,” Beckett said.

Minnesota 7, Kansas City 3 -- Johan Santana struck out 10 in eight innings to get his first victory in the slowest start of his career, leading the Twins at Kansas City, Mo.

The Twins opened up a 5-0 lead in the second inning and Santana (1-3) cruised to his sixth straight decision over the Royals, who haven’t beaten the left-hander in almost two years. He gave up seven hits, three runs and walked one.

The only Kansas City starter who did not strike out at least once was Mark Grudzielanek. During one stretch in the fifth and sixth innings, Santana struck out four in a row.

Angel Berroa homered in the second for the Royals. It was their seventh earned run against Santana in his last seven starts and 47 1/3 innings against them.

New York 4, Tampa Bay 1 -- Shawn Chacon put his early struggles behind him with his second straight strong outing, and the Yankees beat the Devil Rays at Yankee Stadium.

Chacon (3-1) yielded four hits in 6 1/3 innings. In his last two starts, he has lowered his earned-run average from 8.03 to 4.56.

New York, which has won four of five, rallied for three unearned runs in the sixth after an error by third baseman Russell Branyan, who backed up and let Gary Sheffield’s two-hopper kick off the heel of his glove and roll through his legs.

Baltimore 7, Toronto 5 -- Kris Benson worked seven strong innings at Toronto, and the Orioles ended a four-game losing streak.

Corey Patterson hit a bloop two-run double during a four-run seventh inning for the Orioles, who won the last game of the three-game series.

Benson (3-2) yielded two runs and three hits to get his third win in his last four starts. He struck out four and walked three.