Westbrook Gives Up 15 Hits, Gets the Win

Cleveland’s Jake Westbrook became the first pitcher in 18 years to win despite giving up 15 hits, and the Indians used Shin-Soo Choo’s grand slam Thursday night to beat Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox, 7-6.

“It was a weird game, but that’s baseball,” Westbrook said. “I was getting ground balls, they just happened to find the holes here and there. I still think like they felt I was in control of the game.”

Westbrook hung on while giving up the most hits in the majors this season, permitting six runs in eight innings. The Red Sox got 12 singles, three doubles and a walk against him, but grounded into two double plays and left eight runners on base.

“Hey, he got the win,” Indians Manager Eric Wedge said. “We’ll take it.”

John Dopson was the last pitcher to win after giving up 15 hits when he led Montreal past Atlanta, 9-2, on July 3, 1988, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Choo, traded from Seattle for Ben Broussard on July 26, hit the first grand slam of his career. Travis Hafner and Aaron Boone also homered for the Indians, who split the four-game series.

The Red Sox fell one game behind first-place New York in the American League East.

Westbrook (8-7) ended his three-game losing streak and won for the first time since July 4.

Jason Davis recorded his first career save, retiring David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Doug Mirabelli in order. Cleveland led entering the ninth inning in each game of the series, but gave up Ortiz’s winning homer Monday and Mark Loretta’s game-ending double Wednesday.

A strong wind kept hard-hit balls by Ortiz and Ramirez in the park in the ninth inning, preventing another Red Sox comeback. Boston is tied with Minnesota with a major league-best 32 come-from-behind wins.