Red Sox blast the Pirates, 11-4

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox met on Wednesday night for the first time since the 1903 World Series.

The Pirates would probably like to wait another 100 years to meet again, as the Red Sox hammered them 11-4, belting out 16 hits in the process. The victory ended the Red Sox five-game losing streak.

Byung-Hyun Kim (1-0) earned the win. It was his first start for the Sox since coming from Arizona in a trade for Shea Hillenbrand. The Korean-born 24-year-old righthander went seven strong innings, scattering five singles and giving up one earned run. He threw 83 pitches, striking out two and walking one.

Manny Ramirez led the offensive attack, going 4-4 with four RBI. He also belted his ninth home run of the season. Ramirez increased his RBI season total to 40.

The game was out of the Pirates' control early. With the Pirates already down 1-0 in the top of the third, starting pitcher Kris Benson (5-6) allowed three consecutive singles. Jason Varitek then hammered his seventh home run of the season over the 399 foot sign in center field, to make the score 5-1.

The Sox continued their assault, hitting a total of four home runs and raising their run total to 11.

Kris Benson allowed eight runs, seven earned, on 12 hits in 6-1/3 innings. He was tagged with the loss.

The Pirates scored three in the bottom of the eighth, when Randall Simon hit an eye-high fastball over the left field wall for an opposite field home run. By that point, however, the outcome had been decided.

Red Sox second basemen, Todd Walker, extended his hitting streak to 18 games when he singled to center. Likewise, Pirates' third baseman, Aramis Ramirez, extended his streak to 16 games with a single in the ninth.

The teams will play again on Wednesday and then conclude their three-game series tomorrow with a "Turn Back the Clock" game.