Jerry Lai / AP

Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett delivers a pitch against the White Sox during the first inning of Game 1.

In the first, A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-out double and Beckett walked Paul Konerko, Darin Erstad and Jermaine Dye to force in a run before getting a third strike past Juan Uribe on a 3-2 pitch.

Boston tied it with a two-out run of its own in the third when Alex Cora doubled and Julio Lugo came through with an RBI single.

Crisp started Boston’s big fourth with a single. Ramirez singled one out later and Lowell followed with an RBI single. J.D. Drew reached on second baseman Danny Richar’s error to load the bases and Varitek then hit a two-run single off the left-field fence. Eric Hinske had another run-scoring hit for a 5-1 lead.

Rookie Josh Fields hit his 16th homer after a single by Jerry Owens in the fifth to cut it to 5-3.

Jon Garland (8-10), coming off a performance against Seattle in which he gave up 10 hits and 10 runs in 2 2-3 innings, lost his third straight start, and the 18-game winner in 2005 and 2006 hasn’t won since July 27. Garland allowed nine hits and six runs in seven-plus innings.

He was also aware of the many Red Sox fans at U.S. Cellular Field. They were easy to hear with so many empty seats.

“I felt like I was on the road today. That was a little embarrassing, but what do you do?” Garland said. “People got to go to work and they (Red Sox fans) are here to see their team.”

Boston added two in the eighth as pinch-hitters Bobby Kielty and Youkilis delivered with the bases loaded. Kielty had a sacrifice fly and Youkilis an RBI single that made it 7-3.

Notes: It was Ortiz’s third multihomer game this season and 29th of his career, 27 with the Red Sox. The four hits tied a career high ... White Sox DH Jim Thome was a late scratch from the opener with a stiff back and didn’t play in the second game.

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