Green's walk-off homer pushes Red Sox past Braves

BOSTON - Nick Green homered just inside the right-field foul pole on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth to give the Boston Red Sox a 6-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

Facing Jeff Bennett for the first time in his career, the shortstop who began spring training as a non-roster player but became a regular hit his fourth homer of the season. His jubilant teammates poured out of the dugout and mobbed him at home plate.

Jonathan Papelbon (1-1) loaded the bases in the ninth but ended the threat by striking out Matt Diaz. Bennett (2-4) was Atlanta's fourth reliever.

The Braves rallied twice to tie the game.

In the eighth, Kelly Johnson led off with a double and scored on Garret Anderson's single, making it 5-5.

In the seventh, Atlanta scored twice to tie the game at 4. Singles by Anderson, Martin Prado and Gregor Blanco produced one run. Ramon Ramirez replaced starter Tim Wakefield and allowed a tying single to Nate McLouth.

J.D. Drew gave Boston a short-lived 5-4 lead with an RBI single in the seventh. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox then came out of the dugout, argued and was thrown out by plate umpire Bill Hohn. So were pitcher Eric O'Flaherty and third baseman Chipper Jones.

It was the major league leading 145th ejection for Cox and his second of the year. Hall of Famer John McGraw is second with 131,

Wakefield allowed Brian McCann's two-run double in the first, then allowed just three hits in the next five innings.

The Red Sox quickly jumped in front with three runs in the first off Jair Jurrjens.

Dustin Pedroia led off with a double and took third on an error when Jurrjens bobbled Kevin Youkilis' grounder. Jason Bay hit a sacrifice fly and David Ortiz gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead with his sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot.

A misplay that fell for a hit in the fourth led to Boston's fourth run.

Ortiz led off with a pop fly to the left side of the infield. Shortstop Yunel Escobar and Jones looked at each other and the ball dropped between them with neither touching it. Ortiz took second when Mark Kotsay was out on a tapper to catcher McCann and third on Jacoby Ellsbury's single. George Kottaras followed with a sacrifice fly.