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Final Score: Minnesota 0 - Boston 1

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Manny Ramirez's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the game-winner as the Boston Red Sox escaped with a 1-0 win over the scorching Minnesota Twins in a well-pitched opener of a three-game series.

Daisuke Matsuzaka did not factor in the decision despite keeping the Twins off the board through a season-high 7 1/3 innings. He scattered six hits and three walks to go with five strikeouts, and has surrendered just one run in his last three starts.

Hideki Okajima (2-2) came on in a tough situation in the eighth, recording the final two outs to get the win for Boston, which was coming off a mediocre 3-7 road trip.

Scott Baker, who had won his previous three outings, matched his counterpart in his seven-inning start, fanning seven and allowing just five hits and two walks. Brian Bass (3-3) absorbed the loss.

Justin Morneau singled, doubled and drew a walk for the Twins, who had won five in a row and 16 of their previous 18 contests.

After Okajima worked out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth, Dustin Pedroia began the bottom half with a ground-rule double off the Green Monster on a fan interference call. Pedroia moved up 90 feet on a groundout by J.D. Drew and came across for the game's only run when Ramirez, stymied in a 2-for-19 slump, singled to right past a drawn-in infield.

"I didn't care who it was, just push a run across and make it stand," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "But it was great. We needed something, anything, so we can leave here on a night with a little frustration, offensively, but we got a win. It's a lot more fun to talk about how we can do things better after a win."

Jonathan Papelbon, who took the extra-inning loss in the series finale against the Yankees on Sunday, sat Minnesota down in succession to complete the shutout and his 26th save of the season.

Matsuzaka started out slow, loading the bases in the first inning before getting Delmon Young on a come-backer to the mound, ending the inning and starting a streak of eight consecutive outs.

Baker was just as effective on the other end, allowing just a single and a walk through three frames, and getting out of a bases-loaded jam of his own in the fourth behind consecutive fly outs by Coco Crisp and Jason Varitek.

Both offenses squandered two-out doubles in the sixth frame, and a Denard Span line out to third wasted a two-out triple by Nick Punto in the away seventh.

"It's definitely tough," Span said. "We've been playing so well and coming back from behind a lot in the last couple of games. We played a good game. We had our opportunities as well as them. They just came through at the end and we fell a little short."

After seven fruitless innings, Alexi Casilla bunted his way on and Joe Mauer lined a base hit into right field before Matsuzaka gave way to a struggling Okajima. A walk to Morneau loaded the bases, but the reliever bore down. Pinch-hitter Craig Monroe popped out in foul territory and Young grounded weakly to second to end the inning with the bases full yet again.