MLB: Atlanta 8, Boston 2

BOSTON, June 19 (UPI) -- Kenshin Kawakami allowed two hits in six innings Friday and was backed up by perfection from the bullpen, pacing Atlanta to an 8-2 inter-league win over Boston.

Kawakami (4-6) had received an average of 1.7 runs worth of support in his previous starts, but the Braves produced 12 hits and Garret Anderson had an RBI in four different at bats.

The Atlanta starter gave up the only two Boston runs, those coming on a sixth-inning homer by Jason Bay.

Peter Moylan, Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez all worked a 1-2-3 inning of relief and they combined to strike out six batters.

Nate McLouth hit a solo homer in the first for the Braves and Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. Anderson also had an RBI double in the fifth, drove in a run with a single in the seventh and knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

The loss went to Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-5), who gave up six runs on eight hits in four innings.