Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Mike Lowell finished 3-for-5 with a single, double and his first home run of the season as Boston topped Detroit, 6-3, in the opener of a four-game set at Comerica Park.

Kevin Youkilis added a two-run blast while David Ortiz homered and drove in a pair for the Red Sox, winners in four straight and five of six.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (5-0) remained perfect on the year by allowing two hits and one run over five innings, but walked a career-high eight batters. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save and second in as many days.

"I wasn't 100% out there tonight," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter. "I did my best to get through as many innings as I could. My control was the biggest problem. I just couldn't throw strikes. [Jason] Varitek did a good job of mixing up my pitches so I could get through."

Marcus Thames had a two-run single and Curtis Granderson added an RBI hit for the Tigers, who have dropped four games in a row.

Jeremy Bonderman (2-3) allowed seven hits and four runs over six frames in the loss, breaking a four-game personal win streak over the Red Sox.

It was clear sailing for the Sox until the seventh inning, when a four-run lead shrunk to two.

With Craig Hansen on the hill, the Tigers got within 5-3. Placido Polanco and Carlos Guillen singled, then Magglio Ordonez grounded into a double play, leaving a runner at third. Consecutive walks to Miguel Cabrera and Gary Sheffield loaded the bases, and pinch-hitter Thames dropped a two-run single to left.

Hideki Okajima rescued his club, though, inducing an inning-ending fly out by Matt Joyce.

Ortiz came up big when he hit his sixth of the season to right for a 6-3 contest with one out in the ninth and Papelbon shut the door by retiring the Tigers in order in the home half.

Lowell's two-run shot which barely cleared the wall in left gave the Sox a 2-0 lead in the second. He added a leadoff double in the fourth and scored when Youkilis followed with a blast to left for a 4-0 game.

Matsuzaka walked two in the home half, and Granderson finally made him pay with an RBI single to center to put Detroit on the board. The Tigers put two men on also in the fifth but were unable to score.

"We let a real good pitcher, who wasn't real good off the hook tonight," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We couldn't get any hits to go with all the walks he was giving up. We just couldn't get the key hit and it cost us."

Ortiz added an RBI single in the seventh to push Boston's lead to four, and the visitors needed the extra bulge to withstand the brief Detroit rally.