Manny regains groove in relief; Delcarmen fine; Red Sox sweep.

Byline: Paul Jarvey

BOSTON - It was such a familiar scenario, the Red Sox building an early lead, then watching the other team storm back.

The three previous games had all played out the exact same way, all ending in Boston losses.

This time, Manny Delcarmen made sure history wouldn't keep repeating itself "Groundhog Day" style.

It was Manny being the Manny the Red Sox have been hoping for as Boston defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-3, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader to snap a four-game losing streak.

The Sox then won the nightcap, 7-6, to move into a tie for first place with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Craig Hansen got the win in the second game and Mike Timlin the save.

The Sox jumped ahead, 5-0, then fell behind, 6-5, as the Brewers scored three runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Boston then scored two runs in the seventh to pull ahead for good, the winning run coming in on Kevin Youkilis' bloop single.

"We used every pitcher that was available and found a way to win that game," Sox manager Terry Francona said after a long day of baseball.

Delcarmen pitched 1-1/3 innings in the opener, allowing just one hit, before putting the ball into the hands of Jonathan Papelbon, who picked up his 12th save.

Middle relief has been a sore spot for the Red Sox recently, but not yesterday with Delcarmen making his third straight strong performance after a shaky first month.

Sox pitching was solid all around in that game, with starter Daisuke Matsuzaka allowing no earned runs in his 6-1/3 innings to run his record to 7-0.

Matsuzaka may never lose if the Sox let him pitch only against the National League. He's 4-1 with a 1.60 ERA against the NL in the regular season and has won each of his last three starts (with a 0.46 ERA) versus the senior circuit.

He did allow Mike Cameron to crank a homer after Kevin Youkilis' first error of the season, creating a here-we-go-again moment at Fenway.

Delcarmen, who came in with two on and two out in the seventh, was able make sure the Brewers didn't go any further.

"We need Manny to be that guy," Francona said. "I told him that the other day, and I think he's a smart enough kid, and he's worked hard enough where some things that went wrong in April won't get in the way of May, June, July, August, September and hopefully all the way to November."

Delcarmen appreciates that his bosses never lost the faith even if he lost some confidence in himself early in the year.

"There were some situations when I got up...