Rookie catcher B.J. Surhoff had little time to enjoy his first major-league home run yesterday while sprinting the bases after his eighthinning homer gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 12-11 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

"I was running hard. I thought it was a double, maybe a triple. I saw him running back on it. I thought maybe wall ball," Surhoff said. "I just hoped it would get over his [center fielder Dave Henderson's] head. I wasn't really sure."

Surhoff entered the game in the fifth inning after starter Bill Schroeder was injured.

"I haven't had much time to work on my home run trot," he remarked. Surhoff's homer to center off reliever Steve Crawford allowed the Brewers to complete a three-game sweep of their opening series with the defending American League champions.

Rob Deer had two three-run homers and six RBI for the Brewers, who rallied from two early four-run deficits and then hung on after the Red Sox, down 11-6, tied the game.

Bill Buckner's three-run double in a four-run sixth inning brought the Red Sox within 11-10. Then Boston rookie catcher Danny Sheaffer tied the game with his first major league homer in the seventh.

There were seven homers hit on a clear day at Milwaukee County Stadium, four over the centerfield wall 402 feet away.

"It wasn't the weather," said Deer, who had a two-homer game for the fourth time in his career. "There really wasn't much of a wind blowing today. It was just a situation where the pitchers were getting the ball up."

"I just wanted thee RBI. I wanted to get the runs in more than trying to hit a homer," Deer said. His six RBI were a single-game career high.

Shaeffer who was called for interference that led to two Milwaukee runs in the second, said he would gladly forfeit his homer for a victory.

"It's something I dreamed about as a kid. It's just too bad we didn't win. I'd give up the homer for a win," he said.

Deer, who hit 33 homers last season, capped a five-run third inning with a three-run blast to left off Red Sox reliever Rob Woodward.

His second homer to left, also off Woodward, wrapped up a four-run fifth inning that also included a solo homer by Glenn Braggs.

The Brewers rallied from early deficits of 4-0 and 6-2. Boston scored three times in the first on Wade Boggs' leadoff homer off Mike Birkbeck and Dwight Evans' two-run single to center. Marty Barrett's RBI single chased Birkbeck in the second and made it 4-0.

The Brewers got two runs back in the bottom of the second after two were out against Red Sox starter Jeff Sellers. Dale Sveum doubled in both runs following a single by Schroeder and Sheaffer's interference that allowed Jim Gantner to reach first.

Henderson's two-run homer to greet Brewer reliever Mark Ciardi made it 6-2 in the third inning.

Greg Brock doubled in the first two runs of the Brewers third. After Billy Jo Robidoux singled, Woodward replaced Sellers and gave up Deer's first homer that made it 7-6.