May 13, 2003
...
For the eighth time this season, the Red Sox surged to victory in
their last at-bat, this time by stunning fireballer Francisco
Cordero, one of the American League's top setup men, in a 5-4
thriller over the Rangers before 31,956 at Fenway Park. They are 10-3
in one-run games, tops in the majors. The latest triumph lifted the
Sox within two games of the Yankees, the closest Grady Little's crew
has come to the division lead since April 20, the eve of Toronto's
11-6 pounding on Patriots Day.
They did it this time after entering the eighth inning trailing, 4-2, against
Cordero, who ranked second among AL relievers in batting average against (.162)
and strikeouts (24). They put runners at the corners when Shea Hillenbrand
reached on an error by third baseman Hank Blalock and Jason Varitek singled to
right. Damon then capitalized by bouncing a single over third to drive in
Hillenbrand, making it 4-3.
Todd Walker, who had no luck in lining out twice earlier in the game, followed
Damon's chopper by lining a single to right to drive in Damian Jackson, who was
running for Varitek, with the tying run. Walker said the Sox were riding the
confidence they gained in storming back from a 9-1 deficit against the Twins
Sunday before losing, 9-8. Garciaparra, battling Cordero's 97-mile-an-hour
fastball, finished things off by working his way out of an 0-and-2 hole and
rifling a shot just over the reach of left fielder Ruben Sierra for the
game-winning double. Garciaparra could not pinpoint the difference between this
year's comeback kids and the club that last year went so punchless late in
games.
More good news: Manny Ramirez, who never has slugged fewer home runs so deep
into a season as he has this spring, sent notice he may be emerging from his
early power deficit by scorching his fifth of the year. The homer, which he
struck in the second inning off Texas starter John Thomson, was his first in 52
at-bats since April 27 in Anaheim. The only other time Ramirez had launched
fewer than six homers through May 13 was 1995, his second year in the majors,
when he had five for the Indians.
The late rally spared Sox starter John Burkett from another loss. Burkett, who
remains winless since his first start of the season, allowed all four runs on
six hits, including a three-run homer by Juan Gonzalez and solo shot by Blalock,
through seven innings. He was pitching with headaches that have plagued him in
recent days. All things considered, though, Burkett pitched respectably against
one of the most powerful lineups in baseball
Thanks to the comeback, the win went to Alan Embree, who pitched a scoreless
eighth before handing off to Brandon Lyon, who survived a scare in the ninth for
his fifth save.
