JOHNNY DAMON

THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
Johnny Damon has a big night in Sox win

April 7, 2004 ... Derek Lowe spent a few moments preparing for his 2004 debut last night by long-snapping a football in the visitors clubhouse at Camden Yards.

Taking Lowe's snaps, either Doug Mirabelli passed to Kevin Millar in a far corner of the clubhouse or Gabe Kapler sprinted around a laundry cart and toward the left sideline (a long bank of lockers). No problem at all, especially since Lowe and his mates then shined in a 10-3 romp over the Orioles before 28,373 in Charm City.

No problem at all. With Lowe deftly segueing from snapper to sinkerballer and his offense bolting awake from a two-game slumber, the Sox put to rest, at least for a night, any fears that they would be relegated to trying to eke out low-scoring victories until they are reunited with the injured Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon.

Johnny Damon helped to ensure that by matching a career high with a five-hit outburst after starting the season 0 for 9. Damon joined Bill Mueller and Manny Ramirez in banging out two-run hits as the Sox struck for seven runs in the second inning against Baltimore starter Kurt Ainsworth and all but put the game out of reach. Millar (3 for 4) knocked in the other run. And David Ortiz, the new No. 3 hitter, chipped in by cracking his first home run of the campaign, a three-run blast in the sixth.

Snapper Lowe nailed down his first win by spotting the Orioles two runs on seven hits, two walks, and a hit batsman over six innings. Through the first three games, Sox starters have logged a 2.50 ERA, allowing just five earned runs over 18 innings.  The ERA would have jumped a few notches if not for Damon, who made a sensational catch above the center-field wall to rob David Segui of a three-run homer in the sixth inning.

The blowout allowed Lowe to depart after a 95-pitch effort, clearing the way for lefthander Bobby Jones to make his Sox debut. The moment was not all Jones hoped it would be, as Larry Bigbie socked the first pitch in the seventh inning for a home run. But Jones settled down to stymie the Birds through the eighth, and Ramiro Mendoza pitched a scoreless ninth in his season debut.

The seven-run thrashing in the second inning was heartening to manager Terry Francona after the Sox had stranded 23 runners in the first two games and hit .111 (2 for 18) with runners in scoring position. "When you're sitting in my seat, you never think enough is enough," he said, "but it was nice."

Byung Yun Kim threw 30 pitches off a mound and was "doing very well," Francona said.  Kim is tentatively scheduled to make his first minor league rehab start next week, most likely for one of the team's warm weather affiliates, in Sarasota or Augusta. Francona said Kim will probably need at least three rehab starts before he returns.