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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE May 4, 2004 ... The Sox could use some help. Lost again at the plate for eight innings, the Sox finally rallied for four runs in the ninth before they bowed to the Indians, 7-6, before 16,070 at Jacobs Field. Johnny Damon provided the big blow in the ninth, a three-run homer after Brian Daubach doubled and David McCarty walked. Still, the Sox opened May with a fifth straight loss for the first time since 1976 as they fumbled in the field almost as badly as they flailed at the plate for the first eight innings. With third baseman Bill Mueller committing two costly throwing errors, the Indians struck for five unearned runs against Derek Lowe in the fourth inning to break open a 2-1 game. The loss put the Sox in jeopardy of losing sole possession of first place in the American League East as their lead slipped to a half-game over the Yankees, who played the A's in a late game in Oakland. The Sox have been alone atop the division since April 24. With Lowe less sharp than usual, the Indians found enough holes in the Sox defense to run up the seven runs on 10 hits, two walks, and Mueller's pair of errors over five-plus innings. Lowe fell to 3- 2 even though his ERA dropped to 4.72. Manager Terry Francona, turning to tradition over incense, tried to spark the slumping Sox by dropping Mueller, who entered the night in a 2-for-23 skid, from the second to the eighth spot in the order and batting on-base machine Mark Bellhorn second. Mueller went 2 for 4 and Bellhorn went 1 for 4 with a walk, but the outcome was little better as the ninth-inning rally ended when former Sox farmhand Rafael Betancourt fanned Manny Ramirez with the tying run at first. Tempers flared in the sixth inning when Cleveland starter Jason Davis took offense at Manny Ramirez flipping his bat and taking his time beginning his home run trot after launching a 459-foot blast to left. The 23-year-old righthander walked toward the line and yelled at Ramirez, who spewed back a few invectives. Darrell Johnson, who managed the Sox to the 1975 World Series, died Monday at his home in Fairfield, Calif., after a battle with leukemia. He was 75. |
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