CESAR CRESPO

THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
Six run inning highlights a Sox victory

May 14, 2004 ... Moments after the Sox squandered a 3-0 lead against the Blue Jays and appeared destined to tailspin toward another dispiriting loss, they struck for six runs in the eighth inning to surge to a 9-3 victory before 20,948 at SkyDome.

Snapping a two-game losing streak, the Sox improved to 6-9 in May and raised hopes they could emerge from their nagging bout of baseball ills in a better place.

Francona's barnstormers broke open the game with five hits, a walk, and a hit batsman in the eighth, first abusing reliever Kerry Ligtenberg before they roughed up Valerio De Los Santos. Brian Daubach knocked in the go-ahead run with a ground-rule double before Kevin Millar singled in a run, Cesar Crespo doubled in another, and David Ortiz doubled home two more. The Jays chipped in by committing two errors and firing a run-scoring wild pitch.

The decisive rally was particularly sweet for the Sox since they let the 3-0 lead dissolve in the sixth inning thanks in part to misplays of their own. First, Johnny Damon lost his bearings chasing down a deep drive to center by Vernon Wells and let the ball bounce off his glove for a double. Then just when it seemed Sox starter Derek Lowe would escape the inning with a 3-2 lead, third baseman Mark Bellhorn, subbing for the injured Bill Mueller (sore right knee), threw wildly to first, allowing the tying run to score. The error was the 15th in the last 11 games for the Sox and the 34th in 36 games.

Bellhorn's blunder contributed to Lowe failing to complete six innings for the third straight outing. Lowe yielded to Alan Embree with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth. In any case, the eighth-inning rally bailed him out.

Lowe lost his chance to improve on his 3-3 record, though he was able to reduce his ERA from 5.01 to 4.74. The win went to Embree, who snuffed the Toronto rally in the sixth by getting Orlando Hudson to bounce out to Bellhorn. Embree also shut down the Jays in the seventh to clear the way for the winning rally. Scott Williamson took over to start the eighth and blanked the Jays before Keith Foulke finished things in the ninth.

Unfortunately for Lowe, the Jays ruined his night in the sixth inning after he had held them scoreless the first five. In all, he allowed only four hits but he walked four and hit two batters to help account for Toronto's three runs (two earned). Lowe has walked 20 batters and hit four in just 38 innings this season.

Team medical director Bill Morgan arrived from Boston during the game to examine third baseman Bill Mueller's sore right knee. Mueller was a late scratch from the starting lineup, giving way to Mark Bellhorn for a second straight game. Mueller was icing the knee before the game. Morgan placed Mueller on anti-inflammatories and directed him to rest the next three days, which would sideline him until Tuesday at Tampa Bay.

Nomar Garciaparra took batting and fielding practice yesterday at Fenway Park. He will work out in simulated games at the park today. Trot Nixon, who is coming back from a mildly herniated disk and a strained left quadriceps, is expected to resume serving as a designated hitter in extended spring training games Monday in Fort Myers, Fla. Righthander Jason Shiell is scheduled to undergo exploratory surgery next week on his injured pitching elbow.  Ramiro Mendoza, who has been sidelined since April 8 with right shoulder tendonitis, has reached distances of 150 feet in his throwing program. He needs to consistently reach 180 feet without discomfort before he can begin the next phase of his regimen.