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MANNY RAMIREZ |
THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
The Mariners do better than the Red Sox
May 29, 2004 ... It was
just one of those days for the Red Sox yesterday in a 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. One of those days on which David Ortiz hit a ground-rule double to right-center in the fifth inning that, had it stayed in play, would have driven in the tying run. One of those days when Tim Wakefield "scuffled" in the
second and third innings, giving up all five runs, before settling down. One of those rare days when the embattled Seattle bullpen, which has blown eight saves, lined up perfectly, with submariner Mike Myers, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, and Eddie Guardado shutting down a Sox lineup that usually swallows up relievers.
Johnny Damon and his teammates believe that every time the Sox drive out a starter, they should win the game. And indeed Freddy Garcia was taken out after Jason Varitek flied to left for the second out of the sixth. There was hope then, as the Sox had pulled within one
on Doug Mirabelli's double, which scored Kevin Millar, who had doubled to lead off the inning. But Seattle's Bob Melvin managed this one perfectly, bringing in Myers, who struck out Damon to end the inning and strand pinch runner Pokey Reese at second.
There were other pivotal junctures. Take the fourth inning, please. Manny Ramirez did his part, tying Joe DiMaggio with his 361st home run, with Mark Bellhorn aboard, making it 5-2. Brian Daubach followed with a wind-blown ground-rule double. A single to center by
Millar couldn't score Daubach, though Kevin Youkilis' ground out to the pitcher did. But Mirabelli ended it with a ground out.
Then came the fifth, when the Sox made two quick outs before Bellhorn, "The Walking Man," kept the inning alive by drawing a free pass. Ortiz then stroked the ball well to right-center, only to have it bound over the wall into the bullpen. Ramirez (3 for 13 against
Garcia) had a chance to do some more damage with runners at second and third, but with first base open, Melvin had Garcia pitch Ramirez carefully, and he walked him. Daubach then popped to short to end that threat.
Wakefield did not use the wind as an excuse for his early problems. He made some mechanical adjustments after the third and seemed to pitch better. Normally, when he holds on like that, the offense can bail him out. Not so on this day. Wakefield's record fell to 4-3 as
his ERA rose to 3.59.
The Sox, who had the best record in the majors entering the game, chalked this one up to facing a tough starter and a bullpen that had their number on this day.
Trot Nixon played in an extended spring training game in Fort Myers yesterday, going 2 for 3, scoring three runs, and getting hit by a pitch. He also played four innings in right field |
