VLAD GUERRERO

THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
Vlad Guerrero smashes his friend Pedro

June 2, 2004 ...  Vladimir Guerrero is close with Pedro Martinez, dating back to the days when they were roommates and played for the Montreal Expos.  He had no trouble making the pitcher's life utterly miserable tonight in Angel Stadium. Guerrero drove in nine runs, setting an Angels club record in a 10-7 win over the Sox that dropped Boston two games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East for the first time this season.

Five of Guerrero's RBIs came against Martinez, beginning with a two-run home run in the first inning. The biggest three came against Mike Timlin on a sixth-inning home run that gave the Angels an 8-7 lead.

Discarded Sox prospect David Eckstein delivered the first blow to Martinez's ego with a leadoff single, one of a career-high five hits for the shortstop on a night the Angels would crank out 17 hits against three Sox pitchers, including Keith Foulke, who gave up a seventh-inning single to Guerrero that drove in the Angels' final run.

Guerrero, who had two home runs, a double, a single, and a sacrifice fly, took over the league lead in RBIs with 49, blowing past David Ortiz. He is one home run behind Manny Ramirez, who hit his 15th, a drive off lefty Jarrod Washburn that cleared the center field fence to lead off the second.  Guerrero came into the game as the only AL player ranked in the top five in average, home runs, and RBIs, and also was in the top five in runs, hits, total bases, and slugging percentage.

Martinez was lifted before Guerrero came to bat again in the sixth against Timlin, who had been left in the bullpen the night before when Guerrero hit a tiebreaking two-run double off Bronson Arroyo. A day later, Francona said he still didn't know what he could have done differently.   He opted for Timlin with the Sox clinging to a 7-5 lead, and Guerrero vaporized that strategy with a line drive into the artificial rock pile beyond the left- center-field fence for a three-run home run and an 8-7 Angels advantage.

Martinez was charged with seven runs, the eighth time in his career he has allowed as many and the second time this season. The arduous nature of his outing was crystallized in a 16-pitch at-bat in the third, when he fell behind Angels rookie Casey Kotchman 3- and-0, then threw 11 straight pitches that were fouled off before a swinging strike three ended the at-bat and the inning.

The Sox worked mightily to spare Martinez a defeat on a night he struck out four batters to become the 26th pitcher in major league history to record 2,500 or more whiffs, drawing into a tie with Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson (2,502).  They were as rough on Washburn as they had been on imported ace Bartolo Colon, knocking him out with six straight hits with one out in a five-run fourth that erased a 4-2 deficit. Dave McCarty, Gabe Kapler, Pokey Reese, and Mark Bellhorn singled in succession before Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run double into the right-center-field gap and Ortiz doubled over the head of left fielder Jose Guillen.

Sox pitchers have gotten beaten up over the last week. In the last eight games, Sox pitchers have a 7.15 ERA, allowing 58 earned runs in 73 innings, while opposing batters are hitting .333 (103 for 309), with 28 doubles and 11 home runs. In that span, the staff ERA overall has risen from 3.48 to 4.05.