THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
The Red Sox bobble the game away to Philly

June 26, 2004 ...  The Red Sox betrayed themselves yet again, faltering both in the field and at the plate as the Phillies steamrolled them, 9-2, before a frustrated 34,712 (except for throngs of Philly fanatics) at Fenway Park.

The day after an exhilarating 12-1 triumph that seemed a harbinger of better days, the Sox committed a season-high four errors in allowing five unearned runs and managed to score only twice despite putting 15 runners on base with 14 hits and a walk. As a consequence, they ended the game closer to the third-place Rays than the first-place Yankees.

Francona hardly needed a forensic team to explain the mess. The Sox, who lead the majors in unearned runs allowed (54) and are fourth in errors (61), were unable to overcome a pair of miscues by center fielder Johnny Damon and single errors by pitcher Bronson Arroyo and first baseman Kevin Millar.

The Sox managed to go only 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners. The futility contributed to the body of evidence behind the team's failure to amass more than one three-game winning streak over the last month. Pitching and hitting well sometimes can mask a defense as deficient as the Sox displayed yesterday. But Arroyo, who dropped his sixth straight decision and remains winless at Fenway Park, was hardly at his best as he surrendered seven runs (two earned) on seven hits, including a two-run jack by Jim Thome, and three walks over five innings. And the Sox trailed, 9-1, in the eighth inning before they could muster a consolation run on Gabe Kapler's double after singles by Millar and Kevin Youkilis.

Bill Mueller reported to Pawtucket only 29 days after his surgery. Mueller played five innings at third base for the PawSox and was 0 for 2 with a walk. The Sox will need to decide how to proceed with Kevin Youkilis when Mueller returns. They have indicated they would rather Youkilis play regularly at Pawtucket than see limited action with the parent club.

First base coach Lynn Jones underwent a third surgery Thursday on his right eye and came through it well enough that he hopes to return to the field after the All-Star break. He nearly lost the eye in a household accident eight weeks ago, but doctors have restored his vision to about 20/50. Francona said the team's medical staff would need to clear Jones before he returned to coaching.

Curt Schilling was honored before the game for winning the Good Guy Award from The Sporting News for his charitable work. Schilling and his wife, Shonda, have raised more than $4.5 million since 1992 in Boston, Philadelphia, and Phoenix to fight ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. Schilling also was preparing to face his former team today in the series finale.

Gabe Kapler was interviewed before the game by Aviva Kempner, who directed the film "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" and is writing an article on Jewish ballplayers for the Jewish Press magazine. She posed for a picture with Kapler and Youkilis, who she said may be the first Jewish teammates since Greenberg and Harry Eisenstat with the Tigers in the 1930s.

Geno Auriemma, who has coached the University of Connecticut women's basketball team to five national championships, tossed a ceremonial first pitch.