MANNY RAMIREZ

THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
Swept away in a New York heartbreaker

July 1, 2004 ...  One win. One measly win. That's all the Red Sox figured they needed last night to free them from their prison of pain. Then an instant classic got in the way. Manny Ramirez, whose solo shot off Tanyon Sturtze in the top of the 13th inning appeared to deliver the Sox from their most distressing tailspin of the season before disaster struck.

Desperately searching for a way to reverse their spiraling fortunes, the Sox absorbed another terrible shock when former Boston catcher John Flaherty launched a pinch single over Ramirez's head off Curtis Leskanic with two out in the bottom of the 13th inning to drive in Miguel Cairo and lift the Yankees to a 5-4 victory before 55,265 in the Bronx. The Sox were leading, 4-3, when Leskanic got two outs, and then surrendered three straight hits - a single by Ruben Sierra, double by Cairo, and single by Flaherty - in the final collapse.

In one of the most dramatic extra-inning showdowns between the archrivals, the Yankees completed a three-game sweep and gave life to the worst nightmare of the Sox faithful by extending their American League East lead to a whopping 8 1/2 games. The Sox, who had embarrassed themselves in losing the first two games, took heart that they played an errorless game and played with the resiliency, if not the success, they expect from themselves.

Still, the loss certainly broke hearts throughout Soxville. The elusive victory escaped the Sox after Yankee Derek Jeter denied them in the 12th inning by making a spectacular sprinting catch on a shallow fly near the left-field line by pinch hitter Trot Nixon with two outs and runners at second and third. Jeter's momentum rocketed him into the third row of seats, where he suffered a laceration of his chin and bruises to his right cheek and right shoulder before emerging bloody, ball in hand. (He was taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for precautionary X-rays.)

The Sox also squandered one of the sweetest chances they could imagine against Yankee closer Mariano Rivera in the 11th inning. With no outs, they loaded the bases on singles by David Ortiz and Ramirez (with Ortiz reaching third on Ramirez's single and Ramirez reaching second on a throwing error) and an intentional walk to Jason Varitek. But in a stunning act of futility, Kevin Millar grounded into a double play to third, with Ramirez forced out there by Alex Rodriguez and Gabe Kapler (running for Ortiz) erased at the plate. David McCarty then flied out to complete the bad dream.

Fresh from helping to raise more than $200,000 to aid victims of deadly floods in their homeland, the Dominican dynamos did all they could to try to help the Sox reverse their fortunes. Martinez went seven strong innings, surrendering three runs on four hits, including home runs by Clark (a two-run shot) and Posada (a solo shot). The Sox ace also provided a touch of electricity by drilling Gary Sheffield in the back in the first after Sheffield stepped out on him in mid-wind up.

Ortiz and Ramirez, perhaps the most dangerous 1-2 punch in baseball, tried to do the rest, as they have done much of the season. With the Sox trailing, 3-0, in the sixth, they closed the gap when Ortiz doubled and Ramirez homered off Yankee starter Brad Halsey, making it 3-2. That ended a fine outing by Halsey, who rationed the Sox only two runs on four hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings against the Sox ace. The Sox forced the tie in the seventh when McCarty doubled off Paul Quantrill, advanced to third on a single by Kevin Youkilis, and scored when Pokey Reese grounded into a double play.

Nomar Garciaparra started nine straight games and 15 of the previous 16 after returning from a bout of tendonitis in his right Achilles'. His play has almost certainly been affected by persistent discomfort in the Achilles' and Francona indicated he had little choice last night but to rest the shortstop.  Garciaparra is hitting .235 with a grand slam, nine RBIs, and a .274 on-base percentage in 17 games. He has committed five errors, including three costly miscues in the Yankee series.

After conducting an MRI in Boston on Scott Williamson's arm, Sox medical director Bill Morgan diagnosed the righthander's injury as an impingement of the radial nerve near his pitching elbow. Williamson, who underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on the elbow in 2001, will need to rest the elbow and appears headed for his second stint on the disabled list this season. He missed 20 games with a similar injury before he returned June 11.