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TERRY FRANCONA |
THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
The Rangers rally falls short as
the Sox end an incredible home stand
September 5, 2004 ... When it began, the Red Sox were 5 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the American League
East and tied with Anaheim for the wild-card lead. When it ended, the Sons of Terry Francona as they polished off the Texas Rangers, 6-5, had trimmed another three games off the Bombers' lead, and had taken a commanding position in the wild card, with the Angels 3 1/2 games in arrears and the fading Rangers seven back.
In winning nine of 10 games while parked here - four straight from the Tigers, a three-game sweep of an Angels team that had been on a similar roll before coming to town, and two of three from the Rangers, a team in last-stand mode, the Sox hit a sizzling .316 and registered an ERA of 3.40.
That number would have been nearly a half- point lower if the Rangers hadn't hit Schilling and Keith Foulke with a four-spot in the ninth inning. Two runs came on Young's 18th home run of the season off Schilling, who came into the ninth with a three-hitter, and two more came off Foulke, who
gave up three straight hits, including a two-run double by pinch hitter Dave Dellucci, before Kevin Mench lined softly to second base to end it.
Gabe Kapler, a last-minute replacement for Johnny Damon, singled home two runs in the seventh, extending a 4-1 lead fashioned in big part around a double by David Ortiz in the Sox' two-run third and Ortiz's 35th home run of the season, which came on a 3-and-0 pitch from Rangers starter Ryan
Drese in the fifth.
Ryan Drese, the Rangers' ace who had the Sox 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position through two innings, Boston's first run scoring on Bill Mueller's infield out after a single by Kevin Millar and double by Orlando Cabrera, is only the latest victim. The Sox simply wore down Drese, who
labored through a 36-pitch third inning, one in which he issued a bases-loaded walk to Millar after a 2-and-2 call from umpire Phil Cuzzi went against him.
The Sox activated well-traveled pitcher Pedro Astacio. Trot Nixon is scheduled to play today in Pawtucket, then will fly to Oakland to join the Sox. Second baseman Pokey Reese (oblique) also will accompany the team West and is hopeful of being activated before the end of the
trip. |
