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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE September 6, 2004 ... Terry Francona's barnstormers needed only a couple of seventh-inning pitches from Oakland starter Barry Zito to seize a 4-2 lead en route to an 8-3 victory before 37,839 at Network Associates Coliseum tonight. Bill Mueller and Dave Roberts uncorked the big hits, a pair of RBI doubles after a leadoff single by Orlando Cabrera. The victory vaulted the Sox four games ahead of the idle Angels in the wild-card race and allowed them to maintain their 2 1/2- game deficit in the American League East after the Yankees outdid the Devil Rays, 7-4. The Sox broke the game open by unleashing some Texas-style wrath on the A's in the ninth inning, with David Ortiz cranking a three-run double to catch Baltimore's Miguel Tejada for the league RBI lead with 122. Moments later, Jason Varitek singled home the final Sox run as he extended his hitting streak to 12 games. To prevail, the Sox needed some help from third base umpire Brian Knight on a disputed call in top of the eighth inning on a catch by Ramirez. They also got an indisputably spectacular catch by Kapler moments later, and 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief from Mike Timlin, Alan Embree, and Ramiro Mendoza, who worked the ninth. The Dominican destroyers, Ramirez and Ortiz, made the tie-breaking rally possible for the Sox by launching consecutive homers off Zito in the fourth inning. The A's recouped a run in the bottom of the seventh on Bobby Crosby's RBI double off Bronson Arroyo, who overcame a shaky start to last 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. Arroyo got the better of Zito, who went 6 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs on six hits and a pair of walks. On top of tying a franchise record by homering in the same game for the 11th time this season, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz matched a major league record by slugging back-to-back homers for the sixth time this year. The only other tandems to go deep six times consecutively in a season were Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordonez of the White Sox in 2000, and Hank Greenberg and Rudy York of the Tigers in 1938. While the Sox played the A's, Trot Nixon was flying from Providence to California after making a rehab appearance in Triple A Pawtucket's season finale. Nixon, who singled three times and flied out in four at-bats, will be activated, as will Pokey Reese. |
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