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JOHNNY PESKY |
THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
The Orioles take down the Sox a notch
September 23, 2004 ... The Red Sox suffered a disheartening, 9-7 loss to the Orioles before 35,026 in
the Fens. The Sox went to bed last night trailing the Yankees (who topped Tampa Bay, 7-4) by 4 1/ 2 games in the division with only 10 to play.
The Orioles made the Sox pay when pinch hitter Jose Leon broke a 5-5 tie by lacing a decisive, two-run single off Mike Myers with the bases loaded in the eighth inning. One of the runs was charged to Ramiro Mendoza, who allowed two hits before he yielded to Myers with one out and the game on
the line.
The Sox pen was so taxed after their 7-6 victory over the Orioles in 12 innings Wednesday that Francona called on Byung Hyun Kim to pitch the ninth. Kim retired the first two batters he faced before the wheels came off and Baltimore piled up two more runs on three hits and a walk. By the
time the Sox prepared to bat in the ninth, they heard little but a chorus of boos, hardly the sound they wanted as the prepared to face the Yankees.
Derek Lowe let the Orioles seize the lead three times and was fortunate to escape with a no-decision after the Sox scored three runs in the fifth to erase a 5-2 deficit before he departed. Lowe left Francona little choice but to lift him after he fired 99 pitches, including a fastball
that Miguel Tejada scorched for a three-run homer in the fifth.
Despite Lowe's woes, the Sox managed to stay abreast of the Birds by chipping away at Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera (12-7). Cabrera allowed five runs on seven hits, including a big two-run single by Kevin Millar, and a pair of walks over 4 innings.
Rarely have the Red Sox made a more ceremonial roster move than the one they made in activating Ellis Burks from the disabled list. The move gave Burks and Sox fans a chance to bid each other farewell before he retires after the season. To make room for Burks on the 40-man roster, the
Sox released lefthander Phil Seibel.
In a crushing development for the former Sox great, Johnny Pesky was banned by Major League Baseball from sitting in the dugout at Fenway Park, as he has done regularly. He received a written notice of the directive. |
