A TEAM "FIT TO BE TIED"
Kevin Millar's walk-off HR brings the Sox back

May 10, 2005 ... Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar committed two costly errors, leading to Oakland runs in the first and the seventh. But with the Sox trailing, 2-1, in the ninth, Millar homered for the second time in as many nights, a line drive with David Ortiz aboard that cleared the Green Monster for a walk-off 3-2 victory before 35,644 on a light-jacket night at Fenway Park.

Prior to Millar's blast, the Sox had mustered only four hits against a tough foursome of pitchers including starter Kirk Saarloos, who went five innings and allowed the Sox only a run in the fifth. Saarloos was relieved by Huston Street, Ricardo Rincon, and Octavio Dotel, who blew the save.

The Sox got a strong outing from starter Bronson Arroyo, who went 6 innings and allowed only three hits and one earned run; they won for the 15th time in Arroyo's last 16 starts. Three of the Sox' five hits came from the bat of the sizzling Johnny Damon, who knocked in Boston's first run and reached base four times.

The Sox had their 3-4-5 hitters up in the ninth, but Manny Ramirez, who returned to the lineup after being hit in the helmet took a called third strike. But Ortiz walked on a full count, setting the stage for Millar. The first baseman had stroked his first home run of the season Monday night, but he was struggling last night, going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts, plus the two errors. He worked the count in his favor, 2 and 1, before fouling off a Dotel fastball, then struck his homer, reversing his "curse." In the first inning, Millar backhanded Erubiel Durazo's ground ball on one knee but made an off-balance and off-line throw to the plate trying to cut down Mark Kotsay. Arroyo was able to recover by retiring Bobby Kielty and Scott Hatteberg to keep the damage minimal.

Arroyo made a questionable choice on a nubber back to him by Adam Melhuse in the seventh. He looked back the runner, Kielty, at third, and threw to first, but Millar was off the bag, and Kielty came home anyway, beating the throw. Millar was charged with his second error. Arroyo was trying to work out of a first-and-third/nobody-out jam that developed after a leadoff double by Kielty and a Hatteberg infield hit (a slow roller to shortstop, on which Edgar Renteria's throw was a hair late). Arroyo dug in and struck out Eric Byrnes, then went 2-and-0 to Melhuse before evening the count, 2 and 2. After Melhuse got the run home with his tapper, Arroyo got No. 9 hitter Marco Scutaro to hit into a fielder's choice, a grounder to shortstop on which Renteria made a nice stop behind the bag. The Sox nearly turned a double play but Scutaro beat the throw to first. Arroyo then exited to a standing ovation, after another quality start. Alan Embree came on and was able to retire Kotsay on a grounder to first. Millar stumbled on the play but recovered to put a diving tag on Kotsay for the final out.

On offense, the Sox are witnessing one of the better stretches of individual hitting in years. Teammates have marveled at the "zone" Damon is in, one that has him with a 16-game hitting streak. His first three times up, Damon had three hits, including a triple into the right-field corner in the third inning that sneaked around the railing on Kielty. The crowd was on its feet, hoping for an inside-the-park homer, but with two outs and the Sox trailing by a run, third base coach Dale Sveum held Damon up. Nixon flied out to end the inning.

Damon singled in Boston's first run in the fifth to tie it at 1- 1. The Sox had put a pair of runners on with a one-out single by Renteria and a walk to Bill Mueller. After Mark Bellhorn struck out for an American League-high 36th time the A's faced the worst possible batter, Damon, who slapped a single to right.

Damon extended his hitting streak to 16 with his single to left field. It's the longest active streak in baseball, and Damon is tied for third-longest this season with Albert Pujols of St. Louis and Nick Johnson of Washington. The longest streak was an 18-gamer in 2002. The baseball must seem as large as a beach ball to him right now.