A TEAM "FIT TO BE TIED"
The Sox rally for a walk-off 9th inning win

June 17, 2005 ... Wade Miller allowed four with this symmetrical line: 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 4 SO. He wasn't great early as he walked off the mound a half-inning into the game trailing, 3-0, but he owed some of his woes to the team behind him.

Miller recorded two quick outs to begin the game, then allowed three consecutive hits. Jason Bay singled and Daryle Ward doubled. Ryan Doumit followed with a scorched two-run double to center that Damon initially charged, which did him in instantly. Doumit, on second, then stole third on a full-count pitch to Rob Mackowiak. Though Doumit didn't get a particularly good jump, Jason Varitek didn't make a throw.

It was ball four with runners now on the corners. Then, on a 1-and-1 pitch to the next batter, Jose Castillo, both Doumit and Mackowiak took off on that rare but beautiful play: a double steal. Varitek popped up, glanced left quickly down the third-base line, and threw errantly to second, allowing Doumit to score.

But, the Sox' lineup eased the burden on Miller with a four-run second. With a man on and two outs, Varitek singled and Bill Mueller doubled, knocking in a run. Then, with the count full, Mark Bellhorn powered an 89-mile-per-hour Josh Fogg fastball into the Pittsburgh bullpen. Bellhorn, 0 for his previous 12, has now homered four times in his last 31 games after hitting none in his first 30. Thus, Red Sox 4, Pirates 3.

The teams traded runs in the fourth with Pittsburgh scoring on a two-out single by Freddy Sanchez, Boston on a two-out triple to the right-field corner by Mueller.

The Pirates added another in the seventh to make it 5-5. Pittsburgh probably should have plucked a 6-5 lead in the eighth, if not for Manny Ramirez's right arm and Varitek's left leg. Sanchez, an ex-Sox, roped a single to left with two outs, and around came Jack Wilson, attempting to score from second. And in came Ramirez's throw. The throw was a bit to the first-base side of home. Wilson either had to A) run inside and attempt to bowl over Varitek or B) attempt to slide through Varitek's left leg. He chose B. Wilson's slid off the catcher's leg and past the plate. Varitek, who couldn't see whether Wilson had gotten any of the plate, instinctually turned and tagged the bewildered, and seated, Wilson.  Ramirez's league-leading ninth outfield assist, along with Varitek's piece de resistance, made for a pretty pumped dugout. Oh yes, the win. That came in the last at-bat.

The Sox squandered a prime eighth- inning chance.  Edgar Renteria hit a leadoff triple, no outs, 3-4-5 hitters coming up. But David Ortiz popped out to second, Ramirez was intentionally walked, and Jay Payton, batting for Trot Nixon for matchup purposes, grounded into a double play.

But in the ninth, Millar came through, fouling off five White offerings after there were two strikes. Millar, on the 10th pitch, a curveball off the end of his bat, actually cracked it. He dumped the 11th to the opposite field, breaking the bat, for a ground-rule double. Varitek then sacrificed but reached on an error by White. Mueller was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Bellhorn grounded to first, where Ward went home for the force out. That brought up Damon, who, facing a lefthanded reliever, Mike Gonzalez, hit a soft bouncer up the middle that eluded a drawn-in infield. That sent the Sox to their fifth straight win, tying a season high (April 14-18, May 3-8).