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Baseball Today: Monday, July 23 »
July 22, 2007
BOSTON – Statistically speaking, it couldn’t match the offensive onslaught that took place in the Bronx over the weekend, where the New York Yankees scored 38 runs in their last two games alone and 45 in their last three.
Still, given how desperate the Red Sox were for a well-placed or well-timed hit earlier in the week, their 29 runs, all in pursuit of three straight wins over the Chicago White Sox, will more than suffice.
The lineup’s awakening doesn’t guarantee anything going forward, but it served to remind the Sox what they’re capable of.
``I think we just keep it (focused) on what we did today,’’ said manager Terry Francona after the Sox held off the Chicago White Sox 8-5, ``because you just don’t know. I’m sure Cleveland’s pitching will have something to say about how we swing and our approach. You just show up and try to score enough runs today and, sure, we hope there’s always momentum or carryover.
``But guys feel good at the plate, and that’s good.’’
Earlier in the week, of course, that was hardly the case. Starting July 13, one game into their first homestand if the second-half, the Sox went through a stretch of seven games during which they scored more than five runs only once. Starting June 1 until yesterday, the Sox hit only .248 with runners in scoring position, landing them 12th in the American League in that category.
Things bottomed out when, while hosting Toronto, Kansas City and the first game of the White Sox’ series, they averaged just three runs over five games.
But after breaking out Friday night, the Sox kept hitting all weekend, hardly missing David Ortiz, who continues to rest a bruised left shoulder.
``Things are going good,’’ agreed Kevin Youkilis. ``We weren’t too worried about hitting with runners in scoring position and stuff like that. You guys keep track of that. The big thing is just winning ballgames; it doesn’t matter how you do it.’’
It helps, though, to stake your starting pitcher – Tim Wakefield, in yesterday’s case -- to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to a three-run homer from Manny Ramirez.
It didn’t hurt to get another three-run homer in the fifth – this one from Mike Lowell, who hadn’t homered – solo or otherwise – since July 5, before the All-Star break.
Those runs proved especially useful when Wakefield began to falter and Manny Delcarmen, the first of three pitchers out of the Boston bullpen, was uncharacteristically ineffective as the White Sox narrowed an 8-1 laugher into an 8-5 squirmer. Hideki Okajima had to strike out A.J. Pierzynski with the based loaded in the seventh to preserve the lead.
No one has come to symbolize the offensive rebirth more than Ramirez, who in addition to his first inning homer, contributed a sharp run-scoring single in the sixth. In the just-completed 11-game home-stand, Ramirez hit .385 (15-for-39) with 13 RBI. Having gone without a home run for a stretch of 16 games – the final 15 of the first half, and the first game of the home-stand – Ramirez has now homered in four of his last 10 contests.
Now that the tablesetters such as Coco Crisp (..346 over his last 20 games) and Julio Lugo (.457 over his last 12) are getting on base, the responsibility falls to Ramirez, Lowell (just three homers in his last 31 games) and Youkilis (just two RBI on the homestand) to drive them home.
The next seven games are on the road, beginning with four in Cleveland -- who went into yesterday tied for 10th in the A.L. in team ERA – and ends in Tampa Bay, which was on the receiving end of the Yankees’ weekend eruption.
``It’s starting to come around,’’ said Youkilis of the team’s offense. ``Now, we just have to keep it going.’’
--SEAN McADAM
Posted by Corey Bourassa 
at 7:35 PM to McAdam
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