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July 12, 2007
BOSTON – Over the last few days, as Red Sox enjoyed the break and got ready for the second half of the season, the team’s offensive struggles became one of the few “needs improvement” marks on Boston’s first-half report card.
And while a few members in the Sox’ batting order hadn’t been producing as expected, any time the focus is on Boston’s offense, two names pop to the top of the list.
David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
Neither one had a stellar first half, especially in terms of home runs.
Ortiz’s problem (14 homers after a club-record 54 a year ago) may be partially attributable to a right knee injury that he said could require postseason surgery, though no MRI was scheduled, according to manager Terry Francona. Ortiz had 52 RBI, 11 fewer than team leader Mike Lowell.
Ramirez had only 11 homers and 45 RBI, well below his norms.
So the second half dawned last night.
Ortiz and Ramirez loudly answered the bell. Neither one homered, but the duo accounted for five RBI, including a key two-out ribbie apiece in the sixth as the Red Sox trimmed the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-4, at Fenway Park.
“This team hasn’t played to its capablities (offensively),” said shortstop Julio Lugo, whose 2-for-4 night raised his average to .201.
“Everybody hasn’t gotten hot yet. Manny and David haven’t gotten hot yet. This is the time for them to get hot. Everybody’s got to get hot sometime,” added Lugo.
Clearly there is no time like the present for Ortiz and Ramirez to heat up.
It was last night’s type of production that the Red Sox have been seeking lately. They ended the first half of the season having scored four runs or less in 16 of their 32 games before the break.
And if they are going to put pressure on the opposition over the stretch run, it has to be the big boppers in the middle of the order, Ortiz and Ramirez, who have to begin carrying this offense.
They started doing that almost immediately last night.
In the first, Ortiz ripped an RBI single to right and Ramirez followed with a run-scoring double into the left-field corner, giving the Sox a 2-1 lead at the expense of Blue Jays’ ace right-hander Roy Halladay.
They teamed up in inflicting a little more damage in the second. Ortiz ripped another single to right, sending J.D. Drew to third, and Ramirez delivered Drew with a sacrifice fly to right, putting Boston ahead, 5-1.
The game tightened up after that, though. Tim Wakefield served up back-to-back gopher balls in the sixth to Matt Stairs and Alex Rios, cutting what had seemed to be a comfortable cushion into a one-run lead, at 5-4.
It was a time in the game that cried out for Ortiz and Ramirez to do something.
And they did, set up by Dustin Pedroia’s tough-at-bat, infield single with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Ortiz, facing left-hander Brian Tallet, crushed a sizzling liner to center that played tricks on Vernon Wells, the ball somehow eluding his lunge as he backed up to the fence. Pedroia scored easily, and it was 6-4 game.
Ramirez then greeted Casey Janssen with a ground-ball seed up the middle that glanced off the glove of diving second baseman Aaron Hill and zipped into center field for an RBI single – Ramirez’s third RBI of the game – and a 7-4 advantage for Boston.
While Ramirez got good wood on the ball, it was Ortiz who was especially impressive at the plate last night. In addition to his three hits, he also scalded a lineout before fanning in the eighth after having fouled a ball of his sore right knee.
“David didn’t elevate the ball, but he got two balls through the infield and had that lineout and the ball to center,” said manager Terry Francona. “He’ll hit home runs by mistake like that.”
Ortiz and Ramirez gave the Sox the breathing room they desired and then the bullpen trio of Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon (21st save) made that lead stand up.
“I know there are a lot of reasons every game in important to win, but it’s nice to come out of the gate (for the start of the second half) and get a win,” said Francona.
It also was very nice to see Ortiz and Ramirez produce, albeit without the long ball.
“They’re going to do it at some point,” said Kevin Youkilis of contributions from the heretofore dynamic duo.
“You’re not going to hold those guys down all year. They’re going to drive in runs. If they don’t have 80 or 70 RBI in the first half people think they’re having a bad year. But there still are a lot of games to go,” added Youkilis.
And Ortiz and Ramirez got off to good start in the second half, helping the Red Sox do likewise.
----STEVEN KRASNER
Posted by Thom Cahir 
at 11:00 PM to Krasner
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