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April 19, 2008
By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer
BOSTON _ Manny Ramirez has earned most of the headlines so far this season. With the way he’s playing, that may not change.
Ramirez actually had a quiet game against the Texas Rangers last night at Fenway Park. Wait a second. . . he almost had a quiet night until he provided the heroics once again with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Boston a 5-3 victory. Until that blast he was 0-1 with two walks.
“That is a pretty swing isn’t it?” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona with a smile. “It’s nice just to get the game tied. . . We didn’t have the lead for long, but it was long enough and it was at the right time.”
Another Manny, however, almost stole Ramirez’s spotlight.
Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen came into this season with a lot of promise and proved his worth during spring training. In fact, management took notice late last season that the hard-throwing right-hander finally turned the corner with his development and was on path to make a permanent impact in the bullpen.
Last night was a perfect example of that.
Boston starter Jon Lester lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on 10 hits as Texas led 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning. Delcarmen entered the game with one out and one runner on and did exactly what he’s supposed to do – strike batters out.
“We want him to assume that responsibility,” said Francona. “After the couple of hiccups in Toronto he didn’t hang his head and he didn’t doubt himself. He’s getting big outs for us. We talked about him all spring. He’s growing into a veteran and by saying that I’m being complimentary of the way he acts and the way he works. Again, he’s assuming responsibility and that’s a good way to put it.”
Even though his pitch count was a little high with 21 pitches, Delcarmen struck out two and walked only one. As he walked off the mound, he gave a little fist pump because entering the game he had allowed six of nine inherited runners to score.
Not last night.
“Just to get out there and get a couple of punch outs was good,” said Delcarmen. “I threw the ball well. Lester battled through 6 1/3 and just to be able to help him out was pretty good. I got the job done and felt good.”
Lester got off to an interesting spot as he retired two quick outs to begin the game before the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton crushed a solo homer into the Monster seats for a 1-0 Texas lead.
Boston responded in the bottom half of the inning as Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double to deep center field. Dustin Pedroia followed with a sacrifice bunt and reached on a throwing error by the pitcher to put runners on the corners. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, who pulled out of his hitting slump with a grand slam on Friday night, hit into a 4-6-3 DP as Ellsbury scored to tie the game at 1-1.
For obvious reasons, Texas starter Jason Jennings wanted to stay clear of Manny Ramirez, so he walked him. Kevin Youkilis extended his hitting streak to eight games with an RBI-double to give Boston a 2-1 advantage.
Lester, however, surrendered a run in the top of the second inning and another in the top of the third as the Rangers gained a 3-2 lead. The middle innings, for both teams, were scoreless as Lester lasted 6 1/3 innings.
Delcarmen entered the game and retired two of the three batters he faced to leave two runners stranded. He wasn’t the only reliever to come up big for the Sox. Veteran Mike Timlin and Javier Lopez did their jobs in order to get the Sox’ offense jump started in the eighth inning.
Ellsbury led off the inning and popped out to short before Pedroia doubled off the left-field wall. Ortiz scorched a line drive base hit to right to score the game-tying run at 3-3. Then Ramirez did it again. He crushed his 6th homer of the season – 496th of his career – way over the Monster and way up on the light tower to give Boston a 5-3 lead. Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon closed it out in the ninth to record his sixth save of the season.
Ramirez stole Delcarmen’s headline, but the reliever’s work did not go unnoticed.
“Manny is seeing the ball like the size of a basketball right now,” said Delcarmen. “He is just unbelievable right now and it’s pretty good. Our bullpen right now, like last year, is picking guys up and it’s good.”
Posted by Joe McDonald 
at 10:40 PM | Permalink
