Long balls carry Sox over Tribe

The Red Sox built a five-run lead after five innings Monday night. And that's the kind of lead even the Sox bullpen can handle, right?
Yes, but not by much. For the Sox's 'pen tightened the game in the eighth, when relievers Alan Embree and Keith Foulke allowed back-to-back homers. Fortunately for the Sox, Foulke escaped another jam in the ninth, as the Sox beat the Indians, 10-9, in front of 30,562 at Jacobs Field.

"I think that's what you call hanging on for dear life," manager Terry Francona said.

Manny Ramirez brought the offense to life in the fourth with a three-run shot off Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia that put the Red Sox ahead, 3-1.

"Manny got us going," Johnny Damon said. "Big three-run homer. Those really kill you."

Although the Red Sox had the lead then, left-hander David Wells struggled in his half of the fourth. He gave three runs back to the Indians, which put the Sox in a 4-3 hole.

"It was just one of those nights," Wells said. "I didn't feel in command. I was just having a fight."

Wells' fight wasn't as tough as Sabathia's. In the fifth, the Red Sox pounded the big left-hander's pitches all over The Jake.

Bill Mueller started the pounding with a leadoff single to left. Mark Bellhorn followed with a double before Damon tied the game with an RBI single to score Mueller.

After Edgar Renteria struck out, David Ortiz gave the Sox a lead they would never surrender when he hit a grounder to Cleveland third baseman Aaron Boone. The former Yankee hero elected to try to throw out Bellhorn out at home instead of trying to start an inning-ending double play or get Ortiz at first. Bellhorn beat the throw home, safely sliding head first to avoid Victor Martinez's tag.

Ramirez followed with a broken-bat ground-rule double down the left-field line to score Damon, and then Jason Varitek smacked a home run to left-center field to give the Sox a comfortable 9-4 lead.

"The last week, we've had really solid pitching," Varitek said. "Today, we had to battle with our bats."

Despite his lack of command, Wells welcomed the extra run support.

"I felt like Matt Clement with the run support," he joked after the game.

That run support was sufficient until the eighth, when Embree's and Foulke's struggles began. After reliever Mike Myers gave up one run in the sixth, Embree entered in the eighth to handle a four-run lead.

He left with the Sox clinging to a 9-7 lead, for Travis Hafner belted a 3-2 pitch to center field for a two-run homer.

"I got deep into the count and lost," Embree said. "He had a tough at-bat against me."

Big game for Ramirez
Red Sox at Indians, June 20
After going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBIs, Manny Ramirez is batting .267 (.357 with runners in scoring position) with 15 homers, through June 20. A look at his plate appearances:
Inn. Count Result
2nd 2-0, 0 Out Popout
4th 2-0, 0 Out Three-run home run
5th 3-2, 1 Out RBI Ground-rule double
7th 2-2, 1 Out Popout
9th 2-1, 2 Out Single
Ramirez increased his season RBI total to 55, through June 20. He now has 405 homers in his career.

From there, Foulke controlled the game.

Sort of.

Foulke immediately gave up a home run to Martinez, which closed the Sox lead to 9-8.

"They don't stop playing," Francona said of the Indians. "They had great at-bats against all of our guys."

Damon agreed.

"That was a strong eighth inning," he said. "We had to get a run or we were definitely in trouble.

Damon made sure the Red Sox got that run, hitting a solo homer to start the ninth. And that run proved to be the difference, as the Indians rallied for another run in the bottom half of the inning.

Foulke kept the Indians from tying the game in the ninth, as he forced Coco Crisp to fly out to Damon in the ninth; but not without a little drama.

"I was screaming to make sure Manny heard [that I got it]," Damon said. "And he heard me."

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/