OAKLAND, Calif. / 9:15 a.m. -- After five weeks of being coddled by the
American League schedule-maker, the Red Sox knew they would have to
improve their play as their opponents improved. But matched against a
team with a winning record for the first time since Patriot's Day, the
Sox first had to overcome their own sloppy play.
Two errors on consecutive plays by third baseman Shea Hillenbrand
led to four unearned runs in the fifth inning at Network Coliseum, but
the Red Sox responded to quickly, then held off one last late charge by
the Oakland A's for a 9-7 triumph.
Artistic, it wasn't. But it wasn't without merit. The Red Sox were
fighting fatigue -- they arrived in the Bay Area at 6 a.m. Eastern time
-- and the stunning news that two of their players had been suspended
for an incident they considered complete.
In the fifth inning alone, the Sox saw their lead, momentum and
starting pitcher slip away. Pedro Martinez, his pitch count inflated by
the A's notoriously patient approach at the plate, left after the fourth
unearned run had crossed the plate courtesy of Eric Chavez' two-run
homer.
But just as quickly, the Sox responded with two runs in the top of
the sixth to tie it, then another four in the eighth to give themselves
some distance.
Leading the way was Trot Nixon, recipient of a four-game suspension
from Bob Watson earlier in the day. Nixon said before the game he would
put the issue aside and focus on the game, then did as promised.
Nixon singled home a run in the fourth, homered to start the
comeback in the sixth, then chipped in with a two-run single to close
out the Red Sox output in the eight.
``When you've got teammates, a coaching staff and owners like I do,
it makes it really easy (to just go out and play),'' said Nixon. ``I
wanted to help the team, and fortunately, I was able to do that. (News
of the suspension) was no problem whatsoever -- my job is to help the
Boston Red Sox.''
The win was the Red Sox' seventh in a row and improved their road
record to 14-2. Banging out 15 hits, the Sox got three hits from Nomar
Garciaparra, two RBI from Manny Ramirez and two runs scored from Brian
Daubach. Johnny Damon had just one hit, leading off the game, but it was
enough to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 17 consecutive
games.
Rolando Arrojo, who pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in
the middle of the game, gained the win.
``The key to the whole thing,'' said manager Grady Little, ``was
the job Arrojo did coming out of the bullpen.''
Having had a 3-1 lead built for him heading into the fifth, Pedro
Martinez was trying to close out the inning. But with Jeremy Giambi
aboard with a leadoff single, Hillenbrand botched back-to-back errors on
backhand plays, resulting in one run.
The two errors on two plays nearly matched Hillenbrand's error
total for the year. He had made three errors in the first 27 games.
A sacrifice fly from Jermaine Dye produced another, and Eric
Chavez, mired in an 0-for-23 skid, homered to left-center, reaching the
first row of seats beyond the scoreboard.
Trailing 5-3, Martinez departed.
``I thought actually I had a good game,'' said Martinez, who was
hampered by the flu in his last start, ``even though the results didn't
show it.''
Martinez was quickly taken off the hook in the following inning
thanks to Nixon's solo homer and an RBI single from Nomar Garciaparra.
``The team has consistently (rebounded),'' Martinez said. ``I'm not
surprised. I had the feeling we were going to come back.''
In the eighth, the A's, the benificiaries of the Sox' defensive
lapses in the fifth, returned the favor by granting the Sox four
unearned runs of their own. Catcher Ramon Hernandez dropped a throw from
Miguel Tejada after the Oakland shortstop grabbed a behind-the-mound
chopper by Brian Daubach, spun around and fired a strike home to force
Jose Offerman.
But in his haste to record the out, Hernandez had the ball tip off
his glove, allowing Offerman to score the go-ahead run. A groundout by
Hillenbrand scored another run and Nixon's single up the middle scored
two more.
Reliever Rich Garces was splendid in the eighth, retiring all three
hitters he faced -- two by strikeout -- after inheriting two baserunners
from Casey Fossum. But he faltered in the ninth and the Sox had to call
on Ugueth Urbina to get the last three outs for his 12th save.
``We kept swinging the bats,'' said Grady Little. ``We've shown all
season long we're not going to quit. We can hit and we kept swinging. I
don't think we showed any kind of letdown. (Hillenbrand) didn't drop his
chin (following the errors) and his teammates didn't either.''
