06/25/2002

When Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Yankees' win over San Diego combined to oust the Red Sox from first place in the American League East for the first time in more than two months, the temptation was to view the flip-flop in the standings as some sort of permanent new order.

After all, it was about this time last year that the Red Sox fell out first, soon to dissolve in an ugly miasma of selfishness, intra-organization discord and injuries.

But this year isn't last year, and these Red Sox aren't like the 2001 edition, as the first two-plus months clearly demonstrated. What Jason Varitek desribed Sunday as the team's "first bump on the road" is likely to be just that.

As the Red Sox prepare for one of their longest -- and least-challenging -- homestands of the season, there are reasons for optimism.

Among them:

THE SCHEDULE: In the last two weeks, the Red Sox have had the distinct misfortune to play three teams that were division leaders at the time, two of them on the road.

Blame it on the inherent inequities of interleague play, but while other teams were beating up on the likes of the Pirates, Brewers and Cubs, the Red Sox were stuck hosting the world-champion Arizona Diamondbacks, while visiting the N.L. East-leading Atlanta Braves and the N.L. West-leading Dodgers.

The schedule -- home and away -- is far easier for the next month. With 14 games over the next 13 days, the Red Sox will play just three games against a team with the winning record -- Atlanta. This time, the Red Sox will play the Braves at home, using more familiar rules, meaning they'll again have the DH at their disposal.

Beyond the Braves, the Sox get three with Cleveland, five with Toronto and three with Detroit as the All-Star break arrives. Then, the Sox return to the road, but are rewarded with four more games with the Blue Jays, two more with the pitiable Tigers and two with the ghastly Devil Rays.

That's 19 games out of 22 against teams with losing records, which should revitalize the Sox, as Grady Little likes to say, right quick.

REINFORCEMENTS: For the last 39 games -- or almost exactly one quarter of the season, the Red Sox have done without Manny Ramirez, merely the game's most fearsome run producer. They managed to win more games (21) than they lost (18) over that period.

Ramirez may take some time to rediscover his timing at the plate, but his mere presence makes the Red Sox' lineup more formidable.

The arrival of Alan Embree gives the Sox another late-inning weapon in the bullpen, and a reliable lefty to get out tough left-handed hitters. Teamed with closer Ugueth Urbina and Casey Fossum, the Sox now have three relievers capable of throwing in the low-to-mid 90s.

Rich Garces, presumably healthier both mentally and physically, will return within a week, further bolstering the team's relief corps.

A RESTED ROTATION: If there's been one good thing about the demanding schedule of late, it's been the periodic days off, providing recovery time for the starters.

Derek Lowe, whom some fear may tire later in his first full season as a starter, will be making his third straight start on six days' rest. Pedro Martinez, who must be carefully monitored still, also has had extra days between outings.

Beyond the general concerns for Martinez's shoulder, in fact, the rotation is relatively worry-free. John Burkett, though he's lost his last three starts, has shown no signs of experiencing a relapse of his spring shoulder woes, and both Rolando Arrojo and Frank Castillo have been durable.

Should any problems arise with the starters, the Sox now are better positioned to provide strong replacements. Thanks to the addition of Embree and the imminent return of Garces, the Sox could shift either Tim Wakefield or Fossum into the rotation without sacrificing much in the bullpen.

A half-game out of first place? If that's the worst to come out of a month that saw the schedule become more demanding and the depth stretched thin, the Red Sox aren't in bad shape, after all.