01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, September 28, 2003

When most playoff teams reach the end of the year, they can look back at a series of stirring victories that ignited the drive to the postseason. The 2003 Red Sox aren't like most playoff teams; what they have is a series of absolutely devastating failures, most of which can be laid at the feet of a bullpen that started springing leaks on Opening Night.

But the single greatest characteristic of the 2003 Red Sox was their resiliency. Rarely was there a carryover from any of the losses, and some of their worst defeats were followed by some of their best baseball.

Steven Krasner identified the Red Sox' 16 most gruesome games of the season . . . and how they responded after each one of them.

Slideshows

Devil Rays 6, Red Sox 4

The Sox lead, 4-1, heading into the bottom of the ninth on Opening Night. But Alan Embree gives up a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Terry Shumpert, and Chad Fox serves up a game-losing, two-out, three-run homer to Carl Crawford.

AND THEN . . . The Sox, despite more shaky late-inning relief work, win a 16-inning thriller the next night and embark on a four-game winning streak.

2. May 2 at Fenway

Twins 11, Red Sox 4

The Sox overcome a 5-0 deficit with six runs in the seventh inning and carry a 6-5 lead into the eighth. But Embree and Ramiro Mendoza combine to give up six runs in the top of the eighth, ruining the comeback.

AND THEN . . . Pedro Martinez makes the world right again, firing a complete-game five-hitter with 12 strikeouts as the Sox coast, 9-1, in their next game.

3. May 5 at Kansas City

Royals 7, Red Sox 6

Once again the Sox erase a 5-0 deficit, tying it at 5-5 in the eighth and taking a 6-5 lead in ninth. But in the bottom of the ninth, Brandon Lyon hits Desi Relaford with the bases loaded and two outs, forcing in the tying run. Nomar Garciaparra then boots a routine grounder by Brent Mayne, allowing the winning run to score.

AND THEN . . . Not only do the Sox rally to win the last two games of the series, they erase a 6-1, eighth-inning deficit on May 7 in staging their own miracle finish.

3. May 28 at New York

Yankees 6, Red Sox 5

Trailing 5-1 heading into the top of the ninth, the Sox rally for four runs off Mariano Rivera and tie the game. But in the bottom of the ninth, Lyon walks Jorge Posada with the bases loaded to force in the winning run. (Both Lyon and catcher Jason Varitek thought they had Posada struck out on the 2-and-2 pitch, but umpire Joe West called it a ball. When Lyon missed badly on 3-and-2, Varitek slammed down the ball and made a mocking strike-three, punch-him-out call to show his displeasure with West.)

AND THEN . . . For one of the few times all year, the Sox fall into a mini-slump after a tough loss. They're swept in a three-game series in Toronto.

4. June 12 at Fenway

Cardinals 8, Red Sox 7

The Sox rally for three runs and in the ninth, tying the game. Then, after St. Louis scored twice in the top of the 10th, they rally for two themselves in the bottom of the 10th and tie it again. A final two-run rally in the bottom of the 13th falls short because Mendoza surrendered three runs in the top of the 13th.

AND THEN . . . For the second consecutive time the Sox follow a tough loss with a sweep. But this time they're the sweepers and not the sweepees as they win three straight against Jimy Williams' Astros at Fenway.

5. June 21 at Philadelphia

Phillies 6, Red Sox 5

Perhaps the worst loss of the season. Mike Timlin surrenders a two-out home run to Jim Thome in the bottom of the eighth, tying the game at 2-2. After the Sox pushed across the go-ahead run in the 12th, Jason Shiell surrenders a two-out home run to Thome in the bottom of the 12th, tying the game at 3-3. And after the Sox scored two in the top of the 13th, Shiell gives up a run and then gives way to Rudy Seanez, who surrenders a game-losing, two-run homer to Todd Pratt.

AND THEN . . . For the first and only time all year the Sox seem to let a devastating loss suck some of the life out of them, as they suffer a listless 5-0 defeat to the Phils the next day. But the baseball Gods -- or at least the schedule-makers -- come to the rescue by delivering the historically inept Tigers to Fenway Park. Four easy wins later, the Sox are back on stride.

6. June 28 at Fenway

Marlins 10, Red Sox 9

Or perhaps this was the worst. One night after they had routed Florida, 25-8, the Sox carry a 9-2 lead into the eighth. But the Marlins score four in the eighth and four more in the ninth, the final three on a two-out, three-run homer by Mike Lowell off an 0-and-2 pitch by Lyon.

AND THEN . . . The Sox load up and resume firing on Florida's beleaguered pitching staff the next day, coasting to an 11-7 win.

7. July 3 at Tampa

Devil Rays 6, Red Sox 5

Lyon is tagged for a game-tying, two-run homer by pinch-hitter Al Martin in the eighth, and Timlin gives up a two-out, bases-loaded single to Marlon Anderson after putting himself on the verge of getting out of the jam by striking out Damian Rolls with three on and one out.

AND THEN . . . The Sox head to Yankee Stadium and score 20 runs against the Yankees in the next two games.

8. July 7 at New York

Yankees 2, Red Sox 1

When Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter are forced out of the game in the first two innings after being hit by Pedro Martinez, the Yankees have a lineup -- against Pedro Martinez -- that sparks memories of the Horace Clarke/Frank Tepedino era. But Mike Mussina keeps the Sox in check and the Yanks push across the winning run when Todd Walker is unable to cleanly field Curtis Pride's bases-loading grounder in the bottom of the ninth.

AND THEN . . . The Sox win their next five, in Toronto and Detroit.

9. July 31 at Texas

Rangers 7, Red Sox 3

After Trot Nixon ties the game with a ninth-inning home run, Todd Jones surrenders a game-losing grand slam to Alex Rodriguez in the 11th.

AND THEN . . . The Sox have a losing weekend (two out of three) in Baltimore, but return home and sweep the Angels.

10. Aug. 8 at Fenway

Orioles 10, Red Sox 4

In the opener of a day-night doubleheader, the Sox cough up a 4-3 seventh-inning lead as Derek Lowe and Scott Williamson combine to allow seven runs.

AND THEN . . . They continue to stumble a bit, losing two out of the last three to the Orioles and then losing their first two in Oakland at the beginning of a West Coast trip. They rebound to win two straight, until . . .

11. Aug. 15 at Seattle

Mariners 10, Red Sox 5

An error by Walker on an easy double-play ball and a missed foul popup by a sliding Bill Mueller leads to a tie-breaking grand slam by Ichiro Suzuki in the sixth inning off Timlin.

AND THEN . . . Pedro to the rescue, as he pitches the Sox to a 5-1 win. But they followed that with three more losses, the last of which was . . .

12. Aug. 20 at Fenway

A's 8, Red Sox 6

The Sox, who strand 17 baserunners in the game, blow leads of 5-1 and 6-2. Byung-Hyun Kim is touched up for four runs (three earned) in one-third of an inning as he blows the save. With the loss, the Soxx drop a season-high 7 1/2 games (eight in the loss column) behind the Yankees in the division race, and to two games behind Oakland in the wild-card race.

AND THEN . . . Everything changed. The Sox reeled off five straight wins against the A's and Mariners and never broke stride the rest of the season, even though there were still a few bumps to endure along the way.

13. Aug. 26 at Fenway

Blue Jays 12, Red Sox 9

The Sox fall behind, 7-1 in the fourth but fight back and pull even at 7-7 after seven. But Williamson, Embree and Scott Sauerbeck then combine to give up five runs in the eighth.

AND THEN . . . Sox beat the Blue Jays the next night, then win the opener of a weekend series against the Yankees.

14. Aug. 30 at Fenway

Yankees 10, Red Sox 7

The Sox stake Martinez to a 3-0, first-inning lead, but Pedro -- weakened by pharyngitis -- can't hold the advantage. Every time the Sox fight back, the bullpen surrenders more runs.

AND THEN . . . An 8-4 loss in Roger Clemens' final regular-season appearance at Fenway Park has New England's panic level rising, but the Sox instead win five straight games, in Philadelphia, Chicago and New York.

15. Sept 8 at Baltimore

Orioles 13, Red Sox 10

Without a doubt the ugliest loss of the season. The Sox make four errors, are guilty of just as many mental mistakes, and blow an 8-4 lead.

AND THEN . . . Two easy wins in Baltimore send the Sox home, where they'll play 11 of the last 17 games of the season.

16. Sept 20 at Cleveland

Indians 13, Red Sox 4

The Sox cruise into the bottom of the seventh with a 4-1 lead, but Lowe and the bullpen suffer their worst pitching implosion of the year: Twelve runs in two innings to the light-hitting Indians.

AND THEN . . . Martinez shuts down the Tribe and the Sox get back on track at Fenway against the Orioles.