01:00 AM EDT on Monday, April 12, 2004

BOSTON -- A year ago, the Red Sox had so many of these walk-off, come-from-behind victories that it became difficult to keep track of them all. Every comeback would have a different hero. After a while, the remarkable became the routine.

This year it's different. This year, the players on the disabled list equal the number of games played. Exactly a week into the season, the Sox have already had to call on reinforcements from Pawtucket. Twice.

Just breaking from the starting line, the Red Sox look more like a team staggering to reach the finish. With Brian Daubach designated for assignment Saturday to make room for a 12th pitcher and Johnny Damon (knee) unavailable, the Red Sox had just three players on the bench yesterday. One of those, Ellis Burks, is for now incapable of playing the field and another, Doug Mirabelli, is the backup catcher.

So when David Ortiz sent everybody hope happy with a two-run drive into the Monster seats for a 6-4 Red Sox, 12-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays, it was not business as usual. It was not another ho-hum last at-bat win.

This one -- the first in extra-innings and the second overall at home -- was special.

"There's something to be said for perseverance," said manager Terry Francona.

The Red Sox had had their chances previous to Ortiz' heroics. They had a leadoff man on second in the ninth and moved him to third with one out but couldn't score. They had two on and none out in the 10th but couldn't push a run across.

Finally, Ortiz, at the center of so much offensive drama last season, delivered.

This was the same Ortiz that sparked the Sox over the final four months of last season. Seemingly a spare part in the early going, Ortiz got more playing time after Shea Hillenbrand was dealt to Arizona, easing the logjam at first base.

He capitalized on the increased playing time, and by the second-half of last season became the team's most dependable hitter in the the clutch, amassing 101 RBI in just 448 at-bats.

"If there was someone you had to pick in that spot, it would be either Manny (Ramirez) or Ortiz," said Keith Foulke.

Foulke knows of what he speaks. In Game 4 of last October's Division Series, Foulke was the A's closer, trying to finish off the Red Sox for the winter. Instead, Ortiz' big double in the eighth inning put the Sox ahead to stay and pointed them toward a Game 5 win in Oakland the next night.

Now, Foulke and Ortiz are teammates.

"This team has a lot of heart and it shows," Foulke said.

"I told David before he went to home plate, 'Finish this, man -- we don't get paid for overtime,' " said Ramirez.

So Ortiz did what he was told, using his patented inside-out swing to drive the ball the other way. He lumbered around the bases and rounded third only to see a block party forming at home plate.

It was a familiar sight. Bodies jumping up and down, anticipating the hero du jour's arrival.

Seemed like old times. And old times are something the Red Sox can use now. Anything to get them through this stretch that has them already playing shorthanded.

"This game will give us a lot of momentum," said Kevin Millar. "This is it. This will get us going."

Last Tuesday, Curt Schilling carried the Sox to their first win. A night later, the bats broke out and the Sox won a laugher over the Orioles. Saturday, Pedro Martinez subdued the Blue Jays.

Yesterday, things were headed in the wrong direction. Bobby Jones, who walked four in the 13th Thursday night to lead to a crushing loss, wasn't left in long enough to do much damage yesterday. After two walks -- on eight consecutive balls, no less -- he was lifted.

No more character-building losses, thank you. No more hanging around and losing a tough one, if you don't mind. In the seventh game of the year, the Red Sox needed to draw upon some of last year's elixir to win their first series of the year.

"Going into an off-day," said general manager Theo Epstein, "this feels really nice. Compare that to how we would have felt if we had lost this one. This came at a time when we really needed it."

To characterize it as a must-win would be foolhardy, of course. It's much too soon for that.

Save that for next week, when the Yankees come to town.