01:00 AM EDT on Monday, June 28, 2004

BOSTON -- It's only June and there are still 88 games to play. The All-Star break is two weeks away, more than enough time to right the wrongs of the last few weeks.

And yet, there was an undeniable sense of urgency yesterday at Fenway Park. Lose, and the Red Sox would have dropped their fourth straight series. Lose, and the Red Sox would have gone into New York tomorrow reeling. Lose, and let's face it -- panic would have set in.

"We needed to find a way to win today," said manager Terry Francona. "Preferrably a good-looking win, but any win."

The Sox weren't about to be picky. One-run game or blowout; pitchers' duel or slugfest.

"We've had a tough time getting that second game (of a series)," conceded catcher Jason Varitek.

There were no unsung heroes here, no contributions from unlikely sources. The key contributors were also the most obvious.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez combined to knock in half of the 12 runs scored. Curt Schilling pitched six strong innings and limited his former team to three runs.

Talk about predictable. Ortiz and Ramirez have shouldered the offensive load for a team that too often has been inconsistent. Among Red Sox regulars, they are 1-2 in RBI, homers, doubles, total bases, extra-base hits, games played and slugging percentage.

When the Sox click offensively, it's usually because Ortiz and Ramirez -- third and fourth in the Boston batting order -- have pulled the switch. So it was again yesterday.

"We've all been trying to pick each other up," Kevin Millar said. "But they're the ones that have done it the most. Manny's not going to do it every time and David's not going to do it every time. But they did today."

Trailing, 3-0, in the third with the bases loaded, Ortiz was fanned by Brett Myers for the second out. But Ramirez drove an opposite-field bullet over the head of Bobby Abreu that one-hopped the bullpen wall for a two-run double.

In the fifth, Ortiz chipped in with a line-drive laser to the camera position in center field, then for good measure added a two-run double to center in the seventh, after which he scored on a run-scoring double by Ramirez.

The totals: four hits between them -- all for extra bases -- and six RBI. For the season, the two have combined for 39 homers, 131 RBI and 354 total bases.

That's a pretty good season for one player. It's a great half-season for two.

"On a daily basis," said Schilling of Ortiz, "he's a much better hitter than I thought he was. I've noticed that he's cut down his strikeouts in the last four weeks. And Manny, he's the best (right-handed hitter) I've ever played with."

Schilling played a big part himself. After yielding two solo homers in the span of three batters in the second, then surrendering another run in the third, Schilling dug in.

"I think for a couple innings," Francona said, "especially early, he night have gotten away from his game plan a bit. And then it seemed like when we scored the runs he just said, 'OK, if they're going to beat me, they have have to beat me doing it my way.' And they weren't able to do that."

His pitch count high after a lengthy second and third, Shilling knew that he wouldn't see the late innings. But in the sixth, his final frame of work, he reached back and struck out three, with most of the fastballs registering 97 mph.

Schilling hasn't lost at home. The Sox are 12-4 when he starts. If Pedro Martinez is still the team's ace, then Schilling has been the de facto leader on the mound this year -- their most consistent starter.

It was a pretty simple formula, really.

"The big boppers got the offense going," Varitek said, "and then Curt settled down and got us through six."

It would have been the longest stretch of series losses since the final two weeks of the forgettable Joe Kerrigan Era. It would have been the first losing homestand of the season.

But it wasn't any of those things. It was a much-needed win. And for that, the Sox had three familiar faces to thank.