08:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, June 30, 2004

AP photo Nomar Garciaparra boots a grounder by the Yankees' Derek Jeter in the fourth inning last night. Jeter scored later in the frame on Gary Sheffield's three-run homer.

NEW YORK -- We know how much they make, combining for the second-largest payroll in baseball.

Now, it's time to see what they're made of.

The time is now for the Red Sox, not because time is running out, but because now is the time for them to show something, to demonstrate some character, to prove that they're not as bad as they've looked of late.

If they're lucky, last night will be remembered as the night when the Red Sox bottomed out, embarrassing themselves with a 11-3 beating at the hands of the New York Yankees.

Once again, it wasn't just that they lost; it was how they lost -- committing three more errors, leading to four more unearned runs. If you're keeping track at home, that's 58 unearned runs for the season. Over the last 29 games, they've allowed an unconscionable 33 unearned runs, or slightly more than one per game.

(Thanks to a visit last night by vice president Dick Cheney, metal detectors were set up around the Stadium. Apparently, the Red Sox equipment truck had arrived beforehand, since the clanging metal gloves currently in use would surely have set off alarms).

The infield defense was the very definition of slipshod. In the bottom of the first, on a routine grounder, Nomar Garciaparra rushed a throw to first that bounced in and out of Kevin Millar's glove. Kenny Lofton didn't advance past first, but if ever a play warranted two errors for one base reached -- Garciaparra was the only one charged -- it was this one.

It was Millar's turn again in the third, flubbing a simple chopper from Lofton. Finally, Garciaparra struck again in the fourth, failing to come up with a grounder from Derek Jeter.

As bad as the defense was, the pitching didn't help. Twice, starter Derek Lowe did nothing to bail out his teammates. In the third, he followed Millar's miscue by allowing three hits and a sacrifice fly to the next four New York hitters.

It was more of the same in the fourth, when one batter after Jeter reached on Garciaparra's flub, Gary Sheffield connected for a three-run homer.

Even when the Sox stumbled and weren't charged with an error -- Pokey Reese bobbled a grounder from Jorge Posada just long enough to miss out on a double-play opportunity in the fifth -- Lowe couldn't respond. Once more, the very next hitter, Tony Clark, connected for a homer.

Is it purely coincidence that 15 of the team's 58 unearned runs -- or better than one in four -- have come with Lowe on the mound? Or is this evidence that Lowe isn't mentally tough enough to bail himself, and his teammates, out of these predicaments.

"Being a ground-ball pitcher, that kind of comes with the territory," said Lowe. "But also, you've got to be able to stop those big innings. I don't care how they get on -- hits or errors. Whatever happens, there's no reason I couldn't have (shut them down after that)."

Give Lowe points for candor. Such honest self-assessment was rare in the Sox clubhouse. Johnny Damon spoke some platitudes about it being "just an off-night" and said: "We plan on winning (tonight)."

Meanwhile, Millar's continuing presence in the lineup remains a mystery. He now has fewer RBI than Clark, New York's backup first baseman with 128 fewer at-bats.

It isn't as if Millar is in there for his glove, as evidenced by the last three games, during which he's committed two errors. Why isn't Ortiz the primary first baseman with Pokey Reese at second and Bellhorn the primary DH? Failing that, how about giving Dave McCarty a shot at first? He's vastly superior defensively and couldn't possibly do worse at the plate.

Keep a close eye on these Red Sox -- if you can bear it -- for the next 12 days, during which they'll play three playoff contenders (the Yankees, Oakland and Texas) and a fourth club (Atlanta) that hasn't missed out on the postseason since 1990.

"Good teams find a way to battle adversity," Lowe said. "That's what we have to do. For the last two months, there's been a lull here."

The Yankees have already shown how they respond to adversity. After beginning the season 8-11, including a humbling three-game sweep by the Sox here, the Yankees have been a blistering 40-15. They had injuries, horrendous hitting slumps and jet leg resulting from their March trip to Japan.

But the Yankees responded to their challenge. Let's see how the Sox respond to theirs. Forget, for a minute, closing the gap with the Yankees. Their first test should be to resemble major leaguers.

"If I'm any judge of talent," said Terry Francona, "I'll think we'll be fantastic. I love these guys. I think we're going to find a way to be a very good team."

We'll see. Nearly halfway through what was supposed to be a much better season, everyone is still waiting.