A doubleheader split with the Orioles has Boston at .500 over its last 74 games, leaving the team nine games behind first-place New York in the loss column.

08:30 AM EDT on Friday, July 23, 2004

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

AP photo Baltimore's Brian Roberts lands on top of the Red Sox' David McCarty, who was forced at second base on a double-play ball off the bat of Doug Mirabelli during the fourth inning of the doubleheader's nightcap. McCarty provided a key defensive play in the top of the first and a two-run single in the bottom of the inning.

BOSTON -- And so the Boston Red Sox continued their .500 dance yesterday at Fenway Park.

The Sox were beaten by Baltimore, 8-3, in the daytime portion of the day-night doubleheader, but bounced back for a 4-0 victory in the nightcap, extending their stretch of .500 baseball to 37-37 over the last 74 games.

The split cost Boston another game in the loss column to the first-place New York Yankees. The Sox now trail New York by 8 1/2 games, 9 in the loss column, with the Yankees coming to Fenway for a three-game series that begins tonight, with Boston's Curt Schilling opposing Jon Lieber.

"We're still waiting for the explosion we have in us," said Gabe Kapler, who had an RBI single in yesterday's opener. "We're capable of winning 18 of 22. I know we've been saying that for a long time, but it's coming."

If last night's win turns out to be the one that propels this team to a lengthy stretch of victories to fulfill the preseason promise, the names that will stand out are David McCarty, Kevin Youkilis and Tim Wakefield.

McCarty, making only his sixth start of the season in left field and first since May 15, threw out Brian Roberts at the plate trying to score on Melvin Mora's lineout in the top of the first.

McCarty's throw was a perfect one-hopper to Doug Mirabelli, helping Wakefield out of a first-and-third, none-out jam. It was his first outfield assist since July 3, 2002. And then in the bottom of the inning, McCarty (2-for-3) drilled a two-run single to right off Dave Borkowski, giving the Sox a quick 3-0 lead.

"I take a lot of pride in that," said McCarty of this throw. "As a utility player, the number one thing is not to hurt the team defensively. Anything you do offensively is a bonus. On the fly ball, it hung up in the air and I was able to get behind it, square my shoulders and make a good throw."

"That was huge," said Wakefield, who was pitching for the first time since last Saturday, when he took a line drive off the back of his shoulder in Anaheim. "When you have first and third and nobody out, you're almost conceding a run there."

"We were going uphill already, and that throw brought the dugout and people to life," said manager Terry Francona.

Youkilis, recalled the previous day from Pawtucket, contributed twice to the Sox' attack. The third baseman kept the first inning alive with a two-out infield single, setting the stage for McCarty, who cracked a solo homer into the Monster seats in left-center in the fourth for a 4-0 advantage.

Wakefield, meanwhile, scattered eight singles in his seven shutout innings. The knuckleballer fanned four and did not walk a batter.

The bullpen tandem of Mike Timlin and Alan Embree finished up, salvaging the final game of the three-game series.

The win improved Wakefield's record to 6-6.

"We needed this one like you can't believe," sighed Francona. "I know (Wakefield) didn't feel that good. But he really gutted it out, not only by going out there, but by the way he pitched."

"He battled as far as getting to the mound (because of his sore shoulder)," added catcher Doug Mirabelli, "but his stuff was so good he made it look easy."

"I felt good enough," said the stoic Wakefield with a shrug. "I felt a lot better than a few days earlier. The training staff did a good job of getting me ready to pitch today. I haven't been pitching that good, either, so I just tried to battle through this game."

In the opener, Abe Alvarez, called up from Double-A Portland just for this game with the Sox strapped for a starter, endured a rocky big-league baptism.

The left-hander, the Sox' third-round pick in 2003, surrendered three runs in the opening inning, the last two scoring on a homer by Miguel Tejada (2-for-4, 2 RBI). Alvarez also gave up a homer to Melvin Mora (3-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI).

Overall, Alvarez was charged with five runs on eight hits and five walks in five innings and was tagged with the loss. But catcher Jason Varitek was impressed.

"He didn't really panic," said Varitek. "There were a couple of pitches we'd like back, but I'll take the responsibility for those. He threw a lot of borderline pitches and didn't get the calls. But he didn't throw the ball down the middle. He didn't give in. He has a good demeanor on the mound. He was able to get out of a few jams. He seems to be a very cerebral pitcher. I think there will be a time he can help us."

The Sox' offense could have helped the rookie, but failed in the clutch early and often.

Boston banged out 10 hits off Baltimore starter Rodrigo Lopez in six innings. But the Sox managed only one run over that stretch. Twice they failed to deliver David Ortiz from third after he had tripled, once reaching third with only one out with Manny Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra coming up.

And while Boston was able to minimize the damage the Orioles could have done, cutting down baserunners at second, third and home in key spots along the way, the Sox didn't give Baltimore a serious scare until Kevin Millar clubbed a two-run homer to left-center off Buddy Groom in the eighth.

That cut the Orioles' lead to 6-3. But Mora's second homer of the game, a two-run blast off Ramiro Mendoza in the ninth, ended whatever remained of the suspense in the day game.