08:34 AM EDT on Monday, August 2, 2004

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS -- This was supposed to be the dawn of a new era, Day One of the Post-Nomar period, the ushering in of a new starting shortstop for the first time since 1996.

But when the afternoon was over, there were the same lingering problems for the Red Sox: spotty setup work from the bullpen, an offense too dependent on the long ball, and a fundamental gaffe or two.

And the presence of Johan Santana, who right now might be the best left-handed pitcher in the game under 6-foot-10, didn't help either.

Mixed together, the Red Sox were left to ponder a 3-2 defeat to the Minnesota Twins, wasting a fine start from Pedro Martinez.

AP photo Minnesota's Corey Koskie, left, is safe at home after colliding with Boston catcher Jason Varitek and knocking the ball away from him during the second inning yesterday. The Red Sox lost, 4-3.

"That's two days in a row where you walk out of here thinking about one little thing that happened," said Alan Embree, who for the second time in as many games was on the mound when the winning run scored.

Martinez held the Twins to two runs over seven innings, but with his pitch count at 101 and his hip still tender from his previous start, it was decided to turn the game over to the bullpen.

"It seemed like the right time," said manager Terry Francona. "I was comfortable with the way we were handing it over (to the bullpen)."

Mike Timlin gave up singles to the first two hitters he faced in the eighth -- Cristian Guzman and Lew Ford -- before lefty Embree came in to face Justin Morneau, a lef-handed hitter.

Embree had been told to watch for the double steal, but he didn't do a good job holding the runners and they both advanced.

"If I had waited a little longer (before delivering) . . . ," lamented Embree. "They both got good jumps."

Embree then left a pitch up to the powerful Morneau, who drilled the ball to

right-center. Center-fielder Gabe Kapler ran it down on the warning track, but wasn't in good position to make a throw to the infield.

Guzman could have walked home from third, but the real concern was Ford, who has speed. Kapler's throw sailed over the head of cutoff man Mark Bellhorn, and by the time newcomer Orlando Cabrera got to the ball in the infield, it kicked off his left foot and rolled away as Ford scored the go-ahead run.

"My job is to get the ball into the infield as quickly as possible," Kapler said. "With a ball that deep and a pretty fast guy, you've got to get the ball in."

"The throw was off-line and then it got away from Orlando," said Francona. "You don't see (a runner score from second on a sacrifice fly) very often, but once is enough."

From there, the Red Sox were right back where they were Saturday night -- trying to erase a one-run lead against Twins closer Joe Nathan. Nathan, who hasn't allowed an earned run in almost two months (June 6 was his last) shut them down in the ninth, notching his 30th save and 15th since the scoreless streak began.

The Sox were overmatched by Santana, who gave up a solo homer to Cabrera in the first, then only one more hit the rest of the way -- an opposite-field solo shot by Manny Ramirez in the fourth. Boston didn't collect another hit the rest of the way.

"I thought he was remarkable," said Kapler of Santana, who fanned 12 and walked just one to improve to 10-6. "He didn't fall into any pattern. He's a good pitcher. To give up just two hits to this lineup isn't easy."

Indeed, not since Jason Schmidt one-hit them on Father's Day have the Sox been so dominated at the plate.

Martinez nearly matched him, though twice he couldn't protect one-run leads.

A two-out double from Corey Koskie and an RBI-single from Matthew LeCroy in the second tied the game at 1-1. After Ramirez's shot -- the 375th of his career -- reclaimed the lead for the Sox in the fourth, the Twins used a leadoff double from Ford, a groundout from Morneau and a single from Jacque Jones to again pull even.

Martinez finished strong, fanning the final two hitters in the seventh to give him first double-figure strikeout game since May 11. But the call went to the bullpen.

"Seven innings," said Martinez, "was a good opportunity for us to win had we executed the rest."

Halfway through their longest road trip of the season, the Red Sox still haven't won a road series since June 4-6 and haven't posted consecutive road victories since June 17-18. That, too, is a pattern they would like to see change.