After being swept by the Blue Jays and outscored 23-8 in the process, the trip gets even tougher as the Sox play the first of three tonight in Yankee Stadium.

08:46 AM EDT on Friday, May 27, 2005

BY STEVE KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

TORONTO -- Apparently Johnny Damon's memo to himself and the rest of the Red Sox got lost in the mail because despite the center fielder's call for urgency after a loss Wednesday night, the Sox were blasted against by Toronto last night, this time by an 8-1 margin.

AP photo

Wade Miller walks off the mound after giving up six runs to the Blue Jays in the first inning last night.

Of course, the fact that Wade Miller had a brutal, abbreviated two-inning outing, in which he was tagged for six runs in the first and another in the second, putting the Sox in a quick 7-0 ravine, didn't exactly provide the pick-me-up Damon had been calling for, either.

As a result, after getting swept in the three-game set at Rogers Centre and being outscored, 23-8, in the process, the defending World Champions are now your fourth-place Boston Red Sox in the American League East.

And on tap for the struggling Sox? A visit to Yankee Stadium for a three-game series against the sizzling New York Yankees, beginning tonight.

The surging Yanks have won 15 of their last 17, passing the sagging Sox in the divisional standings. On May 6, Boston was 2 1/2 games out of first place and New York was tied for last with Tampa Bay, 6 1/2 games behind the Sox.

The teams have gone in opposite directions since then, with the Yankees gaining seven games on the Sox over the last 17 games, pulling into a tie with Toronto for second place in the division, 4 1/2 games in back of Baltimore and a half-game ahead of Boston.

The Sox, meanwhile, have fallen to five games out, their deepest hole of the year. They won't exactly be heading to the Bronx brimming with momentum, and they'll be staring at 6-foot-10 Randy Johnson on the mound tonight.

And after squaring off against the Yankees, Boston will play first-place teams in three straight series -- the Orioles and the Angels at home and then St. Louis on the road.

Confidence is not at an all-time high after getting swept by the Jays, a Canadian disaster that has dropped Boston to 4-8 over its last 12 games.

"That's definitely not good, but it's a good thing we have a veteran team. We should find a way to get out of it," said Damon, who went 0-for-11 in the series, though his sacrifice fly last night produced Boston's only run, in the fifth.

Manager Terry Francona says it could be a blessing in disguise that the Sox now will visit a rocking Yankee Stadium. Intensity will not be an issue.

"I think they'll see our best and I'll bet you we'll see their best," said Francona.

The Sox certainly didn't see Miller at his best last night.

The right-hander, who has rebounded from a frayed rotator cuff, had looked solid in his first three starts since leaving the disabled list. But last night, he had precious little zip and extremely spotty command.

It took him 43 pitches to get through the first inning, and by the time Reed Johnson, the 10th batter in the inning, laced that 43rd pitch right at shortstop Edgar Renteria for the final out, the Sox were trailing 6-0.

Eric Hinske had a big early blow, blasting an 0-and-2 inside fastball for a two-out, two-run homer that put Toronto on top 3-0. Two walks and two hits later, included a three-run double by Russ Adams, the Sox were staring at a huge early deficit.

"It didn't go too well," said Miller. "I was one pitch away from getting out of the inning with one run, but it blew up in my face. Mechanically I was off in the first inning. I was a mess. It's kind of hard for your offense to get going when you give up six runs in the first."

The worry, of course, was that Miller's shoulder woes were acting up again. Especially with the radar-gun readings on his fastball down from his previous outings, when he was hitting 93 and 94 mph at times. Last night he was mostly in the 88-89 range.

But Miller, who has come back via rehabilitation as opposed to surgery, said his health wasn't the issue.

"My arm felt good," said Miller, who walked three. "I didn't have my best fastball. Maybe I was a little weary, but it was just a matter of spotting the balls and throwing strikes."

Francona thought he had seen enough after two innings and 60 pitches.

"The ball wasn't coming out of his hand crisp like it did the other starts," said Francona. "We (pitching coach Dave Wallace and Francona) thought we'd take him out then to give him a chance to bounce back for his next start."

The Sox need to bounce back, too, starting tonight in New York. And there's no magic potion, no team meeting that will turn the tide. There's only one thing that can help Boston get out of its rut.

"We need to play good baseball. We haven't been doing that," said Damon.

It's as simple as that, but it doesn't figure to be easy.