Boston's bullpen nearly gives up a five-run advantage, but Johnny's Damon's ninth-inning homer and last-out catch help end Cleveland's winning streak at nine games.

09:48 AM EDT on Tuesday, June 21, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

CLEVELAND -- This call for bullpen help is being brought to you by the Boston Red Sox.

Fingernails are being bitten down to the quick around this team as the relievers have been all too quick to turn late leads into either nervous victories or unsettling losses.

Last night, facing Cleveland, the hottest team in baseball, the Red Sox' relief corps nearly torched all of a five-run advantage before the Sox wound up with a 10-9 triumph that snapped the Indians' winning streak at nine games.

It took a homer by sore-shouldered Johnny Damon leading off the ninth against David Riske to give Keith Foulke a little extra breathing room as Boston captured its seventh victory in the last eight games.

And that homer, which put Boston on top, 10-8, proved to be necessary as Foulke continued the Sox' relievers' unwitting and frustrating give-back program, making the ninth more interesting than general manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona or anyone connected with the organization would like to see, not to mention sending fans to the medicine cabinet for stomach antacids.

Foulke ultimately notched his 14th save, but it was of the hold-your-breath variety.

A leadoff walk and Jhonny Peralta's well crushed one-out double to right-center cut Boston's advantage to 10-9. Pinch-runner Alex Cora,

though, wound up stranded at second as Grady Sizemore drilled a pea right at right fielder Jay Payton, and Damon tracked down Coco Crisp's deep fly to left-center for the final out, avoiding a collision with Manny Ramirez in the process.

Damon's homer and last-out grab made a winner of a struggling David Wells, who gave up four runs on 10 hits in his 111-pitch, five-inning tightrope walk. Along the way, Wells' scoreless streak was snapped at 17 innings.

"We won. Barely," sighed Francona. "I think that's what you call hanging on for dear life. That's a pretty good team over there. They don't stop playing. They had great at-bats against all of our guys. Fortunately, we ended up one run better."

AP photo

Boston center fielder Johnny Damon, whose home run in the top of the ninth inning provided some needed insurance, makes the game-ending catch last night at Cleveland.

So Boston wound up with a white-knuckler despite three-run homers from ex-Indian Manny Ramirez (fourth inning) and Jason Varitek (capping a six-run fifth) off previously red-hot Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia, whose last loss had been on May 15.

An outstanding baserunning play by Mark Bellhorn also figured into the Red Sox' big early lead. Bellhorn got a good jump off third and beat the throw home from Aaron Boone with a wide, headfirst slide after the Indians' third baseman had fielded David Ortiz's checked-swing tapper. That helped set up the six-run outburst.

"We did a lot of good things tonight, like putting up a crooked number, a six-spot," said Francona.

But then came the ugly moments, courtesy of the bullpen.

After Wells, who was credited with his fourth win in a row, was lifted, Mike Myers and Mike Timlin combined to give up a run in the sixth, enabling the Indians to narrow their deficit to 9-5.

But it was when Alan Embree entered the game at the start of the eighth that the game turned into a case of high anxiety for the Sox.

The embattled lefty was trying to build off his scoreless two-inning outing from Sunday's 8-0 win over Pittsburgh. He kept firing fastballs in the 93-94 mph range. He fanned two. But he also walked one, and Travis Hafner, a left-handed batter, crushed his two-out, 3-and-2 pitch for a mammoth two-run homer into the trees in center, making it a 9-7 game.

That was Embree's 28th and final pitch. It was the eighth gopher ball of the year served up by Embree in only 30 innings, four of them to left-handed batters. His earned-run average jumped to 7.20. It wasn't as bad as it looked, insisted Francona.

"I thought Embree tonight was as good as he's been," said Francona. "He challenged them. It was a 3-and-2 pitch. Hafner had a good at-bat. A home run. It changes his whole outing. But I thought he was really, really good."

Enter Foulke. He got behind Victor Martinez, 3 and 1. And Foulke's next pitch was bashed over the high wall in left-center, the back-to-back jacks suddenly turning a rout into a one-run game, at 9-8.

Damon, though, came through for the Sox. First was the home run, his third of the year. They needed his defense in the bottom of the inning.

As the ball left Crisp's bat, concern settled in the Sox' dugout.

"There was no air to breathe," said Francona. "I just sat there and hoped."

Now, the Sox can only hope that their relievers get straightened out.