David Ortiz hits a dramatic two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in the first game of day-night doubleheader to prevent Boston from getting swept by the Texas Rangers.

01:00 AM EDT on Monday, June 12, 2006

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Frustrated by defensive alignments for most of the season, David Ortiz decided to hit one where they weren't -- into the bleachers, behind the Red Sox bullpen -- in the first game of yesterday's day-night doubleheader with the Texas Rangers.

In the nightcap, however, there wasn't nearly enough late-inning magic to overcome the damage done by the Boston bullpen.

After providing 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to buy time for Ortiz' heroics in the first contest, Red Sox relievers came apart in the second game, banged around for seven runs on 10 hits in four innings, handing the Rangers a 13-6 win and forcing the Sox to settle for a split decision.

The split left the Sox a full game ahead of the Yankees in the American League East.

Ortiz' dramatic two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave the Sox a thrilling 5-4 win. It was the hulking DH's sixth walkoff homer of his career and fifth with the Red Sox.

Second-game starter David Pauley was rocked for five runs in the first two innings, and in the early going at least, looked much more like the pitcher from his major-league debut (11 hits in 4 1/3 innings) than the one in his second (two runs on eighth hits in 6 2/3 innings against the Yankees).

"Basically, I was staying too fastball-dominant," said Pauley, who was optioned to Pawtucket after the game, "and that was the one pitch they were on. In the later innings, I started using my other pitches, throwing more curveballs for strikes and keeping them off balance a little better than I was to start the game."

After spotting the Rangers a 6-0 lead, Red Sox bats awoke against John Wasdin with four runs in the sixth. But Coco Crisp, representing the potential tying run, fanned against lefty Ron Mahay.

The comeback soon fell apart. Relievers Julian Tavarez, Rudy Seanez and Keith Foulke were tagged hard, starting in the seventh, and the Sox could never catch up.

"We were not only within striking distance," said Terry Francona, "but you look down at the end of the bench and we had Manny (Ramirez, out of the starting lineup in the nightcap) sitting there with his spikes and a bat ready to hit. We felt we were coming. You could kind of feel it. We just couldn't stop them."

In the opener, the Sox were down to their final out when Ortiz came to the plate following singles by pinch-hitter Trot Nixon and Coco Crisp and quickly fell behind 0-and-2 to Texas closer Akinori Otsuka..

"I've been fighting all year to get comfortable at the plate," said Ortiz. "After you get two strikes, you don't want to be free-swinging still. I don't change my approach or the way I swing. I just try to get quiet and try to swing at strikes."

Noting that Otsuka's fastball usually featured late movement, Ortiz stayed back with his hands before driving the bat through the zone. The moment he connected, Fenway exploded.

"His at-bats don't change," said Francona of Ortiz' frequent heroics. "He doesn't do anything different. He knows what he can do, he knows what they can throw him and he knows he's strong enough to hit it out."

"I still have goosebumps," marveled winning pitcher Manny Delcarmen some 20 minutes later. "Pretty cool."

Ortiz entered the game hitting just .256, some 41 points below his Red Sox career average, in part because he's had difficulty overcoming the infield shifts opponents deploy.

"The only ball they can't take away from me," cracked Ortiz, "is the one I hit out of the park, I guess."

Josh Beckett saw his winless streak extended to three games, but pitched far better than his previous two starts when he gave up a combined 15 runs and 17 hits in six innings.

He was nicked for an unearned run in the first before retiring 10 of the next 11. Consecutive doubles by Rod Barajas and Ian Kinsler produced a run in the fifth and a poor changeup to Kevin Mench the following inning resulted in a two-run clout into the Monster Seats.

"Anytime you go 5 1/3 and give up four runs, it's not a good outing," said Beckett. "Did I have my best stuff today? No. But I had stuff to work with and I showed that. It's definitely an improvement for me just because I don't go home knowing that I lost the game for the team. Papi picked me up."

Beckett was aided by 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief from the tandem of David Riske and Delcarmen.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340