Its bats silenced again, Boston absorbs its fourth loss in a row and is swept by Minnesota.

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, June 16, 2006

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS -- In the sixth inning last night at the Metrodome, David Ortiz put a fearsome swing into a pitch from Minnesota Twins starter Carlos Silva.

From the moment of impact, there seemed little doubt that the ball would become the hulking slugger's 19th homer of the season, destined, as it was, for the upper reaches of the upper deck.

Instead, the ball clanged off the speaker suspended from the Metrodome ceiling and landed on the turf for a measly single.

"What are you going to do," shrugged a philosophical Ortiz after the Sox had dropped a 5-3 decision to the Twins, cementing a series sweep at the hands of a fourth-place team.

Added a frustrated Terry Francona of the Metrodome's ground rules: "It's like playing putt-putt golf and you've got to go around the windmill. This is a major league ballpark. That's embarrassing."

Last night's setback capped a three-game sweep, the likes of which the Sox hadn't experienced since May 24-26 of 2005. The last time the Sox were swept by the Twins in a series of at least three games was August 1994, right before the strike.

Such is life with the Red Sox these days. The standings show a team just a game out of first place. But on the field, it's a much different story. The Red Sox look very much like a team that has, for the moment, bottomed out.

The setback was the Sox' fourth in a row, their longest slide since May of last year. In this series, the Sox managed just six runs over 30 innings.

The Sox can afford to take nothing for granted. Their starting pitching, with the exception of Curt Schilling on Tuesday, has been largely suspect. Their bullpen has been ineffective. Now, even the offense is sputtering.

In the eighth inning, the Sox finally stirred against the Minnesota bullpen. After loading the bases with no outs, the Sox got a sacrifice fly from Trot Nixon, a run-scoring single by Mike Lowell and reloaded the bases on a single to right from Coco Crisp.

But the inning stalled out when pinch-hitter Jason Varitek swung at Joe Nathan's first offering, popping out to third base and leaving three runners stranded.

They added a run in the ninth, but it wasn't nearly enough.

"Trying to get runs off that bullpen isn't the easiest thing to do," said Francona. "We spotted them too many in the early going."

As they slump at the plate, it's not difficult to affix blame. In the three-game series, cleanup hitter Manny Ramirez was 0-for-10 and Ortiz wasn't much better, with just three hits in 13 at-bats. Together, they combined for just one RBI and that didn't come until the ninth inning last night.

"Guys are trying too hard," said Francona. "They're trying to hit three-run homers with no one on base."

Pitching wasn't the problem last night. Tim Wakefield, fighting back spasms, battled to keep the Sox in the game, allowing three earned runs over six innings. He has just one win in his last six starts. In those six starts, the Sox have scored a total of 12 runs while he was in the game, five of which came in one outing.

"I try not to think about that," said Wakefield. "They scrapped together enough hits to get four runs (one unearned). They were able to get balls in the holes and score the four they scored."

Some 2 1/2 months into the season, Wakefield has just four wins, though his E.R.A. is a more-than-respectable 3.97.

Over the first six innings, the Sox barely threatened last night, despite facing Silva, who entered the game with an E.R.A. of 7.73 and hadn't won since May 9.

Only twice through the first seven frames did the Sox get more than one baserunner in a single inning. In the third, Kevin Youkilis and Alex Cora produced consecutive two-out singles. But Ortiz forced Cora at second on a fielder's choice and that threat fizzled.

It wasn't until the seventh that the Sox put the leadoff man on base. Back-to-back singles by Nixon and Lowell got the Sox stirring as Silva left the game with cramping in his left hamstring.

But reliever Juan Rincon entered and retired the next three hitters, freezing the baserunners.

Wakefield battled to command his knuckler in the first and the Twins capitalized without the benefit of a hit. A leadoff walk to Luis Castillo, a passed ball, a wild pitch and a groundout to short resulted in a quick 1-0 lead.

In the second, Jason Kubel provided his requisite homer, going deep on a fastball for the third time in as many games.

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