01:00 AM EDT on Monday, June 19, 2006

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

ATLANTA -- For six and a half innings, it was a glorious pitcher's duel, waged by two veteran warriors.

Then, the bullpens took over and it became a battle of attrition, one the Red Sox seemed to be losing.

But just as quickly as it seemed lost, it was found, on the strength of a six-run eighth that erased the unraveling that had taken place a half-inning before and sent the Sox home with an inspiring 10-7 comeback win over the Atlanta Braves.

"That," said Sox manager Terry Francona, "was what you call an emotional roller coaster. That's a losable game that would have hurt. And it ended up being great."

Trailing, 5-3, after giving up the lead in the bottom of the seventh, the Sox were down to their final six outs. Improbably, the comeback began after David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez -- each of whom had homered earlier -- struck out.

But two walks and an RBI-single from the slumping Coco Crisp started things, and Mike Lowell came off the bench to hit for Alex Gonzalez and drove a two-run double to right-center, giving the Sox a lead they wouldn't again relinquish.

Until last night, Lowell had just seven career pinch-hits.

"In my opinion," said Lowell, "that's the toughest job in baseball. You get lucky once in a while. But you get just one shot at it. It's a tough job. I tried to make (Atlanta reliever Chad Paronto) get the ball up and I worked the count full. I just wanted to put the ball in play and put a good swing on it."

"To be that ready after being cold," said Francona of Lowell, "says something about his swing as well as his character."

A second straight run-scoring pinch-hit -- this one from Alex Cora -- followed, and Kevin Youkilis kept the barrage going with a two-run homer that just reached the seats in left.

"It all happened so fast," said Francona.

The Sox needed all the runs they could get, especially after the Braves came back to score twice off Mike Timlin in the eighth. But Jonathan Papelbon came in to slam the door, and handled the ninth, too, for his 23rd save.

The win was the Sox' third straight, evened their road trip at 3-3 and lifted them a game over the Yankees in the A.L. East.

"Great win for us," said Curt Schilling, saddled with his second straight no-decision. "To come off the trip at 3-3 after the way it started (getting swept in Minnesota) . . ."

The outburst came an inning after the Braves had torched the Sox pen for three runs and taken a 5-3 lead.

Manny Delcarmen got two quick outs before Andruw Jones laced a single to left. With Brian McCann due, Francona went to newcomer Javier Lopez, but as happened in Minnesota last week, the submariner walked the first hitter he faced.

In came Rudy Seanez to face Jeff Francoeur, and out went a slider in the form of a three-run homer to left.

"I don't think it was a bad pitch," said Seanez. "Sometimes, hitters hit good pitches. There's nothing you can do about it. Unfortunately, it happened at a critical time in the game. But we came back. I'm just glad we're going home with a win. It's going to be a nice ride. These guys don't ever give up."

Atlanta fans, drowned out by Red Sox loyalists all weekend, erupted for the first time, but their joy would be short-lived.

The game featured a matchup of two elite starters, but neither Schilling nor the Braves' John Smoltz figured in the decision despite both topping the 100-pitch plateau.

Unlike his last start in Minnesota when Schilling was the very model of efficiency, he labored most of last night. Not until the fifth did he retire the Braves in order and he needed everything he had to bail himself out of danger in the sixth and preserve the one-run Boston lead.

A one-out double by Adam LaRoche, a walk to Wilson Betemit and a sacrifice by Smoltz gave the Braves two runners in scoring position. With no margin for error, Schilling got Marcus Giles to hit an opposite-field flyout to the warning track for the final out of the inning.

The Sox had looked to be in position to break the game open in the sixth when Smoltz struggled with his command and walked the bases loaded, with Ortiz, Ramirez and Trot Nixon drawing the passes.

But just as quickly as the rally began, it nearly ended when Jason Varitek grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Ortiz crossed the plate to put the Sox ahead by a run, but the prospect of a big inning was gone.

Trailing, 2-1, in the fourth, the Sox pulled even on Ramirez' rocket to center, which landed halfway up the bleachers. It was his first hit on the road trip, and first, in fact, since Game One of last Sunday's doubleheader.

It also tied Ramirez for 29th place on the all-time home run list with Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski and Ramirez' one-time teammate in Cleveland, Jim Thome. Ramirez' last three hits have all been homers.

Earlier, Ortiz reached 20 homers for the fifth straight season when he unloaded off Smoltz in the first, giving the Sox a 1-0 lead just three batters into the game.