Manny Ramirez glided, he hugged and he pointed. But before any of it, he hit. The two-run home run that the Ramirez deposited over the left field wall last night initiated “a release.”
The game was won three batters after Ramirez’ first homer at Fenway Park since June 10, on a Brandon Moss two-out single, scoring Kevin Youkilis with the go-ahead run in the Red Sox’ 6-5, come-from-behind win over the Minnesota Twins. Even with Moss’ heroics, however, it was difficult to prioritize anything but the image of an ecstatic Ramirez as he circled the bases, almost enveloped a congratulatory Dustin Pedroia at home plate, and reveled in strains of “Manny! Manny!” Ever since David Ortiz left the lineup on the final day of May, the Red Sox were looking for Ramirez to lead them. Last night, thanks to a perfect swing on Twins reliever Matt Guerrier’s 95 mph, first-pitch fastball, the slugger took the reins and pulled his team to one of its more dramatic victories of the season.
The entire eighth inning comeback was cause for a dugout full of celebratory Sox. For the better part of seven innings, Minnesota starter Nick Blackburn had befuddled the Red Sox after they initially took a one-run lead with J.D. Drew’s RBI double in the first. Blackburn, who was a member of a Minnesota starting staff that had gone 15-1 since June 13, needed just 66 pitches to get through six innings in his duel with Sox lefty Jon Lester (7 1/3 innings, nine hits, five runs).
The Sox managed one more run in the seventh, thanks to Youkilis’ triple and Moss’ sacrifice fly, but by the time the home-half of the eighth rolled around the Twins were sitting on a 5-2 lead. Then came the opening act for Ramirez. First it was Jacoby Ellsbury’s leadoff double, driving reliever Dennys Reyes from the game. Pedroia then added his second hit of the game to move the speedy outfielder to third before Drew’s groundout cut the Minnesota lead to two runs. Up strode Ramirez, who had heeded the advice of hitting coach Dave Magadan and opened up his upper-body to the pitcher in his stance in order to get a better view of the ball. The adjustment had paid off with two hits Monday night, one of them supplying the game’s only run.
Last night, however, the payoff would have to wait for Guerrier’s first pitch in Ramirez’ fourth at-bat.
Nation Notes: Theo Epstein continued to deny reports of the Sox’ interest in Barry Bonds as a possible designated hitter if David Ortiz is slow to return. Ortiz, who yesterday reported that his left wrist felt fine after live batting practice Monday for the first time since he injured a tendon, took BP again yesterday and will continue to do so with a rehabilitation assignment possible next week.
