BOSOX FALL TO 'STROS DESPITE RAMIREZ'S 3 HRS
Houston Belts 6 HRs in Wild 8-7 'W'
BOSTON, June 13 (AP) - Manny Ramirez hit three home runs and drove in six but it
wasn't enough to keep the Boston Red Sox from falling to the Houston Astros,
8-7, in a wild interleague affair at Fenway Park. The loss snapped an
eight-game Red Sox winning streak. Ramirez became the fourth major leaguer
to hit three home runs in a game this year, but the first to do so in a losing
cause. Ramirez's teammate, Nomar Garciaparra, has hit three home runs in a
game twice this year; all three instances involving Boston players have taken
place at Fenway Park. Jose Guillen of the Cincinnati Reds is the only
other player to accomplish the feat thus far this season.
The game featured a total of nine home runs by the two teams, tied for second
most amongst a pair of clubs in a single game this season. The Red Sox and
Texas Rangers combined for nine longballs in Boston's 11-6 win at Fenway Park on
May 14.
The Astros demonstrated what was to come by hitting four solo home runs in the
very first inning off Red Sox starter Ryan Rupe, who was making his 2003
debut. Craig Biggio led off the game with his 10th home run of the season
and, one out later, Jeff Bagwell and Jeff Kent went back-to-back to put the
Astros on top, 3-0. After Lance Berkman popped out, Richard Hidalgo took a
Rupe offering over the Green Monster for his 12th home run of the year to give
Houston a 4-0 lead heading to the bottom of the frame. The four home runs
in a single inning tie a major league season high, which has now been
accomplished four times to date.
The Red Sox immediately got back into the game. Johnny Damon led off with
a walk and, after Jonathan Johnstone struck out Todd Walker, shortstop Adam
Everett booted Garciaparra's would-be double play grounder for an error, leaving
runners at first and second with one out. Ramirez immediately made the
Astros pay, drilling Johnstone's 3-1 fastball onto Lansdowne Street for a
three-run homer, cutting the Boston deficit to 4-3.
After a scoreless second, the Red Sox took the lead in the bottom of the third
and, once again, Ramirez was involved. His second home run, a solo shot to
left-center, came with one out and tied the game at four. One out later,
Kevin Millar doubled to the base of the bullpen fence in right-center field and
scored when Bill Mueller chopped a grounder through the middle for a base hit,
putting Boston ahead, 5-4.
Hidalgo's second home run of the game, a solo shot with one out in the fourth,
tied the game at five.
Both starters worked through the sixth inning, but neither allowed another
run. In fact, after Hidalgo's second home run of the contest, the only man
to reach base off either starting pitcher was when Trot Nixon singled with two
outs in the bottom of the sixth. He was stranded when Johnstone struck out
Jason Varitek.
The Astros took the lead in the seventh when Brad Ausmus hit his third home run
of the season, the sixth solo homer hit by Houston in the game, off reliever
Rudy Seanez.
But the Red Sox immediately responded in the bottom half of the frame.
Reliever Nate Bland retired Damon, but yielded a one-out single to Walker and
was replaced on the mound by right-hander Brad Lidge. Lidge took care of
Garciaparra on a pop fly to first but Ramirez came through again, belting his
third home run of the game into the Monster seats above the left field wall,
giving Boston a 7-6 lead.
Hector Almonte retired the Astros in order in the top of the eighth and Octavio
Dotel held the Red Sox scoreless in the bottom half of the inning. Brandon
Lyon came on to close the game for Boston but immediately yielded base hits to
Kent and Berkman, putting runners at first and third with no outs. Hidalgo
followed by slicing a single into right field, scoring Kent with the tying run
and advancing Berkman to second. Geoff Blum was called upon to pinch hit
for Orlando Merced and, after failing in two attempts to sacrifice, added insult
to injury by popping up for the first out of the inning. But Ausmus was
clutch again, lining a single to right-center field, scoring Berkman with the
go-ahead run and chasing Hidalgo to third. Lyon struck out Everett and
Biggio to end the inning, but Houston now held an 8-7 advantage.
Dotel remained on the mound for a second inning and calmly retired Walker,
Garciaparra and, most importantly, Ramirez in order to end the game.
6/13/2003, Hou03-Bos03, Fenway Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Astros 4 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 8 11 1 2 0 2003 Red Sox 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 8 0 6 0 Astros AB R H BI AVG Red Sox AB R H BI AVG Biggio cf 5 1 1 1 .251 Damon cf 4 1 0 0 .280 Ensberg 3b 4 0 0 0 .316 Walker,T 2b 5 1 1 0 .293 Bagwell 1b 4 1 1 1 .284 Garciaparra ss 5 1 0 0 .348 Kent 2b 4 2 2 1 .293 Ramirez,M lf 5 3 3 6 .368 Berkman lf 4 1 1 0 .298 Ortiz,D dh 3 0 0 0 .265 Hidalgo rf 4 2 4 3 .290 Sanchez,Fr pr 0 0 0 0 .000 Merced dh 3 0 0 0 .257 Millar 1b 4 1 2 0 .300 Blum ph 1 0 0 0 .261 Mueller 3b 3 0 1 1 .389 Ausmus c 4 1 2 2 .228 Nixon rf 3 0 1 0 .335 Everett,A ss 4 0 0 0 .210 Varitek c 4 0 0 0 .276 37 8 11 8 36 7 8 7 Astros INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Johnson,Jo 6.0 6 5 4 2 6 111 64 10.69 Bland H 3 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 3 2 6.00 Lidge BS 5 0.2 1 1 1 1 1 14 7 1.54 Dotel W 5-3 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 25 14 1.91 9.0 8 7 6 4 8 153 87 Red Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Rupe 6.0 5 5 5 0 3 72 54 7.50 Seanez 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 18 12 4.70 Almonte,H H 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 12 8 4.50 Lyon BS 3, L 1-2 1.0 4 2 2 0 2 18 14 4.85 9.0 11 8 8 0 6 120 88 Hou: Blum batted for Merced in the 9th Bos: Sanchez,Fr ran for Ortiz,D in the 7th E-Everett,A. 2B-Millar(13). HR-Biggio(10), Bagwell(13), Kent(9), Hidalgo 2(13), Ausmus(3), Ramirez,M 3(20). RBI-Biggio(31), Bagwell(32), Kent(39), Hidalgo 3(36), Ausmus 2(17), Ramirez,M 6(62), Mueller(40). CS-Hidalgo. K-Biggio, Ensberg 2, Bagwell, Berkman, Everett,A, Walker,T 2, Ramirez,M 2, Millar, Mueller 2, Varitek. BB-Damon, Ortiz,D, Mueller, Nixon. GWRBI: Ausmus Temperature: 69, Sky: clear, Wind: out to left at 5 MPH. Attendance: 33,872 Game Time: 2:46