Ramirez rallies the Red Sox to victory
AL GAME OF THE DAY
Manny Ramirez hits a two-run homer -- No. 493 of his career -- and Boston, down one entering the ninth inning, rallies for three runs against closer Joe Borowski for a 6-4 win over Cleveland.
CLEVELAND -- Manny Ramirez hit a two-run home run -- No. 493 of his career -- and Boston, down one entering the ninth inning, rallied for three runs against closer Joe Borowski for a 6-4 win Monday night over Cleveland in a rerun of October's American League Championship Series.
Ramirez's shot to left off Borowski (0-2) was just the latest Red Sox comeback against the Indians. Last fall, Boston rallied from a 3-1 ALCS deficit to beat Cleveland and advance to the World Series.
Ramirez hit his 132nd career home run at Progressive Field, which was known as Jacobs Field during the eight-plus seasons he played in Cleveland. "Manny took such a pretty swing," Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said.
With the Indians leading, 4-3, Borowski came in to try to close it out.
But the right-hander gave up a leadoff double to Julio Lugo, ending the shortstop's 0-for-16 slump. Coco Crisp sacrificed and Dustin Pedroia followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Lugo to tie the score, 4-4. With the Indians shifted to the right, David Ortiz dropped a bloop single into left -- his second hit. Ramirez then belted Borowski's first pitch into the left-field seats.
Ortiz, benched Sunday in the throes of his worst career hitting slump, went two for five and raised his average from .070 to .104.
From the Associated Press
