TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Ramirez Finds Swing Just In Time

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: October 7, 2007

Updated: 10/07/2007 01:23 am

BOSTON - Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia made his choice. Boston slugger Manny Ramirez made it the wrong one.

Ramirez hit the ball far over the seats behind the Green Monster after David Ortiz was walked intentionally and sent the Angels on a cross-country journey in the middle of the night.

They were headed for what could be their last game of the year after the Red Sox beat them 6-3 on Ramirez's three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth Friday night.

'The only real devastating loss in the series is when you lose that third ballgame, so we're still alive,' Scioscia said.

Barely.

With the score tied at 3, Scioscia chose to have Francisco Rodriguez walk Ortiz, putting runners at first and second with two outs. That seemed to make sense, since Ortiz had reached base on 20 of his previous 24 plate appearances.

But the next batter was Ramirez.

'They're about as good a 1-2 combo as there is in this league,' Scioscia said.

Ramirez took Rodriguez's first pitch for a ball. Then the closer threw one more pitch.

'The ball got elevated a little bit and he hit it,' catcher Mike Napoli said. 'End of game.'

Ramirez missed 24 games late in the season with a strained left side muscle and is coming off his worst full season offensively.

But he had a solid final week. And he was ready for his confrontation with K-Rod.

'He's one of the greatest closers in the game, and I'm one of the best hitters in the game,' Ramirez said.

To bring the AL division series back to Boston for a fifth game Wednesday, the Angels must beat perennial postseason star Curt Schilling today and ace Josh Beckett, who pitched a four-hit shutout in the opener, on Monday. Jered Weaver is set to face Schilling.

'A lot of guys start thinking negative things' when they get in a big hole, Ortiz said. 'That's when you have to come out and put the pressure on them. We have to come out today. We have to come out hungry.'

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT