Sox on up and up

As doggedly as Theo Epstein has resisted bragging about his trades, the Red Sox general manager made one thing clear after he sent Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs and bolstered his defense with Orlando Cabrera, Doug Mientkiewicz, and Dave Roberts. No Sox player would benefit more, Epstein predicted, than Derek Lowe.

"We expect really big things from Lowe the rest of the way," Epstein said the day of the trades.

As it turns out, Lowe has suffered only one loss in six starts since he arrived in the clubhouse in Minnesota July 31 to find Garciaparra packing his bags. Epstein's theory was that the upgraded defense would prevent more hits off Lowe since the sinkerballer leads the majors in the percentage of ground balls induced (74.8 percent).

Sure enough, the realigned defense played flawlessly behind Lowe last night, helping him lead the Sox to their 10th victory in 11 games by edging the Tigers, 5-3, before 35,018 at Fenway Park. Lowe, who allowed three runs over a season-high eight innings and improved to 12-10 with a 5.22 ERA, has gone 3-1 since the trades as he approaches free agency.

"He wants to finish this year strong," Johnny Damon said, "and it looks like he's going to."

The victory may prove costly, at least in the short run, as Manny Ramirez fouled a ball off his left knee, forcing him out of the game after the fourth inning. X-rays were negative and he was listed as day to day with a contusion.

The Sox also played without their regular third basemen, Bill Mueller, who was sidelined with a sore right ankle and foot, and the first baseman, Mientkiewicz, who nursed a sprained left shoulder. What's more, they played without closer Keith Foulke, whose back stiffened before the game.

But nothing lately has stopped the streaking Sox, who maintained their lead in the wild-card race and kept pace with the division-leading Yankees -- 8-7 winners at Toronto -- by deftly plugging one hole after another.

"It's kind of how it went last year," said Alan Embree, who helped Mike Timlin and Curtis Leskanic serve as a closer by committee in Foulke's absence. "Everybody is picking up for everybody. If somebody's out of the lineup, whoever is in the lineup that night comes up big."

Lowe helped the Sox improve to 18-7 in August by scattering seven hits, striking out seven, and not allowing a walk for a second straight start.

"We can't wait [for September]," Lowe said. "I think this is the type of run the city's been waiting for us to go on."

With Foulke out, the bullpen created some tension in the ninth when Timlin opened the inning by allowing the Tigers to put runners at the corners on a double high off the Green Monster by Dmitri Young and single to center by Carlos Pena.

"Those were pretty doggone good pitches," said Jason Varitek, who went 1 for 3 with a double, knocked in a run, and scored one as he returned from his four-game suspension. "I still have no idea how the ball up and in to Dmitri went to left-center."

No matter. After Timlin fanned Craig Monroe, Embree was summoned and struck out pinch hitter Marcus Thames before Sox manager Terry Francona summoned Leskanic to record the final out.

Francona wasted few words in handing Leskanic the ball.

"He said, `Please get this guy out,' " Leskanic recalled. "At least that's what I heard."

Leskanic responded by getting Brandon Inge to fly to right as he picked up his first save with the Sox. A former closer for the Brewers, Leskanic was asked if returning to the role was as easy as learning to ride a bike again.

"It's never like riding a bike," he said. "It doesn't matter if you close every night, the last three outs are the hardest ones to get."

Still, he relished the cameo.

"It's nerve-racking, but at the same time it's fun," he said. "It's like playing a game of chess, except you have 50,000 people watching you."

The Sox largely could thank solid starting pitching for their 10-1 run, but Damon also deserved some credit since he has started the first inning in nine of the 11 games by reaching safely, as he did last night. By scoring twice last night in the first inning, the Sox made it six games out of the 11 in which they have scored in the first.

Yet Damon seemed unhappy about going 1 for 5.

"We haven't been swinging the bats too well since we've been home," he said. "As soon as I get my bat going a little better, things are going to be easier."

Ricky Gutierrez, who filled in at second base while Mark Bellhorn took over at third for Mueller, was a surprise star for the Sox, going 3 for 4 with a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.

"He's been sitting a long time," Embree said. "To come off the bench and contribute like he did tonight was incredible."

Varitek's return also helped as he reached base three times and ably handled Lowe, his longtime batterymate.

"I was anxious to get out there," Varitek said. "I just didn't want to drop the ball and lose."

Nor did Lowe, who made the most of the runs the Sox managed to string together. Other than the Tigers scratching up a run in the first inning, Lowe was hurt only by Monroe's two-run shot over the camera stand in center field in the seventh inning.

"That was one of the better all-around games he has pitched," Varitek said.

Not that it came as a surprise to Epstein.