Red Sox show flashes, but go nowhere

NEW YORK -- It seems so long ago now. Forever, possibly.

With the Red Sox full of hope and just a notch below the Yankees in the American League East, the ancient rivals crowded into Fenway Park for a five-game series last month that turned from a beacon to a slaughter. That, in so many ways, effectively ended the Red Sox' hopes for a division win, a postseason berth, or playing meaningful games at the end of the season.

And so, by splitting a day-night doubleheader yesterday in the Bronx, the Red Sox at least proved they can beat New York. They did little more than that, keeping alive the possibility that tonight's second game of another doubleheader could be capped by a shower of champagne in the home clubhouse, marking the second consecutive year in which the Yankees celebrated a division title with the Red Sox as the opposition.

With a win by Josh Beckett, 5-2, in the first game, and a loss by the bullpen, 7-5, in the second, the Red Sox ended the day exactly as they had started it. While they gained no ground in the standings (still 11 1/2 games back), they did gain a greater appreciation for the pitching of Beckett and Game 2 starter Julian Tavarez. Oh, and the Yankees' magic number is down to four.

There were some signs of light for the future in David Murphy (two hits, the game-tying RBI in the first game) and Dustin Pedroia (a double, run scored, and two walks in the second). But then there were the dark clouds of two more scary moments in the outfield for Wily Mo Peña.

With the first game already in hand, the Sox took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth of the nightcap, but promptly gave up two runs. They took a 5-3 lead in the sixth, before promptly giving up two more runs.

And then, with Craig Breslow on the mound in the seventh, an Alex Rodriguez walk was followed by a double by Jason Giambi that broke the tie. The ball flew over the head of Peña, who was assessed an error on the throw, allowing Giambi to take third. (Peña had a ball glance off his glove on a double in the second.) A single by Jorge Posada off Manny Delcarmen made it 7-5.

The bullpen's problems took a potential win away from Tavarez, who left with a 5-3 lead and a runner on and no one out in the sixth. By the time Craig Hansen finished the inning, it was a tie game. The Sox had won Tavarez's three previous starts.

``At the start of the game, I thought he looked real crisp," manager Terry Francona said of Tavarez. ``His velocity was good, his sinker was biting. I thought he got a little tired at the end, started getting up a bit. But, again, you get into your bullpen with innings to go against this team, we had a very hard time stopping them."

``The fourth inning was the one that changed the whole game," Tavarez said. ``I don't think we lost the game in the sixth, seventh, eighth inning. We're winning, 3-1, and we go to the fourth inning and I walk Giambi and I don't want to walk him.

``I think that was the game right there in the fourth inning. I appreciate to my teammates, it was a long day for them. They scored five runs. They helped me a lot today out there, they gave me a chance to win that game. I let this game go out of my hands. I should have won that game."

That marred an impressive first game of the doubleheader, in which Beckett helped erase the memory of his last game against the Yankees, the third of the August sweep (he allowed seven hits, nine walks, and nine runs). It helped erase the memory of his entire season against the Yankees -- he came in with a 1-2 record and 12.21 ERA against the New Yorkers.

In six innings, Beckett allowed just four hits, including a two-run homer to Robinson Cano, to win his 15th game, matching the career high he set last season with the Marlins.

``He gave up the early two, then it seemed like he settled himself down," Francona said. ``Gathered himself, wasn't happy with a couple pitches. He threw enough offspeed pitches over the plate to get him off his fastball, and created a pretty good plane with his fastball.

``I think everybody makes adjustments, hitters, pitchers. But I also think it goes game to game. He's got pretty much the same stuff. I think he's more aware now, trying to get enough offspeed over to make hitters aware of it, so he can be successful with his fastball."

That success gave way to a Sox offense whose three-run fourth inning was enough -- plus the breathing room gathered by single runs in the seventh and ninth -- to stop the Yankees' season-high six-game winning streak.

After Trot Nixon doubled to open the fourth, Eric Hinske and Doug Mirabelli followed Mike Lowell's ground out with singles, Mirabelli's sending Nixon home with the first Red Sox run. Then came Murphy, who had already singled in his first career at-bat in Yankee Stadium. He doubled, for the first extra-base hit and RBI of his career, to tie it, and an Alex Cora grounder made it 3-2.

``It's one of those things where it's tough getting at-bats sporadically, at the same time right now I have so much adrenaline when I get up there, it's like I'm ready to go," said Murphy, who had only gotten seven at-bats (and one hit) in his brief call-up.

The Sox added two more runs, one on four consecutive walks in the seventh, to Mark Loretta, David Ortiz (who went 2 for 2 with two doubles and three walks, one intentional, in the game), Peña, and Nixon, the other when Loretta scored on a wild pitch after doubling to open the ninth.

It wasn't quite vintage Red Sox offense, but -- and this is much better for the team -- it gave a peek into vintage Beckett. Not overpowering, but intelligent and poised enough to (finally) beat the Yankees.

``I think I definitely had to learn the hard way in a few starts this year," Beckett said. ``All in all, we're here to win games. Do I think I won enough? No. Most of that's my fault."

He won yesterday, though. He won, then the Red Sox lost. It didn't matter much, though, except to the Yankees, who moved a step closer to their ninth straight division crown.