Ortiz, Ramírez reach back for extra

The Red Sox sent four scouts to load up on information on the Indians in their Division Series victory over the Yankees.

They didn't have to get too technical with their report on C.C. Sabathia. In fact, the recommendation was likely to do what the Yankees did, except finish the job.

Yankee batters were kicking themselves after they let Sabathia off the hook in Game 1 last week at Jacobs Field. Sabathia walked six and allowed four hits but only three runs in five innings as New York left tons of runners on base. Last night, the Red Sox took the same approach in their 10-3 romp in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Make Sabathia work. Make him throw strikes. Don't offer at his offspeed stuff in the dirt. Lo and behold, Sabathia was gone after 4 1/3 innings, having allowed eight runs.

The keys for the Sox were, as usual, David Ortiz and Manny Ramírez. The superstars reached base 10 times in 10 plate appearances. They had five walks, four hits, and Ortiz was hit by a pitch.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Sox third baseman Mike Lowell. "They're unbelievable. They're aggressive, they're patient, they're picking their spots, and it doesn't seem like it's just one thing. They just have solid at-bats. Just to get on one after the other, it's great for me because they're always on base. But it's really special going up against a pitcher like C.C., to get on every time is unbelievable."

The one job Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, and other Indians pitchers have to do is find a way to negate the Sox' two red-hot hitters. If they're able to pull it off, they could win this series, but if last night was an indication of what's to come, the Indians might be done a lot sooner than anyone expected.

"We just couldn't get them out," lamented Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner. "They just dominated."

While Sabathia succeeded in keeping the ball in the ballpark, Ortiz and Ramírez had excellent at-bats. They both had two-strike hits in the first inning, Ramírez's single to center making it 1-1. In the third, Ortiz was hit by a pitch, and Ramírez walked with the bases loaded after falling behind, 0 and 2. He took four straight balls, showing tremendous restraint in not offering at Sabathia's offspeed pitches early in the count.

"I told Manny, he was 0-2 twice and he was able to spit on those pitches, those tough pitches, and draw walks," said Lowell. "I told him, 'Are you just fouling balls off to mess around or what?' "

The Sox will take a similar approach with Carmona tonight in Game 2.

"He's the same as C.C," said Ortiz. "He's a power pitcher. You have to be patient with him."

In the fifth, Ortiz again reached on a walk, after also falling behind, 0 and 2, to Sabathia. After Ramírez singled and Lowell walked to load the bases, Bobby Kielty doubled in a pair of runs, and Jason Varitek followed with a double.

The bottom line is that the Sox executed their game plan against one of the premier pitchers in the game. In the playoffs, Sabathia has not pitched like the potential AL Cy Young winner, but Ortiz and Ramírez have hit like the premier hitters they are.

The Sox being able to solve Sabathia is a major coup because at worst you want to split against the Sabathia/Carmona combination, especially at home. The Sox have ensured that, and now the pressure is heavily on Cleveland to win tonight, because the last thing the Indians want is to go to Jacobs Field down, two games to none, having to depend on Jake Westbrook and Paul Byrd to lead them back.

Ortiz, who was 5 for 7 and reached base in 11 of his 13 plate appearances in the Division Series, has been zoned in of late. With his eighth-inning double, he has reached base in 29 of his last 35 plate appearances. He's made only six outs in eight games.

Ramírez reached eight times in 13 plate appearances against the Angels with two homers and four RBIs. Last night, he was perfect in five trips, before Jacoby Ellsbury ran for him in the eighth.

"When you get ahead of those guys [Ortiz and Ramírez], you need to put them away. Easier said than done," said Indians manager Eric Wedge.

Ortiz and Ramírez had a four-day layoff between the Division Series and last night's Game 1. Francona feared they may not remain hot, given the downtime. But the manager had nothing to fear. Red Sox fans can remember when Mo Vaughn and Jose Canseco went a combined 0 for 27 in the 1995 ALDS. No such problems for Ortiz and Ramírez.

"We're professional hitters," said Ortiz. "We know what we're doing. We work out every day. We have an approach. I don't think it's new for you guys to watch me and Manny hitting. We keep it simple. That's how it is."

Simple seems to be the mantra. Ortiz and Ramírez have decided to take what they can get and do something with it.

"Basically, we know that they're going to pitch us kind of carefully," said Ortiz. "That's been the talk night in and night out before the series. So we keep that in mind and we stick to whatever they give us."

Ortiz felt fortunate because "C.C. was a little bit wild. When he's making his pitches, he's a tough guy to hit."

Lowell feels the success of Ortiz and Ramírez helps the entire lineup.

"One through nine is important," Lowell said. "We don't want the guys hitting behind or in front of that David-Manny combo not being able to do their job, because we have Dustin [Pedroia] - when the lineup flips over, [Julio] Lugo, Dustin, and [Kevin Youkilis]. If they're on base, there's nowhere to put those guys, so you have to pitch to them. So, that's to our advantage."

Ortiz has been hoping for more help from the hitters around him.

"If I was managing the team, I wouldn't give nothing to hit to those two guys," Ortiz said, referring to him and Ramírez. "Those guys [the rest of the lineup] are getting it done and producing at the right time and that makes a difference."

With all due respect to the rest of the lineup, the success of the Red Sox depends on Ortiz and Ramírez. Right now, they are as dominant as two hitters can be, and if it continues, the Sox will make it to their second World Series in four years.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.