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Pena lives a dream

Carlos Pena was on cloud nine after socking a walk-off home run that gave the Sox a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. Pena, who grew up in Haverhill, hammered a 2-1 pitch from Chicago's Brandon McCarthy in the bottom of the 10th out of Fenway Park to live out a childhood dream.

"I dreamt about this and played with it and visualized it ever since I was 13 or 12. As soon as I got to this area, the Red Sox were everything to me. Do you know how many times I have done this...in my backyard?"

The home run was Pena's first as a Red Sox. The former Northeastern University star is the 12th player in team history to have his first homer as a Red Sox be a walk-off one.

Pena, entered the game as a defensive substitution in the ninth after Kevin Youkilis was hit by a pitch in the eighth. Coco Crisp ran for Youkilis. He only got one at-bat in the game, but he made it count.

"As soon as I hit it. I knew it was gone," he said. "I can't describe what I felt emotionally. I don't even remember going around the bases."

-- Call it Manny being Manny, but Manny Ramirez didn't show any rust while returning to the Red Sox lineup. He went 1 for 2 with two walks and a run scored.

-- Trot Nixon, who drove in the first Boston run, was 1 for 3 in his return from a right biceps strain.

-- Jason Varitek, who caught for the first time since July 31 against Cleveland, went 0 for 3.