After a 20-8 month of May which catapulted the Sox into the league lead, clouds began to appear as the season wound into June. Though they took a pair of one-run games from the struggling Tigers, there was some unhappiness in the clubhouse. After surrendering 6 runs in 3 innings and suffering an injury, starter Mark Portugal cleaned out his locker and left, brushing by reporters. After dealing with some personal problems, the righty returned, but was consigned to the bullpen.
On the field, Boston rallied from a 6-1 deficit to take down Detroit 8-7. A two-run homer by Brian Daubach began the comeback, and four-baggers by Jason Varitek and Troy O’Leary in a 4-run seventh game them an 8-6 lead. A Dean Palmer home run off Derek Lowe cut it to 1, but Tom Gordon’s 54th consecutive save sealed the victory. They again had to rally the following night, with homers by improving Trot Nixon and Daubach providing the tying and winning tallies in a 5-4 victory. In a strange turn of events, much-maligned reliever John Wasdin was the winning hurler in both games, running his record to 5-0.
Things soon began fading, however. Lefty Justin Thompson put the Bosox down in game 3 by a 4-2 score. Thompson ran his mark to 5-6, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs in 8 innings. The only Sox scoring came on a Nomar Garciaparra ninth-inning blast, his sixth of the year. Nomar’s .335 average was the highest of his three-year career. Starter Tim Wakefield gave a creditable job, though his ERA remained in the high 5’s.
As the Sox began a three-game series with the perennially-strong Atlanta Braves, Pedro Martinez was his usual self, giving up 3 hits and fanning a career-high 16 in a 5-1 triumph. Billerica’s Tom Glavine, having a rare down season, permitted 4 runs in 7 innings, but could not match Pedro. He fanned at least one batter in every inning and lowered his ERA to 1.91, tops in the majors.
Martinez’ effort was only a reprieve, however. The Sox lost the last two games of the series by scores of 6-5 and 3-2. It was a bad omen when Gordon’s consecutive save streak ended. Nursing a 5-4 lead in the ninth, TG surrendered two-out hits to Chipper Jones and Brian Jordan before Javy Lopez doubled to left for the tying and winning tallies. Starter Brian Rose and reliever Lowe wasted good efforts. A ten-inning 3-2 loss followed, as Lopez singled in Walt Weiss with the winner off Jim Corsi, as Portugal took the loss. Starters Pat Rapp and Kevin Millwood both pitched well, but the Atlanta relievers were strong, as John Rocker picked up the save.
The Bosox thus ended a 3-3 homestand still a half game ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. They then headed out for three against the scuffling franchise known as the Montreal Expos. It would not be a pleasant stay.
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