GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: AL: BOSTON (61-40) at CLEVELAND (59-42)

Ramirez homers twice as Red Sox outlast Indians

<h3>BOSTON 14, CLEVELAND 9</h3>By Todd Krepop
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


CLEVELAND (Ticker) - Manny Ramirez moved two steps closer tojoining the 500 home run club.


Ramirez blasted his 486th and 487th career homers as the BostonRed Sox outslugged the Cleveland Indians 14-9, on Thursday.

It was the 49th multi-homer game of Ramirez's career as hehelped the Red Sox take three out of four from the Indians in amatchup of two of the premier teams in the American League.

"(Cleveland) was one of the better teams in the league," Red Soxfirst baseman Kevin Youkilis said. "It goes to show you whatkind of ballclub we have."


Ramirez finished the night with four runs scored and four RBI.

An Indian for the first eight years of his career, Ramirez, whois booed constantly when he returns to Jacobs Field, has 15 homeruns and 40 RBI against his former team.


After Cleveland pulled within 12-9 with four runs in theseventh, Ramirez hit Jensen Lewis' 3-2 pitch over the centerfield wall for a two-run homer in the eighth and a 14-9 cushion.

"(Ramirez) hit a rocket in the first and then came back withanother one," Crisp said. "He always says, 'Anybody can hitone,' then he comes out and hits the second one. It was prettycool."


After the Red Sox scored only one run in the past two games,Ramirez woke the Boston bats up with a 481-foot blast to centerfield in the second to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

"That was a nice swing," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said."Right off the bat it got us going."


Ramirez blasted starter Cliff Lee's first pitch into the centerfield foliage. It was the third-longest home run in 13-yearhistory of Jacobs Field.


"It was a bomb," Youkilis said. "I don't know how they measurehow far it goes, but he crushed it."


The slumping Wily Mo Pena also had four RBI to go along with hisfour hits for the Red Sox.


"I've been working hard and feeling good," Pena said.

Pena, who came into the game hitless in his last 11 at-bats andwas batting .122 (16-for-49) since June 13, was a triple shortof the cycle. He had an RBI double in the fifth and a three-runhomer in the seventh.


"Everybody is happy for him," Francona said. "He gave us a bigboost. I think he saw six pitches, swung at all of them andfour of them he hit right on the nose."


Boston gained some breathing room with a five-run fifth to takea 9-1 lead on an RBI double by Ramirez, a two-run single by MikeLowell, Coco Crisp's RBI single and Pena's RBI double.

Julian Tavarez (6-8) picked up the win despite giving up athree-run homer to Ryan Garko in the seventh as the Indiansclosed to within 12-9.


Red Sox starter Kason Gabbard failed to go the required fiveinnings to get the victory, despite being one out away fromgetting the third out in the fifth.


The lefthander allowed five runs and four hits, walking threeand striking out three.


"It's kind of embarrassing to have a 9-1 lead and have thathappen," Gabbard said.


Lee (5-8) was knocked around for the fourth straight start. Thelefthander allowed eight runs - seven earned - on nine hits infour innings. During his last four starts, Lee is 0-4 with an11.70 ERA.


"I made a couple of bad pitches," Lee said. "I made some goodpitches they got hits on. It seems like everything that couldpossibly go against me did. I have to pitch better, period." AsLee left the field to a chorus of boos, he sarcastically tippedhis cap to the crowd.


"I just took my cap off," Lee explained. "I wasn't trying toshow anybody up."


The Indians lost their fourth home series of the season andfailed to gain ground on the Detroit Tigers, who lost earlier inthe day.


"What I want is to for our team a chance to win as many games aswe can in August and September," Indians manager Eric Wedgesaid. "That is what we're going to keep pushing for."