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June 20, 2007
BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Wroter
ATLANTA -- In the 1970s, Atlanta Fulton County Stadium earned the nickname The Launching Pad because of the number of home runs that were routinely hit there, many by home run kind Henry Aaron.
That ballpark is gone now, reduced to a parking lot beyond its replacement, but Wednesday night, the Red Sox helped make Turner Field its worthy successor.
Delivering the long ball early and often, the Sox belted five homers tying a season high and recorded their second straight shutout, an 11-0 thrashing of the Atlanta Braves.
The winning margin was the Red Sox biggest since pounding Seattle 14-3 in the home opener. It was the first time since July 18-19 of last season that the Sox had posted consecutive shutouts. In coming back to win the final two games of the series, the Sox outscored the Braves 15-0.
J.D. Drew homered to start the game, and later in the first, Coco Crisp added another, his third of the series. David Ortiz added his second homer in as many nights in the second and Manny Ramirez and Eric Hinske helped pile on with late-inning blasts.
When Ramirez connected for his 11th homer and third in the last five games it marked the 44th time that both Ramirez and Ortiz had homered in the same game.
The last time the Sox cranked five homers in a game was April 22 of this season when they hit five four in succession against the Yankees at Fenway.
Of the 11 runs the Sox scored, all but two scored as the result of homers. The five round-trippers gave the Sox 78 for the season, well behind Detroit, Texas and Tampa Bay, all of which entered yesterdays action 85 homers.
''We scored early which is always good and we took some real good swings,'' said manager Terry Francona. ''And then we kept swinging and added on.''
''We've been looking for offense,'' said Ortiz, ''and tonight, it seemed like everybody put it together. That was nice because everybody contributed.''
Everybody, that is, except Julio Lugo, the only position player in the starting lineup to go without a hit in the 15-hit attack. Lugo seemed poised to break into the hit column in the ninth when he hit a sinking liner to right with two on in the ninth. Indeed, the ball fell in, but Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur came up firing and gunned down Jason Varitek at third on a force play, leaving Lugo with a fielders choice. Lugo's average dipped to .201 for the season.
Beyond that, the positives were everywhere.
Almost obscured by the power display was the work of starter Julian Tavarez, who won his second straight start and fourth straight decision. Tavarez hasn't lost since May 11, almost six weeks ago.
''He takes the ball whenever you give it to him,'' said Francona, ''and he really enjoys pitching. This is the most he's pitched (as a starter) in a long time and his confidence is growing. We feel like when he goes out there, we have a great chance to win.''
That's no illusion. In games started by Tavarez this season, the Sox are 8-5, more than acceptable from a No. 5 starter.
Tavarez, 5-4, went seven innings and allowed just four hits. Through the first sixth innings, thanks to two double plays and just two hits against him, Tavarez had faced the minimum number of hitters.
He retired the first 10 hitters he faced before Willie Harris lined a single into center for Atlanta's first hit.
''Tonight,'' said Tavarez, ''my sinker was good and I was able to keep the ball down and get some groundball outs. I treated (the score) like it was 0-0 and I didn't want to let anybody score. In games like that, you have to go out and take it one batter at a time.''
''He's doing a very good job for us,'' said Varitek of Tavarez. ''Even when we got the big lead early, he was still trying to pitch. He did a good job of keeping his concentration. He's given us quality starts.''
After seven innings and 97 pitches, Tavarez gave way to the bullpen. Joel Pineiro pitched the eighth for the Sox, while Mike Timlin retired the side in order in the ninth as the Sox improved 10-5 in interleague play this season.
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