mlb.com BK has his way in Red Sox win

[Sharon]

04/29/2004  4:04 PM ET 

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BK has his way in Red Sox win

Ortiz strokes two-run homer to ignite offense

By Ian Browne / MLB.com

	Byung-Hyun Kim was in command during his first outing of the season. (Elise Amendola/AP)

BOSTON -- Despite the differences in stature between the hulking David Ortiz and the diminutive Byung-Hyun Kim, the two players were equally sizable in the way they lifted the Red Sox to a 4-0 victory in part one of a day-night doubleheader against the Devil Rays on Thursday afternoon.

With the side-winding Kim's splashing debut in his return from the disabled list, and Ortiz's clutch performance at the plate, the Sox remained red-hot, reeling off their fifth win in a row, and 10th in the last 12 games.

Setting the tone, again, was the pitching, as the Sox posted their third consecutive shutout, marking the first time they've posted blanks for three straight games since Aug. 24-26, 1990, in Toronto.

"They've been outstanding," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "Give them the ball and they get outs. We've got a good thing going."

Kim fired five innings of one-hit ball in his first Major League start of the season. Showing no ill effects from the shoulder inflammation that forced him to shut it down during Spring Training, Kim was sharp.

In fact, Kim said that this was the best he's felt since he first put on a Red Sox uniform last May, as an ankle injury suffered in his final few weeks with the Diamondbacks hampered his mechanics for much of 2003.

"When I hurt my ankle I could not throw the ball the way I wanted to," Kim said through translator and assistant trainer Chang Lee. "But now everything feels good."

However, he came a mere one out from earning a no-decision for his strong effort.

In the bottom of the fifth, the game was still in a scoreless tie with two outs. Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield was warmed up in the 'pen, and ready to replace Kim, who was on a pitch count.

But Ortiz took Kim right out of that no-decision column, smashing a 3-0 pitch by Victor Zambrano into the bleachers in straight-away center field. That two-run homer made it 2-0 Sox.

"I always have the green light," said Ortiz. "I just don't like to swing that many times on 3-0 because that's when I get one of the sinkers going away and then you pull and then you're out. I've got to definitely be looking for a pitch that I can drive."

He got one, and smoked it.

Ortiz added two doubles and a walk, going 3-for-3, and prolonging his streak of extra-base hits to nine consecutive games.

"My whole life, since I've been playing ball, that's my role because I'm not a fast guy," Ortiz said. "When I swing, two things happen. Either I hit it or I don't hit it."

Meanwhile, the Devil Rays couldn't hit Kim at all. He finished out his day with a 1-2-3 fifth inning, striking out Brook Fordyce to end his outing after 70 pitches.

"To do what he did was outstanding," Francona said. "I thought he got stronger as the game went."

Wakefield relieved Kim to start the sixth, pitching two strong innings as a tune-up for his start Sunday night in Texas.

Mike Timlin (1 1/3 innings) and Alan Embree (2/3 of an inning) finished it, prolonging the bullpen's scoreless streak to 30 1/3 innings.

The Sox scratched out an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Brian Daubach, making his first start of the season, opened the inning by lining a double to right-center. He hustled to third on Kevin Millar's fly out to center and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Mark Bellhorn.

Zambrano, aside from the one pitch to Ortiz, had a good day, striking out a career-high of 10 batters over six innings. The strikeouts helped him overcome his wildness (four walks).

The Sox got one more run in the bottom of the seventh, and it was a gift, as David McCarty was hit by a Travis Harper pitch with the bases loaded and two outs.

It was more than enough support for the torrid pitching staff, which caused Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella to note the difference from when he'd come to Fenway Park in years gone by.

"Boston's on a roll with their pitching," Piniella said. "I remember when I used to come in here, they used to be a hitting team."

When Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon re-enter the mix, the Boston bats will likely boom again. But in the current scheme of things, the success of this 14-6 team has been highlighted by the men on the mound.

And Kim showed Thursday that he's ready to enter the fun.

"As time goes," said Kim, "I think I am going to have better stuff. First time out today, I felt good."

Good enough to keep that Boston pitching staff on a certifiable roll.

Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[sj사랑]

허걱~ 영어모르는 사람은 어쩌라고요...... 해석도 해주심 안될까여...

[슬픈영혼]

좋은얘기네

[아이비★]

잘 봤어요...ㅋㅋ 앞으로 병현쓰 팬하려면 영어공부도 많이 해야할듯...으하하~~에공~@.@

[케이]

이 헤드라인 맘에 들어요 BK has his way in Redsox win 특히 his way 란 부분과 비케이^^

[BK나라]

ㅎ.,ㅎ 밤새고 본 보람을 한껏 느낌