Ramirez Keeps Red Sox Hot

Manny Ramirez stopped to watch his fly ball sail toward the foul pole, just as Carlton Fisk had 30 years earlier.

And, just as Boston’s Hall of Fame catcher who had stared from home plate, Ramirez raised his arms skyward, after waiting between first and second base, when his shot reached the stands for a home run.

Ramirez’s three-run drive to right field helped Boston to a 10-3 win over Cincinnati on a night when the Red Sox celebrated Fisk’s shot against the Reds that hit the left-field foul pole and gave them a 7-6 win in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.

Boston lost Game 7 at home, the teams’ last meeting until Monday, but the current Red Sox are on an offensive roll sparked by Ramirez’s hitting revival.

“Manny’s going to hit,” Boston right fielder Jay Payton said. “Everybody gets on him because his average isn’t .320, but he’s still hitting some homers and driving in runs, and Manny’s going to have his [usual] numbers at the end of the year.”

Ramirez has 13 homers and 49 runs batted in. He went two for five to raise his batting average to .254 and is hitting .339 in his last 14 games.

The Red Sox led 7-2 when Ramirez capped a five-run sixth inning with a high fly near the low right-field wall.

Back on Oct. 21, 1975, Fisk watched his ball sail to the opposite foul pole, waved his arms toward fair territory then jumped when it was ruled a homer. Before Monday’s game, that pole was renamed the “Fisk Pole” in a brief ceremony that Fisk attended.

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Arizona 8, Chicago White Sox 1 -- Shawn Estes pitched his first nine-inning complete game since 2003, and Luis Gonzalez and Troy Glaus hit consecutive home runs during a six-run second inning at Chicago.

Chicago’s Frank Thomas homered in the fourth inning, then limped off the field because of a cramp in his left leg after singling in the sixth. The White Sox did not immediately elaborate on the condition of Thomas, who sat out the first two months of the season while rehabilitating an ankle.

Toronto 4, St. Louis 1 -- Roy Halladay pitched a five-hitter at Toronto for his major league-leading fifth complete game, and the Blue Jays ended a four-game skid.

Halladay (10-3) has won six of his last seven starts, and is tied with Chicago’s Jon Garland for the most wins in the AL.

Halladay struck out five and walked none for his 20th career complete game.

Tampa Bay 5, Milwaukee 3 -- Jonny Gomes and Travis Lee homered to back Doug Waechter at St. Petersburg, Fla., helping the Devil Rays to consecutive victories for the first time in more than two weeks.

Prince Fielder, son of former major league star Cecil Fielder, made his big league debut for Milwaukee after being promoted from triple-A Nashville. Fielder was 0 for 4 as the designated hitter.

Texas 7, Atlanta 3 -- Alfonso Soriano homered twice against Tim Hudson in the pitcher’s shortest outing for the Braves to lead the Rangers at Arlington, Texas. Hudson lasted only 2 2/3 innings.

Hank Blalock also homered for the Rangers, who extended their home winning streak to nine games.

Baltimore 8, Houston 5 -- Jay Gibbons and Larry Bigbie homered in a six-run second inning at Baltimore, and the Orioles ended the Astros’ five-game winning streak.

Oriole rookie Hayden Penn (1-0) earned his first big-league win despite giving up five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.