DETROIT -- Life as the Red Sox knew it changed in the 14 days since they last stepped foot in Fenway Park. In one of the most tumultuous road trips in franchise history, they jettisoned their franchise shortstop (Nomar Garciaparra), lost their No. 2 run scorer (Mark Bellhorn) to a fractured thumb, endured a five-day suspension of their RBI leader (David Ortiz), and survived a two-game medical leave by their home run leader (Manny Ramirez), yet arrived home last night with a retooled team that maybe, just maybe, has begun to find its stride.
Red Sox feeling the power
They overcome barrage, helped by their own HRs
Meet the new Sox, maybe a little better than the old Sox.
Unlike the old Sox, who foundered on the road, the new guys finished 6-5 on the four-city, 4,251-mile odyssey as they overcame a record-setting home run barrage against Tim Wakefield and outblasted the Tigers, 11-9, before 40,098 at
The post-Nomar era in Boston will begin with three new players on the roster: shortstop Orlando Cabrera, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, and outfielder Dave Roberts.
"It's going to be interesting, with a bunch of new faces," said Johnny Damon, who went 3 for 5, including a two-run triple, to help spare Wakefield from defeat. "The fans need to adapt and get to the gift shops and get some new jerseys."
As the calendar turns and a restless fandom anxiously awaits a solid run of success, the Sox also were poised to face an even greater level of scrutiny than when they departed, as if the previous level were not high enough. The jury still may be out on the blockbuster four-team trade involving Garciaparra and whether the revamped team can improve on the performance of the old Sox.
The new crew has a prime opportunity to take off as it plays 20 of its next 26 games in the friendly Fens.
"We know it's going to be a tough homestand," said Gabe Kapler, who went 3 for 4, scored two runs, and knocked in another. "We understand that there's going to be some edginess to Boston as a whole when we get home and we're prepared for it."
They need to sustain the kind of resilience they flashed in surging back twice from deficits against the Tigers, with Kevin Youkilis (3 for 4 with two homers and a sac fly) and Ortiz (a three-run homer) leading the way.
"We have to play better than we have been," said Ortiz, who is now tied with Ramirez for the team lead in homers with 28. "We've got to bring it if we want to be in competition later. We have to come out there against everybody with the same attitude we play with against the Yankees. That's the only way we're going to make it. Our intensity is different against the Yankees, and I don't know why. We've got to keep [the intensity] that way."
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