Sox find a way in ninth

The consensus: Just about each member of the Red Sox who needed a reason to feel good about himself today has just that. And, they can take today off -- they'll spend it in Philadelphia -- basking in what is the most promising swatch of games the Sox have played in 2005.

With last night's 5-4 decision -- despite deficits of 1-0 (after two innings), 2-1 (after six innings), and 4-2 (after seven innings) -- the Sox reeled off their ninth win in 10 games and swept the Indians, who'd won nine in a row before Boston stormed into town.

The Sox outscored the Indians, 24-15, outhit them, 36-33, and outhomered them, 8-2, in sweeping Cleveland at Jacobs Field for the first time since May 28-30, 1999. To think, the same team that limped out of Wrigley Field June 12 at 33-29 is now 41-30, a mere one game behind the Orioles for the division lead.

''It feels like we've played with a greater sense of urgency," said Payton, who was hitless in four at-bats before shooting a Bob Wickman pitch to the wall in right-center to begin the ninth. ''It seemed like we coasted a little the first couple months."

Sifting through all that had played out in 3 hours 28 minutes, Sox manager Terry Francona came to the night's simplest yet most accurate conclusion: ''We did a lot of things to win that game. That's a losable game."

It looked losable in the sixth, when Miller found himself in a severe bind, partly his doing, partly -- in his mind, at least -- that of plate umpire Larry Vanover. Miller began the inning by walking Travis Hafner and Victor Martínez, the latter on a full-count pitch. Ben Broussard then singled, and Casey Blake worked Miller to 2 and 2.

The following pitch was ruled a ball -- ''It was right there," Miller said -- and Blake singled on the 3-and-2 pitch, plating Hafner and giving the Indians a 2-1 lead. Francona motioned for Embree, and, while walking to the mound, Vanover came out to explain the two close calls.

Francona shooed him away.

''I just said, 'Not now,' " Francona said. ''Let us make a pitching change. I didn't want anything to escalate."

Miller, meanwhile, walked off the mound infuriated, the bases loaded on his watch.