There was Manny Ramírez continuing to find his swing, launching his ninth homer in his last 17 games to snap a 4-4 tie and vault the Sox to a 6-4 lead, which is how it ended against the pesky Blue Jays. And there was Keith Foulke -- in his first appearance since being taken out of the yard by Cleveland's Travis Hafner, then taking his anxiety out on the fans -- inheriting two runners with two outs in the eighth and getting Sox killer Reed Johnson to fly to right. He then held the Blue Jays scoreless in the ninth, though he allowed two singles.
In fact, in the search for new beginnings, Foulke came out to a new theme song last night. Scrapped was ''Mother," by Danzig, a song Bronson Arroyo chose for the Sox closer. Now Foulke comes jogging out of the bullpen to Hank Williams Jr.'s ''Country Boy Can Survive."
''It's time," Foulke said of the musical change. ''You listen to the song and you'll understand why."
Foulke was in position for the save, his 15th, thanks to Ramírez, who powered the Sox to only their third win in 10 games this season against Toronto. Ramírez did his damage with one vintage swing in the seventh with David Ortiz aboard and nobody out.
Blue Jays reliever Pete Walker left a hanger on the outside corner, and Ramírez stepped toward the mound, not the ball, and simply flung his bat at it. The ball started toward right fielder Alex Ríos before fading into the fandom behind Pesky's Pole. The homer gave Ramírez 45 against the Blue Jays, the most against Toronto by any player since the team entered the American League in 1977.
Ramírez's homer was his 20th, two behind AL leader Mark Teixeira, and he upped his league-leading RBI total to 70. In 17 games since June 12, Ramírez has cranked nine home runs and knocked in 26 runs while batting .364 (24 for 66). Slump? What slump?
''We need it," Terry Francona said of Ramírez's ability to carry the team, as he has lately. ''He knows that."
