Nobody is going to say in early August that the Red Sox are primed to run away with the American League East, but it sure feels that way, doesn't it?
That feeling last night wasn't so much the product of the Red Sox' 6-4 win over the hapless Kansas City Royals, which extended their winning streak to six games. But with the Yankees' 6-5 loss to Cleveland, the Red Sox got their lead up to 3 1/2 games for the first time since a July 8 win at Baltimore.
That is no small accomplishment for a team that swept the Twins in the middle of the Manny drama, and a team that has survived the loss of its closer, Keith Foulke, and adapted to the appointed one, Curt Schilling, who earned his sixth save last night.
Life after the trading deadline was very good for the Sox last season -- they went 42-18 -- and they hope this season will be no different. While the blockbuster deal involving Nomar Garciaparra at last year's deadline sparked the Sox to a wild card berth that led to a World Series championship, making no major trades at the deadline could be the spark this time around.
''No trades. There's no way we could survive without Manny," said center fielder Johnny Damon. ''With one swing of the bat, Manny makes a difference. We don't have to feel like we need to scratch and claw for those runs. Manny is able to do it with one swing, and that's better than any trade."
Ramirez began life after the trade deadline by holding up a sign that read, ''The New Episode . . . 'Manny Being Manny.' " Then he knocked in four runs -- giving him 97 RBIs in 98 games -- to pace the offense.
His 29th home run in the fourth inning reduced a 4-0 deficit to one run, and his RBI single up the middle in the seventh gave Schilling an insurance run for what would be a shaky ninth inning.
Certainly, much credit has to go to starting pitcher Tim Wakefield, who on his 39th birthday was able to survive the 12th and 13th homers off him in seven starts, as he worked seven solid innings with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Former Sox farmhand Chip Ambres, who was traded July 19 in the Tony Graffanino deal, hit a solo homer in the third and also was on board in the first inning when former Sox outfielder Matt Stairs belted a three-run homer. But Wakefield kept the Sox close.
''I thought he had good stuff," said manager Terry Francona. ''He made a couple of mistakes. Unfortunately, they were home runs. But he went out and had some quick innings. He was efficient. He gave us a chance to regroup and get back in the game with the first three-spot on Manny's home run."
Wakefield said he brought his good stuff from the bullpen.
''I felt great in the first inning," he said. ''The ball just stayed up for Stairs. From there it was a battle just to keep us in the game."
