After Clement held the Angels to a run through seven innings, Bengie Molina delivered a two-run, two-out, tying single in the eighth off reliever Mike Timlin, after the Sox gambled and lost by issuing Vladimir Guerrero an intentional walk, putting the tying run on base. Timlin gave himself no margin for error by allowing former Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera and Guerrero to execute a double steal before Molina's hit.
The Sox, trying to avoid their fourth loss in the last five games, went into the ninth inning with the knowledge that they would have to win without designated hitter David Ortiz, who was ejected after being called out on strikes to end the eighth. Even with Ortiz, the Sox had spent the night stranding base runners, ultimately leaving 16 men on base.
But it was a 10-pitch at-bat by Ortiz's stand-in, Roberto Petagine, that keyed the Sox' winning rally in the 10th against Scot Shields, the fourth Angels pitcher. After an infield hit by Gabe Kapler and a single by Johnny Damon, the fourth hit of the night by the Sox' leadoff man, Shields struck out Edgar Renteria. But Petagine, fouling off a succession of pitches, finally worked a full-count walk from Shields, loading the bases. Manny Ramirez, who had doubled and singled earlier, hit a chopper to third. Chone Figgins's only play was to first base, as Kapler scored the eventual winning run.
The win was preserved by Curt Schilling, who retired all six batters he faced, striking out the last two hitters in the ninth and the first two in the 10th, before Darin Erstad popped out to shortstop Renteria to end the game.
Clement provided easily his strongest performance since he was hit, striking out four straight Angels while the Sox staked him to an early 3-0 lead. Clement, who could easily draw a Game 1 assignment against the Angels if these teams meet in October, offered impressive proof that he would be equal to the task against the Angels, who are neck and neck with the Sox in determining which team would have home-field advantage against the other in the postseason.
