``After Oakland left, we're not feeling too good," said manager Terry Francona. ``You don't set out to be 5-3, but when you're 1-3, that's about as good as you're going to do."
The day didn't get off to a good start, as Francona first found out that Mike Lowell was suffering from a stomach bug, knocking the third baseman out of the lineup when Francona already planned to rest designated hitter David Ortiz. Then came a morning meeting with Tim Wakefield, as the two discussed how the ailing knuckleballer (stress fracture in his rib ) would spend at least the next three weeks out of the rotation.
But a jiggered lineup -- Alex Cora at third and Wily Mo Peña, playing for the first time since May 26, at DH -- came through in the sixth inning when the score was tied, 4-4. Boston kicked off the rally when reliever Bryan Corey walked Alex Gonzalez, who advanced to second on Cora's sacrifice bunt. After Coco Crisp fouled out to third baseman Hank Blalock, Mark Loretta took a 2-and-2 pitch the other way. Gonzalez, never breaking stride, slid under the tag of catcher Rod Barajas, catching home with his left leg for the eventual winning run.
For Loretta, the single erased an earlier gaffe when he failed to slide into home in the third inning after Manny Ramírez's single into right field.
In the seventh, the Sox padded their lead after Ramírez walked and Jason Varitek drove in the left fielder with a one-out double. Manny Delcarmen held the Rangers scoreless in the eighth and Mike Timlin, serving as closer because Jonathan Papelbon had pitched the last three games, threw a perfect ninth for his second save, propelling a confident club into their six-game West Coast trip.
``It was a win. A good win," said Schilling, 8-0 at Fenway this year. ``A 5-3 homestand after losing three out of four to Oakland, regardless of who it's against, is a good homestand for us."
