Recounting 3d-inning barrage is a real blast

The Red Sox were trailing the Yankees and rookie lefthander Chase Wright, 3-0. There were two away and nobody on when Manny Ramírez stepped to the plate. Manny had not exactly been tearing the ol' cover off the ball. But he saw a 2-1 pitch to his liking and he sent it far over the wall in left-center, the ball landing a row or so in front of the Volvo sign. It was his second of the season and the 477th of his career. 3-1, Yankees.

J.D. Drew was up next. He had struck out in the first, leaving two men on. The count went to 1-2. Drew launched the next pitch over the Red Sox bullpen, landing just in front of the Nikon sign. It was his second of the season and second in Fenway, and the 162d of his career. 3-2, Yankees.

Mike Lowell was up next. He had struck out leading off the second. The count went to 1-1. Lowell cranked the next pitch high and deep to left, as in "Hello, Lansdowne Street." It was his second of the season and the 165th of his career. Game tied at 3.

The Red Sox had just hit three consecutive home runs for a combined total of, oh, seven million feet. Well, maybe not. But it was well over 1,200.

Jason Varitek was up next. The captain, who had come into the game with a perked-up bat (5 for 8 in his past two games, including the tying home run Friday night), had flied to right in the second. The count never went to anything. Varitek attacked Wright's first pitch and sent a screamer to left, the ball comfortably clearing the wall. Sox lead, 4-3.

Oh.

My.

God.

The lucky 36,905 had just become only the fifth such-privileged group in major league history. For only the fifth time, a team had gone back-to-back-to-back-to-back, and this was only the second time against the same pitcher.

The other four teams to hit four consecutive home runs were the 1961 Braves (Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock, and Frank Thomas); the 1963 Indians (Woodie Held, Pedro Ramos, Tito Francona -- yes, The Skipper's dad -- and Larry Brown); the 1964 Twins (Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall and Harmon Killebrew); and last year's Dodgers (Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin, and Marlon Anderson).