According to Greg Rybarczyk, the for mer US Navy engineer from Ayer, Mass., who has made it his business to know these things, Ramírez's second home run off Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina traveled 426 feet and would have cleared a 10-story building - at its apex, it reached 107 feet. The one he hit Saturday in Fenway Park against Mussina, who has given up more home runs (9) to Ramírez than any other pitcher except Jamie Moyer (10), actually went even higher (109 feet), but traveled a tad shorter (413 feet).
"Pretty good, huh?" said Josh Beckett, who went eight innings to become the first Sox starter to pitch at least seven on a night the bullpen needed the rest, with manager Terry Francona having used no fewer than four pitchers in each of the last eight games, five pitchers five times. "Hopefully, he'll invite me to his Hall of Fame speech."
The Sox, who banged out a season-high 14 hits and lost Wednesday night, kept on hitting last night, rapping out 13 against Mussina and three relievers. Every Sox player in the lineup had at least one hit, except still-slumping David Ortiz and leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury, who became the hittee instead of the hitter. Ellsbury was hit by a pitch in his first two plate appearances, stole second on the next pitch each time, rushed Chad Moeller into a throwing error on his second attempt, and jump-started the Sox' four-run rally in the third.
Sore-toed Kevin Youkilis had two hits and scored twice; J.D. Drew had two hits, including a two-run double; and Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia also had two hits apiece, each driving in a run.
The Sox, who come home to face Texas after taking three of four from the Indians and Yankees on this mini-trip, ended a five-game losing streak in the Bronx. They split the two-game set after taking two of three from the Yankees in Fenway Park last weekend.
