Red Sox flash power in comeback win over Rays

BOSTON (AP) -- Kevin Millar stayed in Boston's lineup through

slumps and struggles and more one-liners than the statisticians

could possibly count.

Now, Boston's faith in the quick-with-a-quip first baseman may

be paying off.

Millar, the man who made "Cowboy Up" the team's catchphrase,

up and hit two homers Wednesday night to help the Red Sox rally

from a big deficit for the second consecutive game and beat the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7-6.

"He's part of us. ... This is 'we,' and it always will be,"

manager Terry Francona said. "We don't just try to get the flavor

of the day. We try to do what we think is right for the long

haul."

David Ortiz also homered -- his fifth in five games -- and Tim

Wakefield settled down after allowing three homers in the first

three innings to fall behind 5-1. It was Boston's 38th

come-from-behind victory, and it came one night after it rallied

from a 5-0 deficit to win in the bottom of the ninth.

"You hate to put your team down that much early, but I can't

say enough about our offense," said Wakefield (14-10), who leads

the World Series champions in wins. "I am fortunate to be pitching

on the right days when they have been scoring all those runs."

Millar hit 43 home runs in the previous two seasons but had hit

only one since a two-homer game on June 4. Still a popular player

in the clubhouse, the outspoken and sometimes goofy first baseman

had been losing fans at Fenway Park ever since.

"It's too late for all that," he said, challenging the fans to

get behind him. "I'm not going anywhere."

Millar is batting .272 with seven homers and 45 RBI for the

year, and though the team went out and got John Olerud to help out

at first base, Millar still sees most of the at-bats. Before

homering last week, he went 182 at-bats without hitting one.

On Wednesday, he homered to lead off the second and tie the game

at 1, then broke a 5-all tie in the seventh with a two-run drive

that gave Boston its first lead.

Wakefield allowed five runs on six hits and a walk, striking out

five to improve to 13-1 against Tampa Bay and win for the sixth

time in seven starts. He gave up solo homers to Julio Lugo and

Travis Lee and a three-run shot to Carl Crawford to fall behind 5-1

before retiring the last 16 batters he faced.

"Same type of game as last night. We jump out to an early lead

and they got back at us," manager Lou Piniella said. "He gave up

runs early and then shut us down."

Mike Timlin allowed Alex Gonzalez's sacrifice fly in the ninth

before earning his fourth save.

Casey Fossum (8-11) allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks

in 6 2/3 innings, striking out five. The Devil Rays, who took a 5-0

lead off Curt Schilling before losing 7-6 on Tuesday, led 5-1

through three this time before Boston came back for its 18th win in

its last 19 games at Fenway.

Doug Mirabelli led off the fourth with a homer to make it 5-2,

then Bill Mueller singled and Gabe Kapler doubled. Alex Cora

followed with an RBI groundout and Johnny Damon hit a sacrifice fly

to make it 5-4.

Ortiz homered to lead off the fifth and tie the score at 5-all.

It stayed that way until the seventh, when Fossum hit Manny Ramirez

with two outs. Jesus Colome relieved him and gave up Millar's

towering shot off the soda bottles above the Green Monster to break

the tie.

Game notes
Mirabelli caught Colome napping in the seventh and took off

for second base. Colome realized too late that Mirabelli was

running, then threw into center field to let the runner get to

third. It was Mirabelli's second stolen base of the season, a

career high. "I don't know how they didn't see him," Francona

said. "I felt him." ... Boston recalled INF Kevin Youkilis from

Triple-A and optioned right-hander Manny Delcarmen to Pawtucket.

... Red Sox 2B Tony Graffanino was kept out of the lineup with a

tender hamstring. ... RHP Wade Miller (shoulder tendinitis) threw

about 30 pitches before the game and reported no problems. ... RHP

Seth McClung will rejoin the team on Friday but be reinstated on

Saturday for his start against the Blue Jays. He left the team to

be with his family after his grandmother died.