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Trot this way Nixon's grand slam lifts Red Sox over Rangers
Updated: Saturday August 25, 2001 2:18 AM
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Trot Nixon worked the count against Texas reliever Danny Kolb, and the strategy worked in favor of the Boston Red Sox. Nixon hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the eighth inning on a 3-2 pitch from Kolb and the Red Sox beat the Rangers 7-4 Friday night. "I go up there trying to make the pitcher work," said Nixon. "I'm picky about my pitch. I feel confident I can get a pitch I want to hit." Nixon saw 27 pitches in his five trips to the plate. He homered, singled, walked and reached on an error. "It seems like the more pitches he sees, the better he gets," said Red Sox manager Joe Kerrigan. "As a (former) pitcher I know, the more times you throw, the more the advantage goes to the hitter. After you've thrown him six or seven pitches in an at-bat, what else can you throw him he hasn't already seen?" The Red Sox improved to 5-0 against Texas this season. Boston closed to within one game of Oakland in the wild-card race and three games of New York in the AL East. Texas evened the score at 3 with a two-run seventh. But Boston, once again playing without injured slugger Manny Ramirez, broke loose in the eighth. Troy O'Leary led off with a single against Chris Michalak (6-8), making his first appearance for Texas after being claimed off waivers from Toronto. Shea Hillenbrand singled off Kolb and Doug Mirabelli drew a one-out walk that loaded the bases. Nixon followed by lifting a low fastball that just cleared the right-field wall for his third career grand slam and 20th homer of the season. "I was sitting on a fastball and I was able to get the head of the bat under it and carry it to right field," said Nixon, who has three homers against the Rangers this season. "(A grand slam) is the ultimate home run. It was good for us to bounce right back after they tied it because they had momentum on their side." Rangers manager Jerry Narron had left-handed reliever Juan Moreno ready to face the left-handed hitting Nixon, but stuck with Kolb, and move he later regretted. "In the eighth inning, I made a mistake," said Narron. "If Moreno's job is to get left-handers out, I've got to get him in to face Nixon. What bothers me tonight is that I don't feel I gave our guys a chance to win in the eighth. That doesn't mean I don't have confidence in Danny Kolb, but I've got to give Juan Moreno a chance to do his job." Rod Beck (6-4) allowed one run and two hits in one inning for the win. Derek Lowe came in with two outs in the eighth and allowed an RBI single to Ivan Rodriguez that made it 7-4. Ugueth Urbina pitched the ninth for his fourth save in as many opportunities since joining the Red Sox on July 31. Red Sox starter Hideo Nomo allowed one run and two hits, both by Frank Catalanotto, over the first six innings. Nomo tried to change his recent pattern by throwing more fastballs and fewer split-finger pitches early in the count. "The split is his best pitch but you can't keep going to the well," said Mirabelli, the Boston catcher. "You've got to get those guys off that split." Nomo took a 3-1 lead into the seventh, but he ran into trouble as Rodriguez led off with a double and Ruben Sierra walked. Ricky Ledee greeted Beck with an RBI double, but Sierra was thrown out at the plate on shortstop Nomar Garciaparra's relay throw. Gabe Kapler followed with an RBI single to tie it. Boston took a 2-0 lead in the third against rookie Aaron Myette when Nixon singled and Jose Offerman followed with his seventh homer. The Red Sox made it 3-0 in the sixth on consecutive one-out doubles by Hillenbrand and Mike Lansing. Mike Lamb hit a sacrifice fly in the Texas sixth. Myette allowed three runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings, and the rookie struck out six to match a career high. "I'm getting more comfortable out there," said Myette. "I'm making better pitches and am more in command."
Notes: The Red Sox won for the fifth time in six road games. ... Ramirez missed his fifth straight game because of a strained right hamstring. The Red Sox expect him back for Tuesday night's opener of a three-game series against Cleveland. Ramirez has been at the team's Florida training base receiving therapy. ... Nomo is 0-1 in his past five starts. ... Texas SS Alex Rodriguez misplayed a grounder in the first inning, ending his 39-game streak without an error. ... The Rangers gave away 25,000 bobblehead dolls in the likeness of Ivan Rodriguez. ... Garciaparra was picked off first by Michalak in the seventh inning. ...Nixon reached 20 homers for the first time of his career. He has two grand slams this season, both against Texas. ... Catalanotto went 3-for-4 and is 41-for-82 in 21 games during August. ...Rangers relievers have an AL-high 28 defeats this season.
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