Ramirez, Red Sox pound Braves

Posted 7:12PM on Saturday, April 3, 2004

ATLANTA - Manny Ramirez made the most of Mike Hampton's bad night.

Ramirez hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs to lift the Boston Red Sox past the Atlanta Braves 7-3 on Friday night.

Hampton (2-2), whose ERA jumped from 4.05 to 5.48, gave up five runs and seven hits in three innings. The left-hander walked two and struck out two in his last start before facing the New York Mets on Wednesday night.

Hampton, who went 11-3 with a 3.26 ERA in his last 17 starts of 2003, made just his seventh pitch when Ramirez hit his first homer of the spring. Ramirez, who has gone six straight seasons with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs, followed Gabe Kapler's RBI groundout in the second to make it 5-1 with a run-scoring single.

Derek Lowe (3-1), making his last spring start before pitching Wednesday at Baltimore, allowed three hits and two earned runs in 3 2-3 innings.

Chipper Jones' RBI groundout made it 3-1 in the first for Atlanta, which had won six of seven. Julio Franco cut the lead to 5-2 in the fourth with an RBI single off Edwin Almonte, who relieved Lowe.

Almonte struck out pinch-hitter Marcus Giles with two runners on to end the threat.

The Red Sox, who won their second straight, used six pitchers. Lowe entered with seven hits and three earned runs in his previous two starts, a span of 13 innings. He struck out 12, walked five and gave up 20 hits in 29 innings overall.

Mark Bellhorn's RBI single in the fifth made it 6-2. Justin Sherrod's first homer, a solo shot, put Boston up 7-2 in the sixth.

NOTES: CF Johnny Damon was held out of the lineup after tweaking a hamstring in Boston's 4-3 win over Minnesota on Thursday. Manager Terry Francona said Damon will be ready for the Red Sox's season opener Sunday at Baltimore. Kapler led off and started in Damon's place. ... RF Kevin Millar filled in for Kapler, who is replacing Trot Nixon in the opening day lineup. ... Braves manager Bobby Cox said LHP Horacio Ramirez will make a minor league start Sunday and RHP Jaret Wright will do the same Monday to keep the Nos. 4 and 5 starters fresh. ... 2B Jesse Garcia started in place of Giles, who flew home from Florida on Tuesday to have all four wisdom teeth removed. ... Cox said he would wait until Saturday to make a roster move.