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CHICAGO - Manny Ramirez is a tough enough out. Give him a second chance as the White Sox did Thursday night and it can mean the difference between winning and losing.
On the first pitch after Chicago third baseman Joe Crede dropped his foul pop for an error, Ramirez homered in the ninth, sending the Boston Red Sox to a 6-5 win and giving Curt Schilling his first victory as a reliever since 1992.
"That was huge. This was a game of little things," said Schilling, who blew the save when Crede hit a two-out tying double in the eighth, then got his first win since April 18, when he was a starter.
"A foul ball gets dropped and that is the difference in the game," Schilling said.
Crede couldn't hang on to the high pop near the third-base stands when the ball drifted back toward the field. It ended his 49-game errorless streak and gave Ramirez another chance.
"With Manny, you just knew once Crede dropped that ball that Manny was going to do something special," Boston's Johnny Damon said.
Ramirez sent his 26th homer to left-center off Luis Vizcaino, and Boston had its fourth win in 10 games.
Crede's error was the White Sox's third of the game, helping the Red Sox to three unearned runs.
"Our defense was not what we've played all year long. Joe has been playing good. It was not an easy play," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Crede's error couldn't have come at a worse time for the White Sox, who have lost three straight, all at home.
"It's a humbling feeling. You got to keep your head up," Crede said.
"The people in the stands were looking like they were ready to grab for it. When I looked for the railing I saw them getting ready to grab it, and all of a sudden it drifts back. But it's a routine play I should make."
The White Sox tied it in the eighth when Aaron Rowand doubled with one out, went to third on an infield out and scored on Crede's two-out double.
ANGELS 6, YANKEES 5: Vladimir Guerrero broke out of his slump with a grand slam to rally host Los Angeles.
Guerrero's towering shot greeted Tom Gordon in the seventh and brought the Angels back from a 5-2 deficit. The defending MVP's fifth hit in his past 45 at-bats came after Randy Johnson held the Angels to two runs on four hits through six.
Jason Giambi homered twice off Bartolo Colon, the first baseman's second straight two-homer game. It was his third multihomer game of the season and 26th of his career.
A'S 6, RANGERS 4: Nick Swisher drove in three and scored one and Jay Payton hit a slow chopper through the left side of the infield for the go-ahead run in the eighth, lifting visiting Oakland.
The Athletics overcame an early 3-0 deficit against Kenny Rogers to win for the 19th time in 24 games. They beat Texas for the fourth time in five meetings since the All-Star break.
Oakland won for the 12th time in 17 road games after losing 16 of its previous 17.
TWINS 10, TIGERS 5: Bret Boone and Michael Cuddyer each drove in two and Joe Mauer scored three as visiting Minnesota took advantage of a sloppy Detroit performance. The Tigers, who had won nine of 13, committed four errors and had three wild pitches and a balk to help the Twins win their third straight.
INDIANS 10, ROYALS 1: Jake Westbrook dodged danger for seven innings and got his first win in July, and Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez hit three-run homers to lead host Cleveland. Westbrook didn't allow an earned run, scattered nine hits and worked out of several jams, only once retiring Kansas City in order.
BLUE JAYS 6, MARINERS 3: Josh Towers won for the second time in his past 12 starts, and Shea Hillenbrand hit a three-run homer as host Toronto completed a three-game sweep. Reed Johnson also homered for the Blue Jays, who swept Seattle for the first time since June 6-8, 2004.