Some buster named Douglas or Woody or Woodpecker shocked the undisputed heavyweight pitching champion of the world Wednesday at Fenway Park.

Faced with too many September doubleheaders and armed with too few quality starters, the Cleveland Indians offered up Steve Woodard as the sacrificial lamb to the great pitching god Pedro. The plan was for Woodard to be beaten, stabbed and charred by Nomar Garciaparra, Dante Bichette and the Red Sox in the opener and hope the baseball gods were kind enough to allow Dave Burba the split in the nightcap.

Pedro Martinez never loses to the Indians. He comes out of the bullpen to beat them in playoff games. He throws at their heads in April games. He whips them morning, noon and midnight. The Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a poll to name the player fans love to hate the most. Only one name -- no, former Browns owner Art Modell doesn't count -- could come back nearly 65 percent of the time.

Pedro.

"I keep telling our team, 'Boys, one of these days, we're going to get him,"' Indians manager Charlie Manuel said.

But they never did. The Indians hit .400 against the world, but they hit the wall against Pedro. Entering this mortal lock, Pedro was 9-0, including the playoffs, against Cleveland. His ERA was 1.47. His body language? Sheer domination.

Manny Ramirez is killing the American League. Against Pedro, he's 4-for-29 lifetime. Robbie Alomar is 4-for-27. Jim Thome is 3-for-23. Travis Fryman is 3-for-29. The Indians frighten everyone except Pedro. Against Pedro, they're less harmless than the Indians on F Troop.

With Woodard taking his 2-10 combined record to the mound, New England baseball fans had every reason to stash the win in their pockets before the first pitch was even thrown. Las Vegas did nothing to discourage their attitude. Martinez was a ridiculous --330 in the morning line. That's akin to picking Nebraska over East Carolina by 42 points.

"We killed Pedro, didn't we?" Manuel said, breaking into a laugh after a 2-1 victory set the stage for a doubleheader sweep and a devastating four-game wild card lead on the Red Sox. "We just tore him up."

Yep, killed Pedro for one run.

Tore Pedro up for five hits in eight innings.

Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel and Alomar lined singles to right to start the game and Pedro responded to the one run by retiring 16 in a row. Vizquel had a bloop single in the sixth, Fryman an infield single in the eighth, Thome a walk in the seventh. That was it.

Thanks to Woodard, it turned out to be enough.

A woman admirer sent Pedro a couple of fish in a plastic bag Tuesday and Pedro sent the locker room attendant out to buy an aquarium. You want a bigger fish story? Woodard beat Pedro when it mattered most.

Yep, Angola beat the Dream Team.

"Our guys are reallying enjoying this win," Manuel said. "We've been looking forward to beating Pedro for a long time. I think everybody in baseball knows that. At the same time, it wasn't like we beat him up."

Acquired from Milwaukee on July 28 to help buttress a staff that has gone through a mind-boggling 32 different pitchers, Woodard, 25,pitched six innings of three-hit, shutout ball. He threw his fastball, curve and change for strikes, moved the ball around. Yep, Cy Sperling beat Cy Young.

"That one run early against Pedro was big," said Woodard, who was 11-8 in 1999. "One run anytime against Pedro is big."

While the Indians weren't exactly giddy afterward, there were smiles lighting up the dank Fenway visting locker room. They finally conquered their demon, or at least got him to stub his toe.

"I'm glad they think like that," said a defiant Martinez, now 17-6. "They're going to keep on scoring one run and hope that will beat me? I'll take my chances. I'll give them one run ahead in the first inning if that's what they're going to score. I'll bet you I'll win more than I lose. They got the demon off their back? Great."

Pedro couldn't decide who he wanted to blame more for the loss: the umpires or Father Fate. He was furious at home plate umpire Richard Rieker for missing strike three on Russ Branyan in the eighth. Rieker ruled it a foul ball. Catcher Jason Varitek went nuts. Manager Jimy Williams got tossed out.

"Too bad we couldn't score a few runs to beat the umpire and beat the other team," Pedro said. "But I got to give the kid credit. I've never seen him before. He pitched a heck of a game.

"We just weren't meant to win that game."

Pedro pointed to Garciaparra's double off Bob Wickman in the ninth that missed being a homer by two feet. He pointed to Bichette's double off Woodard in the second that got caught in the wind and barely missed a homer. Jeepers, Pedro, you're starting to sound like Red Sox fans. Next thing we know you'll be blaming the Bambino.

The combustible Carl Everett, of course, knew exactly where to place the blame. In a locker room pique, Everett decided the aftermath of a costly defeat was the perfect moment to rip into the Boston Globe for reporting he missed the team bus on the last road trip. Carl's not talking to the Globe? Oh, the humanity.

No amount of carping or rationalization, of course, would change the hard facts.

Some guy named Woodard beat Pedro in the big game.

"I just found out a few minutes ago about Pedro's record against the Indians," Woodard said. "I wasn't aware of it. Look, he has amazing stuff. I'm not shocked at his record.

"This is the biggest game of my life. I've come from Milwaukee to a contender. I'm loving it. And now I'll be able to tell my kids someday I beat Pedro."

Yep, the sacrificial lamb jumped off the BBQ pit to save the Indians.

No wonder the Red Sox acquired a pitcher named Jesus (Pena) after Woodard beat Pedro. If God can't beat a guy with a 2-10 combined record, maybe it's time to turn to his son.