Basebawful Report of the Month

Gary Allenson - 6 Good, 3 Bad, 5 Ugly, 1 Hero

Tom Burgmeier - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Bill Campbell - 2 Good, 1 Bad

Mark Clear - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly

Steve Crawford - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Dennis Eckersley - 1 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Dwight Evans - 11 Good, 1 Bad, 4 Ugly

Garry Hancock - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Honorable Mention

Glenn Hoffman - 5 Good, 8 Bad, 4 Ugly

Carney Lansford - 8 Good, 5 Bad, 3 Ugly

Rick Miller - 7 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero

Reid Nichols - 1 Bad, 3 Honorable Mention

Tony Perez - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 8 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Tom Poquette - 1 Honorable Mention

Chuck Rainey - 1 Good, 1 Bad

Jerry Remy - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero

Jim Rice - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 11 Ugly, 2 Hero

Joe Rudi - 3 Good, 1 Ugly

Dave Schmidt - 1 Bad

Bob Stanley - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Dave Stapleton - 2 Good, 7 Ugly

Frank Tanana - 2 Good, 2 Jackass

Mike Torrez - 1 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

John Tudor - 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Carl Yastrzemski - 2 Good, 4 Bad, 6 Ugly

Most Valuable Player is Dwight Evans with 11 Good

Least Valuable Player is Glenn Hoffman with

Ugliest Player of the Month is Jim Rice with 11 Ugly

Hero of the Month is Jim Rice with 2 Hero

Jackass of the Month is Frank Tanana with 2 Jackass

The Honorable Player of the Month is Reid Nichols with 3 Honorable Mentions

Twins Send Sox To Fourth Straight Loss (4/30/81)

At least the Boston Red Sox scored some runs for the first time in four days. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Twins scored twice as many as they did. The Sox pitching woes continued as Frank Tanana (0-3, 7.08 ERA) got clobbered for 5 runs while getting knocked out in the second inning. Bob Stanley and Mark Clear also got tagged by the Twins. Jim Rice and Tony Perez broke out of their slumps with home runs but it wasn't enough to offset the horrendous pitching. When the dust settled the Sox closed out the month of April on a 4 game losing streak due to the Twins 8-4 victory over them at Fenway Park.

                                              "This team SUCKS!"

Once again the Sox stepped on their private parts in the top of the first inning although Tanana struck out Gary Ward looking to start. John Castino lined out to center but Mickey Hatcher singled. Roy Smalley then hit a home run into Newfound Lake to give the Twins the lead. Dave Engle flied out to right to end the inning but it was 2-0 Twins.

                                                            Twins take the lead early

The Sox finally scored a run in the bottom of the first against Twins starter Roger Erickson as Dwight Evans doubled to center to start and Dave Stapleton singled him home. Carl Yastrzemski popped up to short and Jim Rice struck out swinging, but Stapleton moved to second on a balk by Erickson. Tony Perez flied out to right but the Sox had finally scored a run, trailing 2-1.

                                                                First rbi in days for Boston

Naturally the Twins responded by knocking Tanana out in the bottom of the second inning. Pete Mackanin doubled to left but Glenn Adams flied out to right. Ron Jackson was plunked and Sal Butera doubled home Mackanin. Ward singled home both runners and Sox manager Ralph Houk stormed out of the dugout and chucked sunflower seeds at Tanana. Frank ran away to the dugout and Bob Stanley materialized out of thin air to pitch. Castino flied out to left and Hatcher popped up to Stanley to end the inning but it was 5-1 Twins.

                                                              "I sucked today" - Tanana

The Sox laid down and died in the bottom of the second as Carney Lansford flied out to center to start. Gary Allenson struck out looking and Glenn Hoffman lined out to left to end the inning.

Smalley singled to right to start the top of the third but was forced at second by Engle. Mackanin lined out to left and Adams lined out to right to end the inning. Rick Miller grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third but Evans struck out swinging. Stapleton popped up to first to end the inning.

Jackson grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Butera singled to left. Ward banged into a double play to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Rice popped up to first. Perez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Twins tagged Stanley in the top of the fifth although Castino flied out to right to start. Hatcher singled to right and Smalley walked, but Engle struck out swinging. Rob Wilfong pinch hit for Mackanin and walked to load the bases. Adams singled home Hatcher and Smalley to increase the lead and cause Houk to kick over his stack of mail piled up. Jackson flied out to left to end the inning with the Twins up 7-1.

                                                           Not even Bob could bail them out

Lansford flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Allenson flied out to left. Hoffman singled to left but Miller lined out to center to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Butera struck out swinging to start. Ward struck out swinging but Castino walked. Castino stole second but Hatcher struck out swinging to end the inning. Evans and Stapleton both flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Twins tagged Clear in the top of the seventh as Smalley walked to start. Engle singled to left and Wilfong singled to right to score Smalley. Adams grounded out to first and Jackson hit a shot to Lansford who fired home to get Engle. Butera popped up to third to end the inning but it was 8-1 Twins.

                                                                 Clear gives up a run

Rice lined out to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Perez singled to left. Perez was forced at second by Lansford and Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Chuck Rainey came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ward grounded out to second to start. Castino flied out to center and Hatcher grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the eighth as Smalley booted a grounder by Hoffman to start, advancing Glenn to second. Miller moved Hoffman to third with a fly out to right but Evans struck out swinging. Somehow Stapleton singled home Glenn to cut the lead. Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

                                                                Hoffman scores a run

Smalley grounded back to the mound to start the top of the ninth and Engle flied out to center. Wilfong lined out to first to end the inning. Erickson was denied a complete game when Rice led off the bottom of the ninth with his third home run of the year to start. Perez then cracked his second of the year to cut the lead in half and chase Erickson. Doug Corbett came in and Lansford struck out swinging. Allenson grounded out to third but Garry Hancock pinch hit for Hoffman. Hancock grounded out to second to end the game. The Twins had won it 8-4.

Jackass of the Night is Frank Tanana. He got hammered for 5 runs in just 1 1/3 innings to once again put the Sox in too big a hole to climb out of.

                                                            Jackass Tanana

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Tony Perez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Chuck Rainey tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Garry Hancock was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley allowed 2 runs in 3 2/3 innings

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Mark Clear gave up a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

What a garbage month that was. It started with Carlton Fisk giving the proverbial middle finger to Red Sox management on Opening Day and ended with a four game losing streak to send the Sox into May on a down note. This game has been typical of the last week or so with the starter getting knocked out and the bullpen providing no relief. The strangest part is the offense has been non-existent for the most part. The middle of the order has been asleep all month including Yaz, Rice and Perez. Perez is going to be 38 on May 14th and he could be losing it. Yaz is 41 years old and could be losing it too. Rice will figure it out eventually but right now the Sox are in deep trouble if these guys can't get it going. Losing to the Texas Rangers and the Twins doesn't inspire any confidence but at least April is over. The Sox look to rebound against the Twins tomorrow when Dennis Eckersley (2-2) takes on Fernando Arroyo of the Twins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Blank Sox for Third Straight Shutout (4/29/81)

The good news was the Boston Celtics stayed alive in their Eastern Finals series with the Philadelphia Sixers with their Game 5 win. The bad news was the Boston Red Sox were blanked by the Texas Rangers for the third straight game. This time it was Danny Darwin who tossed a complete game, 1 hit shutout against the Sox. John Tudor (1-1, 4.50 ERA) was game but got absolutely no run support. The Rangers thoroughly dominated the Sox the last three games scoring 24 runs (40 counting last week at Fenway) while not allowing a single run. The Rangers will be sad to see the Sox go as they enjoyed a 5-0 series sweeping win at Arlington Stadium. For the third game in a row how many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Darwin began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Jerry Remy struck out swinging to start. Dave Stapleton grounded out to second and Dwight Evans struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rangers wasted no time getting to Tudor in the bottom of the first although Bump Wills grounded back to the mound to start. Mickey Rivers singled to left but was forced at second by Al Oliver. Buddy Bell walked and Billy Sample was plunked to load the bases. Naturally Johnny Grubb cleared the bases with a double to left to put the Rangers up for good. Pat Putnam took strike three to end the inning with the Rangers up 3-0.

                                                       Grubb ends it early

Jim Rice struck out swinging to start the top of the second then Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first. Carney Lansford flied out to right to end the inning. Larry Cox grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the second but Mario Mendoza singled to center. Wills banged into a double play to end the inning.

Gary Allenson flied out to center to start the top of the third before Glenn Hoffman did the same. Rick Miller walked but Remy grounded into a force to end the inning. Rivers flied out to right to begin the bottom of the third and Oliver grounded out to short. Bell grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Stapleton grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the fourth but Evans drew a walk. Rice struckout swinging and Yaz flied out to left to end the inning. Sample flied out to left to open the bottom of the fourth and Grubb grounded out to first. Putnam grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lansford grounded out to third to begin the top of the fifth and Allenson popped up to second. Hoffman took strike three to end the inning. Tudor got Cox to go down hacking to begin the bottom of the fifth before Mendoza grounded out to second. Wills flied out to right to end the inning.

Miller tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to begin the top of the sixth but Remy watched strike three go by. Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning. Rivers grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Oliver grounded back to the mound. Bell singled to left but Sample flied out to right to end the inning.

Evans walked to start the top of the seventh and moved to second on the grounder by Rice. Yaz lined out to first and Lansford grounded out to third to end the inning. Grubb walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Putnam struck out swinging. Cox singled to center and Mendoza beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Wills popped up to second to end the inning.

Allenson walked to start the top of the eighth but Hoffman flied out to right and Miller banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor ran out of gas in the bottom of the eighth as Rivers beat out an infield single to short to start. Oliver clobbered a home run to Mount Saint Helens to increase the lead. Bell walked and that was it for Tudor. He never should have started the inning but he left after allowing 5 runs in 7 innings. Bill Campbell came in and Sample doubled to left. Grubb hit a fly ball to right and Bell tried for home. Evans gunned him down at home for the double play and Putnam popped up to second to end the inning with the Rangers up 5-0.

                                                         Tudor wasn't good enough tonight

Remy walked to start the top of the ninth and Stapleton forced him at second. Evans forced Stapleton at second and Rice whiffed to end the game. Darwin had tossed a complete game 1 hit shutout and the Rangers swept the Sox with a 5-0 win.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. Not much you can do if your offense gets just one hit but he put them in an early hole and ended up surrendering 5 runs in 7 innings.

                                                               Jackass Tudor

The Good:

Dwight Evans walked twice in four plate appearances.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Bill Campbell pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3 but walked.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

This month can't end fast enough the way things spiraled out of control. Even when things were going good you can see the signs of impending failure as the middle of the order has been all but useless so far this season. Getting one hit by Danny Darwin was the icing on the cake but the fact of the matter is apart from Dwight Evans, nobody from 1-5 hit well at all. Lansford was doing well until this past week and the bottom of the order crashed back to earth big time. Can't really complain about the pitching too much if you get shut out in three straight games. Losing Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk hurt but it shouldn't hurt THIS much. There is a belief the offense will pick up eventually but the Sox can't afford to fall too far behind the New York Yankees. The Sox thankfully are getting out of Texas and are coming home to play the Minnesota Twins. Frank Tanana (0-2) gets the start for the Sox against Roger Erickson of the Twins. The game begins tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Bash Sox Again (4/28/81)

This is just getting ridiculous. Apparently the Texas Rangers can only beat one team in the American League and that's the Boston Red Sox. After scoring 26 runs in the previous two games against them, you'd think the Sox would find an answer to slow them down. Clearly, there was no answer. Rookie Steve Crawford (0-2, 4.70 ERA) wasn't ready for prime time as he got beat up for 4 runs in 4 innings to put the Sox in the hole. Tom Burgmeier and Bill Campbell were no help either as the Rangers pounded out 13 hits and 9 runs. The Sox caught a break when old friend Fergie Jenkins left after the third inning but could only muster 3 hits off Steve Comer and Bob Babcock. Just like yesterday, the Rangers shelled the Sox and shut them out 9-0 at Arlington Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

The Sox tried to rally against Jenkins in the top of the first when Jerry Remy singled to right to start. Dwight Evans flied out to left but Carl Yastrzemski drew a walk. Jim Rice flied out to right and Carney Lansford grounded into a force to end the inning. Crawford struck out Bump Wills to start the bottom of the first but a passed ball by Allenson allowed Bump to reach first. Mickey Rivers popped up to third and Al Oliver banged into a double play to end the inning.

Tony Perez struck out looking to start the top of the second but Allenson atoned for the passed ball with a base hit to right. Glenn Hoffman struck out swinging but Rick Miller walked. Remy flied out to left to end the inning. Buddy Bell flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Johnny Grubb grounded back to the mound. Pat Putnam singled to center but Jim Sundberg popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Evans struck out swinging to start. Yaz grounded out to second but Rice popped up to first to end the inning. Crawford got Billy Sample to ground out to short to start the bottom of the third and Mario Mendoza grounded out to third. Wills took strike three to end the inning.

Jenkins was gone after the bottom of the third and Steve Comer came in for the top of the fourth. Lansford lined out to second and Perez flied out to left, but Allenson singled to left. Hoffman lined out to second to end the inning. The Rangers ambushed Crawford in the bottom of the fourth as Rivers singled to left to start. Oliver was plunked and Bell singled to third to load the bases. Grubb scored Rivers with a sac fly to give the Rangers the lead and Putnam hit a home run all the way to El Paso to ice the game. Sundberg lined out to first but Sample doubled to left. Mendoza grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 4-0. That was it for Crawford who fell apart the second time threw the order, allowing 4 runs in 4 innings.

                                                        Putnam hits a bomb

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Miller flied out to center to start. Remy grounded out to short but Evans singled to center. Yaz grounded out to short to end the inning. Tom Burgmeier came in for the bottom of the fifth and Wills grounded out to short to start. Rivers singled to center but Oliver popped up to second. Bell flied out to right to end the inning.

Rice walked to start the top of the sixth but Lansford forced him at second and Perez banged into a double play to end the inning. The Rangers got to Burgmeier in the bottom of the sixth although Grubb watched strike three go by to begin. Putnam struck out swinging but Sundberg singled to left and Sample hit a ground rule double. Mendoza singled to left to score Sundberg and Sample then Wills got a base hit to center. Miller threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error that allowed Mendoza to score. Rivers flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers up 7-0.

                                                "What the hell are you doing, Miller?" - TB

Allenson grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and Hoffman grounded out to second. Bob Babcock came in to pitch to Miller and he singled in the hole at short. Remy flied out to left to end the inning. Bill Campbell came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and 24 year old rookie Dave Schmidt made his Major League debut taking over for Allenson behind the plate. Oliver grounded out to second to start but Bell walked. Grubb singled to right and Evans tried to field it with his hat for an error to advance the runners. Putnam was intentionally walked to load the bases but Sundberg scored Bell with a sac fly. Sample singled home Grubb to wrap up the scoring. Mendoza grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 9-0 Texas.

                                                  Tough way for Schmidt to make his debut

Evans whiffed to begin the top of the eighth and Yaz grounded out to first. Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. Tom Poquette made his season debut taking over for Rice and Gary Hancock came in for Evans to start the bottom of the eighth. Wills struck out swinging but Rivers singled to center. Oliver struck out swinging and Bell grounded out to third to end the inning.

The end came in the top of the ninth when Lansford flied out to center to start. Perez grounded out to first and Schmidt struck out swinging in his first ML at-bat to end the game. The Rangers crushed the Sox 9-0.

Jackass of the Night is Steve Crawford. Not that the Sox were going to score for him but he could have lasted more than 4 innings and not given up 4 runs to put them in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                           Jackass Crawford

The Good:

Gary Allenson was 2 for 3.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a walk.

The Bad:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 4.

Tony Perez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Dave Schmidt struck out in his first ML at-bat

Tom Burgmeier allowed 3 runs in 2 innings.

Bill Campbell allowed 2 runs in 2 innigs.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with an error and 2 strikeouts.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Gary Hancock played right field in the bottom of the eighth.

Tom Poquette played left field in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

For those scoring at home the Rangers have now scored 35 runs in their last 3 games against the Red Sox. I don't remember this lineup being murderer's row so something is terribly wrong with the Sox pitching. Not even Bob Stanley, Tom Burgmeier or Bill Campbell has looked good the last few games. Obviously this can't continue or the Sox have no chance to compete in the AL East this year. The New York Yankees are riding Dave Winfield as much as they can and Dwight Evans is the only one on the Sox remotely close to playing as well. Crawford looked beat the second time around and if he's not going to make it as a starter, maybe its time to bring up Bruce Hurst for another go? Also, one of the reasons the Sox might be stinking the joint out is they're getting tired. Yes they've had rainouts and off-days but apart from Rick Miller and Jerry Remy, the starters have played every game so far this season. Gary Allenson has caught all 14 games they've played and this was one of the few times even some of the starters got some rest. If bench strength is weak to the point Sox manager Ralph Houk is running starters into the ground early, they better go get some competent backups or bring up the kids in Pawtucket. Reid Nichols is supposedly a good utility guy, if Perez or Rice is struggling then give them a breather with Reid? The Sox look to score a run for once when John Tudor (1-0) takes on Danny Darwin of the Rangers tomorrow night at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Rangers Massacre Red Sox (4/27/81)

For the second time in under a week the Texas Rangers put a hurting on the Boston Red Sox. This time was even more impressive as the Rangers smacked Mike Torrez (1-1, 3.63 ERA) and Bob Stanley around for 14 hits and 10 runs. Doc Medich on the other side tossed a complete game, eight hit shutout to keep the Sox off the board. The Rangers have now scored 26 runs in their last two games against the Red Sox and this was an epic 10-0 demolition at Arlington Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Things looked good to start the top of the first when Dwight Evans and Dave Stapleton stroked back to back singles off Medich to begin. Unfortunately Carl Yastrzemski banged into a double play and Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. The Rangers wasted no time getting to Torrez in the bottom of the first as Bump Wills grounded out to first to start. Mickey Rivers singled to left but Al Oliver flied out to center. Buddy Bell then a home run all the way to Yellowstone Park to give the Rangers the lead. Johnny Grubb struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 2-0 Texas.

                                                                Bell puts the Rangers up

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Tony Perez flied out to center to start. Carney Lansford also flied out to center and Gary Allenson grounded out to short to end the inning. Pat Putnam walked to start the bottom of the second but was erased on the force by Jim Sundberg. Billy Sample forced Sundberg at second but Mario Mendoza singled to right. Wills grounded out to short to end the inning.

Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third to open the top of the third and Rick Miller grounded out to first. Evans flied out to right to end the inning. Rivers and Oliver both grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Bell flied out to center to end the inning.

Stapleton grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Yaz popped up to second. Rice got a base hit to right but Perez whiffed to end the inning. Grubb flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Putnam grounded out to second. Sundberg flied out to center to end the inning.

Lansford singled to left to start the top of the fifth but he was doubled off first on the Allenson bullet to Medich. Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning. Sample flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fifth and Mendoza grounded out to third. Wills took strike three to end the inning.

Miller grounded out to short to begin the top of the sixth but Evans singled to right. Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning. The floodgates opened in the bottom of the sixth as Rivers flied out to right to start. Oliver singled to center and moved to second on the grounder by Bell. One more out and Torrez would have escaped but it didn't come as Oliver moved to third on a passed ball. Grubb walked and Putnam doubled Oliver home to ice the game. Sundberg was intentionally walked to load the bases and Torrez got the grounder he needed from Sample.....that Hoffman threw all the way to Florida for an error to clear the bases. Mendoza grounded out to short to end the inning but the game was over at 6-0. Torrez was finished after allowing 6 runs in 6 innings. Not his best stuff at all.

                                                          Another beating for Torrez

Yaz flied out to center to start the top of the seventh but Rice singled to center. Perez took strike three and Lansford grounded out to second to end the inning. Bob Stanley came in to take a beating in the bottom of the seventh as Wills singled to center to start. Rivers flied out to right but Oliver singled to center. Bell beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Grubb singled home Wills to increase the lead. Putnam was intentionally walked to load the bases and Sundberg popped up to left in foul territory to end the inning with the Rangers up 7-0.

                                             Not even Stanley can save them this time

Allenson flied out to left to start the top of the eighth but Hoffman grounded out to short. Miller singled to center but Evans took strike three to end the inning. The Rangers were relentless in the bottom of the eighth as Sample beat out an infield single to short to begin. Mendoza banged into a double play but Wills singled to left. Rivers dropped down a bunt and Allenson muffed it for an error that scored Wills all the way from first. Oliver doubled home Rivers and Bell singled home Oliver to wrap up the scoring. Grubb grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rangers up 10-0.

                                                     "We surrender!"

The beating came to an end in the top of the ninth as Stapleton popped up to third in foul territory to start. Yaz flied out to center but Rice doubled to left. Perez walked to extend the torture but Lansford popped up to third to end the game. The Rangers kicked the collective boo-tocks of the Red Sox 10-0.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Torrez. Not that the Sox were going to score any runs but he still allowed 6 runs in 6 innings to give no hope for a comeback.

                                                          Torrez the Jackass

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4.

Jim Rice was 3 for 4.

Rick Miller was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3 with an error.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with an error.

Bob Stanley allowed 4 runs in 2 innings of work.

The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4.

Tony Perez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Carney Lansford was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

File this under games never to be spoken about again. Not only did the Sox offensively but defensively and pitching wise as well. In football this is called "sucking in all three phases of the game". As mentioned earlier the Rangers have now scored 26 runs against them in the last two games. This time the Sox didn't even put up a fight against Doc Medich. The Rangers aren't exactly the Kansas City Royals either so its not like the Sox are getting beat up by a good team. The middle of the order is the problem as Yaz is hitting .200, Rice is hitting .259 and Perez is hitting .188. Lansford and Evans have been the only consistent hitters thus far and you can't expect Allenson, Hoffman and Miller to carry you although Miller has been playing good lately. The most shocking thing is the power outage by the Sox. Rice should have 5 or 6 home runs by now but Allenson is the leader with three. Still its only April and there's a long way to go. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when rookie Steve Crawford (0-1) takes on old friend Fergie Jenkins of the Rangers at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Sox Mount Comeback Against Orioles (4/26/81)

The bad news is the Boston Celtics fell behind 3 games to 1 in the East Finals to the Philadelphia Sixers after their Game 4 loss, the good news is the Boston Red Sox came back to beat the Baltimore Orioles in today's matinee game. Dennis Eckersley (2-1, 6.23 ERA) picked up where he left off by getting shelled in the first inning for four runs. Then a switch flipped and he allowed just one run the rest of the game. The Sox kept it close but still trailed 5-3 going into the eighth inning. Rbi's by Jerry Remy and Carl Yastrzemski put the Sox up for good. Eckersley ended up going the distance as the Sox stunned the Orioles 7-5 at Memorial Stadium.

                                                       Rick Robey approves of the win

Palmer got the ball in the top of the first and Jerry Remy led off by flying out to left to begin. Dwight Evans flied out to center and Carl Yastrzemski struck out swinging to end the inning. Eckersley began his day by getting pounded in the bottom of the first inning. Al Bumbry walked to start before swiping second base. Rich Dauer singled Bumbry to third and Jim Dwyer singled home Bumbry to give the O's the lead. Ken Singleton crushed a home run all the way to the White House to put the O's up four without an out. Suddenly Eck flipped the switch and John Lowenstein grounded out to first. Terry Crowley flied out to center and Rick Dempsey took strike three to end the inning with Baltimore up 4-0.

                                                      "That's the end of this losing stuff"

The Sox began their comeback in the top of the second although Jim Rice grounded out to short to start. Tony Perez walked but Carney Lansford popped up to second. Gary Allenson clubbed his third home run of the season to put the Sox on the board. Glenn Hoffman and Rick Miller stroked back to back singles but Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                        Allenson hits a homer

Doug DeCinces flied out to left to begin the bottom of the second and Mark Belanger struck out swinging. Bumbry also whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox got another run back in the top of the third as Evans walked to start. Yaz singled Dwight to third but Rice popped up to second. Perez hit a sac fly to score Evans and Lansford singled to left. Allenson flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox were down 4-3.

                                                        Perez with a big sac fly

The O's struck back in the bottom of the third although Dauer flied out to left to start. Dwyer singled to right and Singleton doubled him home. Lowenstein struck out swinging but Crowley was intentionally walked. Dempsey singled to left but Singleton was thrown out at home by Rice to end the inning with the O's up 5-3.

                                                                YERRR OUT!

Hoffman lined out to third to start the top of the fourth and Miller grounded back to the mound. Remy grounded out to second to end the inning. Eck settled down in the bottom of the fourth as DeCinces grounded out to third to start. Belanger struck out swinging and Bumbry grounded out to short to end the inning.

Palmer cruised in the top of the fifth as Evans struck out swinging to start. Yaz grounded back to the mound and Rice flied out to right to end the inning. Dauer struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Dwyer flied out to left. Singleton doubled to left but Lowenstein grounded out to short to end the inning.

Perez flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and Lansford lined out to left. Allenson walked but Hoffman flied out to right to end the inning. Crowley hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the sixth and Dempsey popped up to short. Dauer popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox inched closer in the top of the seventh as Miller singled to left to begin. Remy lined out to left and that was it for Palmer. Tim Stoddard came in and Evans singled to left. Yaz lined out to short but Rice was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Perez hit a swinging bunt down the third base line to score Miller and re-load the bases. Lansford grounded into a force to end the inning but it was now 5-4 Orioles.

                                                        Miller scores a run

Belanger flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh before Bumbry grounded out to first. Dauer popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth although Allenson whiffed to start. Hoffman singled to center and Miller doubled him to third. Remy put the Sox on top with a base hit that scored both runners. Sammy Stewart replaced Stoddard and Evans walked. Yaz hit a drive to deep right that scored Remy all the way from second to increase the lead. Rice walked but Perez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-5.

                                                  Remy puts the Sox ahead

Eck now had the lead and Dwyer grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth. Who else but Singleton singled to left but Lowenstein struck out swinging. Crowley got the first hit by anyone other than Singleton since the third inning with a rocket to center but Dempsey grounded into a force to end the inning.

                                                                Great recovery by Eck

Lansford took strike three to start the top of the ninth but Allenson singled to left. Allenson got picked off and Hoffman lined out to first to end the inning. After the first inning, no one expected Eck to still be standing by the bottom of the ninth but there he was.  DeCinces flied out to right and Dan Graham pinch hit for Belanger. Graham grounded out to first and Bumbry flied out to center to end the game. Somehow Eck went the distance and the Sox came back to win 7-5.

Hero of the Night is Jerry Remy. He got the 2 run single to put the Sox up for good.

                                                           Remy the Hero

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Tony Perez was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Gary Allenson was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Rick Miller was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked and was hit with a pitch.

Carney Lansford was just 1 for 5.

Dennis Eckersley tossed a complete game to get the win but he allowed 5 runs, 9 hits and 2 walks.

Final Thoughts:

That was a gutsy win for sure by the Sox. Eckersley was down 4-0 without an out in the bottom of the first and not only did the Sox come back to win, Eck survived to go the distance. Its been an up and down month to this point but the Sox are hanging in there 12 games into the season. There's been rumors of a player's strike that may hit during the season so fans need to enjoy these games while they last. Once again Allenson is never going to be Carlton Fisk but he's started out decent this season so far. Glad to see the bottom of the order getting it done with Allenson, Hoffman and Miller getting on base for the other guys. Not every win is going to be pretty and that was as ugly as it gets. The Sox look to keep the momentum going as they head to Texas to face the same Rangers they played a week ago. Tomorrow night its the big rematch with Mike Torrez (1-0) once again taking on Doc Medich at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Flanagan, Orioles Shut Down Sox (4/25/81)

After an off-day and a rainout, the Boston Red Sox looked flat as a pancake in today's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Frank Tanana (0-2, 5.21 ERA) got his brains beat in as he allowed 6 runs while getting knocked out in the fifth inning. Mark Clear allowed a run in relief but the story was O's starter Mike Flanagan. Flanagan tossed a complete game while allowing just 4 hits and 2 runs to the sleeepwalking Sox. A home run by Jim Rice and a pinch hit rbi single by Joe Rudi were all the Sox could do against Flanagan. The Orioles had beaten the Sox 7-2 at Memorial Stadium.

                                                "You lost again....you...lost...AGAIN?"

Flanagan began his dominance in the top of the first as Dwight Evans lined out to center to start. Dave Stapleton singled to left but both Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice struck out swinging to end the inning. Tanana got the ball in the bottom of the first and Carney Lansford booted a grounder by Al Bumbry for an error to start. Rich Dauer walked but Jose Morales banged into a double play. Ken Singleton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Flanagan cruised in the top of the second as Tony Perez grounded out to third to start. Lansford grounded out to second and Gary Allenson flied out to center to end the inning. Tanana turned up the head in the bottom of the second as he struck out Benny Ayala swinging to start. Doug DiCinces and Gary Roenicke both took strike three to end the inning.

Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third to begin the top of the third and Rick Miller flied out to center. Evans walked but Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning. Tanana matched Flanagan in the bottom of the third as Rick Dempsey flied out to center to start. Mark Belanger struck out swinging and Bumbry grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth although Yaz flied out to center to start. Rice stepped up and cracked his second home run of the season to put Boston on top. Perez struck out swinging but Lansford reached on an error by Dauer. Allenson lined out to third to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                             Rice hits one out

The floodgates opened in the bottom of the fourth as Dauer and Morales stroked back to back singles to start. Singleton beat out a double play ball but Ayala singled home Dauer to tie the game. DeCinces singled home Singleton and Roenicke singled home Ayala to give the O's the lead. Dempsey singled to load the bases but Belanger took strike three. Bumbry grounded out to first to end the inning with the O's up 3-1.

                                                           DeCinces puts the O's on top

The Sox went quietly in the top of the fifth as Hoffman grounded out to third to start. Miller flied out to left and Evans whiffed to end the inning. The O's knocked Tanana out in the bottom of the fifth as Dauer and Morales hit back to back singles to start. Singleton walked but Ayala took strike three. DeCinces cleared the bases with a double but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Sox manager Ralph Houk had enough and lifted Tanana one batter too late. Mark Clear came in and struck out Roenicke swinging to end the inning but it was 6-1 Baltimore.

                                       "I tell ya Ted, Tanana stinks on ice today" - RH

Old friend Jim Dwyer took over for Morales to begin the top of the sixth and Stapleton grounded out to second to start. Yaz popped up to third in foul territory and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning. Clear turned up the heat in the bottom of the sixth as Dempsey and Belanger both struck out swinging to start. Bumbry took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Perez walked to start. Lansford lined one off of Flanagan but Allenson struck out swinging. Lansford was forced at second by Hoffman and Joe Rudi pinch hit for Miller. Rudi singled in the hole at short to score Perez and Reid Nichols ran for Joe. Evans grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                           Rudi drives in a run

Dauer doubled to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Dwyer hit one up the elevator shaft. Singleton struck out swinging but Ayala took strike three to end the inning.

John Lowenstein came in for Singleton to begin the top of the eighth and Stapleton popped up to second to start. Yaz also popped up to second and Rice flied out to right to end the inning. The O's had a nasty surprise for Clear in the bottom of the eighth as DeCinces doubled to left to start. Roenicke walked but Dempsey popped up the bunt to first. Belanger struck out swinging but Bumbry loaded the bases with a swinging bunt. A wild pitch scored DeCinces and Dauer struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's ahead 7-2.

                                                         Nice wild pitch, Clear

Flanagan returned to finish off the Sox in the top of the ninth and Perez struck out swinging to start. Lansford also went down hacking and Allenson flied out to center to end the game. The O's had won it 7-2.

Jackass of the Night is Frank Tanana. He got rocked by allowing 6 runs in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss.

                                                        Tanana the Jackass

The Good:

Joe Rudi singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.

Rick Miller was 0 for 2.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Tony Perez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Carney Lansford was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Mark Clear allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols pinch ran and played center in the top of the ninth

Final Thoughts:

If the shellacking the Sox took by Texas was bad, this feels even worse. The Sox managed to get 10 hits and 8 runs that game but did almost nothing against Mike Flanagan in this one. Doug DeCinces outscored the Red Sox all by himself with 4 rbis. Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski and Tony Perez can come out of their slumps any time now and Rice's homer could be the start of his hot streak. Tanana stunk today and its a shame considering how well he pitched in his last outing. Evans and Lansford can only do so much and today was an unfortunate microcosm of what happens if they don't hit well. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow against the Orioles when Dennis Eckersley (1-1) looks to rebound from his stinker Wednesday when he takes on Orioles ace Jim Palmer. The game begins at 2 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Rangers Rout Sox, Avoid Sweep (4/22/81)

The good news was the Boston Celtics evened their East Finals series with the Philadelphia Sixers at one game apiece after their Game 2 victory. The bad news was the Texas Rangers gave a devastating beating to the Boston Red Sox. After the Red Sox pitched back to back complete games, Dennis Eckersley (1-1, 7.11 ERA) didn't even make out of the first inning, getting charged with 7 runs before the Sox could even come to bat. Chuck Rainey made his season debut getting pounded for 6 runs of his own and the Rangers never let up. When the carnage was over the Rangers pounded out 18 hits and 16 runs to annihilate the Red Sox 16-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Flounder can't stand Sox pitching

The Rangers ambushed Eckersley immediately in the top of the first inning as Bump Wills pounded a ground rule double to start. Mickey Rivers struck out swinging but Al Oliver singled home Wills to give the Rangers the lead. Buddy Bell singled and Johnny Grubb walked to load the bases and Pat Putnam cleared them with a double. Jim Sundberg walked and Billy Sample hit a perfect double play ball to Glenn Hoffman...UNDER HIS GLOVE! The error scored Putnam and kept the inning going. Both runners moved over on the grounder by Mario Mendoza but Wills singled home Sundberg and Sample to make it a touchdown. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough and pulled the ineffective Eckersley after just 2/3 of an inning. Chuck Rainey made his season debut to get Rivers to line out to right to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 7-0.

                                                     "I sucked today." - Eck

Rangers starter Danny Darwin got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy walked to start. Dwight Evans and Carl Yastrzemski both flied out to left and Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning.

It was Rainey's turn to take a beating in the top of the second as Oliver doubled to right to begin. Bell grounded back to the mound but Grubb singled Oliver to third. Putnam hit a sac fly to score Oliver with another run and Sundberg hit a routine grounder to Hoffman....OFF HIS GLOVE! Another error kept the inning alive and Sample doubled home Sundberg. Mendoza singled home Sample but Wills took strike three to end the inning. Hoffman's errors loomed large as the Rangers now led 11-0.

                                                   "Catch the damn ball, Glenn!" - CR

It was the Sox turn to rally in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez singled to right to start. Carney Lansford doubled Tony to third but Gary Allenson struck out swinging. Hoffman popped up to first but Rick Miller walked to load the bases. Remy singled home Perez and Lansford to put the Sox on the board. Evans doubled home Miller and Yaz drove in both runners with a single to cut the lead. Rice grounded out to second to end the inning but at least the Sox showed some fight to trail 11-5.

                                                            "Not dead yet!" - Yaz

Rainey recovered in the top of the third as Rivers grounded out to first to start. Oliver grounded out to second and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Perez grounded out to short to start. Lansford flied out to left and Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Rangers settled matters in the top of the fourth as Grubb and Putnam stroked back to back singles to open. Sundberg doubled home Grubb to increase the lead but Sample lined out to third. Mendoza scored Putnam with a sac fly to put the game out of reach. Wills hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Rangers up 13-5.

                                                           Grubb starts another rally

The Sox did get a run back in the bottom of the fourth although Hoffman and Miller both grounded out to short to start. Remy walked and Evans tripled into the centerfield triangle to cut the lead. Yaz flied out to left to end the inning but it was 13-6 Texas.

                                                          Evans doing what he can

Rainey got Rivers to ground out to first to start the top of the fifth and Oliver flied out to center. Bell grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Rice grounded out to second to start. Perez flied out to center but Lansford walked. Allenson flied out to center to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Grubb grounded out to second to start. Putnam popped up to second but Sundberg singled to left. Sample doubled Sundberg to third but Mendoza grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox had some more fight left in them in the bottom of the sixth against Bob Babcock coming into pitch. Hoffman singled to right but Miller flied out to left. Remy walked and Evans singled him to third, scoring Hoffman with another run. Yaz beat out a double play ball to score Remy and Rice beat out an infield single to third. Perez flied out to right to end the inning but it was 13-8 Rangers.

                                                           Remy walking and scoring

The Rangers wrapped up the scoring in the top of the seventh as Wills walked to start. Rivers singled him to third but Oliver popped up to third. Bell then hit a home run all the way to Denton, Texas to add to the lead. Grubb was plunked and Putnam singled to left, but Sundberg took strike three. Sample struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers up 16-8.

                                                                  Dammit Clear

Lansford tried to start a rally with a walk to begin the bottom of the seventh but Allenson flied out to left. Hoffman forced Lansford at second and Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Mendoza singled to left to start the top of the eighth but Wills banged into a double play. Rivers walked but Oliver flied out to center to end the inning. Jim Kern came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Remy walked to start. Evans singled to left and both runners moved over on the grounder by Yaz. Rice took strike three and Perez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bill Campbell made his season debut in the top of the ninth and struck out Bell swinging to start. Grubb flied out to left and Putnam grounded out to first to end the inning. Lansford grounded out to second to start the bottom of the ninth and Allenson took strike three. Hoffman walked but Miller took strike three to end the game. The Rangers had won it 16-8.

Jackass of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He didn't even make it out of the first inning and got plastered for 7 runs to put the game out of reach early.

                                                              Eck the Jackass

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 1 for 1 with 4 walks, 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 4 for 5 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Carney Lansford was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Bill Campbell pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Gary Allenson was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Chuck Rainey allowed 6 runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Mark Clear allowed 3 runs in 3 innings.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 but drove in 3 runs.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but walked and scored a run.

Rick Miller was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Gadzooks that was bad. It wouldn't be fair to expect Eckersley to continue the string of success Sox starters had the past few days but that was the complete opposite. The Rangers had a week's worth of offense in one day as they beat around every Sox pitcher they threw out there. The sad part was the Sox offense came to play by getting 10 hits and 8 runs of their own. Lansford and Evans were the driving force behind today's game and pretty much all April. Rice is going to catch fire eventually and it'll be glorious when he does. The only thing the Sox can do is forget about today and move on to the next game. The Sox are back in action Friday night when they visit the Baltimore Orioles. Frank Tanana (0-1) takes on Mike Flanagan of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Memorial Stadium.