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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment