Jays Blank Sox, Drop Fourth Straight (4/16/82)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Quebec Nordiques in Game 2 of their second round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Toronto Blue Jays shut out the Boston Red Sox. Luis Leal scattered 7 hits and 2 walks in 8 innings as the Boston bats couldn't get the clutch hit they needed to win the game. Meanwhile Dennis Eckersley (1-1, 1.00 ERA) pitched a complete game 7 hitter of his own. Only problem was one of those hits was a two run triple by Jesse Barfield. The Sox had their chances but couldn't get a run home, especially in the ninth inning with the tying run at the plate. It all added up to the Sox dropping their fourth straight game and getting shut out 2-0 by the Jays at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Eckersley got the ball in the top of the first inning and Damaso Garcia flied out to center to start. Rance Mulliniks singled in the hole at second but Lloyd Moseby lined out to left. Willie Upshaw forced Rance at second to end the inning. Leal got the start for Toronto and Jerry Remy grounded out to short to start. Dwight Evans walked but Jim Rice struck out swinging. Carl Yastrzemski walked and with two men on...Carney Lansford popped up to short to end the inning.

Wayne Nordhagen singled to left to begin the top of the second before Hosken Powell hit a routine grounder to short. Glenn Hoffman threw his glove at the ball and did a cartwheel for an error but Ernie Whitt struck out swinging. Jesse Barfield struck out swinging and Alfredo Griffin lined out to right to end the inning. Dave Stapleton began the bottom of the second by flying out to center. Rich Gedman flied out to left and Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning,.

Eck cruised in the top of the third as Garcia struck out swinging to start. Mulliniks grounded out to second and Moseby flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Rick Miller grounded out to third to start. Remy grounded out to second and Evans grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the fourth as Upshaw popped up to first to start. Nordhagen grounded out to third but Powell beat out a roller back to Eckersley. Whitt singled to center but Barfield cleared the bases with a triple into the centerfield triangle. Griffin flied out to right to end the inning with the Jays ahead 2-0.

                                               Got the first two outs but couldn't put them away

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Rice flied out to right to start. Yaz struck out swinging but Lansford hit a roller to third. Lansford had the throw beat but Mulliniks threw it away anyway to advance Carney to second. Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning.

Garcia singled to left and stole second to begin the top of the fifth in a hurry. Eck recovered to strike out both Mulliniks and Moseby swinging. Upshaw flied out to center to end the inning. Gedman grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth but Hoffman and Miller stroked back to back singles to put the tying run on. Unfortunately Remy banged into a double play to end the inning.

Eck cruised in the top of the sixth as Nordhagen grounded out to short to start. Powell grounded out to first and Whitt flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Evans grounded back to the mound to start. Rice singled to left but Yaz flied out to center. Lansford ripped a base hit to left to put the tying run on again but Stapleton forced Rice at third to end the inning.

Barfield flied out to right to begin the top of the seventh and Griffin grounded back to the mound. Garcia flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Gedman grounded out to second to start. Hoffman flied out to right and Miller grounded out to second to end the inning.

Mulliniks flied out to center to start the top of the eighth but Moseby singled to left. Moseby was gunned down trying to steal by the alert Gedman and Upshaw grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox blew another rally as Remy caught the Jays asleep with a bunt single to start. Evans popped up to second, Rice forced Remy at second and Yaz popped up to short to end the inning.

Eck came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Nordhagen flied out to right to start. Powell and Whitt also flied out to right to end the inning. Eckersley had tossed a complete game 7 hitter allowing just 2 runs, sadly the Sox bats couldn't generate any offense for him.

                                                              Eck deserved better

Barry Bonnell replaced Powell to start the bottom of the ninth and Lansford led off with a base hit to center to chase Leal. Roy Lee Jackson came in and Stapleton flied out to center. Gedman struck out swinging and Hoffman also flied out to center to end the game. The Sox wasted a great start by Eckersley and were blanked by the Jays 2-0.

Jackass of the Night is Dave Stapleton. He was 0 for 4 and left 4 men on base when a hit or a home run would have tied the game or better.

                                                           Jackass Stapleton

The Good:

Carney Lansford was 3 for 4.

Rick Miller was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Dennis Eckersley pitched great. He allowed just 7 hits, 2 runs and no walks in a complete game while striking out five batters.

The Bad:

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Final Thoughts:

Another tough loss for the Sox and the bats still haven't got going yet. Still, the encouraging sign is Eckersley pitched well and the Sox are going to need him to have a great year if they have any shot of the AL East this year. Its only April but still, no offense is no offense. Rice is only hitting .240 and Stapleton is only hitting .214. Its early but hopefully those two get it going because if your best power hitter and the only reliable bat in the bottom of the order can't get it going, you're not going to generate much. The team as a whole left way too many on base and Jerry Remy hitting into a double play with 2 men on can't happen too often. Eckersley deserved better but hopefully there will be better days ahead. The Sox look to break their four game losing streak tomorrow afternoon when John  Tudor (1-0) takes on Mark Bomback of the Jays. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.