The bad news was the Quebec Nordiques eliminated the Boston Bruins with a Game 7 victory in their second round playoff series. The good news was not only did the Boston Celtics win Game 1 of their second round NBA playoff series over the Washington Bullets, the Boston Red Sox won their fifth straight game by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in 12 innings. Bob Ojeda of the Sox and Luis Leal of the Jays battled to a 3-3 tie through 8 innings due to home runs by John Mayberry and Carl Yastrzemski. Plunged into the 12th inning, Jerry Remy and Rick Miller combined to drive in runs to put the Sox ahead. Mark Clear (1-1, 1.72 ERA) allowed a bottom of the frame home run to Mayberry but hung on to slam the door. The Sox had beaten the Jays 5-4 in 12 innings at Exhibition Stadium.
Leal got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy doubled to left to start. Dwight Evans struck out swinging and Jim Rice popped up to short. For some reason Remy tried to tag up and go to third only to get thrown out by a mile to end the inning. Ojeda got the ball in the bottom of the first and the Jays tagged him. Damaso Garcia struck out swinging to start before Garth Iorg beat out a roller to third. Barry Bonnell forced Iorg at second but Wayne Nordhagen walked. Otto Velez walked to load the bases and Jesse Barfield ripped a base hit to right. Bonnell scored but Nordhagen was thrown out at the plate by Evans to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.
The Sox struck back in the top of the second as Carl Yastrzemski singled to right to start. Carney Lansford took strike three and Dave Stapleton popped up to second but Glenn Hoffman doubled to center. Yaz came around to score and Garcia tried to throw out Glenn at third but airmailed the throw allowing Hoffman to score on an unofficial home run. Rich Gedman flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.
The Jays wasted no time tying the game in the bottom of the second as Buck Martinez lined out to short to start. John Mayberry singled to right but Alfredo Griffin flied out to right. Garcia singled off the glove of Ojeda and Iorg singled to right to score Mayberry. Bonnell flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Rick Miller singled to center to start the top of the third before moving to second on the sacrifice bunt by Remy. Miller moved to third on the grounder to second by Evans but Rice popped up to first to end the inning. Nordhagen flied out to right to start the bottom of the third but Velez worked a walk. Barfield struck out swinging but Martinez singled to left. Mayberry struck out swinging.
The Sox took command in the top of the fourth as Yaz struck his fifth home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Lansford flied out to center and Stapleton grounded out to second but Hoffman singled to right. Gedman singled to center but Miller flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
Griffin grounded back to the mound in the bottom of the fourth and Garcia grounded out to second. Iorg walked but Bonnell struck out swinging to end the inning.
Remy reached on an error by Griffin to start the top of the fifth but Evans flied out to center. Remy struck out swinging and Yaz flied out to left to end the inning. Nordhagen flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Velez singled to center. Velez swiped second but Barfield went down hacking. Martinez hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.
Lansford popped up to the mound to start the top of the sixth before Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft. Hoffman flied out to right to end the inning. The Jays struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Mayberry hit a home run all the way to Saskatchewan to tie the game. Griffin flied out to left but Garcia dropped a base hit to left. Iorg flied out to right and Bonnell grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Mayberry ties it up
Leal cruised in the top of the seventh as Gedman grounded out to second to start. Miller struck out swinging and Remy grounded out to first to end the inning. Ojeda matched Leal in the bottom of the seventh as Nordhagen grounded out to second to start. Velez flied out to center and Barfield grounded out to third to end the inning.
Evans grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth before Rice flied out to center. Yaz flied out to right to end the inning. Ojeda walked Martinez to start the bottom of the eighth and Tony Johnson pinch ran for him. Johnson was caught in a rundown but Dave Stapleton inexplicably spiked the ball and did a disco dance for an error. Mayberry popped up to first and Sox manager Ralph Houk decided Ojeda had done enough. He lasted 7 1/3 innings and was charged with 3 runs (2 earned). Mark Clear came in and Al Woods pinch hit for Griffin. Clear intentionally walked Woods and Garcia flied out to right. Rance Mulliniks pinch hit for Iorg and grounded out to second to end the inning.
Joey McLaughlin came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Ernie Whitt behind the plate and the entire defense switching positions. Lansford grounded out to third but Stapleton walked. Hoffman popped up to second and Gedman grounded out to second to end the inning. Bonnell grounded out to third to start the bottom of the ninth before Nordhagen flied out to left. Hosken Powell struck out swinging to end the inning.
Things looked good in the top of the tenth when Miller doubled to center to start, but Remy struck out swinging. Evans forced Miller at third and Rice forced Dwight at second to end the inning. The play of the game occurred in the bottom of the tenth when Barfield singled to start. Whitt hit a gap shot to right and Barfield tried to come around to score. Evans fired home and YER OUT! Barfield was gunned down at home to keep the game going. Mayberry was intentionally walked and Woods popped up to short. Garcia flied to right to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the eleventh inning as Yaz flied out to left to start. Lansford struck out swinging and Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning. Mulliniks flied out to center to start the bottom of the eleventh but Bonnell singled to left. Nordhagen flied out to right and Powell popped up to first to end the inning.
The Sox rallied in the top of the 12th inning as Hoffman singled to center to start. Gedman dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Hoffman to second and Jerry Garvin came in to pitch to Miller. Rick doubled to left to score Hoffman and he scored on the rbi single by Remy to right. Roy Lee Jackson came in for Garvin and Remy swiped second. Evans flied out to right but Rice was plunked. Yaz flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.
Clear came back to finish the job in the bottom of the 12th and Barfield struck out swinging to start. Whitt struck out swinging but Mayberry hit a home run to South America to cut the lead. Woods grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 5-4 in 12 innings.
Hero of the Night is Rick Miller. He was 3 for 5 with the go-ahead rbi and the insurance run scored.
The Good:
Jerry Remy was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a stolen base.
Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 6 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.
Glenn Hoffman was 3 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Bob Ojeda tossed 7 1/3 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 9 hits, walked 5 and struck out 5.
Mark Clear got the win by allowing a run in 4 2/3 innings.
The Bad:
Carney Lansford was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Dwight Evans was 0 for 6 at the plate with a strikeout but threw out two runners at home.
Jim Rice was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.
Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4 with an error but drew a walk.
Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
That's five in a row for the Sox who seemed to have broken out of their early season slump where they did absolutely nothing offensively. Ojeda pitched well in this one, it was just a shame the Sox couldn't score more runs for him. They eventually did but it was too late for Ojeda. Clear pitched a hell of a game in relief with the Mayberry home run being the only mistake. Yaz, Hoffman and Miller and have been wrecking crews this month but that isn't expected to last given Miller & Hoffman's history and Yaz' age. Evans, Lansford and Rice need to pick it up if the Sox have any hope of competing in the AL East this year. Still, a win is a win no matter who contributed or not. Sox fans have to be pleased with the rise of John Tudor and Bob Ojeda, hopefully both can continue to pitch well as the season continues. Tomorrow was originally an off-day but now its a double-header against the Chicago White Sox that was originally supposed to be Opening Day in Chicago. Bruce Hurst gets the Game 1 start for the Red Sox against Richard Dotson of the White Sox. The game begins at 6:00 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.
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