Rangers starter John Butcher took the mound in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs grounded out to short to begin. Dwight Evans singled to right and Jim Rice walked to put some pressure on. The rally ended as Tony Armas struck out and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to left to end the inning. Mike Brown got the start for the Sox and Billy Sample popped up to short to start. Mike Richardt singled but the alert Rich Gedman gunned him down trying to steal. Buddy Bell flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning when Dave Stapleton and Gedman stroked back to back singles. Hoffman dropped down a bunt to move both runners into scoring position but Julio Valdez popped up to third. Boggs came through with a double to score both runners to give the Sox the lead. Evans grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.
The Rangers wasted no time getting back in the game in the bottom of the second inning when Dave Hostetler and Larry Parrish worked back to back walks. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position but Brown manage to freeze Pete O'Brien for strike three. Jim Sundberg grounded out to short but Hostetler scored. George Wright singled to score Parrish to tie the game. Bucky Dent grounded out to third to end the inning but the Rangers had tied it 2-2.
Butcher settled down in the top of the third inning as Rice grounded out to second to start. Armas beat out an infield single but Yaz grounded into a double play to end the inning. Brown matched Butcher in the bottom of the third as Sample popped up to second to start. Richardt grounded out to short and Bell struck out to end the inning.
The Sox missed a golden chance to take the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Stapleton and Gedman stroked back to back singles and Hoffman sacrifice bunted both men into scoring position. Unfortunately Valdez grounded sharply to first, unable to advance anyone. Boggs walked to load the bases but Evans grounded into a force to end the inning, what a waste. The good news was Brown stayed hot in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hostetler whiffed, Parrish looked at strike three and O'Brien flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth inning as Rice grounded out to third, Armas flied out to left and Yaz flied out to right to end the inning. Brown almost has a clean bottom of the fifth when he struck out Sundberg to start. Wright grounded out to first but Dent doubled. Sample grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox finally scored in the top of the sixth after Stapleton doubled to begin. Gedman popped up to second but Hoffman singled Dave to third. Rick Miller was sent to pinch hit for Valdez but Texas manager Bobby Cox countered by bringing in Mike Mason to pitch to him. Sox manager Ralph Houk countered by pulling back Miller in favor of Reid Nichols. The move worked as Nichols was plunked to load the bases. Boggs doubled home Stapleton and Gedman to give the Sox the lead. Evans walked to re-load the bases and Rice drew a walk to score Boggs with another run. Armas had a chance to break it open but struck out again. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning but it was 5-2 Sox.
Rookie Marty Barrett took over at second in the bottom of the sixth and Richardt doubled to left to start. Brown struck out both Bell and Hostetler but Parrish walked. O'Brien flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Brown who tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball, good enough to put the team in position to win.
The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the seventh inning as Stapleton flied out to left, Gedman whiffed and Hoffman also struck out to end the inning. Mark Clear was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and he got Sundberg to fly out to left to start. Wright singled and stole second but Dent flied out to left. Sample walked but Richardt also flied out to left to end the inning,
Barrett flied out to center to start the top of the eighth and Boggs watched strike three go by. Evans doubled but Rice grounded out to second to end the inning. Clear fell apart in the bottom of the eighth although he struck out Bell to start. Hostetler singled but moved to second on the Parrish ground-out. One out away from getting out of it, Clear allowed a single to O'Brien to score Hostetler. Sundberg doubled home O'Brien and Wright singled in Sundberg before moving to second on the throw. That was it for Clear as Houk replaced him with Luis Aponte. Larry Biittner pinch hit for Dent and Aponte intentionally walked him. Wayne Tolleson pinch ran for Biitner but Aponte got out of it by getting Sample to pop up to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
The Sox got pissed off at the blown save and struck back big time in the top of the ninth. Armas grounded out to third but Yaz singled. Ed Jurak pinch ran for Yaz and Stapleton singled Ed to third. Odell Jones came in to pitch and Gedman walked to load the bases. Hoffman came through with a 2 run single to give the Sox the lead. Barrett beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Boggs singled in Gedman for another insurance run. Evans flied out to right but it was 8-5 Red Sox.
Aponte returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and got Richardt to ground out to short to start. Bell also grounded out to short and Hostetler grounded back to the mound to end it. The Sox had stolen one 8-5.
Hero of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. His 2 run single in the night put the Sox up for good.
The Good:
Wade Boggs was 3 for 5 with a walk and FIVE rbi's.
Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with a walk.
Ed Jurak scored a run as a pinch runner.
Dave Stapleton was 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored.
Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
Reid Nichols was hit with a pitch and scored a run.
Mike Brown tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 7.
Luis Aponte got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Julio Valdez was 0 for 2.
Marty Barrett was 0 for 2.
Mark Clear coughed up the lead by giving up 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked twice and drove in a run.
Tony Armas was just 1 for 5.
Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5.
Honorable Mention:
Rick Miller was supposed to pinch hit for Julio Valdez
Final Thoughts:
After the opening day disaster the Sox have been able to string together two good back to back wins. Fans wondered how the Sox would replace Tony Perez and his rbi bat at first and so far Dave Stapleton has been stellar. Granted its only been 3 games but its better than no production at all. The Sox still need an ace if Dennis Eckersley will never return to 1978 form, hopefully John Tudor or Bob Ojeda can be that guy because it won't be Brown or Eck. Speaking of Ojeda, tomorrow night he makes his season debut opposite Mike Smithson at Arlington Park.
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