Angels starter Ken Forsch pitched a tough game and it began in the top of the first inning. Jerry Remy grounded out to short to begin before Dwight Evans struck out. Wade Boggs flied out to end the inning. Hurst got the ball in the bottom of the frame and Brian Downing flied out. Rod Carew slapped a single but the alert Hurst picked him off first base. Old friend Juan Beniquez flied out to right to end the inning.
Jim Rice opened the top of the second inning with a strikeout. Mike Easler singled for the first Sox hit of the season and took second on the ground out by Tony Armas. Rich Gedman grounded out to end the inning. Hurst stayed strong in the bottom of the second when he got Doug DiCinces to ground out to short to start. Old buddy Freddy Lynn grounded out to second then Bobby Grich popped up to third to end the inning.
The pitcher's duel continued in the top of the third inning. Dave Stapleton flied out to left and Glenn Hoffman struck out, but Remy singled. Remy was then thrown out at second trying to steal....nice going Jerry. Luckily Hurst was up to the task of matching Forsch. Dick Schofield flied out to right, Bob Boone flied out to center and Gary Pettis grounded out to end the inning.
Dwight Evans grounded out to begin the top of the fourth inning but Wade Boggs got his first hit of the year. Boggs was erased on the force by Rice then Easler grounded out to end the inning.
Hurst remained undeterred in the bottom of the fourth inning. Downing popped up to first, Carew struck out and Beniquez popped to second to end the inning.
The Sox still couldn't score in the top of the fifth inning. Armas grounded out, Gedman flied out and Stapleton grounded out to end the inning. The Angels threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning. DeCinse flied out but Lynn doubled. Grich struck out but Schofield singled. Boone flied out to end the inning.
Forsch remained red hot in the top of the sixth inning. Hoffman flied out before both Remy and Evans struck out to end the inning. Hurst ran into more trouble in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pettis grounded out but Downing walked. Carew slapped a single but Beniquez flied out. DeCinse grounded back to Hurst to end the inning.
They still couldn't crack Forsch in the top of the seventh inning. Boggs struck out, Rice grounded out and Easler struck out to end the inning. Hurst tried to match Forsch in the bottom of the seventh. Lynn grounded out but Grich singled. Schofield struck out and Boone flied out to end the inning.
The Sox finally broke through in the top of the eighth. Armas struck out but Gedman singled. Reid Nichols pinch-ran for Gedman and moved to second on the Stapleton ground out. Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman and doubled home Nichols for the game's first run. Remy slapped a single but Miller made the mistake of trying for home where he was gunned down to end the inning. Still, Miller put the Sox one the board 1-0.
Jeff Newman took over behind the plate as rookie Jackie Gutierrez took over at short while Hurst took the mound in the bottom of the eighth. Pettis struck out before both Downing and Carew grounded out to end the inning.
Forsch returned to finish his game in the top of the ninth as Evans and Boggs grounded out. Rice flied out to right to end the inning. Hurst returned for the ill-fated bottom of the ninth and Beniquez greeted him with a single. DiCinces flied out but Lynn walked to chase Hurst after 8 1/3 inings. Sox manager Ralph Houk brought in Bob Stanley to finish it off and Bob got Grich to ground out but both runners advanced. Daryl Scorniers pinch hit for Schofield and Houk had him intentionally walked to give a force at any base. Boone then lofted a ground ball to Gutierrez who fired to first......WAY PAST Stapleton which allowed Beniquez and Lynn to score to win the game. An absolutely devastating way to lose to start the season. What should have been a win for Hurst and save for Stanley was ruined.
Jackass of the Night is easy. Jackie Gutierrez' bases loaded error in the 9th inning cost the team the win on Opening Day.
The Good:
Jerry Remy was 2 for 4
Mike Easler was 1 for 3
Rich Gedman was 1 for 3.
Reid Nichols pinch ran for Gedman and scored.
The Bad:
Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Tony Armas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3.
Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman and doubled in the Sox' only run.
In one of the rare instances where the losing pitcher ends up on the good list, Bruce Hurst was outstanding pitching 8 1/3 innings of shut-out ball and both runs allowed were un-earned. He deserved a better fate.
The Ugly:
Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4.
Bob Stanley is here and its mostly unfair since he got the 2 ground balls needed to close out the game only Gutierrez threw the second one away. He gets a blown save but anyone who saw the game knows it wasn't his fault.
Honorable Mention:
Jeff Newman caught the final two innings
Final Thoughts:
What a horrible way to start the season in just a blink of an eye. Had Gutierrez not thrown the ball away it would have been a grinding 1-0 victory. Still, you can't just blame Jackie, after all Hurst couldn't finish the job and the offense was only able to scratch out one run against Rick Forsch with a lineup that includes a lot of power in Rice, Evans, Easler and Armas. Still, the lineup will produce eventually but this was not one of their better days. Even Stanley can't be blamed because he got the ground ball he needed, it just didn't end well. The Sox look to bounce back Wednesday when Bobby Ojeda makes his season debut opposite Mike Witt.
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