Ojeda took the mound in the top of the first inning and Billy Sample struck out to begin the ballgame. Gary Ward walked but was gunned down at the second trying to steal by the alert Rich Gedman. George Wright struck out to end the inning. Jerry Remy led off the bottom of the second with a base hit. Dwight Evans struck out but Remy swiped second. Wade Boggs flied out to left and Jim Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.
Ojeda got through the top of the second inning by getting Buddy Bell to fly out to right to begin. Larry Parrish walked but Dave Hostetler flied out to center. Ned Yost flied out to left to end the inning. Somehow the Sox scored first in the bottom of the second inning and it started with a Mike Easler single. Tony Armas singled Mike to third and Easler scored on the groundout by Gedman. Reid Nichols tripled home Armas and Glenn Hoffman singled home Reid. The rally ended cold turkey when Remy banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.
As usual when the Sox get a lead, the pitcher tries to piss it away and the Rangers got on the board in the top of the third. Wayne Tolleson grounded out to second to start but Curt Wilkerson doubled. Wilkerson broke for third but the alert Gedman threw him out trying to steal. It was a good thing Gedman got him because Sample smashed a 7,000 foot home run to put the Rangers on the board. Ward grounded out to second to end the inning but it was now 3-1 Sox.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Evans struck out again to start. Boggs singled but Rangers starter Danny Darwin struck out both Rice and Easler to end the inning.
The Rangers knocked Ojeda out early in the top of the fourth although Wright grounded back to the mound to begin. Bell walked and Parrish singled him to third, taking second on the throw. Hostetler walked and Yost singled in two runners to tie the game. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough of Ojeda and brought in Bob Stanley to stop the bleeding. Tolleson beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Wilkerson singled home Hostetler to give the Rangers the lead. Wilkerson tried for second and Gedman threw him out trying to steal. The Rangers would probably be up by 5 runs if they stopped running into outs but instead the Rangers were up 4-3.
The Sox offense couldn't do a damn thing against Darwin in the bottom of the fourth inning. Armas hit one up the elevator shaft, Gedman grounded out to first and Nichols struck out to end the inning.
Stanley shut down the Rangers in the top of the fifth as Sample flied out to right to start. Ward singled but Wright flied out to center. Bell singled but Parrish popped up to first to end the inning. Pete O'Brien replaced Hollister in the bottom of the fifth as Hoffman flied out to center to begin. Remy struck out and Evans flied out to center to end the inning.
Stanley matched Darwin in the top of the sixth by getting O'Brien on strikes to start the frame. Yost grounded out to short and Tolleson flied out to left to end the inning. Nothing doing for the Sox in the bottom of the sixth as Boggs popped up to short and Rice flied out to center. Easler singled but Armas grounded into a force to end the inning.
The Rangers did nothing in the top of the seventh as Wilkerson struck out, Sample grounded out to second and Ward grounded out to short to end the inning. Darwin matched Stanley in the bottom of the seventh as Gedman grounded out to third to begin. Nichols struck out and Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman...only to ground out to third to end the inning.
Jackie Gutierrez took over at short for the top of the eighth and Wright grounded out to second to begin. Bell grounded out to third but Parrish doubled. O'Brien was intentionally walked and Yost grounded out to first to end the inning. Darwin returned for the bottom of the eighth and Remy grounded back to the mound to start. Evans and Boggs stroked back to back singles to put the tying run in scoring position...but Rice banged into a double play to end the inning.
Stanley returned for the top of the ninth and Tolleson grounded out to second to start. Wilkerson and Sample stroked back to back singles but Ward banged into a double play to end the inning. Stanley had tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the Sox in the game.
The Sox had one last chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth with Dave Tobik now on the mound and Easler got it started with a walk. Armas grounded out but Easler moved to second, causing Sox manager Ralph Houk to pinch run Marty Barrett for Mike. Gedman grounded out as well but Easler moved to third. Rangers manager Bobby Cox took no chances and walked Nichols to get to the rookie Gutierrez. Naturally Jackie grounded out to end the game, the Sox had lost 6 in a row and this game 4-3.
Jackass of the Night is Jim Rice. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including a crucial double play in the eigth inning.
The Good:
Wade Boggs was 2 for 4.
Mike Easler was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Reid Nichols was 1 for 3 with a walk, run scored and rbi.
Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 2 with an rbi.
Bob Stanley tossed 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
The Bad:
Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Bob Ojeda took the loss, giving up 4 runs in just 3 1/3 innings, falling apart in the 2nd.
The Ugly:
Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.
Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4.
Tony Armas was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 but nailed 3 guys trying to steal and drove in a run.
Honorable Mention:
Marty Barrett pinch ran for Easler in the 9th.
Final Thoughts:
Is this team ever going to win again? Nothing they do seems to go right these days. They scored 3 runs in the first two innings and then absolutely nothing the rest of the game. Stanley pitches his ass off but the Sox couldn't score for him. I hate to say it but something's wrong with the bottom of the order. It gets pretty light after the 6th spot and other teams are starting to take notice. Cox had Nichols walked to get to Gutierrez and it worked for the Rangers. As sad as it sounds, maybe the Sox need another bat in the lineup to generate some offense. As for now the Sox have lost their 6th straight. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to salvage the series against the Rangers when Oil Can Boyd (0-1) goes for the Sox opposite Charlie Hough at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.
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