"Oh mighty idol will the Red Sox ever win again?" - IJ
Boyd got the start for the Sox in the top of the first and Billy Sample grounded out to third to start. Gary Ward flied out to right and George Wright flied out to center to end the inning. Charlie Hough took the mound in the bottom of the first and the Sox did nothing. Jerry Remy flied out to center and Dwight Evans struck out. Wade Boggs walked but Jim Rice popped up to second to end the inning.
Boyd got some help from his defense in the top of the second inning. Buddy Bell led off with a single but Larry Parrish banged into a double play. Pete O'Brien flied out to right to end the inning. Somehow the Sox scored first in the bottom of the second inning. Mike Easler grounded out to second but Tony Armas blasted a solo home run to put the Sox on top. Rich Gedman flied out to center but Reid Nichols doubled. A wild pitch moved Nichols to third and a passed ball scored him. The hazards of a knuckleball pitcher is you never know where the ball will land. Glenn Hoffman struck out to end the inning but it was 2-0 Boston.
Armas goes yard
Boyd kept the lead in the top of the third inning as Ned Yost flied out to right, Wayne Tolleson flied out to center and Curt Wilkerson grounded out to first to end the inning. 9 up, 9 down for Boyd. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third inning. Remy grounded out to second but Evans doubled. Boggs scored Dwight with a double of his own and moved to third on a passed ball. The rally ended as Rice struck out and Easler grounded out to first to end the inning.
Boggs makes it a 3-0 game
Sample became the first baserunner for Texas when he walked to open the top of the fourth but Ward flied out to center. Wright banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time increasing the lead when he smashed his second solo home run of the game to start the bottom of the fourth. Gedman grounded out to first, Nichols grounded out to short and Hoffman struck out to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.
Just when it seemed this would be an easy victory for the Sox, Boyd crapped his pants in the top of the fifth inning. Bell doubled and Parrish walked. O'Brien and Yost struck back to back rbi singles to cut the lead in half. Tolleson dropped down a bunt that Boyd fielded and ended up throwing it 500 feet completely out of Fenway for an error that scored O'Brien and moved the others into scoring position with nobody out. Wilkerson grounded out to score Yost with the tying run but Sample flied out to center. Ward flied out to right to end the inning but the Rangers had easily tied the game 4-4.
Nice going Boyd
The Sox offense never recovered and they were done for the night in the bottom of the fifth. Remy struck out but Evans walked. Boggs flied out to center and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.
Boyd came back for the top of the sixth and allowed a leadoff single to Wright, only for Bell to ground into a double play. Parrish doubled and O'Brien was intentionally walked only for both runners to advance on a passed ball by Gedman. Yost struck out to end the inning. Hough shut down the Sox in the bottom of the sixth as both Easler and Armas struck out. Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning.
Boyd cruised in the top of the seventh inning as Tolleson flied out to right, Wilkerson grounded back to the mound and Sample popped up to Boyd to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh inning as Nichols and Hoffman grounded out to third before Remy grounded out to second to end the inning.
Boyd somehow returned for the top of the eighth inning and Ward popped up to second to start. Wright popped up to short but Bell doubled. Parrish flied out to left to end the inning. Odell Jones replaced Hough in the top of the eighth inning and Evans popped up to third to start. Boggs singled and Rice flied out to right. Easler walked to put the go-ahead run at second but Armas grounded out to short to end the inning.
Houk rolled the dice twice in the top of the ninth and crapped out both times. He sent Boyd out to go another inning but lasted just one batter when O'Brien singled. Houk quickly hooked him but settled on Mark Clear to limit the damage. Instead Clear poured gas on the fire as Mickey Rivers pinch hit for Yost and singled. Tolleson singled to load the bases and Bob Jones pinch hit for Wilkerson just to walk in the go-ahead run. The boo-birds rained down on clear and it got worse as Sample singled home Rivers for the insurance run. Ward struck out but Wright grounded out, scoring Tolleson with the dagger. Bell flied out to center to end the inning but it was now all over, 7-4 Rangers.
Outstanding incompetence by Clear
The deflated Red Sox went through the motions in the bottom of the ninth with Marv Foley behind the plate and Jim Anderson at short. Gedman flied out to center and Nichols struck out before Rick Miller was sent in to pinch hit for Hoffman. Miller flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had lost their seventh straight by a score of 7-4.
Jackass of the Night is Mark Clear. He allowed his inherited runner to score and two of his own to put the game out of reach.
Its quite Clear who the Jackass is
The Good:
Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Wade Boggs was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with both hits being solo home runs.
The Bad:
Jerry Remy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Rich Gedman was 0 for 4.
Glen Hoffman was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Mike Easler was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Oil Can Boyd nearly went the distance but took the loss by allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks.
Final Thoughts:
Can it get any worse? It doesn't appear to be possible after the Sox found a way to lose 7 straight games. Blowouts, close games, incompetent starters, bullpen failures, inconsistent offense....you name it, it happened. The Detroit Tigers are finding ways to win while the Sox are inventing new ways to lose. Tomorrow night Bruce Hurst (1-2) takes a beating as the Oakland A's come to town with Tim Conroy expected to pitch a 3 hit shut-out against the Sox at Fenway Park.
The Sox offense never recovered and they were done for the night in the bottom of the fifth. Remy struck out but Evans walked. Boggs flied out to center and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.
Boyd came back for the top of the sixth and allowed a leadoff single to Wright, only for Bell to ground into a double play. Parrish doubled and O'Brien was intentionally walked only for both runners to advance on a passed ball by Gedman. Yost struck out to end the inning. Hough shut down the Sox in the bottom of the sixth as both Easler and Armas struck out. Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning.
Boyd cruised in the top of the seventh inning as Tolleson flied out to right, Wilkerson grounded back to the mound and Sample popped up to Boyd to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh inning as Nichols and Hoffman grounded out to third before Remy grounded out to second to end the inning.
Boyd somehow returned for the top of the eighth inning and Ward popped up to second to start. Wright popped up to short but Bell doubled. Parrish flied out to left to end the inning. Odell Jones replaced Hough in the top of the eighth inning and Evans popped up to third to start. Boggs singled and Rice flied out to right. Easler walked to put the go-ahead run at second but Armas grounded out to short to end the inning.
Houk rolled the dice twice in the top of the ninth and crapped out both times. He sent Boyd out to go another inning but lasted just one batter when O'Brien singled. Houk quickly hooked him but settled on Mark Clear to limit the damage. Instead Clear poured gas on the fire as Mickey Rivers pinch hit for Yost and singled. Tolleson singled to load the bases and Bob Jones pinch hit for Wilkerson just to walk in the go-ahead run. The boo-birds rained down on clear and it got worse as Sample singled home Rivers for the insurance run. Ward struck out but Wright grounded out, scoring Tolleson with the dagger. Bell flied out to center to end the inning but it was now all over, 7-4 Rangers.
The deflated Red Sox went through the motions in the bottom of the ninth with Marv Foley behind the plate and Jim Anderson at short. Gedman flied out to center and Nichols struck out before Rick Miller was sent in to pinch hit for Hoffman. Miller flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had lost their seventh straight by a score of 7-4.
Jackass of the Night is Mark Clear. He allowed his inherited runner to score and two of his own to put the game out of reach.
The Good:
Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Wade Boggs was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with both hits being solo home runs.
The Bad:
Jerry Remy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Rich Gedman was 0 for 4.
Glen Hoffman was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Mike Easler was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Oil Can Boyd nearly went the distance but took the loss by allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks.
Final Thoughts:
Can it get any worse? It doesn't appear to be possible after the Sox found a way to lose 7 straight games. Blowouts, close games, incompetent starters, bullpen failures, inconsistent offense....you name it, it happened. The Detroit Tigers are finding ways to win while the Sox are inventing new ways to lose. Tomorrow night Bruce Hurst (1-2) takes a beating as the Oakland A's come to town with Tim Conroy expected to pitch a 3 hit shut-out against the Sox at Fenway Park.
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