Steve McCatty got the ball for the A's in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy flied out to right to start. Dwight Evans grounded out to short but Wade Boggs walked. Jim Rice singled but Mike Easler grounded out to second to end the inning. Mike Brown (0-1) got the start for the Sox and promptly pissed his pants. Rickey Henderson singled, stole second and promptly moved to third on the flyout by Dwayne Murphy. Joe Morgan singled home Henderson and Carney Lansford singled as well. Bruce Bochte singled in Morgan and moved Lansford to third. Right away Sox manager Ralph Houk knew Brown wasn't ready and got Al Nipper hot in the bullpen. It was too late as Kingman singled home Lansford to increase the lead. Davey Lopes singled to center but the ball got under Tony Armas' glove, allowing Bochte to score and chase Brown from the game after just 1/3 of an inning. Yeesh, better off letting Al Nipper start.
Nipper came in and promptly allowed a 2 run single to Mike Heath. Donnie Hill hit a comebacker to the mound and Henderson flied out to right but the A's had ambushed the Sox for a 6-0 lead.
Could the Sox answer in the top of the second inning? Actually yes! Tony Armas did what he could by launching a solo home run off McCatty to pull within 5 runs. That was it for the rally as Rich Gedman flied out to left, Dave Stapleton popped up to third and Glenn Hoffman popped up to second to end the inning.
Something was wrong with Remy as he was replaced with Marty Barrett for the bottom of the second inning. Murphy singled but Nipper recovered to induce a double play by Morgan. Lansford struck out to end the inning.
The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the third inning when Barrett drew a walk and Evans doubled. Boggs flied out for a huge out at the time and all Rice could do was bring in Barrett with a groundout. Easler struck out to end the inning but the Sox cut the lead again 6-2.
Nipper hung tough in the bottom of the third as Bochte walked but Kingman popped up to first. Lopes singled but Heath popped up to second. Hill grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth although Armas grounded out to short to start. Gedman singled but Stapleton flied out to left. Hoffman singled but Barrett popped to short to end the inning. That would be the last time the Sox would come close to getting back in the game. After the Sox squandered, right on cue Henderson smacked a solo home run to increase the Oakland lead to begin the bottom of the fourth. Murphy hit a comebacker to Nipper, Morgan flied out to right and Lansford grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 7-2 Oakland.
The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the fifth as Evans flied out to left to start. Boggs walked but Rice banged into a double play to end the inning. The A's iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Bochte walked but Kingman popped up to second. Lopes continued the carnage with a 2 run bomb to put the game out of reach. Heath struck out and Hill flied out to left to end the inning with the A's up 9-2.
The Sox went to sleep in the top of the sixth as Easler struck out to start the frame. Armas doubled and moved to third on the Gedman ground out. Stapleton grounded out to second to end the inning. Mark Clear was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and he poured gas on the fire as well. Henderson walked and Murphy singled him to third. Murphy took second on a wild pitch and Morgan brought home Henderson with a sac fly. Lansford popped to short but Bochte and Kingman smacked back to back run scoring doubles. Jeff Burroughs pinch ran for Kingman but Lopes popped up to third to end the inning with the A's now up 12-2.
The Sox fell asleep in the top of the seventh as the Oakland bench emptied. Jeff Bettendorf came in to pitch, Bill Almon took over for Lansford, Heath moved from catcher to right, Essian took over for Lopes but caught and Tony Phillips took over at second. Hoffman popped up to first, Barrett struck out and Evans hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. John Henry Johnson came in for Clear and he took a beating as well. Heath led off with a double and Hill doubled him home. Henderson flied out but Hill moved to third. Murphy struck out and Johnson was called for a balk, allowing Hill to run home. Phillips struck out to end the inning but the carnage continued, 14-2 A's.
The ice cold offense did nothing in the top of the eighth although Boggs worked a walk. Rice struck out, Easler popped to second and Armas flied out to right to end the inning. Bob Stanley came in to pitch with Reid Nichols in for Rice to begin the bottom of the eighth. Stanley got Almon to hit a comebacker before Bochte grounded out to second. Burroughs grounded out to third to end the inning.
Finally the game came to an end in the top of the ninth. Gedman flied out to center and Stapleton popped up to first but Houk decided to pinch hit Rick Miller for Hoffman just in case they rallied for 12 runs without an out. Miller popped up to third and the game was over, the A's had won it 14-2.
Jackass of the Night is Mike Brown. He failed to make it out of the first inning and was charged with 6 runs.
The Good:
Wade Boggs walked 3 times in 4 plate appearances.
Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with a home run.
Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.
Bob Stanley pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Jerry Remy was 0 for 1 before leaving.
Mike Easler was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.
Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Mark Clear allowed 3 runs in just 1 inning.
John Henry Johnson allowed 2 runs in 1 inning.
The Ugly:
Marty Barrett was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.
Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4.
Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4.
Al Nipper allowed 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings after coming in as an emergency for the ineffective Brown. He was better off starting the damn game.
Honorable Mention:
Reid Nichols played left field in the bottom of the eighth
Final Thoughts:
Gadzooks that was bawful. As if the ice cold offense wasn't bad enough, the A's couldn't miss. The bullpen has some major issues but they had to pitch 7 2/3 innings because Mike Brown pissed himself. The season is only 6 games in and the Sox already need a dependable starter and someone who can hit for power at the bottom of the order. Maybe Ojeda and Hurst can step it up, maybe not. Either way the Sox are 3-3 and don't look good already. Rice has been ice cold but he'll heat up, the question is when. The Sox now travel to Seattle on Tuesday for a 3 game set with the Mariners with Bob Ojeda on the mound for the Sox taking on Jim Beattie at the Kingdome.
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