Sox Beat Yankees in Final Game Between Them in 84 (9/16/84)

With the Detroit Tigers running away with the American League East crown, the only thing the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have to play for is finishing in front of each other. The Red Sox did themselves a favor by beating the Yankees and putting themselves just one game behind them. Oil Can Boyd (11-10, 4.45 ERA) tosses a complete game 7 hitter, Jim Rice drove in 4 runs by himself and the Sox look to finish strong this season with a 5-3 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

                                                           Ira Flagstead approves of the win

The Red Sox wasted no time scoring against Yankees starter Dennis Rasmussen in the top of the first inning. Wade Boggs grounded out to second but Dwight Evans walked. Rice then pounded his 27th home run of the year to give the Sox the quick lead. Tony Armas lined one off Rasmussen and he threw the ball away to allow Tony to reach second. Mike Easler walked but was doubled off first on the fly out by Bill Buckner to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                       Rice hits a 2 run homer

Boyd got the ball in the bottom of the first and the Yankees struck back. Willie Randolph and Bob Meacham drew back to back walks before Meacham was doubled off first on the liner to first by Don Mattingly. Dave Winfield doubled home Randolph to cut the lead in half. Don Baylor walked but Ken Griffey struck out to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

Marty Barrett flied out to center to start the top of the second before Marc Sullivan got a base hit. Jackie Gutierrez struck out before Boggs flied out to left to end the inning. Boyd had a much easier top of the second inning as Butch Wynegar hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Mike Pagliarulo struck out and Omar Moreno grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox tried to rally when Evans walked to start the top of the third but he was caught stealing second. Rice drew a walk before Armas and Easler both struck out to end the inning. The Yankees were shut down in the bottom of the third as Randolph grounded out to third to start. Meacham flied out to center but Mattingly doubled. Winfield grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Buckner grounded out to first to start. Barrett flied out to right and Sullivan flied out to left to end the inning. The Yankees took command in the bottom of the fourth although Baylor struck out to start. Griffey lined out to first but Wynegar singled. Pagliarulo then crushed a 800,000 foot bomb to give the Yankees the lead. Moreno flied out to left to end the inning but the Yankees were up 3-2.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth as Gutierrez doubled to start. Boggs flied out to left but Evans walked. Rice followed his home run earlier with a bases clearing triple to give the Sox the lead back and chase Rasmussen. Mike Armstrong came in and struck out Armas before Easler grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                            Sox take the lead

Sullivan muffed a pop up by Randolph to start the bottom of the fifth but Willie flied out to left anyway. Meacham struck out and Mattingly flied out to left to end the inning.

Buckner struck out to begin the top of the sixth before Barrett grounded out to short. Sullivan popped up to second to end the inning. The Yankees threatened in the bottom of the sixth although Winfield grounded out to third to start. Baylor singled but Griffey flied out to center. Wynegar singled Baylor to third but Pagliarulo struck out to end the inning.

Gutierrez grounded out to short to open the top of the seventh but Boggs got a base hit. Boggs moved to second on the grounder by Evans and that was it for Armstrong.. Jay Howell came in and Rice flied out to center to end the inning. Boyd cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Moreno flied out to left to start. Randolph grounded out to third and Meacham struck out to end the inning.

                                                   Boyd stepping up big time

The Sox got a big insurance run in the top of the eighth as Armas and Easler stroked back to back singles to start. Buckner struck out and Barrett flied out to center but Sullivan singled home Armas. Easler and Sullivan both moved up on the throw home. Gutierrez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                        First career rbi for Sullivan

Boyd cruised in the bottom of the eighth as Mattingly flied out to center to start. Winfield and Baylor both grounded out to short to end the inning.

Dale Murray came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Boggs struck out to start. Evans doubled but Rice flied out to right. Armas struck out to end the inning. Boyd came back to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth although Griffey singled to start. Wynegar flied out to right, Pagliarulo struck out and Moreno flied out to left to end the game. Boyd went the distance and the Sox had ended their season series with the Yankees with a 5-3 win.

Hero of the Night is Jim Rice. He outproduced the Yankees by himself with a 2 run triple and a 2 run home run.

                                                             Rice the Hero


The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored.

Tony Armas was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mike Easler was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Marc Sullivan was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Oil Can Boyd earned his 11th win with a complete game, allowing just 3 runs on 7 hits while striking out 7.



The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Jackie Gutierrez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

As the disappointing season comes to an end, there still is optimism on the horizon. The Sox offense is as good as anyone, they just need better pitching if they hope to contend in the AL East with the likes of the Detroit Tigers. Someone has to step up and be an ace in 1985 whether its Bob Ojeda, Roger Clemens, Bruce Hurst or Oil Can Boyd....SOMEBODY has to be that good, right? As for the game, good to see Sullivan get his first career rbi and Rice beat the Yankees by himself. Great to see Boyd hang in after getting rocked early as well. The win improved the Sox to 78-70, one game behind the Yankees for absolutely nothing. Tomorrow night the Sox travel to Toronto to take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Bob Ojeda goes for the Sox up against Doyle Alexander at 7:05 PM at Exhibition Stadium.

Ojeda Spins Beauty, Tames Tigers (5/3/84)

The Detroit Tigers are red-hot at the moment but temporarily they have been cooled off. Bob Ojeda (2-2, 3.86 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox squeezed by with a pressure-packed 1-0 victory over the Tigers due to a late home run by Dwight Evans at Tiger Stadium.

                                                  ET approves of the win

Detroit's Jack Morris got the start for the Tigers as Marty Barrett led off with a ground out to short. Dwight Evans popped to short but Wade Boggs worked a walk. Jim Rice popped up to third to end the inning. Ojeda began his day by allowing a single to Lou Whitaker to begin the bottom of the first. Alan Trammell walked but the alert Rich Gedman cut down Whitaker at third on a double steal. Barbaro Garbey grounded to third and Lance Parrish flied out to center to end the inning.

Morris stayed tough in the top of the second as Mike Easler hit a comebacker to Morris for the first out. Tony Armas and Gedman both struck out to end the inning. Ojeda matched Morris in the bottom of the second as Larry Herndon struck out to start. Chet Lemon and Kirk Gibson both grounded out to end the inning.

Morris got Reid Nichols to ground to third to open the top of the third before Jackie Gutierrez grounded to first. Barrett flied to right to end the inning. Gedman again bailed out Ojeda as Tom Brookens singled to open the bottom of the third only to be thrown out trying to steal. Rusty Kuntz struck out as did Whitaker to end the inning.

                                                         Way to go Ojeda!

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth but Evans led off by striking out. Boggs walked and Rice singled to put the pressure on but Easler struck out. Armas grounded into a force to end the inning, what a waste. Luckily Ojeda was ready for the bottom of the fourth. Trammell flied out and Garbey grounded out, but Parrish singled. Ojeda recovered to strike out Herndon to end the inning.

Once again the Sox threatened in the top of the fourth but could not score. Gedman walked but Nichols flied out to center. Gutierrez singled but Barrett struck out. Evans flied out to right to end the inning. It was the Tigers turn to threaten in the bottom of the fifth although Lemon flied out. Gibson singled but Brookens walked. Gibson moved to third on the fly out by Kuntz, but Whitaker also flied out to end the inning.

                                                 Ojeda gets it done in the 5th

Once again the Sox put two men on in the top of the sixth inning. Boggs singled but was erased on the force by Rice. Easler flied out to center but Armas singled Jim to third. With runners at the corners....Gedman struck out to end the inning, damn. Ojeda began the bottom of the sixth by getting Trammell to fly out before Garbey hit a routine grounder to Gutierrez....who he kicked over to second base for absolutely no reason, allowing Garbey to reach on the error. Gedman stepped up AGAIN on a strike em out, throw em out double play to get Garbey at second after Parrish struck out to end the inning.

The Sox failed to capitalize on the double play in the top of the seventh inning. Nichols grounded out to short, Gutierrez flied out to right and Barrett popped up to short to end the inning. Ojeda matched Morris in the bottom of the seventh although Herndon led off with a single. Bob turned up the heat to strike out Lemon, Gibson and Brookens all in order to end the inning.

The Sox finally struck first in the top of the eighth when Evans crushed a solo home run to put the Sox on top. Boggs grounded out and Rice struck out before Easler flied out to end the inning. Still, the Sox were 6 outs from victory thanks to the Dewey home run.

                                                   Evans puts the Sox on top 1-0

Could Ojeda pitch with the lead? You bet your bippy he could. Kuntz flied to center, Whitaker struck out and Trammell grounded out to end the inning.

Morris returned for the top of the ninth and struck out Armas to begin. Gedman and Nichols both grounded to third to end the inning. Ojeda came back to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth. Garbey flied out but things got hairy when Parrish singled and Herndon walked to put the winning run at first. Ojeda got Lemon to fly out and struck out Gibson to end the game. The Sox had beaten the Tigers 1-0 after an amazing start by Ojeda.

Hero of the Night is Bob Ojeda. He was masterful pitching a 6 hit complete game shut-out while striking out 10.

                                                               Ojeda The Hero



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Jackie Gutierrez was 1 for 3.



The Bad:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Easler was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run that ended up being the difference.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but walked and made 3 great throws to nab basestealers.



Final Thoughts:

The Tigers are red hot but that was quite a nice roadblock put up by Bob Ojeda. The Sox need an ace to step up with Dennis Eckersley struggling, could Ojeda be the one? The offense was asleep but Jack Morris is pretty damn good, so not much you can do there. Thank God for Dwight Evans right? The unsung hero of this game was Rich Gedman, throwing out 3 would be base-stealers to preserve the shut-out plus calling the game that Ojeda pitched. With all the runs the Sox pitching have been given up, it was nice to see a shut-out for once. The win improved the Sox to 11-14, 9 games behind the Tigers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox return to Fenway to take on old friend Carlton Fisk and the Chicago White Sox. It looks like a Monster match with Tom Seaver going up against Dennis Eckersley (2-2, 5.94 ERA) who beat the ChiSox the last time he pitched in Chicago.

Sox Hold On, Defeat Tigers (5/2/84)

It was a good day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 2 of their second round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the AL East leading Detroit Tigers. Dwight Evans and Jim Rice powered the Sox offense to 5 runs and Mike Brown (1-2, 5.19 ERA) held the fort for 5 2/3 innings to earn his first win of the season. Bob Stanley ran out of gas in the 9th inning but still held on to earn the save. The Tigers are the team to beat this season and the Sox did just that as they held on to win 5-4 at Tiger Stadium.

                                                     Cedric Maxwell approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Tigers starter Juan Berenguer as Jerry Remy walked to start. Dwight Evans clobbered his second home run of the season to put Boston on top two batters into the game. Wade Boggs flied out to center, Jim Rice popped up to first and Mike Easler flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Evans with a home run

Brown got the ball in the bottom of the first and Lou Whitaker grounded out to second to start. Alan Trammell grounded out to short and Kirk Gibson flied out to right to end the inning.

Tony Armas grounded out to short to start the top of the second and Rich Gedman popped up to third. Reid Nichols got a base hit but Glenn Hoffman struck out to end the inning. Darrell Evans popped up to short to start the bottom of the second and Johnny Grubb popped up to third. Chet Lemon singled but Dave Bergman grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Remy walked to start. Remy was thrown out trying to steal and Evans struck out. Boggs walked and Rice smashed his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Easler grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                            Rice is getting hot

Brown cruised in the bottom of the third as Howard Johnson popped up to first to start. Dwight Lowry flied out to right and Whitaker grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox blew a chance to add to the lead in the top of the fourth as Armas struck out to start. Gedman motored around for a triple but Nichols popped up to right. Hoffman popped up to first to end the inning. Brown got in trouble in the bottom of the fourth as Trammell popped up to first to start. Gibson singled but Evans flied out to left. Grubb walked and Lemon whiffed to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the fifth as Remy popped up to short to start. Evans popped up to first and Boggs popped up to left in foul territory to end the inning. Brown got in trouble again as Bergman and Johnson both singled to start the bottom of the fifth. Lowry flied out to right, Whitaker struck out and Trammell grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Rice grounded out to short to start. Easler drew a walk but Armas hit one up the elevator shaft. Easler swiped second and Gedman was intentionally walked to get to Nichols. Nichols would have none of it as he got a base hit to score Easler with another run. Hoffman popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                 "Walk Gedman again, I DARE you!" - Nichols

Brown ran out of gas in the bottom of the sixth as Gibson and Evans both singled to start. Grubb flied out to left and Lemon struck out, but Bergman singled home Gibson to chase Brown. Sox manager Ralph Houk decided to pull Brown before it got any worse after 5 2/3 innings of 1 run ball. Bob Stanley got Johnson to pop up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                        Brown with a good start

Doug Bair came in for the top of the seventh and Remy grounded out to third to start. Evans got a base hit but Boggs flied out to center. Rice struck out to end the inning. Stanley cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Lowry struck out to start. Whitaker lined one off of Stanley but Hoffman threw him out at first. Trammell grounded out to second to end the inning.

Easler tried to start a rally with a base hit to start the top of the eighth but Armas and Gedman both struck out to kill that. Nichols grounded into a force to end the inning. The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the eighth as Gibson tripled to start and scored on the Evans grounder to cut the lead. Grubb singled but was forced at second by Lemon. Bergman singled but Johnson struck out to end the inning with the Tigers down 5-2.

                                                            Dammit Stanley!

Willie Hernandez took over for the top of the ninth and Hoffman singled to start. Remy sacrifice bunted Hoffman to second but Evans struck out. Boggs grounded out to third to end the inning. The Tigers made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Barbaro Garbey pinch hit for Lowry. Garbery singled and Whitaker doubled him home. Whitaker moved to third on the fly out by Trammell and Gibson doubled him home. With the tying run on second, Evans grounded out to short. Stanley struck out Grubb to end the game. It got hairy at the end but the Sox had won it 5-4.

Hero of the Night is Mike Brown. He held the powerful Tigers to just 1 run in 5 2/3 innings to pick up his first win of the season.

                                                          Brown gets the Hero



The Good:

Jerry Remy walked twice, dropped down a perfect bunt and scored a run.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Mike Easler was 1 for 3 with a stolen base, walk and a run scored.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Reid Nichols was 2 for 4 with an rbi.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4.

Bob Stanley allowed 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings but earned his fourth save of the season.




Final Thoughts:

The Tigers are for real this season but the Sox aided their cause by winning the game. If they're the team the beat the Sox have to match them on both sides of the ball. The Sox are gonna need an elite starter if they hope to catch the Tigers this season. Its only May so the Sox have 3 months to come up with a trade or hope one of their prospects become an ace. Otherwise the Sox have no chance to catch the Tigers if their starters don't step up. Mike Brown was good today and they're going to need more of that going forward. The win improved the Sox to 10-14, 10 games behind the Tigers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to take the series when they send Bob Ojeda (1-2) to the mound up against Tigers ace Jack Morris at 3:05 PM Eastern Time at Tiger Stadium.

Tigers Maul Sox in Series Opener (5/1/84)

Well if there was any doubt who the beast of the AL East was this season, the Detroit Tigers have proven to be the team to beat. The Tigers have played 21 games this year and have won 19 of them. The latest victims were the Boston Red Sox. The Tigers pounced on Red Sox starter Bruce Hurst (3-3, 2.27 ERA) for 6 runs and knocked him out in the fourth inning. Oil Can Boyd came on in relief and allowed 5 runs of his own to the seemingly invincible Tigers. Meanwhile Tigers starter Milt Wilcox held the vaunted Sox offense to just 2 runs in 8 innings as the Tigers cruised to an 11-2 win at Tiger Stadium.

                                               "Ok Detroit, you're the beast of the East"

The Sox did manage to strike first in the top of the first against Wilcox as Jerry Remy grounded out to second to start. Dwight Evans singled and moved to second on the grounder by Wade Boggs. Jim Rice got a base hit to score Boggs with the game's first run. Rice then ran himself into an out trying to "steal" to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                  What the hell are you doing, Rice?

Hurst got in trouble immediately in the bottom of the first when Rusty Kuntz singled and Alan Trammell walked to start. Barbaro Garbey struck out, Lance Parrish flied out to left and Larry Herndon struck out to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Mike Easler struck out to start. Tony Armas flied out to center and Rich Gedman popped up to first to end the inning. The Tigers struck in the bottom of the second although Chet Lemon grounded out to short ton start. Tom Brookens singled and stole second before Rod Allen hit a routine grounder to Glenn Hoffman. Glenn dove on the ball and wrestled with it for an error to put runners at the corners. Marty Castillo struck out but Allen swiped second but Kuntz singled home both runners to give the Tigers the lead. Trammell singled and Garbey singled home both runners to increase the lead. Parrish singled but Herndon grounded into a force to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 4-1.

                                                             Nice error Glenn

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the third when Reid Nichols got a single but Glenn Hoffman hit into a double play. Hoffman popped up to first to end the inning. Hurst recovered to get the Tigers to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third inning as Lemon grounded out to third to start. Brookens grounded out to second and Allen grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth when Evans drew a walk to start. Dwight moved to second on a passed ball and to third on the Boggs fly out to center. Rice lashed a base hit to score Evans with another run. Easler banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox cut the lead in half, trailing 4-2.

                                                           Evans scored a run

The Tigers were personally offended the Sox had the unmitigated audacity to score a run against them so they clobbered Hurst in the bottom of the fourth. Castillo doubled and took third on a balk before Kuntz doubled him home. Trammell struck out but Garbey doubled home Kuntz to chase the ineffective Hurst. Hurst had pitched well in April but was clearly not ready for prime time against the East's best team, surrendering 6 runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Oil Can Boyd came in and Parrish grounded out to short before Herndon struck out to end the inning. The Tigers had iced the game and led 6-2.

                                                         Not Bruce's best stuff

The Sox went quietly in the top of the fifth as Armas grounded out to short to start. Gedman flied out to center and Nichols popped up to third to end the inning. For some reason Tigers manager Sparky Anderson decided to pinch hit for everyone in the bottom of the fifth. Lemon started with a single and Brookens walked before Darrell Evans pinch hit for Allen. Evans popped up to second and Lou Whitaker pinch hit for Castillo only to fly out to center. Kirk Gibson pinch hit for Kuntz and popped up to short to end the inning.

Hoffman singled to start the top of the sixth and moved to second on the Remy grounder, but Evans struck out. Boggs flied out to left to end the inning. Boyd cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Trammell grounded out to second to begin. Garbey struck out and Parrish grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox tried to fight back when Rice and Easler stroked back to back singles to begin the top of the seventh, but Armas struck out. Gedman flied out to right and Nichols grounded out to third to end the inning. The Tigers pounced in the bottom of the seventh although Herndon popped up to second to start Lemon blasted a home run all the way to Finland to increase the lead. Brookens grounded back to the mound but Evans singled. Whitaker popped up to short to end the inning with the Tigers up 7-2.

Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman to start the top of the eighth and struck out. Remy flied out to left and Evans struck out to end the inning. The Tigers feasted on Boyd in the bottom of the eighth with Jackie Gutierrez now at short. Gibson struck out but Trammell doubled. Garbey singled home Trammell but Parrish flied out to left. Herndon singled and Gedman threw a pickoff throw away to advance the runners. Naturally Lemon crushed a 40,000 foot 3 run homer to wrap up the scoring. Brookens flied out to center to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 11-2.

                                                       Boyd gets lit up

Aurelio Lopez had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Boggs singled to start. Rice banged into a double play and Easler grounded out to third to end the game. The Tigers had cruised to an 11-2 win.

Jackass of the Night is Bruce Hurst. The Tigers feasted on him for 6 runs in just 3 1/3 innings putting the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                      Bruce Jackass



The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jim Rice was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Reid Nichols was 1 for 3.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 with an error.

Rick Miller struck out as a pinch hitter.

Oil Can Boyd allowed 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4.

Mike Easler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 2 but his error allowed the floodgates to open in the bottom of the second.



Honorable Mention:

Jackie Gutierrez played short in the bottom of the eighth.




Final Thoughts:

So much for the Sox trying to battle back in the AL East race. The Tigers look unstoppable and its not just the offense that smacked the Sox into submission, Wilcox and Lopez held the Sox to just 2 runs from the pitching side. The good news is if this is the team to beat, the Sox now know what the formula is in order to get the pieces they need to compete. If the Sox can get a proven starter for some of their younger guys, maybe they have a chance to get back in the race. The Tigers may cool off but there's a chance they won't. Hurst going to pieces after the Hoffman era was frightening, if he had gotten the next guy out maybe the floodgates don't open. It just wasn't meant to be tonight, that's for sure. The loss dropped the Sox to 9-14, 11 games behind the Tigers for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back in game two of this set when they send Mike Brown (0-2) out against Juan Berenguer at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Basebawful Report of The Month

Gary Allenson - 1 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Tony Armas - 10 Good, 4 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Marty Barrett - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Wade Boggs - 11 Good, 4 Bad, 6 Ugly

Oil Can Boyd - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Mike Brown - 2 Good, 1 Ugly, 2 Jackass

Mark Clear - 3 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Mike Easler - 13 Good, 2 Bad, 5 Ugly, 2 Hero

Dennis Eckersley - 2 Ugly, 1 Hero, 2 Jackass

Dwight Evans - 8 Good, 4 Bad, 10 Ugly

Rich Gedman - 9 Good, 6 Bad, 4 Ugly

Jackie Gutierrez - 3 Good, 7 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass, 4 Honorable Mention

Glenn Hoffman - 5 Good, 6 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Honorable Mention

Bruce Hurst - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Hero

John Henry Johnson - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Ed Jurak - 1 Good, 2 Hero, 1 Jackass, 1 Honorable Mention

Rick Miller - 5 Good, 8 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Jeff Newman - 3 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Reid Nichols - 7 Good, 1 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Al Nipper - 2 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Bob Ojeda - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Jerry Remy - 7 Good, 3 Bad, 10 Ugly

Jim Rice - 5 Good, 6 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Dave Stapleton - 5 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero

Bob Stanley - 6 Good, 2 Ugly, 3 Jackass





Most Valuable Player of the Month is Mike Easler with 13 Good

Least Valuable Player of the Month is Rick Miller with 8 Bad

The Ugliest Players of the Month are Dwight Evans and Jerry Remy with 10 Ugly apiece

Heroes of the Month are Ed Jurak and Bruce Hurst with 2 Hero apiece

Jackass of the Month is Bob Stanley with 3.

The Most Honorable Player of the Month is Jackie Gutierrez was 4 Honorable Mentions

Off-Day News (4/30/84)

Last night the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their second round NBA playoff series. Good luck to the Celtics moving forward.

                                                    11 more wins to glory

On this day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful history:

1901 - Boston wins first game in franchise history

1970 - Sox sweep A's

1971 - Sox come back to defeat Twins

1972 - Krausse, Sox shutout Rangers

1981 - Sox lose fourth game in a row with defeat at the hands of the Twins

1982 - Sox, Torrez takes down Rangers

1983 - Angels defeat Sox in 11 innings

Tomorrow night the Sox look to derail the red hot Detroit Tigers when Bruce Hurst (3-2) takes on Milt Wilcox of Detroit. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Tigers Stadium.

White Sox Pound Nipper, Hold On To Defeat Red Sox (4/29/84)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their second round NBA playoff series. The bad news was the Boston Red Sox lost to the Chicago White Sox. It was an up and down month for the Red Sox but it ended on a down note as the White Sox avoided a sweep by delivering a beating to Al Nipper (0-1, 4.58 ERA). Nipper was game for 7 innings of work but the White Sox beat him up for 6 runs on the day. Ron Kittle blasted two home runs and drove in 5 rbis by himself, Richard Dotson nearly went the distance for Chicago and the White Sox sent the Red Sox into the month of May with a 6-4 loss at Commiskey Park.

                                  Officer Bimbeau says the Red Sox aren't allowed to win

The BoSox struck first in the top of the first inning as Jerry Remy hit a routine grounder to Julio Cruz at second...OLE! The ball went through for an error and Cruz responded by going OLE! on a grounder by Dwight Evans as well. Mike Easler singled home Remy and put runners at the corners, but Jim Rice banged into a double play. Evans did score to increase the lead and Tony Armas drew a walk. Rich Gedman grounded out to third to end the inning but the Red Sox led 2-0.

                                                                 OLE!

The White Sox instantly got the lead back against Nipper in the bottom of the first. Rudy Law popped up to short but Marc Hill doubled. Greg Walker grounded back to the mound but Greg Luzinsky singled home Hill. Ron Kittle then hit a home run all the way into Lake Eerie to give the White Sox the lead. Harold Baines popped up third to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 3-2.

The Red Sox answered in the top of the second inning as Reid Nichols singled to start and Ed Jurak singled him to third. Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound to score Nichols and tie the game. Jurak moved to third on a grounder by Remy before Evans struck out to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                        Nichols scores a run

Vance Law flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Cruz caught the BoSox asleep with a bunt single. Nipper picked off Cruz but Dybzinski walked. Rudy Law singled Dybzinski to third but Hill flied out to center to end the inning.

Dotson cruised in the top of the third as Easler struck out to start. Rice flied out to center and Armas struck out to end the inning. The White Sox wrapped up the scoring in a big way in the bottom of the third as Walker and Luzinsky stroked back to back singles to start. Kittle smashed a home run all the way into Lake Michigan to ice the game. Kittle drove in more runs by himself than the BoSox would as a team. Baines grounded out to second, Vance Law flied out to right and Cruz flied out to center to end the inning with Chicago ahead 6-3.

                                                        One man wrecking crew

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Gedman grounded out to short to start. Nichols grounded out to third but Jurak walked. Hoffman struck out to end the inning. Nipper recovered in the bottom of the fourth as Dybzinski grounded out to short to start. Rudy Law flied out to center but Hill walked and Walker singled. Luzinski flied out to right to end the inning.

Remy grounded out to second to begin the top of the fifth but Evans got a base hit. Easler banged into a double play to end the inning. Kittle flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Baines also flied out to left. Vance Law grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the sixth as Rice popped up to first to start. Armas grounded out to second but Gedman singled. Nichols hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Nipper got Cruz to pop up to second to begin the bottom of the sixth and Dybzinski flied out to left. Rudy Law smacked a triple but Hill popped up to third to end the inning.

Jurak grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh but Hoffman somehow doubled. Remy flied out to left and Evans struck out to end the inning. Nipper returned for the bottom of the seventh and finished strong. Walker grounded out to second, Luzinski flied out to right and Kittle popped up to first to end the inning. Nipper got hammered in the first few innings but was almost unhittable the final four. He finishes with 7 innings and 6 runs allowed, not good enough.

                                                         7 innings but 6 runs run allowed

The BoSox fought back in the top of the eighth with Mike Squires now at first base. Easler singled and moved to second on the Rice grounder. Armas popped up to second but Gedman singled home Easler and bring the tying run to the plate. Nichols grounded into a force to end the inning but the Sox were down 6-4.

                                                      Gedman drives in a run

John Henry Johnson came in for the bottom of the eighth and cruised. Baines flied out to center, Vance Law popped up to first and Cruz flied out to right to end the inning.

Dotson came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth but Jurak walked to chase him. Rick Miller was sent in to pinch hit but Juan Agosto came on in relief. Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled Miller and sent in Marty Barrett instead. Barrett forced Jurak at second and Remy popped up to Agosto. Al Jones came in for the final out and Evans took strike three to end the game. The Red Sox were denied a sweep as they lost 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Al Nipper. He allowed 6 early runs and the Sox couldn't bop their way back into it this time.

                                                      Nipper the Jackass



The Good:

Mike Easler was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Ed Jurak was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

John Henry Johnson pitched a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

Jim Rice was 0 for 4.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 5 but scored a run.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of three strikeouts but scored a run.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller "pinch hit" in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

As the first month of the season comes to a close, its very obvious the weakness of the Red Sox is pitching. They've lost more games than they've won because they have to score 8 runs a game with the bad pitching they've had. Bruce Hurst and Dennis Eckersley didn't look sharp early, Bob Ojeda hasn't looked good, Al Nipper hasn't looked good and Mike Brown hasn't looked good. Mark Clear and Bob Stanley's arms are going to fall off unless the starters can pitch more consistently. Nipper allowed 6 runs and the Red Sox just couldn't fight their way back this time. At least Nipper picked himself up to toss 4 scoreless innings after the third inning. The month can pretty much be summed up as good offense, bad pitching. The loss dropped the Sox to 9-13, 10 games behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox have a chance to get back in the race when they venture to Detroit to take on the red hot Tigers. Bruce Hurst (3-2) takes on Milt Wilcox at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Red Sox Shock White Sox in 8 run Comeback (4/28/84)

In what's been an up and down month, tonight's Boston Red Sox game against the Chicago White Sox featured a month's worth of drama. The White Sox took a 6-0 lead against Bob Ojeda and the Red Sox going into the seventh inning. Suddenly the Red Sox exploded for 3 runs in the 7th, 3 in the eighth and two in the ninth to take the lead. Bob Stanley slammed the door in the ninth inning and the BoSox stunned the ChiSox 8-7 at Commiskey Park.

                                               Flounder loves rallies

Tom Seaver got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy led off with a grounder to short. Dwight Evans also grounded to short but Wade Boggs smacked a double. Jim Rice struck out to end the inning. Ojeda got the ball in the bottom of the first and walked Rudy Law to start. Carlton Fisk flied out to left and Law was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Rich Gedman. Tom Paciorek flied out to right to end the inning.

Mike Easler led off the top of the second inning with a grounder to second but Tony Armas hit a double. Armas moved to third on the Gedman grounder and Nichols grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Greg Luzinsky walked to open the bottom of the second and Ron Kittle followed with a base hit. Dave Stegman flied out to right and Luzinsky was doubled off second on the line drive to third by Vance Law to end the inning.

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third inning as Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Remy also grounded out to short and Evans grounded out to second to end the inning. Scott Fletcher grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third but Julio Cruz singled. Rudy Law flied out to left and Fisk flied out to right to end the inning.

Seaver cruised in the top of the fourth as Boggs grounded out to first to start. Rice grounded out to third and Easler struck out to end the inning. Ojeda kept pace in the bottom of the fourth although Paciorek singled to start. Tom moved to second on the grounder by Luzinsky and Kittle struck out. Stegman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Armas grounded out to short to begin the top of the fifth but Gedman drew a walk. Nichols banged into a double play to end the inning. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Vance Law flied out to right to start. Fletcher singled to center and moved to second on the Cruz grounder. Rudy Law singled home Fletcher and Fisk doubled Rudy home. Paciorek grounded out to second to end the inning with the White Sox leading 2-0.

                                                           Fisk still haunting the Red Sox

The BoSox failed to answer in the top of the sixth as Hoffman popped up to second to start. Remy grounded out to short and Evans watched strike three go by to end the inning. The ChiSox finished off Ojeda in the bottom of the sixth as Luzinsky walked to start. Kittle popped up to third and Stegman took strike three but Vance Law doubled and Fletcher walked to load the bases. Cruz then walloped a 78,000 foot grand slam to seemingly ice the game. Rudy Law singled and that was it for Ojeda. He was good for 5 innings but that grand slam was the killer. Mark Clear came in and got Fisk to fly out to center to end the inning but the game looked over at 6-0 Chicago.

                                                                Not good enough

Suddenly the Red Sox sprang to life in the top of the seventh inning. Boggs doubled and Rice singled him in to put Boston on the board. Easler struck out but Armas clobbered his 6th home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Gedman grounded out to first and Nichols popped up to second but the Red Sox were down 6-3.

                                                         Tony jacks one out

Clear did his part in the bottom of the seventh as Paciorek struck out to start. Luzinsky grounded out to third but Kittle walked. Harold Baines pinch hit for Stegman and struck out to end the inning.

Mike Squires took over in the field for Paciorek to start the top of the eighth. Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman and got a base hit to chase Seaver. Britt Burns came in to allow Remy to get a base hit and Evans to walk to load the bases. Boggs banged into a double play but Miller scored and Remy moved to third. Rice FINALLY crushed his first home run of the season to tie the game. Easler struck out to end the inning but the BoSox had tied it 6-6.

                                                      Rice ties it up

Just as soon as the BoSox tied it, the White Sox took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Ed Jurak took over at third in Miller's spot with Jackie Gutierrez now playing short in Boggs' spot. Jerry Hairston pinch hit for Vance Law and walked to begin. Jerry Dybzinski pinch ran for Hairston and swiped second but Fletcher took strike three. Dybzinski moved to third on the fly out by Cruz and scored on a passed ball. Law popped up to Clear to end the inning but the ChiSox dealt a blow by taking a 7-6 lead.

It didn't look good in the top of the ninth when Armas grounded out to second to start. Dave Stapleton pinch hit for Gedman and struck out but somehow Nichols singled. Ron Reed came in to get the final out but Nichols stole second. Jurak stepped up with a triple to tie the game. Remy hit a routine grounder to Fletcher...UNDER HIS GLOVE! Jurak scored to give the BoSox the lead. Evans was intentionally walked but Gutierrez took strike three to end the inning with Boston ahead 8-7.

                                                          Jurak scores the go-ahead run

Gary Allenson took over behind the plate with Bob Stanley on the mound to close it out in the bottom of the ninth. Fisk grounded out to third, Squires grounded out to third and Luzinsky popped up to third to end the game. The BoSox had stormed back to win 8-7.

Hero of the Night is Ed Jurak. His triple tied the game and he scored the winning run.

                                                        Jurak the Hero


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a 3 run homer.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with a two run homer.

Rick Miller singled and scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.



The Bad:

Jackie Gutierrez struck out in his only at bat.

Mike Easler was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Dave Stapleton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2.

Bob Ojeda got lit up for 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 2 with a passed ball but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Mark Clear allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings of work but it was unearned.



Honorable Mention:

Gary Allenson caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

What a game! The BoSox looked dead in the water down 6-0 with 9 outs to play and they stormed back to win the game. The offense can't do that every night but they got it done in this one. Ed Jurak with the triple was just as instrumental as the three run bomb by Rice and the two run shot by Armas. They pretty much did this without Easler who was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. Ojeda looked awful in the 6th inning but Stanley and Clear was a passed ball away from shutout ball the rest of the way. The BoSox have one game left in the month of April and that poor start put them a mile behind the Detroit Tigers who look invincible right now. If the Red Sox were to get an ace pitcher by hook or crook, then maybe they'd have a prayer of catching them. The Red Sox look to sweep the White Sox and end the month of April in style when they send Al Nipper to the mound up against Richard Dotson at 3:05 PM Eastern Time at Commiskey Park.

Eck Goes The Distance as Boston Beats Chicago (4/27/84)

After all the pitching problems the Boston Red Sox have had this season, its about time Dennis Eckersley (2-2, 5.94 ERA) stepped up with a good game. Facing the Chicago White Sox, Dennis turned back the clock to 1978 by tossing 8 innings of 1 run ball. The Red Sox homer parade continued with two from Rich Gedman and one from Mike Easler provided the offense against Chicago starter LaMarr Hoyt. The Sox survived a late rally by the White Sox for Eckersley to post a complete game 5-3 victory over Chicago at Commiskey Park.

                                               Black "Deep" Sabbath approves of the win

The BoSox struck first against Hoyt in the top of the first although Jerry Remy flied out to left to start. Dwight Evans walked and Wade Boggs singled him to third before Armas scored Dwight with a base hit. Mike Easler banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 1-0 Boston.

                                                        Armas drives in a run

The White Sox answered in the bottom of the first against Eckersley although Rudy Law grounded out to first to begin. Old pal Carlton Fisk continued to hound his old team with a 70,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to tie the game. Harold Baines hit a routine grounder to Jackie Gutierrez who went OLE! and Harold reached on the error. Ron Kittle singled to left and Baines tried to score. Nichols fired home...YOU'RE OUT! Baines was out at home and Greg Walker flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

The game didn't stay tied long as the BoSox answered in the top of the second. Rich Gedman blasted his second home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Reid Nichols and Rick Miller both grounded out to second and Gutierrez popped up to second to end the inning but it was 2-1 BoSox.

                                                                Gedman hits one out

Eck cruised in the bottom of the second as Tom Paciorek grounded out to third to start. Vance Law also grounded out to third and Scott Fletcher hit a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.

Hoyt cruised in the top of the third as Remy flied out to left to start. Evans was retired on a squibber in front of the plate and Boggs took strike three to end the inning. Julio Cruz singled to start the bottom of the third but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Rudy Law singled and took second when Easler muffed a pickoff throw. Fisk whiffed and Baines grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The BoSox struck again in the top of the fourth although Armas struck out to start. Easler and Gedman pounded back to back home runs to increase the lead. Nichols and Miller both flied out to right to end the inning but the BoSox led 4-1.

                                                           Back to back jacks

The White Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the fourth as Kittle doubled to start. Walker walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Eck bore down to strike out both Paciorek and Vance Law. Fletcher grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Gutierrez grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Remy grounded out to second. Evans singled and Boggs singled him to third but Armas flied out to center to end the inning. Eck cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Cruz grounded out to short to start. Rudy Law flied out to center and Fisk popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Easler popped up to second to start. Gedman popped up to third and Nichols flied out to left to end the inning. Baines popped up to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Kittle struck out. Walker grounded out to first to end the inning.

Miller grounded out to second to open the top of the seventh and Gutierrez grounded out to second as well. Remy flied out to center to end the inning. Paciorek doubled to start the bottom of the seventh and Mike Squires pinch hit for Vance Law. Squires popped up to Eckersley and Paciorek forgot the infield fly rule and was thrown out at second for the double play. Fletcher grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                 Eck mows them down

Evans walked to chase Hoyt to begin the top of the eighth. Juan Agosto came in and Boggs sacrifice bunted Dwight to second. Armas was intentionally walked and Easler flied out to left. Gedman walked to load the bases and Salome Barojas replaced Agosto. Nichols walked home Evans to increase the lead and Miller struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                        Nichols walks in a run

The White Sox threatened in the bottom of the eighth as Cruz grounded out to second to start. Law singled but Fisk flied out to left. Law stole second and Baines walked, but Kittle flied out to center to end the inning.

The BoSox did nothing in the top of the ninth as Gutierrez grounded out to second to start. Remy flied out to left and Evans flied out to center to end the inning. Eck came back to finish the bottom of the ninth but ran out of gas. Walker struck out but Paciorek singled. Paciorek moved to second on the grounder by Squires and Jerry Hairston pinch hit for Fletcher. Hairston doubled home Paciorek and Cruz singled Hairston home to cut the lead and bring the tying run to the plate. Cruz stole second but Law flied out to center to end the game. Eck held on to toss a complete game and guide the BoSox to a 5-3 win.

Hero of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He tossed a complete game and held the White Sox to just three runs.

                                                           Complete game Hero


The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Wade Boggs was 2 for 3.

Tony Armas was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 3 with a walk and two home runs.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 5.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 4 with an error.



The Ugly:

Mike Easler was just 1 for 4 with an error but the one hit was a home run.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 3 but walked, drove in a run and threw out a runner at home.

Rick Miller was 0 for 4 but nailed Cruz at second base for a big assist.




Final Thoughts:

That's more like it Eckersley. The Sox finally managed to get a good start and save the bullpen some wear and tear thanks to Eck going the distance. I know it was against the White Sox but its encouraging to see Eck do well. If he and Bruce Hurst can continue to throw the way they are, the Sox may have a chance to topple Baltimore this season. Unfortunately it looks like the Detroit Tigers are off to a hot start and that losing streak earlier this month could come into play come September. The offense got timely hits when they needed with Jim Rice out and held on at the end to pull out the victory. With a rested bullpen the Sox look to make it two in a row over the White Sox when they send Bob Ojeda to the mound against future hall of famer Tom Seaver at 2:00 PM Eastern Time at Commiskey Park.