Not only did the New York Yankees sweep the Boston Red Sox out of Fenway Park but the Sox may have to shut down Roger Clemens (7-5, 3.29 ERA) for the season with a bad arm. Clemens lasted just five innings before his arm gave out and the Sox trailing 1-0. Steve Crawford came in and poured gas on the fire by allowing four runs to put the game out of reach. Meanwhile Ron Guidry of the Yankees held the Sox bats to just 1 earned run in 7 1/3 innings. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth but couldn't deliver the knockout blow to the Yankees bullpen. The Yankees swept the Sox with a 5-3 victory at Fenway Park.
Clemens got the ball in the top of the first and Rickey Henderson grounded out to short to start. Don Mattingly flied out to left and Dave Winfield grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Guidry got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dwight Evans led off with a base hit off the glove of Mike Pagliarulo. Wade Boggs hit into a double play and Bill Buckner launched his bat to second base by accident before popping up to short to end the inning.
Ken Griffey walked to start the top of the second before moving to second on a balk because home plate umpire Kenny Kaiser didn't want Clemens to keep throwing over to first on a sweltering day....seriously. Sox manager John McNamara came out to yell at Kaiser before going back to the dugout disgusted. Don Baylor struck out swinging on a high fastball and Griffey moved to third on a Willie Randolph grounder to second. Butch Wynegar took strike three right down the middle to end the inning.
Jim Rice led off the bottom of the second with a pop up to Randolph to start. Tony Armas struck out swinging on a nasty slider before Mike Easler popped up to Griffey to end the inning.
Mike Pagliarulo struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Bob Meachum grounded out to second. Henderson singled off the Monster but was thrown out at second by Rice trying to stretch a double to end the inning. Marty Barrett led off the bottom of the third with a flyout to center and Jackie Gutierrez grounded out to third. Marc Sullivan struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Yankees broke through in the top of the fourth as Mattingly ripped a base hit to center to start. Winfield grounded back to the mound but Mattingly moved to second. Griffey dumped a base hit in front of Evans and Mattingly scored to put the Yankees up for good. Baylor took a questionable strike three call on the inside corner but Griffey stole second
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Evans lined out to a running Griffey to start. Boggs dumped a base hit to left but Buckner grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Clemens' velocity had deteriorated by the top of the fifth although Evans made a great diving catch to rob Wynegar of extra bases. Pagliarulo and Meacham both grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Clemens who's shoulder gave out after allowing a run in 5 innings on 3 hits and a walk.
The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Rice singled off the Monster to start. Armas chased a pitch way outside for strike three but Easler dumped a base hit to center. Barrett hit a bullet to third and Gutierrez flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.
Steve Crawford came in to crap his pants in the top of the sixth although he struck out Henderson swinging to start. Mattingly singled off the Monster and Winfield tripled into the centerfield triangle to increase the lead. Griffey dumped a base hit in front of Rice....that bounced away from Jim for a "double" to score Winfield. Baylor popped up to Buckner and Randolph lined out to a running Evans to end the inning with the Yankees leading 3-0.
The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the sixth as Sullivan walked to start. Evans missed a home run by two feet, instead doubling off the right field wall. A Sox fan then screwed the team when a fan reached into the field on a foul ball by Boggs, the umpires ruled Wade out. That proved costly as Buckner grounded out to second to score Sullivan. Rice flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.
Buckner drives in a run
Wynegar walked to start the top of the seventh but Pagliarulo flied out to center. Meacham flied out to right and Henderson grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Armas grounded out to second to start. Easler struck out swinging and Barrett flied out to center to end the inning.
The Yankees iced the game in the top of the eighth as Mattingly doubled off the Monster to start. Winfield hit a chopper to short but the ball went under Gutierrez for a "double" to score Mattingly. Griffey hit a liner off the glove of Crawford for a "single" and Baylor looked to have been robbed of a hit by a diving Evans but the umpire ruled it a trap. It became a "double" for Baylor as Winfield scored on the play to increase the lead. That was it for Crawford as Bob Stanley was brought in to pitch to Randolph and Willie hit a grounder to Gutierrez who threw home to catch Griffey in a rundown but abandoned him to instead get Baylor at second instead. Wynegar went for the suicide squeeze but only missed the bunt but Griffey was tagged out to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-1.
The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Gutierrez flied out to right to start. Rich Gedman pinch hit for Sullivan and reached on an error by Pagliarulo to start. Evans doubled just over the head of Henderson in center and Boggs dumped an opposite field single to left to score Gedman. That was it for Guidry as Yankees manager Billy Martin brought in Bob Shirley to pitch to Buckner. Bill flied out to the centerfield wall to score Evams and bring the tying run to the plate. Martin brought in Bill Fisher to pitch to Rice who represented the tying run. Rice grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.
Stanley returned for the top of the ninth and Pagliarulo grounded out to short to start. Meacham foolishly tried to bunt with two strikes and fouled it off for strike three but Henderson walked. Mattingly hit a rocket to Buckner to end the inning. Fisher returned for the bottom of the ninth and Armas flied out to Winfield to start. Easler struck out swinging and Barrett also went down hacking to end the game. The Yankees completed the sweep with a 5-3 win.
Jackass of the Night is Steve Crawford. He allowed 4 runs in just two innings to put the game out of reach.
The Good:
Dwight Evans was 3 for 4 with a run scored.
Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Marc Sullivan walked and scored a run in two plate appearances.
Rich Gedman scored a run as a pinch hitter.
Bob Stanley tossed two scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Marty Barrett was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 3.
The Ugly:
Bill Buckner was 0 for 3 but drove in 2 runs.
Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.
Mike Easler was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Roger Clemens took the loss and lasted just 5 innings while allowing 1 run on 3 hits and a walk while striking out four.
Final Thoughts:
If Clemens is gone for the season with a bad shoulder, that's it for the Sox in terms of going after the AL East this year. They're already way behind the Toronto Blue Jays and without their best pitcher, its too much of a hill to overcome. Ironically the Sox traded John Tudor before the 1984 season for Mike Easler and Tudor has won 14 games for the St. Louis Cardinals so far this season. The offense could have been a lot better this season but regressed. The trio of Bruce Hurst, Al Nipper and Bob Ojeda failed to deliver a big season and Oil Can Boyd has been mush since the All-Star break. Without Clemens, you can pretty much say goodbye to this season. Losing to the Yankees always sucks, especially since they're nowhere near the team they were in 1981. The loss dropped the Sox to 56-53, 13 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when they welcome in the Kansas City Royals. Al Nipper (7-7) goes for the Sox against Mark Gubicza of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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