Oh the New York Yankees have stepped in it now. Recently the Yankees made the statement that the Boston Red Sox have been "playing over their heads" so far this season and tonight the Sox went in their own building and dominated. Roger Clemens (12-0, 2.17 ERA) tossed a complete game 4 hitter and surrendered just one run to hold the Yankees offense in check. Meanwhile the Sox bats pounded the aging Ron Guidry and his replacement Ed Whitson into submission. The offense was a balanced attack with Jim Rice leading the charge with four rbis. Rookie Rey Quinones got 3 hits and 2 rbis as well as the Sox made a statement by playing "over their heads" again by beating the Yankees 10-1 at Yankee Stadium.
The Sox wasted no time getting to Guidry in the top of the first inning as Marty Barrett lined a base hit up the middle to start. Ed Romero drew a walk and Bill Buckner moved both runners over with a grounder to second. Jim Rice singled up the middle to score Barrett and Romero to put Boston on top. Don Baylor got a base hit to center but Dwight Evans flied out to right. Tony Armas ripped a base hit to left and Rice beat Ken Griffey's throw home to increase the lead. Gedman grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rickey Henderson led off by taking strike three to start. Don Mattingly grounded out to first and Dave Winfield grounded out to short to end the inning.
Rey Quinones led off the top of the second by flying out to the left field warning track and Barrett grounded out to third. Romero also flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the second as old friend Mike Easler hit one passed the diving Barrett for a single to start. Griffey hit into a double play but Mike Pagliarulo doubled to left. Ron Hassey hit a ground rule double down the left field line to score Pagliarulo but Willie Randolph flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees down 3-1.
The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Buckner walked to start. Buckner stole second and Rice slashed a base hit to left to score Buckner with another run. Yankees manager Lou Piniella pulled the plug on Guidry after getting just 6 outs and replaced him with Ed Whitson. Don Baylor ripped a base hit to center but Rice was thrown out at third. Evans struck out swinging but Armas sliced a base hit past Randolph who fell down to score Baylor with another run. Gedman walked but Quinones forced Armas at third to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.
Ivan de Jesus led off the bottom of the third and grounded out to first to start. Henderson popped up to Buckner in foul territory and Mattingly popped up to right to end the inning.
The Sox kept attacking in the top of the fourth as Barrett doubled to right to start. Romero popped up his bunt to Mattingly but Buckner doubled over the head of Henderson to score Barrett. Rice singled up the middle to score Buckner and ice the game, but Baylor forced Jim at second. Evans struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.
Winfield struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Easler singled to right. Suddenly home plate umpire Don Denkinger started barking at Clemens. Sox manager John McNamara sprinted out of the dugout to ask what's going on and apparently Clemens had a chain around his neck that was distracting. Clemens responded by getting Griffey to ground into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox got another run in the top of the fifth as Armas tripled into the gap in center to start. Gedman grounded out to first but Quinones tripled into the gap in left to score Tony. Barrett grounded out to third and Romero flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-1.
Clemens cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Pagliarulo grounded back to the mound to start. Hassey grounded out to second and Randolph was frozen for strike three to end the inning.
Buckner grounded back to the mound to start the top of the sixth before Rice grounded out to third. Baylor got a base hit to right but Evans popped up to center to end the inning. de Jesus flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Evans made a jumping catch at the right field wall to rob Henderson of a double. Mattingly hit a grounder off of Buckner who flipped it to Clemens.....who dropped it for an error. Winfield popped up to Barrett to end the inning.
Armas lined out to short to start the top of the seventh before Gedman grounded out to second. Quinones caught the Yankees asleep with a bunt single to third and some idiot threw a smokebomb on the field. Yankees broadcaster Phil Ruzzuto said it was the third one in the game. Barrett lined out to Winfield to end the inning.
Steve Lyons took over for Armas to start the bottom of the seventh and Easler grounded out to first to start. Griffey grounded out to first and Pagliarulo flied out to center to end the inning.
Gary Roenicke took over in center to start the top of the eighth and Romero singled to right to begin. Buckner banged into a double play and Rice flied out to the centerfield wall for a 400 foot out to end the inning. Hassey flied out to Rice to start the bottom of the eighth before Randolph grounded out to third. Dan Pasqua pinch hit for de Jesus and took strike three to end the inning.
Dale Berra took over at short for the top of the ninth and Baylor flied out to center to start. Evans was robbed of a hit by a diving Randolph but Lyons walked. Gedman drew a walk and Quinones dumped a base hit to right to score a sliding Lyons. Barrett hit a routine grounder to second and Randolph threw the ball away allowing Gedman to score and Quinones to reach third. Romero grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-1.
Clemens came back to finish his work in the bottom of the ninth and Roenicke grounded out to short to start. Mattingly flied out to the right field wall and Winfield popped up to Rice to end the game. Clemens went the distance and the Sox had buried the Yankees 10-1.
Hero of the Night is Roger Clemens. He tossed a complete game 4 hitter, allowing just 1 run while striking out 4 batters
The Good:
Marty Barrett was 2 for 6 with 2 runs scored.
Jim Rice was 3 for 5 with 4 rbis and a run scored.
Don Baylor was 3 for 5 with a run scored.
Tony Armas was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.
Steve Lyons walked and scored a run.
Rey Quinones was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.
The Bad:
Dwight Evans was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Ed Romero was just 1 for 5 but walked and scored a run.
Bill Buckner was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored two runs.
Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
So much for the Sox playing over their heads. Clemens had the best quote "If we're playing over our heads I don't know what THEY'RE doing." What they're doing is losing, that's what. The Sox made a statement tonight not just by beating the Yankees but by dominating as well. Scoring 10 runs on 16 hits with Clemens pitching one of his better games of the season was an all around effort. With Wade Boggs out, the speed of Quinones and the bat of Barrett has been huge at the top of the order to set the table for Evans, Rice and Baylor. The only thing missing from this team are the home runs but as long as they're driving in runs, doesn't matter how far the balls are hit. With Bruce Hurst and Al Nipper out. the other starters and the younger pitchers need to step up in their absence. Clemens did his part tonight but let's see what happens in the next game. The win improved the Sox to 41-21, 4.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Rob Woodward gets the start for Boston against Joe Niekro of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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