Boyd got the ball in the top of the first and Kirby Puckett led off by popping up to Marty Barrett to start. Roy Smalley flied out to center and Kent Hrbek flied out to the left field wall to end the inning. Portugal got the ball in the bottom of the first and Wade Boggs grounded back to the mound to start. Marty Barrett got a base hit to left but Bill Buckner flied out to center. Jim Rice got a base hit to right but Barrett was thrown out at home to end the inning.
Gary Gaetti led off the top of the second with a grounder to third before Tom Brunansky grounded out to short. Randy Bush flied out to right to end the inning. Don Baylor flied out to left to start the bottom of the second before Dwight Evans walked. Tony Armas popped up to third and Rich Gedman grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Twins struck first in the top of the third as Jeff Reed singled to left to start. Steve Lombardozzi struck out swinging but Greg Gagne singled in the hole at short. Reed fell down and damn near got thrown out at second, but Puckett cleared the bases with a double to the centerfield wall. Smalley took strike three and Hrbek grounded out to second to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.
Puckett drives in a pair
Spike Owen led off the bottom of the third by grounding back to the mound, but Boggs doubled off the Monster. Barrett popped up to second and Buckner grounded out to second to end the inning.
Gaetti got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but Brunansky struck out swinging. Gaetti was thrown out trying to steal but Bush got a base hit to right. Reed flied out to left to end the inning. Rice flied out to right to begin the bottom of the fourth before Baylor grounded out to third. Evans flied out to center to end the inning.
Lombardozzi popped up to Boggs in foul territory to start the top of the fifth before Gagne struck out swinging. Puckett lined out to left to end the inning. Armas grounded out to third to open the bottom of the fifth before Gedman lined out to left. Owen popped up a bunt to second to end the inning.
Smalley beat out a roller to short to start the top of the sixth but Hrbek lined out to short. Gaetti flied out to left and Brunansky popped up to second to end the inning. Boggs led off the bottom of the sixth before Barrett flied out to center. Buckner grounded out to third to end the inning.
Bush led off the top of the seventh by grounding out to Buckner to start. Reed grounded out to second and Lombardozzi struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox fought back in the bottom of the seventh with Billy Beane in for Bush in left. Rice grounded a base hit up the middle and Baylor was plunked. Evans hit a triple play ball to third but Gaetti threw the ball into right field for an error to move Baylor to third. That was it for Portugal as Twins manager Ray Miller came to get the ball, only for Portugal to yell at him on his way to the dugout. George Frazier came in to pitch and Armas drilled a base hit to left to score Baylor. Gedman grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-1.
Gagne grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth and Puckett flied out to left. Smalley struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied again in the bottom of the eighth with LaSchelle Tarver pinch hitting for Owen to start. Tarver struck out swinging but Boggs doubled off the Monster. Barrett took strike three but Buckner drew a walk. Ed Romero pinch ran for Buckner and Rice hit a seeing eye single to left to score Boggs with the tying run. Baylor walked to load the bases but Evans flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Boyd returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth with Pat Dodson now at first and Romero at short. Hrbek, Gaetti and Brunansky all struck out swinging in short order to begin and end the inning. Boyd went all 9 innings allowing 2 runs on just 6 hits while striking out 9.
Sox win
Hero Barrett
Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked.
Boyd jumps for joy
Frazier returned for the bottom of the ninth and Armas led off with a swinging strikeout. Gedman grounded out to first but International League MVP Dodson got his first major league hit with a single off the glove of Lombardozzi. Boggs walked and Dave Henderson ran for Dodson with Keith Atherton in to pitch to Barrett. Marty ripped a base hit to right to score Henderson to win the game. The Sox had walked off the Twins 3-2.
Hero of The Night is Marty Barrett. He knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
The Good:
Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Jim Rice was 3 for 4 with an rbi.
Don Baylor walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run in four plate appearances.
Pat Dodson got his first major league hit in his only at-bat.
Dave Henderson scored the winning run as a pinch runner.
Oil Can Boyd tossed a complete game 6 hitter allowing just 2 runs while striking out nine.
The Bad:
Rich Gedman was 0 for 4.
Spike Owen was 0 for 2.
LaSchelle Tarver struck out as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Bill Buckner was 0 for 3 but walked.
Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked.
Tony Armas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Honorable Mention:
Ed Romero played short in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
What a win by the red hot Red Sox as they close in on the American League East title. The Sox looked a little shaky dropping 4 of 5 to end August but they've come out swinging in September. The Sox play Toronto in six out of seven games starting in two weeks but Boston has to get there first. Oil Can Boyd pitched a hell of a game and he's got a legitimate shot at 17 wins. The Sox need more starts like that to rest the bullpen for better days, especially if there is October baseball to be played. The Sox have been finding ways to win at the plate all year and this game was no different. Hopefully they can ride this momentum as long as they can to bring them their first AL East crown in 11 years. The win improved the Sox to 81-54, 5.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East with 27 games left to play. The Sox look to make it eight in a row and series sweep of the Twins tomorrow afternoon when Bruce Hurst takes on Neal Heaton of Minnesota. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.
