Nipper took the mound in the top of the first and Len Dykstra grounded out to short to begin the game. A graphic showed an unflattering fact that Nipper was the only starter in the post-season with a losing record in the regular season. The injury to Tom Seaver is the only reason he's pitching...plus he's on SEVENTEEN DAYS rest. Wally Backman hit a little roller to Bill Buckner who hobbled to first for the out. Keith Hernandez drew a walk as Buckner slipped and fell trying to catch a pop-up by Gary Carter. Nipper recovered to freeze an irate Carter looking to end the inning. Worcester native Ron Darling came back on 3 days rest to get the Game 4 start. Wade Boggs hit a comebacker to Darling to begin the bottom of the first inning. Marty Barrett doubled into the gap in left then moved to third on the ground-out by Buckner. Jim Rice drew a walk to put runners at the corners and Don Baylor walked to load the bases. Dwight Evans had a chance to break it open early but he grounded into a force to end the inning. Huge chance wasted there.
Darryl Strawberry began the top of the second inning but grounding out to second but Ray Knight singled. Danny Heep then grounded into a double play to end the inning. Rich Gedman greeted Darling in the bottom of the second with a double down the right field line. Some idiot released a bunch of balloons with a GO SOX billboard on it from the right field facade which made its way down to the field. This distracted Dave Henderson long enough to strike out. Gedman moved to third on the ground out by Spike Owen but was stranded when Boggs popped up to end the inning. That's 4 men left on base by the Sox, not good.
Mookie Wilson opened the top of the third inning by grounding out to Buckner, flipping to Nipper for the out. Rafael Santana hit a check swing chopper back to Nipper for the second out. Dykstra grounded out to first to end the inning. Darling cruised in the bottom of the third as Barrett hit a broken bat looper right to short to start. Buckner popped up to first and Rice struck out to end the inning.
The Mets struck first in the top of the fourth as Backman singled up the middle to start. Hernandez swung at a pitch out and grounded to short, but it moved Backman to second. Carter then put the Mets on a board with a 2 run bomb into the screen in left. Strawberry then hit a double off the Monster and Knight singled to center to score Darryl. Heep popped up to right and Wilson popped up to center but it was now 3-0 Mets
Pitching with the lead, the Sox mustered nothing in the bottom of the fourth inning against Darling. Darling struck out Baylor to start before Evans popped up to left, sending Mookie Wilson sprawling to the ground. Gedman popped up to third to end the inning.
Nipper returned for the top of the fifth and struck out Santana in short order. Dykstra hit a comebacker back to Nipper but Backman hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short. Backman swiped second but Hernandez grounded out to the crippled Buckner to end the inning.
The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth as Henderson watched strike three go by to begin. Owen walked as Vin Scully said that was sacrilegious to walk him hitting lefty. Boggs flied out to the left field wall but Barrett singled Owen to third. Buckner popped up to second to end the inning. More men left on base the Sox could ill afford.
Nipper returned for the top of the sixth inning and Buckner couldn't catch an inside out double by Carter down the right field line. Strawberry was robbed of a home run by Evans at the wall but Carter moved to third. Knight lined out sharply to Rice and Carter broke for home. Carter slid.....YER OUTTA THERE! The great throw by Rice and tag by Gedman gunned down Carter to end the inning with the game still 3-0.
The crowd sprang to life as the Sox came to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning. Rice flied out to center to start as Baylor flied out to the left field wall. Evans worked a walk and Gedman singled off the Monster....but was thrown out at second trying to stretch to end the inning. That was a huge out considering the Sox had Darling on the ropes.
That was it for Nipper as Steve Crawford took over for the top of the seventh and got Heep to pop up by the Mets dugout to start. Wilson singled up the middle but Santana watched strike three go by. Wilson swiped second and Dwight Evans dropped a fly ball by Dykstra over the right field wall for a 2 run home run to ice the game. Backman grounded out to second to end the inning but it was all but over, 5-0 Mets.
Darling returned for the bottom of the seventh and got Henderson to break his bat flying out to left field. Owens drew another walk to piss Darling off. Boggs flied out to right and kicked the dugout steps in disgust. Barrett worked a walk but Buckner popped up to short to end the inning.
Crawford returned for the top of the eighth and Hernandez lined right to Evans to start. The pain in the ass Carter launched an even longer home run completely out of Fenway to increase the lead. Strawberry singled past the diving Barrett but was thrown out at second trying to steal, but the Mets led 6-0.
The Sox FINALLY got on the board against Roger McDowell in the bottom of the eighth inning as Rice led off with a double down the right field line. Baylor lined out to Santana and Evans made up for dropping the home run by driving in Rice with a seeing eye single up the middle. Gedman hit another seeing eye single that moved Evans to third. Henderson flied out to right but Evans ran home to cut the lead further. How big was the 3 runs allowed by Crawford now? Mike Greenwell pinch hit for Spike Owen and walked. Ed Romero pinch ran for Greenwell as Fenway came alive. That was it for McDowell as Mets manager Davey Johnson brought in Jesse Orosco to pitch to Boggs. Again, how big were the Crawford runs? Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox trailing 6-2.
Bob Stanley took the mound in the top of the ninth and got Heep to pop up to begin. Wilson singled past Stanley to center and broke for center. Gedman threw the ball away due to Santana throwing the bat in his face, moving Wilson to third. Santana hit a comebacker to Stanley who caught Wilson in a run-down, although Santana made it to second base. Dykstra grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox had one last shot in the bottom of the ninth but Barrett grounded out to short to start. Buckner grounded out to first and Rice struck out to end the game. The Mets had evened the series with a 6-2 victory.
Jackass of the Night is Steve Crawford. Yes Nipper gave up the first 3 runs but Crawford gave the Sox no chance for a comeback by giving up 3 runs of his own.
The Good:
Marty Barrett was 2 for 4 with a walk.
Rich Gedman was 3 for 4.
Spike Owen walked twice in 3 plate appearances.
Mike Greenwell pinch hit for Owen and walked.
Bob Stanley pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Wade Boggs was 0 for 5.
Bill Buckner was 0 for 5.
The Ugly:
Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.
Don Baylor was 0 for 3 but walked.
Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and an rbi single but he dropped a catchable over the wall for a crucial 2 run home run.
Dave Henderson was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.
Al Nipper took the loss but pitched 6 solid innings and made one mistake to Gary Carter.
Honorable Mention:
Ed Romero played shortstop in the top of the ninth inning.
Final Thoughts:
So much for clinching the World Series at Fenway. Now they have to win Game 5 just to have a chance to win it in New York. Going 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position will get this team nowhere especially when you have your worst starting pitcher going. Evans dropping the home run over the wall was the microcosm of the game slipping away. Well, now the Sox HAVE to win Game 5 but they're going to throw Bruce Hurst up against Dwight Gooden in Game 5. Hurst dominated the Mets in Game 1 and he'll have to do it again if they have any prayer of winning the series.
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