Ryan Outduels Clemens, Rangers Beat Sox (4/30/89)

The good news is the Roger Clemens (3-1, 1.96 ERA) held the Texas Rangers to two runs in a complete game effort for the Boston Red Sox. The bad news was 42 year old Nolan Ryan held the Red Sox to just 1 run in 8 innings himself. Ryan left after 8 innings of 1 run ball and the Rangers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a one out home run by Rafael Palmeiro. Rangers closer Jeff Russell slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the Rangers had beaten the Red Sox 2-1 at Arlington Stadium. Its been that kind of year so far.

                                                 Barnaby hates blown leads in the 8th

Ryan got the ball in the top of the first and Boggs drew a leadoff walk. Danny Heep forced Boggs at second and Ellis Burks took a fastball to the head and collapsed. Ellis had to be carried out on a stretcher and rushed to the local ICU as Randy Kutcher pinch ran for him. Both runners moved over on the grounder to second by Mike Greenwell before Boggs scored on the wild pitch by Ryan. Jim Rice hit a 380 foot out to the left field wall to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                 Burks gets knocked out

Clemens got the ball in the top of the first inning and Cecil Espy led off by taking a curveball down the middle for strike three. Scott Fletcher flied out to right and Clemens sent a message to the Rangers by brushing back Rafael Palmeiro before he walked. Ruben Sierra flied out to right to end the inning.

Nick Esasky led off the top of the second by striking out swinging before Rich Gedman flied flied out to center. Jody Reed reached when Scott Fletcher's throw pulled Palmeiro off the bag but Ed Romero flied out to the left field wall to end the inning. The red hot Julio Franco led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to third to start. Geno Petralli got a base hit to left and moved to second on the Rick Leach grounder. Steve Buechele was plunked unintentionally and Gedman trotted to the mound to tell Roger to calm the heck down. Jeff Stone grounded out to second to end the inning.

Boggs led off the top of the third by taking strike three to start. Heep whiffed but Kutcher drew a walk. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Espy lined out to third to start the bottom of the third before Fletcher grounded out to short. Palmeiro grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rice led off the top of the fourth by getting plunked before moving to second on a passed ball. Esasky whiffed again before Gedman went down hacking. Reed took strike three to end the inning after the Rangers telecast said Reed struck out only 21 times in 1988. Sierra flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Franco grounded out to short. Petralli dumped a base hit in front of Greenwell in left and Leach walked, but Buechele grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Romero and Boggs grounded out to second to start. The Sox got their first hit when Heep dumped a single to right. Kutcher drew another walk but Greenwell popped up to left to end the inning.

                                                Ryan allowed just 1 hit through 5

Stone grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Espy also grounded out to second. Clemens blew away Fletcher to end the inning.

                                              Clemens gets it done through 5

Ryan turned up the heat in the top of the sixth as Rice whiffed to start. Esasky earned the hat trick with his third strikeout and Gedman also went down hacking to end the inning. Clemens matched Ryan by catching Palmeiro looking to start the bottom of the sixth. Sierra grounded out to first and Heep reached into the stands to corral a Franco fly out to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Reed doubled just on the left field foul line to start. Romero failed to drop down a bunt but instead lashed a base hit to right. Sierra threw home but the throw was cut-off and Romero was caught in a rundown. Foolishly Reed tried for home and he got caught in a rundown. Reed motioned Romero to go to third but Ed didn't move from second and Reed was tagged out. Boggs was intentionally walked but Heep banged into a double play to end the inning. What the hell was Reed thinking?

                                                IDIOT!

Dwight Evans took over for Heep in the bottom of the seventh as Petralli took strike three to start. Leach whiffed but Buechele beat out a little roller to Romero for an infield single. Stone lined out to center to end the inning.

Ryan cruised in the top of the eighth as Kutcher swung at ball four to start. Greenwell flied out to right but Rice whiffed to end the inning. Ryan had thrown 136 pitches and allowed just the one run in 8 innings while striking out 11.

                                                     Ryan was tough

The Rangers took command in the bottom of the eighth as Espy dumped a base hit to left to start. Fletcher tried to bunt him over but popped up to first, but Palmeiro smashed a two run home run off the right field foul pole to give the Rangers the lead. Sierra flied out to center but Franco singled up the middle. Petralli took strike three to end the inning with the Rangers leading 2-1. Clemens went the distance but the two run home run was the difference in the game.

                                                 Dammit

Rangers closer Jeff Russell came on for the top of the ninth with Pete Incaviglia now in left field. Esasky earned the dubious golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout of the game to start. Gedman grounded out to second and Sam Horn pinch hit for Reed. Horn took strike three to end the game. The Rangers shocked the Sox to win the game 2-1.

                                                 Rangers win


Jackass of the Night is Nick Esasky. In a one run game he was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

                                                Golden Sombrero Jackass


The Good:

Ellis Burks had a hit by pitch before leaving.

Randy Kutcher walked twice in three plate appearances.

Ed Romero was 1 for 3.

One of the few times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Roger Clemens was outstanding. He threw a complete game 6 hitter with the one mistake being a two run homer by Palmeiro. He walked 2 and struck out 6.



The Bad:

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 4.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Sam Horn struck out to end the game.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but was plunked.

Wade Boggs was 0 for 2 but walked twice.

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 but got caught in a crucial rundown.

Danny Heep was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Dwight Evans played right field in the final two innings.




Final Thoughts:

Well this game was a kick to the gonads. The Sox weren't going to get much off of Ryan and Clemens kept pace for 7 innings. One bad pitch to Palmeiro ended up being the difference in the game because the Sox ran themselves into outs and couldn't get a clutch hit when it counted. The Sox would have been shut out if it wasn't for a bad pitch by Ryan. The Rangers started out hot in the month of April and basically found ways to win all month, today was no different. The Sox have found ways to lose all month, today was also no different. The Sox better get things in gear because you're not going to win the AL East playing mediocre baseball. The loss dropped the Sox to 10-12 for the month of April, 1 game behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Clemens and Ryan are due to meet again next week at Fenway but tomorrow the Sox head to Minnesota to play a set with the Twins. Oil Can Boyd (1-1) goes for the Sox up against Allan Anderson of the Twins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at the Metrodome.

Rangers Walkoff Sox in 12 Innings (4/28/89)

For 5 innings the Boston Red Sox were in complete control of this game against the Texas Rangers. Mike Boddicker had held the Rangers to just 2 runs at that point while the Sox were ahead 6-2. Then the wheels fell off as the Rangers chased Boddicker in the sixth and tied the game off Bob Stanley in the bottom of the eighth. With the game well past midnight and no end in sight, the game was suspended until the following morning. When action resumed, Julio Franco hit a walkoff home run against Rob Murphy (0-2, 3.95 ERA) to end the game once and for all. The Rangers needed 12 innings to beat the Red Sox 7-6 at Arlington Stadium.

                                                     Doc Brown can't believe it

The Sox exploded against Rangers starter Kevin Brown in the bottom of the first inning as Wade Boggs walked to start. Ed Romero doubled to left and Ellis Burks walked to load the bases. Mike Greenwell whiffed but Jim Rice scored Boggs with a ground out. Dwight Evans walked to reload the bases and Nick Esasky pounded a grand slam to put the Sox up big early. Jody Reed beat out an infield single to third but Rick Cerone took strike three to end the inning. Things looked good with the Sox ahead 5-0 already.

                                                              Esasky with the grand slam

The Rangers wasted no time getting back in the game against Boddicker in the bottom of the first as Cecil Espy struck out looking to start. Scott Fletcher walked and Rafael Palmeiro doubled him to third. Ruben Sierra scored Fletcher with a sac fly and Julio Franco singled home Palmeiro. Franco swiped second but Geno Petralli flied out to center to end the inning with the Rangers down 5-2.

                                                      Why can't the Sox have guys like this?

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Boggs grounded back to the mound to start. Romero grounded out to third but Steve Buechele booted a grounder by Burks for an error. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Pete Incaviglia was plunked to start the bottom of the second but Rick Leach flied out to left. Incaviglia stole second but Buechele took strike three. Espy grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third when Rice got a base hit to left to start and took second on the Evans strikeout. Esasky walked and that was it for Brown. Brad Arnsberg came in and Reed walked to load the bases. Cerone beat out a double play ball to score Rice and Boggs walked to re-load the bases. Naturally Romero grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                                  Rice scores a run

Boddicker cruised in the bottom of the third as Fletcher grounded out to second to start. Palmeiro lined out to first and Sierra popped up to center to end the inning.

Burks walked to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on the Greenwell grounder. Rice struck out swinging and Evans flied out to right to end the inning. Franco grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the second but Petralli and Incaviglia stroked back to back singles. Leach flied out to right and Buechele grounded out to short to end the inning.

Esasky flied out to right to start the top of the fifth then Reed flied out to left. Cerone walked to chase Arnsberg and Drew Hall got Boggs to strike out swinging to end the inning. Espy dropped down a bunt but then tackled Cerone trying to make the play, forcing the umpire to call him out on interference. Fletcher lined out to first but Palmeiro walked. Sierra flied out to right to end the inning.

Romero walked to start the top of the sixth but was thrown out trying to steal. Burks walked but Greenwell flied out to left and Rice flied out to center to end the inning. The Rangers fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Franco walked to start. Petralli flied out to right but Incaviglia singled to left to chase Boddicker. Bob Stanley came in and Leach singled home Franco to cut the lead. Buechele struck out swinging but both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Espy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Evans flied out to center to start. Esasky grounded out to third and Reed grounded out to second to end the inning. Fletcher walked to begin the bottom of the seventh but Palmeiro flied out to center. Sierra flied out to right and Franco grounded out to third to end the inning.

Kenny Rogers came in to pitch the top of the eighth and the Sox blew their best chance to ice the game. Cerone walked and Boggs singled to left to put two men on and nobody out. Marty Barrett pinch ran for Cerone and Romero moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Burks was intentionally walked to set up the double play...and naturally Greenwell hit into one to end the inning. Dammit!

                                                           Good going Mike.

Rich Gedman took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth and things looked good when Petralli whiffed to start. Incaviglia walked and Leach doubled him home to cut the lead, but Buechele struck out swinging. One out away from escaping the jam....Espy singled home Leach to chase Stanley. Lee Smith came in and Espy stole second before scoring on the Fletcher base hit to left to tie the game. Fletcher was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning but the Rangers tied it 6-6.

                                                        Nice going Stanley

Cecillo Guante came in to pitch the top of the ninth and struck out the side. Rice, Evans and Esasky all went down hacking in short order to end the inning. Palmeiro singled to center to put the winning run on in the bottom of the ninth but Sierrs flied out to right. Franco banged into a double play to end the inning.

Reed grounded back to the mound to start the top of the tenth and Gedman watched strike three go by. Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning. With the game heading toward 3 AM in Boston and well past midnight in Texas, the game was suspended until the following day. When action resumed in the bottom of the tenth, Rob Murphy was on the mound and Mike Stanley pinch hit for Petralli, getting a base hit to second. Jeff Stone pinch ran for Stanley and Incaviglia singled to center. Jeff Kunkel pinch hit for Leach and bunted both runners over. Murphy got a big out by striking out Buechele and Buddy Bell pinch hit for Espy and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jim Sundberg took over behind the plate for the top of the eleventh and Romero struck out swinging to start. Burks whiffed but Greenwell walked. Rice went down hacking to end the inning. Fletcher grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eleventh and Palmeiro flied out to left. Sierra lined out to left to end the inning.

Evans grounded out to third to open the top of the 12th inning then Esasky flied out to right. Reed popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. The game finally ended quickly in the bottom of the 12th inning. Franco hit a home run to South America to win the game. After all of that, the Rangers had won it 7-6.

                                                                  Damn it

Jackass of the Night is Rob Murphy. He allowed the home run to Franco to end the game.

                                                                     Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Ellis Burks walked 4 times and scored a run.

Rick Cerone walked twice and drove in a run.

Mike Boddicker was solid for 5 1/3 innings getting charged with 3 runs while striking out 2.

The Bad:

Rich Gedman struck out in his only plate appearance.

Bob Stanley allowed 3 runs of his own and let an inherited runner to score in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but walked twice and scored a run.

Ed Romero was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 5 but walked.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run and scored.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 5 but walked and scored a run.

Nick Esasky was just 1 for 5 with a walk but the one hit was a grand slam.

Jody Reed was just 1 for 5 but walked.

Lee Smith allowed the tying run to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett pinch ran for Cerone in the top of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox had a 6-2 lead and the Rangers starter out in the third inning yet still found a way to lose. The Rangers bullpen essentially tossed 9 2/3 scoreless innings. The Sox would have only needed 4 to have won the game. Hats off to the Rangers for pulling that off but that's terrible offense by the Sox to not score a single run after Kevin Brown was out of the game. Its not like the Rangers are known for their bullpen like the Oakland A's or New York Mets. Its been a bad month for the Sox as the Texas Rangers have been finding ways to win and the Sox finding ways to lose. Once again, give credit to the Rangers for not quitting when they lost their starter in the third inning. The Sox look to bounce back later tonight as it turns out when Wes Gardner (0-1) takes on Charlie Hough of the Rangers at 10:35 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Dopson, Sox Beat Orioles (4/14/89)

When the Boston Red Sox lost an angry Bruce Hurst to free agency, they needed to replace him big time. The Sox took a chance by trading for power-armed yet often injured John Dopson (2-0. 2.09 ERA). So far that trade has worked out. Dopson almost pitched 8 innings, allowing just 2 earned runs to earn his second win of the season. The Boston bats came alive to knock around Baltimore Orioles starter Dave Schmidt, led by Dwight Evans with 3 rbis. Dopson tired in the eighth inning and Bob Stanley came in to slam the door the rest of the way. The Sox had beaten the Orioles 7-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Laurie Wood approves of the win

The O's wasted no time getting to Dopson in the top of the first inning as old pal Brady Anderson lined out to right to start. Phil Bradley hit a home run all the way to Aruba to put Baltimore on top but Joe Orsulak grounded out to second. Cal Ripken Jr walked but Larry Sheets struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's ahead 1-0.

                                                          Bradley hits one out

Schmidt cruised in the top of the first as Wade Boggs led off with a lineout to right. Marty Barrett grounded out to short and Ellis Burks flied out to center to end the inning.

Dopson cruised in the top of the second as Mickey Tettleton struck out swinging to start. Jim Traber grounded back to the mound and Craig Worthington struck out swinging to end the inning. Mike Greenwell flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Jim Rice took first on a throwing error by Worthington. Dwight Evans lined out to left and Nick Esasky flied out to center to end the inning.

Rene Gonzales took strike three to begin the top of the third before Anderson grounded out to first. Bradley flied out to center to end the inning. Rich Gedman grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Jody Reed flied out to left. Boggs walked but Barrett forced him at second to end the inning.

Orsulak took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Ripken Jr grounded out to third. Sheets grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Burks beat a roller to third to start. Greenwell blooped a single to center but Rice popped up to shallow center. Evans hit a grounder in the hole at short to score Burks and Dwight was credited with a "double". Esasky grounded out to short to score Greenwell but Gedman popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                          Evans puts the Sox on top

The O's fought back in the top of the fifth as Tettleton popped up to third to start. Traber walked and Worthington doubled him home to tie the game. Gonzales popped up to shallow left and Anderson struck out swinging to end the inning. Reed popped up to third to begin the bottom of the fifth but Boggs doubled to left. Barrett and Burks both flied out to left to end the inning.

Bradley struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth before Orsulak grounded out to second. Ripken Jr walked but Sheets took strike three to end the inning. The Sox broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth as Greenwell and Rice stroked back to back base hits to start. Evans singled home Greenwell and took second on the Esasky grounder to the mound. Gedman scored Rice with a sac fly and Reed walked to chase Schmidt. Mark Thurmond came in and got Boggs to ground out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Evans drives in another run

Dopson cruised in the top of the seventh as Tettleton flied out to right to begin. Traber struck out swinging and Worthington flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Barrett and Burks both singled to right to start. Greenwell singled to center to score Barrett and Rice singled to right to score Burks although Jim got thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Evans ripped a base hit to right to score Greenwell but Esasky grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                              Rice drives in a run

Mike Devereaux pinch hit for Gonzales to start the top of the eighth and grounded out to third to start. Anderson grounded out to second but the wheels fell off for Dopson. Bradley walked, Orsulak hit a ground rule double to right and Bradley scored on a passed ball by Gedman. Ripken Jr hit a routine grounder to first and Esasky did a cannonball on the ball for an error to score Orsulak. That was it for Dopson as Bob Stanley came in to pitch. Sheets grounded out to second to end the inning. Dopson was victimized by bad defense but went 7 2/3 gutty innings, allowing 4 runs.

                                                          Dopson gets it done

Billy Ripken took over for Devereaux to begin the bottom of the eighth and Gedman popped up to third in foul territory to start. Reed and Boggs both flied out to center to end the inning. Stanley came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Tettleton grounded out to first to start. Traber lined out to left and Worthington grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-4.

Hero of the Night is Dwight Evans. He went 3 for 4 and drove in 3 big runs.

                                                           Dwight Hero

The Good:

Ellis Burks was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Mike Greenwell was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 3 runs scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

John Dopson earned the win by allowing 2 earned runs (4 total) in 7 2/3 innings.

Bob Stanley earned the save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Nick Esasky was 0 for 4 with an error but drove in a run.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Jody Reed was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

It would be unfair to expect Dopson to be as good as Bruce Hurst was but the Sox are going to need him to be if they hope to repeat as AL East champions. The Sox offense was bolstered with Nick Esasky in the off-season but they need Dopson big time with Hurst gone. The offense was rolling today and hopefully they can ride this momentum to have a good month. The Sox stumbled out of the gate but hopefully a win like this could be the start of something good. Stanley slammed the door in tonight's game and the addition of Rob Murphy can only help Stanley as he turns 35 this coming November. All in all it was a good win and the Sox will look for another one tomorrow afternoon against Baltimore. Mike Boddicker (1-0) takes on Jeff Ballard of the O's at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

O's Knock Out Boddicker, Sox (4/6/89)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series, the bad news was the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Boston Red Sox. After a rainout wiped out last night's game, the O's pounced on a rusty Mike Boddicker for 3 runs before Mike was chased in the third inning. Mike Smithson (0-1, 5.79 ERA) got tagged for 3 more runs to put the Sox in a hole too deep to climb out of. On the other side, Jose Bautista of the O's pitched into the ninth inning and allowed 4 runs. Mark Williamson slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the O's had won it 6-4 at Memorial Stadium.

                                                     "Two straight losses to start the season"

Things started out well for the Sox in the top of the first although Wade Boggs grounded out to first to start. Marty Barrett flied out to center but Dwight Evans walked. Mike Greenwell beat out an infield single to first and Ellis Burks doubled home Evans to put the Sox on top. Jim Rice got a base hit to center to score both runners to increase the lead but Nick Esasky flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                 Rice drives in a pair

The O's answered in the bottom of the first against Boddicker as Brady Anderson was plunked to start. Phil Bradley struck out swinging but Joe Orsulak singled to right. Orsulak took second on a passed ball as Anderson swiped third before Cal Ripken Jr walked to load the bases. Larry Sheets singled to center to score Anderson and Orsulak, moving Ripken to third. Mickey Tettleton beat out a double play ball to score Ripken to tie the game. Jim Traber singled to center but Craig Worthington struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                Sheets drives in two

Rich Gedman popped up to short to start the top of the second before Jody Reed singled to center. Bautista had Reed picked off but he threw the ball away, allowing Jody to take second. Boggs walked but Barrett hit into a double play to end the inning. Rene Gonzales struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Anderson singled to right. Bradley took strike three and Orsulak struck out swinging to end the inning.

Evans went down hacking to start the top of the third before Greenwell grounded out to first. Burks flied out to center to end the inning. Ripken Jr flied out to right to start the bottom of the third and Sheets hit a routine pop up to Reed. Reed tried to catch the ball in his hat and it fell for an error. Tettleton walked on a blown strike three call and Boddicker let home plate umpire Larry McCoy have it. McCoy told Boddicker to take a hike and that was it for Mike after 2 1/3innings and 3 runs allowed. Mike Smithson came in and got Traber to fly out to left. Worthington flied out to left as well to end the inning.

                                                             Mike got the heave ho!

Rice grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Esasky grounded out to third. Gedman flied out to center to end the inning. The O's took command in the bottom of the fourth as Gonzales doubled to center to start. Anderson dropped down a bunt to move Rene to third and he scored on the Bradley base hit to center. Orsulak lined out to short and Ripken grounded into a force to end the inning with the O's up 4-3.

                                                           Bradley puts the Orioles ahead

Reed flied out to center to start the top of the fifth, Boggs flied out to left and Barrett grounded out to third in short order. The O's tagged Smithson in the bottom of the fifth as Sheets doubled to right to begin. Tettleton sacrificed Sheets to third but Traber took strike three. Worthington drove in Sheets with a single to right and Gonzales singled to left. Anderson flied out to center to end the inning with the O's ahead 5-3.

                                                     Worthington drives in a run

Evans grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth, Greenwell flied out to center and Burks struck out swinging in short order. Smithson cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Bradley grounded out to second to start. Orsulak struck out swinging and Ripken Jr flied out to right to end the inning.

Rice grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh, Esasky flied out to center and Gedman flied out to left to end the inning. Bautista had not allowed a baserunner since Boggs walked in the second inning. The O's iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Sheets grounded out to short to start. Tettleton hit a home run all the way to the Carpathian mountains to increase the lead. Traber popped up to short and Worthington flied out to center to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 6-3.

                                                        Nice relief Smithson

Reed grounded back to the mound to start the top of the eighth and Boggs grounded out to short. Barrett got the first Sox hit since the second inning with a seeing eye single to left but Evans flied out to center to end the inning. Rob Murphy sprinted to the mound from the bullpen for the bottom of the eighth and Gonzales flied out to left to start. Anderson flied out to right and Bradley struck out swinging to end the inning.

Francisco Melendez came in to play first for the top of the ninth but Greenwell smashed his second home run of the season to chase Bautista after 8 plus solid innings. Mark Williamson came in and Burks grounded out to short. Rice grounded out to short and Esasky grounded out to third to end the game. The O's had won it 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Smithson. He came in to a tied game and left it after allowing 3 runs.

                                                   Smithson the Jackass

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Rob Murphy pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Nick Esasky was 0 for 4.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3.

Mike Boddicker allowed 4 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked.

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but knocked in two runs.

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 but made an error.

Final Thoughts:

This kind of game really steams the clams of Sox manager Joe Morgan. The Sox scored 3 runs early and had Bautista on the ropes but not only let him off, but he dominated the rest of the game. Then Boddicker gets himself run in the third inning forcing Mike Smithson into action. Smithson gets lit up for 3 runs but the Sox couldn't generate any offense after the first inning. Not the start the Boston Red Sox were looking for after getting swept out of the playoffs, losing Bruce Hurst to free agency and the lousy Spring training they had. Still its only two games and there's plenty of time to turn things around but losing two straight gives off a bad vibe. Hopefully next time Boddicker can keep his cool and Smithson won't allow 3 runs. The Sox now travel to Kansas City for a set with the Royals beginning tomorrow night. Oil Can Boyd makes his season debut for the Red Sox against Floyd Bannister of the Royals. The game begins at 8:30 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

Rainout News (4/5/89)

Tonight's game between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles has been postponed due to heavy rains in Baltimore.

On This Day in Basebawful History:

1974 - Sox outgun Brewers on Opening Day

1979 - Sox beat Indians on Opening Day

1983 - Jays rout sox on Opening Day

1984 - Sox stun Angels late

Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action against the Baltimore Orioles when Mike Boddicker takes on Jose Bautista of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Memorial Stadium.

O's Walkoff on Sox in 11 on Opening Day (4/3/89)

Well that sucked. The defending American League East champion Boston Red Sox got off on the wrong foot to begin the 1989 season. After rallying in the 7th inning, the Sox pushed the Baltimore Orioles to 11 innings. Closer Lee Smith got hurt warming up and Sox manager Joe Morgan put out a 5 man infield in the bottom of the eleventh, but Mike Smithson gave up the winning hit to Craig Worthington on a missed catch by Rice to give the O's the 5-4 victory at Memorial Stadium.

Dave Schmidt got the start for Baltimore and Wade Boggs began the season by grounding back to the mound. Marty Barrett grounded out to third and Dwight Evans popped up to second to end the inning. Sox ace Roger Clemens got the start for the Sox and old friend Brady Anderson grounded out to first to start. Phil Bradley looked at strike three before Steve Finley flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the second as Mike Greenwell popped up to second to start. Ellis Burks whiffed before Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. Clemens matched Schmidt in the bottom of the second as Cal Ripken Jr whiffed to start. Larry Sheets grounded into a shift in right before Mickey Tettleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Nick Esasky made his Sox debut by flying out to right to open the top of the third before Rich Gedman waived at strike three. Jody Reed lined out to short to end the inning. Clemens blew away Jim Traber to start the bottom of the fourth but Craig Worthington singled. The alert Gedman gunned down Craig trying to steal before Rene Gonzales lined out to right to end the inning.

Tragedy struck the Orioles in the top of the fourth when Finley hurt himself on a base hit to right by Boggs. Joe Orsulak replaced him as Boggs was erased on the force by Barrett. Evans and Greenwell both flied out to center to end the inning. The Orioles struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning. Anderson walked but Bradley whiffed. Anderson swiped second and scored on the Orsulak base hit. Ripken Jr banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 1-0 Baltimore.

                                               Comes off the bench to give the O's the lead

The Sox failed to answer in the top of the fifth as Burks grounded out to third to start. Rice beat out an infield single to short and Esasky walked, but Gedman whiffed and Reed lined out to left to end the inning. Clemens held the fort in the bottom of the fifth although Sheets singled to right to begin.  Tettleton walked but Traber popped up to third. Worthington flied out to right before Gonzales grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Boggs doubled to right to start. Barrett dropped down a bunt to move Wade to third and Evans doubled home Boggs to tie the game. Greenwell put the exclamation point on the inning with a 2 run jack to give the Sox the lead. Burks flied out to left and Rice popped up to third but it was 3-1 Red Sox.

                                                            Greenwell puts the Sox on top

The O's roared back in the bottom of the sixth as Anderson doubled to begin the frame. Bradley walked and both runners moved over on the groundout by Orsulak. Ripken Jr then smashed a 3 run bomb to give the O's the lead back. Sheets grounded out to first and Tettleton grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 4-3 O's.

                                                  Ripken goes yard

The Sox refused to go quietly in the top of the seventh inning as Esasky doubled to left to start. Gedman moved Esasky to third with a grounder back to the mound and Reed chased Schmidt with a base hit to score Nick with the tying run. Kevin Hickey came in and a passed ball moved Reed to second before Boggs grounded out to short. Brian Holton came in and got Barrett to ground out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                         Reed ties it up

Clemens came back for the bottom of the seventh and cruised. Traber singled to left but Worthington banged into a double play. Gonzales grounded out to short to end the inning.

Evans whiffed to open the top of the eighth but Greenwell singled and stole second. Burks grounded out to third before Rice flied out to left to end the inning. For some reason Joe Morgan felt he could squeeze one more inning out of Clemens but he was quickly chased with a double by Anderson. Closer Lee Smith limped into the game after pulling a groin while warming up but managed to get Bradley to ground out to second. Orsulak and Ripken Jr both whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to strike in the top of the ninth when Esasky singled but he was thrown out at second trying to steal. Gedman popped up to second and Reed looked at strike three to end the inning. Rob Murphy made a mad dash to the mound from the bullpen to replace the injured Smith in the bottom of the ninth. Sheets whiffed but Tettleton singled to right. Bob Stanley replaced Murphy and Rob sprinted into the dugout with Randy Milligan pinch hitting for Traber. Milligan singled Tettleton to third but Worthington grounded out in front of the plate. Milligan moved into scoring position but Gonzales grounded out to third to end the inning. On to extras we went on Opening Day.

Boggs drew a walk to open the top of the tenth and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Barrett. The bunt backfired as Evans flied out to center. Greenwell was intentionally walked and Burks flied out to right to end the inning. Stanley returned for the bottom of the tenth and allowed a single to Anderson to start. Bradley sacrificed him to second on a bunt but Orsulak flied out to center. Ripken Jr flied out to right to end the inning.

Rice popped up to short to open the top of the eleventh before Esasky flied out to left. Gedman singled to center but Reed grounded into a force to end the inning. The O's finally won it in the bottom of the eleventh although Stanley retired Sheets on a fly ball to center. Tettleton walked and Milligan singled him to third before Mike Smithson was brought in to pitch to Worthington. Sox manager Joe Morgan brought in Greenwell to be a fifth infielder but Worthington blooped one to left. Rice dove.....and missed the ball. Tettleton came around to score and the O's had walked off with the win 5-4.

                                                                   Dammit

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Bob Stanley. He put the winning runs on and took the loss.

                                                       Stanley The Jackass



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a walk, stolen base and a two run home run.

Nick Esasky was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Lee Smith pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Rob Murphy retired one of the two men he faced.



The Bad:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 3.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Smithson gave up the winning single to Worthington



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Jody Reed was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Roger Clemens was as average as it got. He allowed 4 runs in 7 innings of work to take the no-decision. He struck out just 4 and gave up 7 hits.




Final Thoughts:

Well that was a kick in the ass. Losing Smith was bad enough but losing the game like that just adds to the frustration. The Sox had their chances but couldn't get a clutch hit so it was only a matter of time before Baltimore put them away. The Sox rolled the dice by trading Todd Benzinger to get Esasky and Murphy and we'll see if both will help. The one the Sox are going to miss this season will be Bruce Hurst. The dependable lefty was very upset about the Margo Adams scandal which is why he's in San Diego now. John Dopson has huge shoes to fill as his replacement. The Sox look to bounce back Wednesday evening with Mike Boddicker making his season debut opposite Jose Bautista at 7:00 PM at Memorial Stadium.