Talk about a memorable home opener. For 8 1/2 innings it looked like just another blowout win for the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners rode starter Randy Johnson to a 7-2 lead after eight innings. Boston Red Sox rookie Brian Rose lasted just 5 1/3 innings and the Sox bullpen surrendered four runs after he left. Then in the bottom of the ninth the Sox pulled off a huge rally. The Sox rallied off former Sox closer Heathcliff Slocumb and Mike Timlin to cut the lead 7-5 when Mo Vaughn capped off the comeback with a walkoff grand slam against Paul Spoljaric. What was a 7-2 deficit turned into a dramatic, come from behind 9-7 win at the home opener at Fenway Park.
Rose got the ball in the top of the first and Joey Cora popped up to left to start. Alex Rodriguez flied out to right but Ken Griffey Jr walked. Damon Buford made a great diving catch to rob Edgar Martinez of extra bases to end the inning.
Randy Johnson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Nomar Garciaparra led off by striking out on a pitch in the other batter's box to start. John Valentin doubled high off the Monster and Mo Vaughn got plunked, but Jim Leyritz swung and missed at three straight pitches. Jason Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning.
Rose slipped delivering a pitch to start the top of the second and clearly hurt his ankle. Brian recovered to strike out David Segui swinging and get Glenallen Hill to ground out to second. Dan Wilson looked at strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Buford led off the bottom of the second by getting rung up for strike three to start. Mark Lemke popped up to second and Darren Bragg swung and missed for strike three to end the inning.
Russ Davis led off the top of the third by hitting a grounder off Valentin that was ruled as a single. Robert Perez then popped up a bunt that was snared by Varitek who doubled off Davis for the double play. Cora was hit with a pitch but Rodriguez popped up to left to end the inning. Lewis tried to bunt his way on to start the bottom of the third but it was snuffed out by Wilson to start. Nomar hit a bullet to Segui and Valentin popped up to first to end the inning.
Rose cruised in the top of the fourth as Griffey Jr flied out to center to start. Martinez singled to center but Segui banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fourth although Vaughn took strike three right down the middle to start. Leyritz was plunked and moved to second on the Varitek grounder. Buford then smashed a line drive home run into the screen in left to give the Sox the lead. Lemke took strike three to end the inning but the Sox led 2-0.
Rose hung tough in the top of the fifth as Hill grounded out to short to start. Wilson grounded back to the mound but Davis singled down the right field line. Perez grounded into a force to end the inning. Bragg walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Lewis whiffed badly. Bragg swiped second and Nomar walked, but Valentin and Vaughn both struck out swinging to end the inning.
The wheels fell off for Rose in the top of the sixth as Cora walked to start. Rodriguez beat out an infield single to third but Griffey Jr whiffed. Martinez doubled both runners home to tie the game. That was it for Rose who had outpitched Randy Johnson up until that last at-bat. Jim Corsi came in to pitch and Segui hit a routine grounder to Valentin....who booted it for an error to score Martinez with the go-ahead run. Segui moved to third on the Hill grounder but Wilson flied out to right to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 3-2.
Johnson cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Leyritz took strike three to start. Varitek also watched strike three go by and Buford grounded out to short to end the inning.
Corsi returned in the top of the seventh and Davis took strike three to start. Perez whiffed and Cora hit a routine grounder to Valentin...booted for another error. Rodriguez whiffed to end the inning. Lemke whiffed to begin the bottom of the seventh before Bragg grounded out to third. Lewis walked and Nomar was plunked, but Valentin flied out to right to end the inning.
The Mariners looked to ice the game in the top of the eighth when Steve Avery came in to pitch only to allow a leadoff double to Griffey Jr. Dennis Eckersley came in and Martinez singled off Eck to put runners at the corners. Segui hit a bullet to Vaughn who doubled off Martinez for the double play, but Hill singled home Griffey to increase the lead. Charles Gipson pinch ran for Hill and promptly stole second. Wilson singled home Gipson to increase the lead. Davis singled to center but Perez popped up to second to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 5-2.
Johnson came back for one more inning in the bottom of the eighth and Vaughn took strike three to start Leyritz whiffed for Johnson's 16th strikeout of the game. Varitek flied out to a running Griffey Jr to end the inning, what a game by Johnson.
The Mariners struck back in the top of the ninth with Tom Gordon now on the mound. Cora beat out an infield single to Nomar and promptly swiped second. Rodriguez tripled off the top of the right field wall to score Cora and Griffey Jr walked to put runners on the corners. Martinez hit a fly ball to center to score Rodriguez to increase the lead. Segui hit a routine grounder to Nomar who kicked the ball and shouted GOALLLL! for an error to chase Gordon. Rich Garces came in and promptly uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners over. Gipson took strike three and Wilson flied out to left to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 7-2.
Old pal Heathcliff Slocumb came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Troy O'Leary pinch hitting for Buford to start. O'Leary tapped a single to right and Lemke walked. Bragg doubled into the right field corner to score O'Leary and chase Slocumb. Originally Scott Hatteberg was going to pinch hit for Lewis but Mariners manager Lou Piniella countered with old friend Tony Fossas. Sox manager Jimy Williams then pulled back Hatteberg and put in the right handed Mike Benjamin to pinch hit. The gamble worked as Fossas walked Benjamin to load the bases. Mike Timlin came in to pitch to Nomar and Garciaparra dumped a base hit to center to score Lemke. Valentin was plunked to score Bragg and set the stage for the end. Paul Spoljaric came in to pitch to Vaughn and he clobbered a walkoff grand slam into the right field corner to win the game. The Sox had scored 7 runs without making an out to win it 9-7.
Hero of the Night is Mo Vaughn. He hit the walkoff grand slam to give the Sox the victory.
The Good:
Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with a walk, hit by pitch, rbi and a run scored.
Damon Buford was 1 for 3 with a home run and 2 total rbis.
Troy O'Leary singled and scored as a pinch hitter.
Darren Bragg was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base, rbi and a run scored.
Mike Benjamin walked and scored as a pinch hitter.
Brian Rose allowed 3 runs in just 5 1/3 innings although only 2 were earned.
Jim Corsi tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Rich Garces got the win with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
The Bad:
Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Steve Avery allowed a double to the only man he faced.
Dennis Eckersley allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in an inning.
Tom Gordon allowed 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
John Valentin was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but drove in a run and scored.
Jim Leyritz was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.
Mark Lemke was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Darren Lewis was 0 for 2 but walked.
Honorable Mention:
Scott Hatteberg "pinch hit" in the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Hopefully this is a harbinger for a good season because the Sox have been struggling to open the season. They were headed to a 3-6 record to start but the dramatic comeback saved their bacon. Still, they opened the season with 8 straight road games and that's always tough. Rose looked pretty good today but the bullpen was horrible. The errors didn't help but if the bullpen is a problem, this season may turn out like last year. Pedro Martinez helps the rotation but he's going to need some serious help. The Sox look to continue their winning ways tomorrow afternoon when they send Martinez (1-0) to the mound up against old buddy Jamie Moyer of the Mariners. The game begins at 1:15 PM at Fenway Park.
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