Sox Late Homer Parade Defeats O's (5/13/00)

For 7 2/3 innings it looked like the Sox were headed to a shut-out loss. O's starter Jason Johnson had dominated the Boston bats but was out of the game. O's manager Mike Hargrove brought in Mike Trombley to close it out...whoops. The Sox exploded for 3 home runs to stun the O's 5-1 at Camden Yards.

                                                     Happy fan

In the top of the first, Johnson dominated. Jose Offerman whiffed, Darren Lewis flied out and Trot Nixon struck out. In the bottom of the first, Jeff Fassero struck out Brady Anderson but allowed a wall-ball double to Mike Bordick. Delino DeShields grounded out, moving Bordick to third before Albert Belle grounded out to short to end the inning.

Brian Daubach popped up leading off the top of the second. Troy O'Leary struck out and Mike Stanley grounded out to end the inning. Fassero matched Johnson in the bottom of the second. Jeff Conine flied out, BJ Surhoff grounded out and Charles Johnson flied out to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the third inning. Scott Hatteberg drew a leadoff walk before Wilton Veras followed with a walk. Donnie Sadler dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over but Johnson whiffed Offerman.Lewis walked to load up the bases but Nixon popped up to right to end the threat. The O's struck first in the bottom of the third. Fassero got Mark Lewis and Rich Amaral to ground out before Anderson smacked his 6th homer of the year. Fassero settled down to get Bordick to ground out but the game was now 1-0 O's.

Could the Sox answer in the top of the fourth? NO! Daubach whiffed but O'Leary walked. Stanley flied out and Hatteberg lined out to end the inning. Fassero continued to pitch well in the bottom of the fourth. DeShields grounded out and Belle struck out, but Conine singled to left. Surhoff flied out to end the inning.

Johnson continued to dominate in the top of the fifth. Veras popped up and Sadler grounded out. Offerman walked but Lewis flied out to end the inning. The Sox had plenty of walks but were being no-hit. Fassero hung tough in the bottom of the fifth. Johnson singled but Lewis flied out. Amaral tried to reach on a bunt popped it up. Anderson flied out to end the inning.

The Sox finally got a hit in the top of the 6th. Nixon lined out and Daubach grounded out but O'Leary drew the 6th walk of the game by Johnson. Stanley hit a single to left to break up the no-no. Jeff Conine snared a Hatteberg rocket to preserve the shut out. Fassero did the best he could in the bottom of the sixth. Bordick lined out but DeShields and Belle hit back to back singles. Conine then banged into a double play to end the inning.

Johnson kept the shut-out in the top of the seventh. Veras and Sadler popped up but Offerman singled. Carl Everett made an appearance as a pinch hitter but Johnson got him to ground out. Donnie Sadler took over in center for Everett as Andy Sheets replaced Sadler at short, batting for Lewis in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff walk by Surhoff in the 7th ended Fassero's night. Rich Garces (1-0, 2.50 ERA) relieved him and Johnson flied out. Lewis singled but Amaral banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                                              Fassero deserved better

Then it was on to the top of the 8th. Buddy Groom started the frame in relief of Johnson and got pinch hitter Jeff Frye (for Trot Nixon) to ground out. Brian Daubach singled and then was pinch-ran for by Manny Alexander. Troy O'Leary then hit a blooper that Surhoff snared allowing O's manager Mike Hargrove to make his worst decision of the afternoon, bringing in Mike Trombley (2-2, 6.60 ERA) to pitch to Mike Stanley. Trombley threw a pitch right in Stanley's wheelhouse that was taken for a ball. Trombley threw the same pitch again and this time Stanley hammered it out of the yard to give the Sox an instant 2-1 lead. Hatteberg stepped to the plate and then launched his first homer of the year to make it 3-1. The very next pitch hit Veras in the back and earned a warning from the home plate umpire. Up came Sadler who then golfed a 2 run home run in the same spot in left field where the first 2 were hit causing Sox analyst Jerry Remy to crack up. Mercifully, Hargrove pulled Trombley for Jose Mercedes who induced a groundout from Jose Offerman to end the inning.

Sox closer Derek Lowe took the mound as Mike Stanley took over for Daubach at first, which meant the Sox lost the DH. Frye remained in the game in right. Lowe allowed back to back singles by Brady Anderson and Mike Bordick but got Delino DeShields to ground into a double play. Lowe then struck out Belle to end the inning.

In the top of the ninth, the heart of the Sox order because of injuries and bizarre managing was now Andy Sheets, Jeff Frye and pitcher Derek Lowe. Mike Timlin took the mound for Baltimore as Sheets grounded out on the first pitch and then Jeff Frye lined out. Lowe then stepped to the batters box then watched 4 pitches go by without swinging as the Sox dugout howled with laughter. Sox commentator Sean McDonough said he was a patient hitter. In the bottom of the 9th, Conine singled but Surhoff flied out. Johnson struck out but Harold Baines pinch hit for Lewis and singled Conine to third. Ryan Minor pinch ran for Baines but Amaral struck out to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-1.

Hero of the day is Mike Stanley. His 2 run home run put the Sox ahead for good in the top of the eighth.

                                                          Hero of the Day: Mike Stanley

The Good:

Manny Alexander pinch ran for Brian Daubach and scored. Scott Hatteberg was 1 for 3 with a walk and launched his first home run of the year. Donnie Sadler was 1 for 3 with a run scored and a 2 run homer, his first of the year. Jeff Fassero deserved a better fate but he tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball, allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out two. Rich Garces (1-0, 2.50 ERA) got the win by pitching a scoreless 7th inning. Derek Lowe pitched 2 scoreless innings to end the game while striking out in his lone plate appearance.

The Bad:

Carl Everett was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter. Andy Sheets was 0 for 1 at the plate. Trot Nixon was 0 for 3. Jeff Frye was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 with a walk. Darren Lewis was 0 for 2 with a walk. Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4. Troy O'Leary was 0 for 2 but walked twice. Wilton Veras was 0 for 2 but was hit, walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Well this game changed in a hurry. The Sox were getting wiped out by Jason Johnson and were down to their final four outs when 3 straight homers turned the game into a laugher. It was great to see Hatteberg and Sadler deliver their first homers of the year, especially with Nomar out and Everett hurting. Fassero pitched well even if he didn't get the win. Sox manager Jimy Williams may want to hold Derek Lowe out of tossing 2 innings a game when he's not needed though, that could wear him out real quick. The Sox improved to 21-12, a half game behind the struggling New York Yankees. Tomorrow Brian Rose (2-2, 7.40 ERA) takes the mound against O's ace Mike Mussina.