Morris, Tigers Blank Sox (6/25/85)

So much for the red hot Boston Red Sox. After winning 14 of 15 to start the month, they have certainly cooled off. After pounding the Detroit Tigers for nine runs yesterday, they got shut out today by Jack Morris. Morris tossed a complete game, 4 hit shutout while Bobby Ojeda (4-2, 3.16 ERA) pitched a gutty game but got no run support. Darrell Evans clobbered a two run home run in the fourth inning and Tom Brookens knocked in a run in the eighth inning. That's all Detroit needed as they beat the Red Sox 3-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score, Dean Wormer?

Ojeda got the ball in the top of the first inning and Lou Whitaker smacked an opposite field double to the Monster to start. Alan Trammell hit a broken bat grounder to short and Kirk Gibson struck out swinging on a full count fastball. Lance Parrish hit a bullet....right to Wade Boggs to end the inning. Morris got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steve Lyons grounded a base hit up the middle. Boggs singled in the hole at third but Jim Rice grounded into a double play. Lyons did advance to third but Bill Buckner grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox would get just two hits the rest of the game.

The Tigers blew a rally in the top of the second as Larry Herndon walked to start. Chet Lemon ripped a base hit to left and Evans caught the Sox asleep with a bunt down the third base line. Ojeda fielded it but Boggs had ran in too so nobody covered third. Boggs made up for it with a great play on a grounder by Barbaro Garvey to come home for the force. Tom Brookens popped up to Buckner and Whitaker took strike three on the outside corner to end the inning. Mike Easler struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Dwight Evans doubled off the Monster. Rich Gedman grounded out to first to move Evans to third but Marty Barrett flied out to right to end the inning.

Trammell lined one off the glove of Boggs for a "hit" to start the top of the third but Gibson struck out swinging. Parrish flied out to right and Herndon took strike three to end the inning. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Lyons popped up to third in foul territory and Boggs grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Tigers struck first in the top of the fourth as Lemon ripped a base hit to left before Evans clobbered a home run all the way into the Charles River to give Detroit the lead. Garbey walked but Brookens flied out to a running Lyons. Whitaker dumped a base hit just in front of Lyons but Garbey was picked off second to end the inning with Detroit up 2-0.

                                                        "Damn you Evans" - Ojeda

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Rice grounded out to third to start. Buckner grounded out to short and Easler lined out to a running Lemon to end the inning.

Gibson smashed a double to right to start the top of the fifth but Parrish grounded out to short. Herndon flied out to deep right and it was enough to move Gibson to third. Lemon also flied out to right to end the inning. Evans led off the bottom of the fifth by grounding out to third before Gedman flied out into the centerfield triangle. Barrett flied out to right to end the inning.

Ojeda stayed strong in the top of the sixth as Evans took strike three to start. Garbey popped up to second and Brookens grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew their last chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the sixth as Hoffman doubled to the Monster to start. Lyons struck out swinging on a pitch in the dirt and Boggs flied out to left. Hoffman moved to third on a wild pitch but Rice grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Tigers threatened in the top of the seventh as Whitaker lined a base hit up the middle to start. Trammell dropped down a bunt to move Whitaker to second but Gibson struck out swinging. Parrish was intentionally walked but Herndon also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox failed to pick up Ojeda in the bottom of the seventh as Buckner flied out to left to start. Easler hit a bullet right to Darrell Evans but Dwight Evans drew a walk. Gedman flied out to left to end the inning.

The Tigers finally knocked out Ojeda in the top of the eighth although Evans made a running catch to rob Lemon of a double to start. Hoffman made a great stab of a Darrell Evans liner but Garbey doubled off the Monster to chase Ojeda. Bobby tossed 7 2/3 innings and would be charged with 3 runs on 10 hits. Sox manager John McNamara waited until the last second then brought in Mark Clear to pitch to Brookens. The gamble failed as Brookens dunped a base hit in front of Rice. Garbey turned and ran for home and Rice had him beat....if the throw didn't bounce 30 feet from home plate for an error to score Barbaro. Whitaker grounded back to Clear to end the inning but the damage was done, 3-0 Tigers.

                                                         Ojeda deserved better

The Sox went into the tank in the bottom of the eighth inning as Barrett lined out to short to start. Hoffman whiffed badly on a pitch in the dirt and Lyons grounded out to second to end the inning.

Clear returned for the top of the ninth and Trammell popped up to Buckner to start. Gibson lined out to Hoffman and Parrish popped up to Barrett to end the inning. Morris came back to complete the game in the bottom of the ninth but Boggs walked to start. Rice completed his horrible day by banging into a double play. Buckner popped up to third in foul territory to end the game. The Tigers had won it 3-0.

                                                            Complete game for Morris

Jackass of the Night is Jim Rice. He was 0 for 4, grounded into two double plays, made a critical throwing error and left a man at third.

                                               Jackass couldn't hit or throw in this one

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4.

Mike Easler was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Steve Lyons was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Ojeda took the loss but allowed just 3 runs in  7 2/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7.

Mark Clear allowed an inherited runner to score but allowed no runs of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

That game sucked for the Red Sox. Morris totally dominated them after the second inning and Ojeda did the best he could. Jim Rice had his worst game as a professional as he left men on base all game and his throwing error led to the dagger run scoring. Still, doesn't matter if it was 2-0 or 20-0, nobody was touching Morris after the second inning. The problem with the Sox offense is its too inconsistent. Tony Armas not playing didn't help but otherwise, they ran into one of the best in the game tonight. Ojeda did the best he could and Clear held the fort as well, but sometimes there's nothing you can do. The loss dropped the Sox to 37-32, six games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night when Al Nipper (4-5) takes on Randy O'Neal of Detroit. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Beat Yankees in 11 Innings (4/23/85)

The bad news was the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their first round NBA playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox knocked off the New York Yankees in extra innings. The Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Joe Cowley and the Yankees but New York fought back to score two runs against Oil Can Boyd. Dwight Evans drew a bases loaded walk but the Yankees tied it by knocking out Boyd in the seventh and getting a run off Bob Stanley in the eighth. In the top of the eleventh, Evans knocked in Barrett to give the Sox the lead and Bob Ojeda (2-0, 2.35 ERA) slammed the door to win the game for the Sox 5-4 in 11 innings at Yankee Stadium.

                                                    Donna Smith approves of the win

Cowley got the ball in the top of the first instead of the sick Dennis Rasmussen and Wade Boggs walked on a pitch to the backstop to start. Dwight Evans walked but Jim Rice struck out swinging. Mike Easler grounded into a double play to end the inning. Boyd got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rickey Henderson made his season debut by popping up to third to start. Willie Randolph drew a full count walk but Don Mattingly struck out swinging. Dave Winfield popped up to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Tony Armas golfed a base hit past Bob Meachem to start. Bill Buckner drew a walk but was forced at second by Rich Gedman to put runners at the corners. Marty Barrett scored Armas hit a sac fly to score Armas to put the Sox on top. Jackie Gutierrez sliced a base hit to right but Boggs flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                          Armas scores the first run

Don Baylor led off the bottom of the second by striking out swinging on a big curveball to start. Ken Griffey flied out to right but Mike Pagliarulo walked. Butch Wynegar grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third inning although Evans struck out swinging to start. Rice also went down hacking but Easler cranked his second home run of the season to right to increase the lead. Armas popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                  Easler goes deep

Meachem led off the bottom of the third with a bloop hit to left and moved to second on the Henderson grounder to third. Randolph grounded back to the mound and Mattingly struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Randolph knocked down a Buckner grounder and threw him out to start. Gedman popped up to short and Barrett popped up to center to end the inning. Winfield hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the fourth before Baylor flied out to left. Griffey flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Gutierrez singled off the glove of Meachem to begin. Gutierrez took off for second and Wynegar bounced the throw into center to advance Jackie to third on the error. Boggs scored Gutierrez with a sac fly to left to increase the lead but Evans grounded out to second. Rice flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Sac fly for Boggs

The Yankees threatened in the bottom of the fifth as Pagliarulo doubled to the right field wall to start. Wynegar flied out into the right field corner and Evans told the umpires that somebody threw trash at him while he was trying to make the catch. Meachem caught Boyd asleep with a bunt single to put runners at the corners. Henderson popped up to Buckner and Randolph flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning.

                               "There, that linguini eating stugotz, that's the one!" - Evans

Bob Shirley replaced Cowley to start the top of the sixth and Easler grounded out to short to start. Armas flied out to center and Buckner struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees began their comeback in the bottom of the sixth although Mattingly lined out to short to start. Winfield singled over the head of Gutierrez and Baylor hit a hanging curve into the left field stands to cut the lead. Griffey flied out to deep right and a fan tried to throw beer at Evans making the catch. Alert Yankee Stadium security seized the beer thrower and wrestled him to the ground. Pagliarulo struck out swinging to end the inning but the Yankees were back in it down 3-2.

                                                       Baylor takes Boyd deep

The Sox answered in the top of the seventh as Gedman singled down the first base line to start. Barrett dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Gedman to second and Randolph booted a grounder by Gutierrez for an error. Boggs walked to load the bases and Evans walked to score Gedman with another run. With a chance to break the game open....Rice banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox led 4-2 but the double play cost them dearly.

                                                       Gedman scores on a walk

The Yankees knocked Boyd out in the bottom of the seventh although Wynegar popped up to first to start. Meachem walked and Henderson singled down the left field line to chase Boyd. Bob Stanley replaced Boyd and Randolph forced Henderson at second, but Mattingly singled home Meachem to cut the lead. Winfield went down swinging to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-3.

                                                   Boyd leaves with the lead

Easler hit a routine pop up to Griffey who dropped it for an error to leave Mike at second base to start the top of the eighth. Armas grounded out to short and Meachem dove into the stands to catch a pop up by Buckner. Gedman struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees tied it in the bottom of the eighth although Baylor grounded out to second to start. Griffey and Pagliarulo drew back to back walks before Wynegar doubled to right to score Griffey to tie the game. Meachem was intentionally walked and Henderson banged into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                        Tie game

Barrett hit a routine grounder to Meachem who booted it for an error to start the top of the ninth. Gutierrez moved Barrett to second with a sacrifice bunt and Dave Righetti came in to pitch. Boggs and Evans both struck out swinging to end the inning. Stanley cruised in the bottom of the ninth as Randolph struck out swinging to start. Mattingly popped up to short and Winfield flied out to a running Rice to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the tenth as Rice grounded back to the mound to start. Easler struck out swinging but Armas ripped a base hit to left. Steve Lyons pinch ran for Armas and Buckner sliced a base hit to left to advance Steve to third. Reid Nichols pinch hit for Gedman but grounded out to third to end the inning. Baylor struck out swinging to start the bottom of the tenth with Marc Sullivan now behind the plate. All of a sudden Sox manager John McNamara brought in Bob Ojeda to pitch and Griffey flied out to left. Pagliarulo struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox rallied against Righetti in the top of the eleventh as Barrett lined a base hit to center to begin. Gutierrez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Marty to second and Boggs singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners. Evans slashed a base hit to left to score Barrett to give the Sox the lead. Rice banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 5-4.

                                                          Evans with the go-ahead hit

Ojeda came back to close out the bottom of the eleventh but Wynegar lined a base hit to right to start. Henry Cotto pinch ran for Wynegar and Meachem sacrificed Henry to second. Henderson lined out to short and Randolph grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4 in 11 innings.

Hero of the Night is Dwight Evans. His rbi single in the eleventh inning was the difference in the game.

                                                                 Dwight Hero

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Tony Armas was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Marty Barrett was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jackie Gutierrez was 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Oil Can Boyd pitched well, allowing just 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks.

Bob Ojeda got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jim Rice was 0 for 6 with 2 strikeouts.

Reid Nichols grounded out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Mike Easler was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a home run.

Bill Buckner was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Bob Stanley allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 3 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Steve Lyons pinch ran for Armas and played center in the final inning.

Marc Sullivan caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

It wasn't easy but a win is a win, especially on the road. The Sox could have broken this game open when it was 4-2 but instead the Yankees came back to tie the game. Hats off to the Sox to keep the game tied after that with Stanley and Ojeda giving New York nothing after the eighth inning. Evans had an eventful night dealing with rowdy fans and still managed to deliver the game winning hit. The Sox are treading water in April and hopefully their pitching can hold up the whole season to match the offense. Boyd looked good tonight and its a shame Stanley couldn't hold the lead. Ojeda coming out of the bullpen was interesting but at least it worked tonight. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow night when Al Nipper takes the mound against Ron Guidry of New York. The game begins at 7:00 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Ojeda Spins Beauty, Tames Tigers (5/3/84)

The Detroit Tigers are red-hot at the moment but temporarily they have been cooled off. Bob Ojeda (2-2, 3.86 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox squeezed by with a pressure-packed 1-0 victory over the Tigers due to a late home run by Dwight Evans at Tiger Stadium.

                                                  ET approves of the win

Detroit's Jack Morris got the start for the Tigers as Marty Barrett led off with a ground out to short. Dwight Evans popped to short but Wade Boggs worked a walk. Jim Rice popped up to third to end the inning. Ojeda began his day by allowing a single to Lou Whitaker to begin the bottom of the first. Alan Trammell walked but the alert Rich Gedman cut down Whitaker at third on a double steal. Barbaro Garbey grounded to third and Lance Parrish flied out to center to end the inning.

Morris stayed tough in the top of the second as Mike Easler hit a comebacker to Morris for the first out. Tony Armas and Gedman both struck out to end the inning. Ojeda matched Morris in the bottom of the second as Larry Herndon struck out to start. Chet Lemon and Kirk Gibson both grounded out to end the inning.

Morris got Reid Nichols to ground to third to open the top of the third before Jackie Gutierrez grounded to first. Barrett flied to right to end the inning. Gedman again bailed out Ojeda as Tom Brookens singled to open the bottom of the third only to be thrown out trying to steal. Rusty Kuntz struck out as did Whitaker to end the inning.

                                                         Way to go Ojeda!

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth but Evans led off by striking out. Boggs walked and Rice singled to put the pressure on but Easler struck out. Armas grounded into a force to end the inning, what a waste. Luckily Ojeda was ready for the bottom of the fourth. Trammell flied out and Garbey grounded out, but Parrish singled. Ojeda recovered to strike out Herndon to end the inning.

Once again the Sox threatened in the top of the fourth but could not score. Gedman walked but Nichols flied out to center. Gutierrez singled but Barrett struck out. Evans flied out to right to end the inning. It was the Tigers turn to threaten in the bottom of the fifth although Lemon flied out. Gibson singled but Brookens walked. Gibson moved to third on the fly out by Kuntz, but Whitaker also flied out to end the inning.

                                                 Ojeda gets it done in the 5th

Once again the Sox put two men on in the top of the sixth inning. Boggs singled but was erased on the force by Rice. Easler flied out to center but Armas singled Jim to third. With runners at the corners....Gedman struck out to end the inning, damn. Ojeda began the bottom of the sixth by getting Trammell to fly out before Garbey hit a routine grounder to Gutierrez....who he kicked over to second base for absolutely no reason, allowing Garbey to reach on the error. Gedman stepped up AGAIN on a strike em out, throw em out double play to get Garbey at second after Parrish struck out to end the inning.

The Sox failed to capitalize on the double play in the top of the seventh inning. Nichols grounded out to short, Gutierrez flied out to right and Barrett popped up to short to end the inning. Ojeda matched Morris in the bottom of the seventh although Herndon led off with a single. Bob turned up the heat to strike out Lemon, Gibson and Brookens all in order to end the inning.

The Sox finally struck first in the top of the eighth when Evans crushed a solo home run to put the Sox on top. Boggs grounded out and Rice struck out before Easler flied out to end the inning. Still, the Sox were 6 outs from victory thanks to the Dewey home run.

                                                   Evans puts the Sox on top 1-0

Could Ojeda pitch with the lead? You bet your bippy he could. Kuntz flied to center, Whitaker struck out and Trammell grounded out to end the inning.

Morris returned for the top of the ninth and struck out Armas to begin. Gedman and Nichols both grounded to third to end the inning. Ojeda came back to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth. Garbey flied out but things got hairy when Parrish singled and Herndon walked to put the winning run at first. Ojeda got Lemon to fly out and struck out Gibson to end the game. The Sox had beaten the Tigers 1-0 after an amazing start by Ojeda.

Hero of the Night is Bob Ojeda. He was masterful pitching a 6 hit complete game shut-out while striking out 10.

                                                               Ojeda The Hero



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Jackie Gutierrez was 1 for 3.



The Bad:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Easler was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run that ended up being the difference.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but walked and made 3 great throws to nab basestealers.



Final Thoughts:

The Tigers are red hot but that was quite a nice roadblock put up by Bob Ojeda. The Sox need an ace to step up with Dennis Eckersley struggling, could Ojeda be the one? The offense was asleep but Jack Morris is pretty damn good, so not much you can do there. Thank God for Dwight Evans right? The unsung hero of this game was Rich Gedman, throwing out 3 would be base-stealers to preserve the shut-out plus calling the game that Ojeda pitched. With all the runs the Sox pitching have been given up, it was nice to see a shut-out for once. The win improved the Sox to 11-14, 9 games behind the Tigers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox return to Fenway to take on old friend Carlton Fisk and the Chicago White Sox. It looks like a Monster match with Tom Seaver going up against Dennis Eckersley (2-2, 5.94 ERA) who beat the ChiSox the last time he pitched in Chicago.

Red Sox Shock White Sox in 8 run Comeback (4/28/84)

In what's been an up and down month, tonight's Boston Red Sox game against the Chicago White Sox featured a month's worth of drama. The White Sox took a 6-0 lead against Bob Ojeda and the Red Sox going into the seventh inning. Suddenly the Red Sox exploded for 3 runs in the 7th, 3 in the eighth and two in the ninth to take the lead. Bob Stanley slammed the door in the ninth inning and the BoSox stunned the ChiSox 8-7 at Commiskey Park.

                                               Flounder loves rallies

Tom Seaver got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy led off with a grounder to short. Dwight Evans also grounded to short but Wade Boggs smacked a double. Jim Rice struck out to end the inning. Ojeda got the ball in the bottom of the first and walked Rudy Law to start. Carlton Fisk flied out to left and Law was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Rich Gedman. Tom Paciorek flied out to right to end the inning.

Mike Easler led off the top of the second inning with a grounder to second but Tony Armas hit a double. Armas moved to third on the Gedman grounder and Nichols grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Greg Luzinsky walked to open the bottom of the second and Ron Kittle followed with a base hit. Dave Stegman flied out to right and Luzinsky was doubled off second on the line drive to third by Vance Law to end the inning.

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third inning as Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Remy also grounded out to short and Evans grounded out to second to end the inning. Scott Fletcher grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third but Julio Cruz singled. Rudy Law flied out to left and Fisk flied out to right to end the inning.

Seaver cruised in the top of the fourth as Boggs grounded out to first to start. Rice grounded out to third and Easler struck out to end the inning. Ojeda kept pace in the bottom of the fourth although Paciorek singled to start. Tom moved to second on the grounder by Luzinsky and Kittle struck out. Stegman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Armas grounded out to short to begin the top of the fifth but Gedman drew a walk. Nichols banged into a double play to end the inning. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Vance Law flied out to right to start. Fletcher singled to center and moved to second on the Cruz grounder. Rudy Law singled home Fletcher and Fisk doubled Rudy home. Paciorek grounded out to second to end the inning with the White Sox leading 2-0.

                                                           Fisk still haunting the Red Sox

The BoSox failed to answer in the top of the sixth as Hoffman popped up to second to start. Remy grounded out to short and Evans watched strike three go by to end the inning. The ChiSox finished off Ojeda in the bottom of the sixth as Luzinsky walked to start. Kittle popped up to third and Stegman took strike three but Vance Law doubled and Fletcher walked to load the bases. Cruz then walloped a 78,000 foot grand slam to seemingly ice the game. Rudy Law singled and that was it for Ojeda. He was good for 5 innings but that grand slam was the killer. Mark Clear came in and got Fisk to fly out to center to end the inning but the game looked over at 6-0 Chicago.

                                                                Not good enough

Suddenly the Red Sox sprang to life in the top of the seventh inning. Boggs doubled and Rice singled him in to put Boston on the board. Easler struck out but Armas clobbered his 6th home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Gedman grounded out to first and Nichols popped up to second but the Red Sox were down 6-3.

                                                         Tony jacks one out

Clear did his part in the bottom of the seventh as Paciorek struck out to start. Luzinsky grounded out to third but Kittle walked. Harold Baines pinch hit for Stegman and struck out to end the inning.

Mike Squires took over in the field for Paciorek to start the top of the eighth. Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman and got a base hit to chase Seaver. Britt Burns came in to allow Remy to get a base hit and Evans to walk to load the bases. Boggs banged into a double play but Miller scored and Remy moved to third. Rice FINALLY crushed his first home run of the season to tie the game. Easler struck out to end the inning but the BoSox had tied it 6-6.

                                                      Rice ties it up

Just as soon as the BoSox tied it, the White Sox took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Ed Jurak took over at third in Miller's spot with Jackie Gutierrez now playing short in Boggs' spot. Jerry Hairston pinch hit for Vance Law and walked to begin. Jerry Dybzinski pinch ran for Hairston and swiped second but Fletcher took strike three. Dybzinski moved to third on the fly out by Cruz and scored on a passed ball. Law popped up to Clear to end the inning but the ChiSox dealt a blow by taking a 7-6 lead.

It didn't look good in the top of the ninth when Armas grounded out to second to start. Dave Stapleton pinch hit for Gedman and struck out but somehow Nichols singled. Ron Reed came in to get the final out but Nichols stole second. Jurak stepped up with a triple to tie the game. Remy hit a routine grounder to Fletcher...UNDER HIS GLOVE! Jurak scored to give the BoSox the lead. Evans was intentionally walked but Gutierrez took strike three to end the inning with Boston ahead 8-7.

                                                          Jurak scores the go-ahead run

Gary Allenson took over behind the plate with Bob Stanley on the mound to close it out in the bottom of the ninth. Fisk grounded out to third, Squires grounded out to third and Luzinsky popped up to third to end the game. The BoSox had stormed back to win 8-7.

Hero of the Night is Ed Jurak. His triple tied the game and he scored the winning run.

                                                        Jurak the Hero


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a 3 run homer.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with a two run homer.

Rick Miller singled and scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.



The Bad:

Jackie Gutierrez struck out in his only at bat.

Mike Easler was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Dave Stapleton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2.

Bob Ojeda got lit up for 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 2 with a passed ball but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Mark Clear allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings of work but it was unearned.



Honorable Mention:

Gary Allenson caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

What a game! The BoSox looked dead in the water down 6-0 with 9 outs to play and they stormed back to win the game. The offense can't do that every night but they got it done in this one. Ed Jurak with the triple was just as instrumental as the three run bomb by Rice and the two run shot by Armas. They pretty much did this without Easler who was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. Ojeda looked awful in the 6th inning but Stanley and Clear was a passed ball away from shutout ball the rest of the way. The BoSox have one game left in the month of April and that poor start put them a mile behind the Detroit Tigers who look invincible right now. If the Red Sox were to get an ace pitcher by hook or crook, then maybe they'd have a prayer of catching them. The Red Sox look to sweep the White Sox and end the month of April in style when they send Al Nipper to the mound up against Richard Dotson at 3:05 PM Eastern Time at Commiskey Park.

Sox Down Angels in Rained Shortened Game (4/23/84)

It was totally cheap but a win is a win. In front of just under 13,000 fans at Fenway, the Boston Red Sox battled the California Angels in a squall. Bob Ojeda (1-2, 3.97 ERA) held the Angels scoreless through six innings and the Sox managed to scratch out a couple of runs. Then the rains came and never let up. Rather than re-starting the game at midnight on a school night, the umpires said to hell with it and called the game. It was cheap but the Sox had won the game 2-0 in 6 innings at Fenway Park.

                                       Gene Kelly approves of the rain shortened win

Ojeda got the ball in the top of the first inning and Gary Pettis grounded out to second to start. Rod Carew struck out but Fred Lynn singled. Doug DeCinces walked and Reggie Jackson struck out to end the inning. Geoff Zahn got the start for California and Marty Barrett greeted him with a base hit. Dwight Evans walked and Wade Boggs flied out to left. Jim Rice flied out to center and Mike Easler flied out to right to end the inning.

Brian Downing began the top of the second with a pop up to first. Bobby Grich grounded out to short but Bob Boone singled. Dick Schofield Jr singled Boone to third but Pettis grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second although Tony Armas grounded out to second to start. Reid Nichols doubled and Jeff Newman singled him to third. Jackie Gutierrez flied out to right but Barrett singled home Nichols. Evans grounded into a force to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                             Barrett drives in a run

Carew grounded out to second to start the top of the third but Lynn walked. DeCinces and Jackson both struck out to end the inning. Boggs walked to start the bottom of the third but Rice banged into a double play. Easler singled but Armas struck out to end the inning,

Ojeda cruised in the top of the fourth as Downing flied out to center to start. Grich also flied out to center and Boone grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Nichols grounded out to the mound to start. Newman grounded out to short and Gutierrez grounded out to first to end the inning.

Schofield Jr struck out to start the top of the fifth before Pettis grounded out to second. Carew also grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Barrett singled to start. Evans reached on a fielding error by Lynn and Boggs dropped down a bunt to move the runners into scoring position. Rice was intentionally walked to load the bases and Easler scored Barrett with a sac fly. Armas grounded out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Herculean sac fly by Easler

Lynn walked to open the top of the sixth and Gutierrez booted a grounder by DeCinces for an error, but Jackson struck out. Downing hit into a double play to end the inning. Ojeda was technically credited with a complete game shutout as he tossed 6 innings and allowed just 3 hits.

                                                        Way to go Ojeda

The end came quickly in the bottom of the sixth. Nichols flied out to left and Newman singled when the downpour got too heavy. The umpires called for the tarp and that was it. A few hours later the umpires said the hell with it and the game was called. The Sox had won it 2-0 in 5 1/3 complete innings.

Hero of the Night is Bob Ojeda. Techincally he threw a complete game 3 hit shutout and even if the game continued, that would have been good enough to win anyway.

                                                         Bobby Hero


The Good:

Marty Barrett was 3 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Wade Boggs walked in 2 plate appearances.

Mike Easler was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Reid Nichols was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Jeff Newman was 2 for 3.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 2.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 2 but walked.

Jim Rice was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

That was a cheap ass win but the Sox will take it. They need every win they can after the horrid start they were on. They need to make up ground quick or else the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers will be too far ahead by June. It was only 6 innings but Ojeda looked great and Marty Barrett filled in for Jerry Remy pretty well. As usual the offense will be there, but the pitching is suspect. Hopefully the Sox can build momentum tomorrow when they send Oil Can Boyd to the mound up against Steve Brown of the Angels at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Edge Sox, Streak at 6 (4/18/84)

Quite simply the Boston Red Sox suck right now. They are inventing new ways to lose and have dropped their sixth straight game. In front of a paltry crowd of just over 12,000 people, Bob Ojeda (0-2, 5.40 ERA) got rocked and couldn't recover. The Texas Rangers held the Red Sox scoreless for the final 7 innings of the game and came away with a 4-3 victory at Fenway Park.

Ojeda took the mound in the top of the first inning and Billy Sample struck out to begin the ballgame. Gary Ward walked but was gunned down at the second trying to steal by the alert Rich Gedman. George Wright struck out to end the inning. Jerry Remy led off the bottom of the second with a base hit. Dwight Evans struck out but Remy swiped second. Wade Boggs flied out to left and Jim Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ojeda got through the top of the second inning by getting Buddy Bell to fly out to right to begin. Larry Parrish walked but Dave Hostetler flied out to center. Ned Yost flied out to left to end the inning. Somehow the Sox scored first in the bottom of the second inning and it started with a Mike Easler single. Tony Armas singled Mike to third and Easler scored on the groundout by Gedman. Reid Nichols tripled home Armas and Glenn Hoffman singled home Reid. The rally ended cold turkey when Remy banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.

                                                      Nichols with the triple

As usual when the Sox get a lead, the pitcher tries to piss it away and the Rangers got on the board in the top of the third. Wayne Tolleson grounded out to second to start but Curt Wilkerson doubled. Wilkerson broke for third but the alert Gedman threw him out trying to steal. It was a good thing Gedman got him because Sample smashed a 7,000 foot home run to put the Rangers on the board. Ward grounded out to second to end the inning but it was now 3-1 Sox.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Evans struck out again to start. Boggs singled but Rangers starter Danny Darwin struck out both Rice and Easler to end the inning.

The Rangers knocked Ojeda out early in the top of the fourth although Wright grounded back to the mound to begin. Bell walked and Parrish singled him to third, taking second on the throw. Hostetler walked and Yost singled in two runners to tie the game. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough of Ojeda and brought in Bob Stanley to stop the bleeding. Tolleson beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Wilkerson singled home Hostetler to give the Rangers the lead. Wilkerson tried for second and Gedman threw him out trying to steal. The Rangers would probably be up by 5 runs if they stopped running into outs but instead the Rangers were up 4-3.

                                                     Nice going Ojeda

The Sox offense couldn't do a damn thing against Darwin in the bottom of the fourth inning. Armas hit one up the elevator shaft, Gedman grounded out to first and Nichols struck out to end the inning.

Stanley shut down the Rangers in the top of the fifth as Sample flied out to right to start. Ward singled but Wright flied out to center. Bell singled but Parrish popped up to first to end the inning. Pete O'Brien replaced Hollister in the bottom of the fifth as Hoffman flied out to center to begin. Remy struck out and Evans flied out to center to end the inning.

Stanley matched Darwin in the top of the sixth by getting O'Brien on strikes to start the frame. Yost grounded out to short and Tolleson flied out to left to end the inning. Nothing doing for the Sox in the bottom of the sixth as Boggs popped up to short and Rice flied out to center. Easler singled but Armas grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Rangers did nothing in the top of the seventh as Wilkerson struck out, Sample grounded out to second and Ward grounded out to short to end the inning. Darwin matched Stanley in the bottom of the seventh as Gedman grounded out to third to begin. Nichols struck out and Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman...only to ground out to third to end the inning.

Jackie Gutierrez took over at short for the top of the eighth and Wright grounded out to second to begin. Bell grounded out to third but Parrish doubled. O'Brien was intentionally walked and Yost grounded out to first to end the inning.  Darwin returned for the bottom of the eighth and Remy grounded back to the mound to start. Evans and Boggs stroked back to back singles to put the tying run in scoring position...but Rice banged into a double play to end the inning.

Stanley returned for the top of the ninth and Tolleson grounded out to second to start. Wilkerson and Sample stroked back to back singles but Ward banged into a double play to end the inning. Stanley had tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the Sox in the game.

                                                        Stanley with the yeoman's effort

The Sox had one last chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth with Dave Tobik now on the mound and Easler got it started with a walk. Armas grounded out but Easler moved to second, causing Sox manager Ralph Houk to pinch run Marty Barrett for Mike. Gedman grounded out as well but Easler moved to third. Rangers manager Bobby Cox took no chances and walked Nichols to get to the rookie Gutierrez. Naturally Jackie grounded out to end the game, the Sox had lost 6 in a row and this game 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Jim Rice. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including a crucial double play in the eigth inning.

                                                       Jim the Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4.

Mike Easler was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Reid Nichols was 1 for 3 with a walk, run scored and rbi.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Bob Stanley tossed 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.



The Bad:

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bob Ojeda took the loss, giving up 4 runs in just 3 1/3 innings, falling apart in the 2nd.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4.

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 but nailed 3 guys trying to steal and drove in a run.



Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett pinch ran for Easler in the 9th.




Final Thoughts:

Is this team ever going to win again? Nothing they do seems to go right these days. They scored 3 runs in the first two innings and then absolutely nothing the rest of the game. Stanley pitches his ass off but the Sox couldn't score for him. I hate to say it but something's wrong with the bottom of the order. It gets pretty light after the 6th spot and other teams are starting to take notice. Cox had Nichols walked to get to Gutierrez and it worked for the Rangers. As sad as it sounds, maybe the Sox need another bat in the lineup to generate some offense. As for now the Sox have lost their 6th straight. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to salvage the series against the Rangers when Oil Can Boyd (0-1) goes for the Sox opposite Charlie Hough at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Offense Falters in Seattle (4/10/84)

Another game, another miserable performance by the Boston Red Sox bats. After getting stoned in both Anaheim and Oakland to begin the season, the Sox then brought their anemic offense to Seattle where they were beaten by the Mariners. This time the Sox mustered just 6 hits and 1 run as Jim Beattie looked unhittable. Bob Ojeda (0-1, 4.50 ERA) wasn't good enough as the Mariners took the game 5-1 at the Kingdome.

                                                  Lt Goldblume cant stand the Sox offense

Beattie got the ball in the top of the first and Jerry Remy greeted him by flying out to left. Dwight Evans walked and broke for third on a base hit by Wade Boggs....and got thrown out by a mile. Boggs managed to take second on the throw but Jim Rice flied out to left to end the inning. Nice going Dwight. The Mariners wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Jack Perconte doubled and was advanced to third on the sacrifice bunt by Larry Milbourne. Barry Bonnell singled home Perconte and Gorman Thomas doubled Bonnell home to increase the lead. Steve Henderson struck out but Dave Henderson was hit with a pitch. Bob Kearney hit a comebacker to end the inning but the Mariners were up for good already 2-1.

                                                "Hey you...Ojeda....pitch better!"

Did you expect the Sox to come back in this one? Me neither, although Mike Easler somehow worked a walk to begin the top of the second. Tony Armas grounded out to advance Easler to second but Rich Gedman flied out to right. Dave Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning. Ojeda got himself back on track in the bottom of the second as Phil Bradley hit a comebacker to begin. Spike Owen popped up to second but Perconte singled. Milbourne flied out to right to end the inning.

More bawfulness occurred in the top of the third as Jackie Gutierrez flied out to right to start. Remy somehow motored around for a triple but Evans left him there by grounding out sharply to second. Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning, what a waste. Ojeda ran into trouble in the bottom of the third by walking Bonnell to start. Thomas flied out to center but Steve Henderson singled. Dave Henderson and Kearney struck out to end the inning.

Rice worked a walk to open the top of the fourth inning but Easler flied out to left. Armas struck out and Gedman hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning. The Mariners struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Bradley grounded out to short to start. Owen hit a routine single to center but Arms inexplicably tried to dive on the ball like a grenade, allowing Spike to reach second on the error. Perconte popped to short but Milbourne singled Owen to third. Bonnell singled home Spike for another insurance run. Thomas struck out to end the inning but it was now 3-0 Seattle.

                                               "OJEDAAAAAA!!!!!"

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth inning as Stapleton grounded out to short and Gutierrez grounded out to to second. Remy somehow singled but Evans struck out to end the inning. The Mariners ran themselves into outs in the bottom of the fifth. Steve Henderson walked and stole second and Dave Henderson beat out an infield single. Gedman then managed to throw out both Hendersons trying to steal and Kearney flied out to center to end the inning.

                                              "Those Hendersons can't run on me" - Gedman

The futility continued in the top of the sixth as Boggs struck out to start. Rice somehow singled but Easler flied out to center and Armas struck out to end the inning. Gedman came up big again in the bottom of the sixth as Bradley grounded out to short to start. Owen walked and he was thrown out at second trying to steal. Perconte was hit with a pitch but Milbourne flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the seventh as Gedman and Stapleton both flied out to center before Gutierrez flied out to right to end the inning. The Mariners finally knocked out Ojeda in the bottom of the seventh inning. Bonnell walked but Thomas flied out to center. Steve Henderson then blasted a 2 run bomb to chase Ojeda from the game. The offense was non existent but he still gave up 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings.

                                                             Poor performance by Ojeda

Sunday's failed starter Mike Brown was given a shot to redeem himself by Sox manager Ralph Houk and he delivered. Dave Henderson flied out to right but Kearney singled. Bradley walked and the two runners got revenge on Gedman by pulling off a double-steal. Brown struck out Owen to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-0.

Bonnell moved to left as Domingo Ramos came in to play first, eliminating Gorman Thomas to begin the top of the eighth. The Sox rallied with Remy getting a base hit before Evans walked to chase Beattie. Ed Vande Berg came in and walked Boggs to load the bases Now the Sox were a double or a blast away from getting back in the game....but Rice banged into a double play, scoring Remy and moving Evans to third. Easler walked to put runners at the corners and Mike Stanton replaced Vande Berg on the mound. With a chance to put the Sox closer...Armas struck out AGAIN to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1. Brown returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Perconte to fly out to start. Milbourne walked but Bonnell flied out to right. Ramos grounded out to third to end the inning.

The game finally came to an end in the top of the ninth inning. Gedman struck out but Stapleton singled. Rick Miller pinch hit for Gutierrez and banged into a double play to end the game. The Mariners had won it 5-1.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Ojeda. He gave up 5 runs and failed to get out of the seventh inning. Yes the putrid offense failed to produce but 5 runs is 5 runs.

                                             Jackass of the Night: Ojeda


The Good:

Jerry Remy was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jim Rice was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mike Brown threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 3.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 2 but walked twice.

Mike Easler was 0 for 2 but walked twice.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Apart from Boggs and Remy, this team has hit like complete crap for the first 7 games of this season. Hard to win games when you hit that poorly. Still, these guys are too good to hit this bad. Maybe warmer weather will warm them up, I don't know. Ojeda pitched like crap but with no offense it really didn't matter. Its good to have a healthy Remy to fall back on and hopefully he can stay healthy. Tomorrow is Game 2 of this 3 game set with Dennis Eckersley on the mound opposite Matt Young at the Kingdome.