Sox Bash Angels For Fifth Straight Win (5/1/94)

It was good news all around as the Boston Bruins won Game 1 of their NHL second round series against the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Red Sox swept the California Angels for their fifth straight win. The Boston bats pounded Brian Anderson and the California bullpen for 16 hits and ten runs, most of the damage coming from a seven run rally in the third inning. Lee Tinsley, Mo Vaughn and Tim Naehring all had 3 hits apiece with Mo scoring three runs as well. On the other side of the ball, Joe Hesketh (1-1, 3.63 ERA) dominated the Angels with seven shutout innings, holding the Angels to just 5 hits. It was a total domination by the red hot Sox as they plastered the Angels 10-1 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                              Ray Bourque and Jon Casey approve of the win

Anderson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Otis Nixon grounded out to first to start. Billy Hatcher flied out to left and Mike Greenwell also flied out to left to end the inning. Hesketh got the ball in the bottom of the first and Damion Easley struck out swinging on a high slider to start. Chad Curtis blooped a base hit to right but Tim Salmon was rung up for strike three by first base umpire Larry Young. Curtis stole second but Chili Davis struck out swinging on a nasty slider to end the inning.

Andre Dawson struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Mo Vaughn grounded a base hit up the middle. Tim Naehring got a base hit to right on a hit and run to move Vaughn to third. Scott Cooper hit a sac fly to right to score Vaughn and Dave Valle blooped a base hit just over the head over Gary DiSarcina. Scott Fletcher struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                            Vaughn scores a run

Apparently Nixon got hurt running to first in the first inning so Lee Tinsley took his place in center for the bottom of the second. Bo Jackson struck out swinging on another slider but Eduardo Perez got a seeing eye single up the middle. Chris Turner forced Perez at second but Rex Hudler also got a base hit to center. ESPN analyst Jon Miller claimed Billerica native Gary DiSarcina took the number 33 in honor of Larry Bird and he struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the third as Tinsley hit a 404 foot double off the wall in center to start. Lee took third on a passed ball and scored on the Hatcher base hit to left. Greenwell got a base hit to center and Hatcher moved to third on the Dawson fly ball to left. Vaughn was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Naehring drilled a base hit to center to score Hatcher but nobody else advanced for some reason. Cooper hit a double play ball to Perez who flipped to DiSarcina, but Gary threw the ball away for an error to score Greenwell and Vaughn. Valle walked and Fletcher dumped a base hit to left to score Cooper. That was it for Brian Anderson as Scott Lewis came in to pitch to Tinsley. Lee got a broken bat single in the hole at short to load the bases and Hatcher got a base hit to center. Valle and Fletcher scored on the hit but Greenwell grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.

                                                               What a massacre

Easley flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Jon Miller started singing "Woomp, down and in! Woomp, down and in!" Tinsley made a sliding catch to rob Curtis of a hit and Salmon flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox got another one in the top of the fourth as Dawson flied out to center to start. Vaughn doubled down the left field line and Naehring drilled a double to the right field wall to score Mo. Cooper got a base hit to right but Tim stopped at third. Valle grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-0.

                                                 Naehring drives in a run

Davis got a broken bat base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Tinsley made another sliding catch to rob Jackson of a base hit. Perez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Fletcher grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Tinsley flied out to left. Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning. Turner hit a routine grounder to Hesketh to start the bottom of the fifth and not only did Joe boot it, he threw it wide for an error. Hudler grounded into a double play and DiSarcina grounded out to third to end the inning.

Old friends Spike Owen came in for Easley and John Dopson came in to pitch the top of the sixth. Greenwell grounded out to first to start before Dawson struck out swinging. Vaughn also went down hacking to end the inning. Bob Zupcic took over for Greenwell for the bottom of the sixth and Owen flied out to center to start. ESPN showed a hilarious interview with Eduardo Perez (Tony's son) saying Joe Morgan's glove was too small for even him when he was six years old. Curtis grounded out to short and Salmon struck out swinging on an 86 mph fastball to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Naehring flied out to center to start. Cooper drilled a base hit to center and Valle walked before Fletcher beat out a double play ball. Tinsley got a base hit up the middle to score Cooper then took second on the throw home. Hatcher grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 10-0.

                                                             Heads up play by Tinsley

Hesketh returned for the bottom of the seventh as Davis doubled over the head of Zupcic to start. Jackson grounded out to third and Jon Miller told a hilarious story of Hesketh getting called for a balk in his ML debut in 1984 before even throwing a pitch. Then in 1985, Hesketh, with the Expos at the time, pitched a complete game shutout against Nolan Ryan and the Houston Astros while the newspaper headline read "Expos Win, Ryan Strikes out 15". Perez walked, Turner popped up to third and Hudler grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Hesketh who tossed 7 innings of shutout ball allowing just 5 hits and a walk.

                                                        Good work by Hesketh

Joe Grahe took over on the mound in the top of the eighth and Zupcic lined out to first. Rich Rowland pinch hit for Dawson and took strike three before Vaughn hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Naehring grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Angels got on the board in the bottom of the eighth against Paul Quantrill as DiSarcina grounded out to short to begin. Owen got a base hit to left then moved to second on a grounder to second by Curtis. Salmon ripped a base hit to left to score Owen. Davis grounded out to second to end the inning with the Angels down 10-1.

                                                            There goes the shutout

Cooper grounded out to second to start the top of the ninth before Valle took strike three. Fletcher grounded out to third to end the inning. Quantrill came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Jackson grounded out to short to start. Perez grounded out to third and Turner flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-1.

                                                                  Sox win

Hero of The Night is Joe Hesketh. He threw 7 shutout innings allowing 5 hits and a walk while striking out six

                                                           Hero Hesketh

The Good:

Mo Vaughn was 3 for 4 with a hit by pitch and 3 runs scored.

Lee Tinsley was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Billy Hatcher was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Dave Valle was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

The Bad:

Otis Nixon was 0 for 1 before leaving the game.

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 1.

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rich Rowland struck out in his only at-bat.

The Ugly:

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Paul Quantrill allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

It doesn't get much better if you're a Red Sox fan. The Sox have been red hot on both sides of the ball, mainly the pitching. The last five games Aaron Sele, Roger Clemens, Frank Viola. Joe Hesketh and Danny Darwin all held their opponents to just 1 run. Obviously that hot streak isn't going to last but its the main reason the Sox are in first place right now. Its too bad Otis Nixon had to leave the game but Lee Tinsley filled in admirably. The Sox put this one away early and cruised the rest of the way. What more can be said about the offense other than hope it lasts. Vaughn, Naehring, Greenwell, etc are red hot and could be a contender if this keeps up. The only low point was Bob Zupcic being put in for defense and couldn't make two plays, he might be gone pretty soon if Sox brass want to give Greg Blosser another chance. All in all it was a good win and the Sox are rolling. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox look now travel to Seattle for a two game set with the Mariners, gunning for their sixth straight win. Frank Viola goes for the Sox up against Dave Fleming of the Mariners. The game begins Tuesday night at 10:05 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

Mariners Walkoff Red Sox in 10 Innings (4/26/94)

What a way to lose a game if you're the Boston Red Sox. The Sox dropped their second straight game to Seattle after they jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Chris Bosio courtesy of an Andre Dawson two run home run. Mike Greenwell added another run but the Mariners mounted their comeback against Joe Hesketh. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Paul Quantrill gave up a game tying two run double to pinch hitter Reggie Jefferson. The Sox bats fell asleep and didn't touch Bosio or Bobby Ayala the rest of the way. The Mariners loaded the bases against Greg Harris (1-2, 4.02 ERA) and Torey Lovullo hit a grounder to Greg, failing to get anyone out to score the winning run. The Mariners had walked off the Sox 4-3 at the Kingdome.

                                                  "That damn Harris blew another one!"

Bosio got the ball in the top of the first and Otis Nixon took strike three to start. Billy Hatcher grounded out to short but Mike Greenwell walked. Andre Dawson pounded his fifth home run of the season to put Boston on top and Mo Vaughn drew a walk. Mo was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                     Home run Dawson

Hesketh got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brian Turang struck out swinging to start. Rich Amaral grounded out to second and Ken Griffey Jr grounded out to first to end the inning.

John Valentin grounded out to third to open the top of the second and Scott Cooper grounded out to short. Damon Berryhill got a base hit to right but Scott Fletcher flied out to center to end the inning. Jay Buhner walked to begin the bottom of the second and Greg Perkl popped up to right in foul territory. Mike Blowers singled to right but Tino Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third although Nixon doubled to left to start. Hatcher dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Nixon to third and Otis scored on the Greenwell grounder to short. Dawson flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                                 RBI for Greenwell

Dan Wilson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the third and Felix Fermin popped up to short. Turang grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Vaughn struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Valentin grounded out to third. Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. The Mariners struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Amaral flied out to center to start. Griffey Jr singled in the hole at short but Buhner flied out to right. Perkl doubled to right to score Griffey but Blowers grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mariners down 2-1.

                                                                Griffey scores a run

Berryhill got a base hit to right to begin the top of the fifth but Fletcher banged into a double play. Nixon grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Martinez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Wilson grounded out to short. Fermin grounded back to Hesketh to end the inning.

Hatcher grounded out to third to open the top of the sixth and Greenwell flied out to center. Dawson also flied out to center to end the inning. The Mariners tied it in the bottom of the sixth as Turang struck out swinging to start. Amaral doubled to center but Junior took strike three. All of a sudden Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out of the dugout and wobbled to the mound to take the ball from Hesketh, only problem was he forgot to tell the bullpen to get Paul Quantrill ready. Hesketh went 5 2/3 innings and would be charged with two runs. Quantrill came in ice cold and walked Buhner before Mariners manager Lou Piniella pinch hit Reggie Jefferson for Perkl. Jefferson doubled to center to score both runners to tie the game. Blowers grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                     "Hobson you idiot!" - Hesketh

Vaughn lined out to left to start the top of the seventh and Valentin grounded out to third. Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. Martinez got a seeing eye single into left to begin the bottom of the seventh then was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Wilson. Fermin grounded back to the mound and that was it for Quantrill. Ken Ryan came in to face pinch hitter Darren Bragg (for Turant) and struck him out swinging to end the inning.

Amaral booted a grounder by Berryhill for an error to start the top of the eighth and Bob Zupcic ran for Damon. Fletcher dropped down a bunt to move Zupcic to third but Nixon struck out swinging. Hatcher grounded out to third to end the inning. Dave Valle took over behind the plate to start the bottom of the eighth and Amaral got a base hit to left. Tony Fossas was brought in to face Griffey Jr and got him to ground out to second to move Amaral over. Greg Harris came in to face Buhner and Jay grounded out to third. Jefferson was intentionally walked and Torey Lovullo pinch hit for Blowers. Lovullo grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bobby Ayala came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Dawson struck out swinging and Vaughn grounded out to short to end the inning. Martinez flied out to center to start the bottom of the ninth but Wilson singled to center. Fermin flied out to center and Eric Anthony pinch hit for Bragg. Wilson stole second but Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning.

Valentin struck out swinging to begin the top of the tenth and Cooper went down hacking as well. Valle flied out to left to end the inning. The end came in the bottom of the tenth as Amaral doubled to left to start. With Fossas gone, Hobson had no choice but to intentionally walk Griffey Jr. Buhner dropped down a bunt to move the runners over and Buhner was intentionally walked to load the bases. Lovullo hit a roller to Harris who fired home......safe! Amaral scored and the Mariners had won it 4-3 in 10 innings.

Jackass of The Night is Greg Harris. He fell apart in the bottom of the tenth to take the loss

                                                            Jackass Harris

The Good:

Damon Berryhill was 2 for 3.

The Bad:

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 3.

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dave Valle was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Joe Hesketh pitched well, allowing just 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 4 hits and a walk while striking out four.

Ken Ryan got the final batter of the seventh inning.

Tony Fossas retired the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Paul Quantrill allowed a run in a full inning of work.

Honorable Mention:

Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Berryhill.

Final Thoughts:

That loss was a sucker punch to the go-nads. They had the game won but Hobson outsmarted himself. Hesketh had only thrown 75 pitches, had he got one more out the Sox would have had a two run lead with three innings to go. The Nixon strike out with Zupcic at third was also a killer. Had they got that run in, the Sox also could have won. They didn't....and that was a tough loss to take. The Mariners aren't that good this year but the Sox couldn't get it done. Hopefully Hobson learns his lesson and leaves Hesketh in to finish an inning at just 75 pitches next time. The Sox were having a great month but now they've lost two in a row to a bad team. Hopefully this doesn't turn into a losing streak because we all know what happened last year. The Sox continue their road trip tomorrow night when they head out to Oakland to face the struggling A's. In a rematch of their 1981 NCAA Tournament showdown, Ron Darling of the A's goes one on one with Frank Viola (0-1) at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Johnson Outduels Clemens, Sox (4/25/94)

It was bad news all around as the Boston Bruins lost Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Red Sox were beaten by the Seattle Mariners. Randy Johnson spun a beauty, hurling a complete game 5 hitter against the formerly red hot Boston bats. Sox ace Roger Clemens (2-1, 3.63 ERA) was mortal in this one although his defense let him down. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the third on back to back errors by Clemens and Dave Valle but Andre Dawson answered with a home run in the fourth. Ken Griffey Jr hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth but Scott Fletcher of all people took Johnson deep in the sixth. The Mariners got a big insurance run against Tony Fossas in the bottom of the eighth and Johnson slammed the door in the ninth. It all added up to the Mariners beating the Sox 4-2 at the Kingdome.

Johnson got the ball in the top of the first and Scott Fletcher took strike three to start. Billy Hatcher singled to left but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Tim Naehring struck out swinging to end the inning. Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rich Amaral grounded out to short to start. Reggie Jefferson grounded out to first but Ken Griffey Jr got a base hit to left. Jay Buhner flied out to center to end the inning.

Andre Dawson grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Mo Vaughn struck out swinging. John Valentin hit a triple to center and Dave Valle drew a walk.....but Bob Zupcic struck out swinging to end the inning. Eric Anthony singled in the hole at short to begin the bottom of the second but got picked off. Tino Martinez walked and Torey Lovullo doubled to right before Mike Blowers walked to load the bases. Dan Wilson grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Lee Tinsley struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Fletcher lined out back to Johnson. Hatcher grounded out to second to end the inning. Things fell apart in the bottom of the third as Amaral singled to right and promptly stole second. Jefferson walked and Griffey beat out a roller to third to load the bases. Buhner popped up to second and Anthony hit a roller to Clemens who....spiked the ball like a football and did the funky chicken for an error to score Amaral. Martinez hit a squibber in front of the plate fielded by Valle who....also spiked it like a football and did a boogie woogie for an error to score Jefferson. Lovullo grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 2-0.

                                                    Live look at the Red Sox

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth as Naehring struck out swinging to start. Dawson clobbered his fourth home run of the season to cut the lead but Vaughn grounded back to the mound. Valentin lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                              Home run Dawson

Blowers hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the fourth before Wilson took strike three. Amaral grounded out to first to end the inning.

Valle flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Zupcic lined out to center. Tinsley took strike three to end the inning. The Mariners struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Jefferson flied out to left. Griffey Jr then hit a home run through the roof of the Kingdome to ice the game. Buhner and Anthony both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mariners up 3-1.

                                                              Junior does it again

Somehow Fletcher of all people hit his first home run of the season off Johnson to cut the lead to begin the top of the sixth. Hatcher popped up to second but Amaral threw a grounder by Naehring away for an error. Dawson grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                                   Home run Fletcher

Martinez flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Lovullo struck out swinging. Blowers took strike three to end the inning.

Vaughn grounded out to first to start the top of the seventh before Valentin was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Valle flied out to right to end the inning. Clemens returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Wilson popped up to first to start. Amaral grounded out to short and Jefferson took strike three to end the inning. Clemens pitched 7 innings but allowed 3 runs, one of them due to an error on himself.

                                                               Not his best stuff

Zupcic grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Rich Rowland pinch hit for Tinsley. Rowland struck out swinging and Fletcher singled to right. Hatcher grounded out to short to end the inning. Tony Fossas came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Griffey Jr struck out swinging to begin. Buhner doubled to center but Anthony struck out swinging. Martinez ripped a double to left to score Buhner and Lovullo was intentionally walked. Sox manager Butch Hobson ran out of the dugout screaming and chased Fossas into the bullpen while Scot Bankhead took his place on the mound. Darren Bragg pinch hit for Blowers but a wild pitch moved the runners over. Bragg was also intentionally walked and Wilson forced him at second to end the inning with the Mariners up 4-2.

                                                            Martinez adds to the misery

Johnson came back to complete the game in the top of the ninth with Felix Fermin now at short. Naehring earned the hat trick by striking out swinging before Dawson flied out to left. Vaughn grounded out to second to end the game. The Mariners had won it 4-2.

Jackass of The Night is Tony Fossas. He turned a one run game into a two run game by allowing a run in the eighth inning.

                                                                  Jackass Fossas

The Good:

Scott Fletcher was 2 for 4 with a home run.

John Valentin was 1 for 3.

Scott Bankhead got the final out of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Tim Naehring was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Lee Tinsley was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Rich Rowland struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Billy Hatcher was just 1 for 4.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Dave Valle was 0 for 2 with an error but walked.

Roger Clemens took the loss but went 7 strong innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 3 walks. His error led to two runs scoring but struck out six.

Honorable Mention:

Otis Nixon played center in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

I know the conventional thinking is to put as many right handed hitters you can against a lefty but this was ridiculous. The lineup Butch Hobson had for the past few weeks had been tearing the cover off the ball and tonight he benches Mike Greenwell, Scott Cooper and Otis Nixon. If it wasn't for the heroics of Scott Fletcher, this game might have gotten even worse. Clemens got beat by Johnson and that's a bad sign of things to come. Its been a bad sign his whole career of never being able to outpitch great pitchers, especially in October. Tony Fossas didn't get the job done although they had all sorts of lefties coming up. Still, the Sox have had an incredible month so far so hopefully this was just a minor hiccup. Hopefully Hobson learns from this and just goes with his normal guns the next time he has to face Johnson or another lefty ace. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when Joe Hesketh of the Sox takes on Chris Bosio of the Mariners. The Sox are looking to avenge last year's no-hitter at 10:00 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

Sox Defeat Yankees (9/16/93)

As the disappointing season comes to a close, its still always a good thing for the Boston Red Sox to defeat the New York Yankees. Given the chance to play spoilers, the Sox delivered by delivering a crucial loss to the Yankees who trail the Toronto Blue Jays by 3 games now in the AL East race. The scored 3 quick runs in the top of the first against Scott Kamieniecki while Frank Viola (11-8, 3.14 ERA) tossed 5 gutty innings. A host of Sox bats chipped in as the Sox took the game 6-3 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                  Yor approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Kamieniecki in the top of the first as Scott Fletcher doubled to left to start. Mike Greenwell tried to sacrifice Fletcher to third with a bunt but ended up on first with a hit. Tim Naehring singled home Fletcher, advanced Greenwell to third and stole second on the Mo Vaughn strikeout. Rob Deer took strike three but Scott Cooper singled home both Greenwell and Naehring to increase the lead. Billy Hatcher flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                      Way to go Naehring

Viola cruised in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs lined out to right to start. Jim Leyritz popped up to second and Don Mattingly flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the second as John Valentin walked to start. Tony Pena sacrificed John to second with a bunt before Fletcher walked. Greenwell singled to load the bases and a wild pitch scored Valentin, moving the other runners into scoring position. Naehring popped up to first and Vaughn was intentionally walked to load the bases. Deer whiffed to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Valentin scores a run

Danny Tartabull grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second but Mike Stanley lined out to left. Bernie Williams waked but Paul O'Neill grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cooper beat out an infield single to open the top of the third before he was sacrificed to second by Hatcher. Valentin singled Cooper to third before Pena was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Fletcher banged into a double play to end the game. The Yankees fought back in the bottom of the third as Mike Gallego crushed a 6,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Randy Velarde flied out to left before Boggs whiffed. Leyritz singled to center but Mattingly grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-1.

Greenwell popped up to short to begin the top of the fourth but Naehring doubled to right. Vaughn was intentionally walked but Deer banged into a double play to end the inning. Viola cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Tartabull lined out to right to begin. Stanley also lined out to right and Williams whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox knocked Kamieniecki out in the top of the fifth although Cooper flied out to center to begin. Hatcher singled and Valentin dropped down a bunt, but Boggs threw the ball away allowing Hatcher to reach third. Pena popped up to second but Fletcher singled home Hatcher to increase the lead and chase Kamieniecki. Steve Howe came in and Greenwell grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                          Good hit by Fletcher

Viola got the Yankees to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as O'Neill grounded out to second to begin. Gallego grounded out to short and Velarde grounded back to the mound to end the inning. That was it for Viola who didn't last long but tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball to earn the win.

                                                        Short and sweet for Viola

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth although Naehring grounded out to second to begin. Vaughn doubled to left and Deer doubled him home to add to the lead. Deer moved to third on the grounder by Cooper before Hatcher whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                           Deer drives in a run

Scott Bankhead came in for the bottom of the sixth and Boggs lined out to center to start. Dion James pinch hit for Leyritz and hit one up the elevator shaft before Mattingly doubled to center. Tartabull whiffed to end the inning.

James took over in left with O'Neill moving to right for the top of the seventh as Valentin flied out to center to start. Pena lined out to center and Fletcher lined out to right to end the inning. The Yankees struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Stanley walked to start. Williams flied out to left but O'Neill forced Stanley at second. Gallego singled O'Neill to third and Velarde singled home Stanley to cut the lead. Sox manager Butch Hobson did the Bushwhacker march out of the dugout and tried to take the ball from Valentin before the puzzled John showed him where the mound was. Tony Fossas was summoned to face Boggs and he punched him out to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 6-2.

Paul Assenmacher took over for the top of the eighth and Bob Zupcic pinch hit for Greenwell. Zupcic flied out to left before Naehring grounded out to third. Vaughn was hit by a pitch but Deer earned a hat trick with his 3rd strikeout of the game to end the inning. The Yankees came roaring back in the bottom of the eighth as James singled and Mattingly walked to start. Hobson moonwalked out of the dugout and brought in Ken Ryan to pitch. Tartabull walked to load the bases with nobody out before Stanley scored James with a sac fly. Hobson then sprinted out of the dugout because he realized he brought in the wrong reliever, pulling Ryan for Greg Harris. Williams popped up to second but Matt Nokes pinch hit for O'Neill, getting a base hit to score Mattingly. Gerald Williams pinch ran for
Nokes but Gallego grounded into a force to end the inning with the Yankees down 6-4.

                                                            Harris slams the door

Cooper singled to right to open the top of the ninth and chase Assenmacher. Steve Farr came in and Hatcher walked before Valentin dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Ernie Riles pinch hit for Pena and was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jeff McNeely ran for Riles but Fletcher banged into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees rallied in the bottom of the ninth with Bob Melvin now behind the plate for the Sox. Velarde took strike three and Boggs flied out to left, but James singled to left. Mattingly doubled to put the tying run at second and Andy Stankiewicz pinch ran for Mattingly. Tartabull walked to load the bases but Stanley whiffed to end the game. The Sox survived by the skin of their teeth to win 6-4.

Hero of the Night is Greg Harris. The Yankees were charging and Harris slammed the door in their faces.

                                                            Hero Harris




The Good:

Scott Fletcher was 2 for 5 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 5 with an rbi, run scored and stolen base.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, a hit by pitch and he scored a run.

Scott Cooper was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Billy Hatcher was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

John Valentin was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Ernie Riles walked as a pinch hitter.

Frank Viola earned his 11th win with 5 innings of 1 run ball.



The Bad:

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Tony Fossas was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Rob Deer was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Tony Pena was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch.

Scott Bankhead allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

Ken Ryan allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.



Honorable Mention:

Jeff McNeely pinch ran for Riles in the top of the ninth.

Bob Melvin caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Zippadee doo dah the Sox beat the Yankees. Too bad the Sox didn't fall apart at the end of August or else this game would have been a lot more meaningful. Still, if this win helps keep the Yankees out of the post-season, at least there's something positive about this win. The bullpen was horrible and some of the guys in the lineup were a snooze, but the Sox still found a way to win. The win improved the Sox to 76-70, nowhere near first place in the AL East race. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it 2 in a row against the Yankees when they send Aaron Sele to the mound up against Sterling Hitchcock at 7:30 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Outlast Angels in 11, Win 5th Straight (7/5/93)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are red hot. They have won 11 out of 12 and just won their 5th straight game. Rookie Sox starter Aaron Sele and California Angels starter Russ Springer battled to a 1-1 tie through 8 innings. The Sox jumped on Springer for 2 runs in the top of the 9th but the Angels rallied off Sox closer Jeff Russell to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. A single by Bob Melvin and an rbi grounder by Billy Hatcher put the Sox ahead in the top of the 11th and Ken Ryan slammed the door in the bottom half of the frame to give the Sox their 5th straight win 4-3 over the Angels at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                      Ice Cube approves of the win

Springer got the ball in the top of the first and Scott Fletcher walked to start the game. Billy Hatcher singled to right but Mike Greenwell banged into a double play to kill the rally. Andre Dawson grounded out to third to end the inning. Sele got the ball in the bottom of the first and Luis Polonia grounded out to second to start. Chad Curtis grounded out to first but Tim Salmon drew a walk. Chili Davis flied out to left to end the inning.

Mo Vaughn walked to start the top of the second and Bob Zupcic singled to left before both runners moved over on the grounder by Scott Cooper. Once again the rally ended as John Valentin grounded out to third and Tony Pena whiffed to end the inning. Sele whiffed Torey Lovullo to begin the bottom of the second but Greg Myers singled to left. JT Snow struck out swinging and Damion Easley grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third although Fletcher popped up to second to start. Hatcher singled to left and moved to second on the grounder by Greenwell. Hatcher moved to third on the wild pitch by Springer and Dawson singled him home to put Boston on top. Vaaughn went down hacking to end the inning but the Sox were in front 1-0.

                                                    Dawson puts the Sox on top

Sele kept pace in the bottom of the third as Gary Disarcina lined out to second to start. Polonia grounded out to short and Curtis grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a big rally in the top of the fourth although Zupcic popped up to third to start. Cooper and Valentin stroked back to back singles before Pena walked to load the bases. The rally ended as Fletcher popped up to center and Hatcher grounded into a force to end the inning. Sele struck out Salmon swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Davis grounded out to short. Lovullo blooped a single over the head of Cooper before Myers whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Dawson grounded out to short and Vaughn whiffed to end the inning. Snow walked to begin the bottom of the fifth before swiping second. Easley grounded out to short, Disarcina popped up to third and Polonia grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Zupcic flied out to left to open the top of the sixth but Cooper singled to center. Valentin hit into a double play to end the inning. The Angels clawed back in the bottom of the sixth as Curtis walked to start. Curtis moved to second on the grounder by Salmon and to third on the grounder by Davis. Lovullo tied the game up with a base hit to right but Myers grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                  Thanks a lot Lovullo

The Sox blew ANOTHER rally in the top of the seventh as Pena walked to start only for Fletcher to hit into a double play. Hatcher doubled to left and Greenwell was intentionally walked leading to Dawson to fly out to right to end the inning. Sele cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Snow whiffed to start. Easley grounded out to short and Disarcina grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Vaughn flied out to left to start. Zupcic grounded out to short and Cooper popped up to short to end the inning. Sele had one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Polonia flied out to left to start. Curtis grounded out to short and Salmon struck out swinging to end the inning. The rookie in just his third big league start tossed 8 innings of 1 run ball. Too bad the offense couldn't cash in on their numerous attempts with men on base.

                                                      Outstanding start by Sele

Determined to win the game for Sele, the Sox sprang to life in the top of the ninth inning. Valentin doubled to start and Ernie Riles pinch hit for Pena. Not only did Valentin get thrown out at third on the force by Riles, Ernie was thrown out trying to steal to boot. Fletcher walked and stole second only for Hatcher of all people to clobber his 6th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Greenwell singled in the hole at short but Dawson popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                       Hatcher puts Boston ahead

Sox manager Butch Hobson wasted no time and brought in Jeff Russell to close out the game with Bob Melvin behind the plate. Davis led off with a double but Lovullo flied out to left. Suddenly Myers singled to right to score Davis to cut the lead. Rod Correia pinch ran for Myers and made it to third on a single by Snow. Easley then hit a shot to Cooper to fired it to second for the out and over to first....SAFE! Easiley beat out the throw, Correia scored and the game was tied. That was Russell's first blown save all year to this point. The alert Melvin threw out Easley trying to steal to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                       1st blown save for Russell

Steve Frey came in to pitch with Ron Tingley coming in to catch the top of the tenth inning. Vaughn flied out to center and Zupcic popped up to first, but Cooper drew a walk. Valentin flied out to center to end the inning. Tony Fossas came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th and Disarcina grounded out to second to start. Stan Javier pinch hit for Poloinia and grounded out to third. Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out of the dugout and tried to take the ball from Scott Fletcher before being directed to the mound. Ken Ryan (2-0, 3.24 ERA) came in to pitch to Curtis and got him to line out to center to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eleventh with Gene Nelson now on the mound. Melvin got the rally started with a base hit to right before being sacrificed to third by Fletcher. Hatcher hit a fly ball to right but Melvin made a mad dash home to give the Sox the lead. Greenwell walked but Dawson flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                     Melvin puts the Sox ahead with his run scored

Ryan returned for the bottom of the eleventh to close the game out. Salmon grounded out to short before Davis whiffed. Lovullo popped up to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3 in 11 innings.

Hero of the Night is Bob Melvin. He scored the winning run in the top of the eleventh inning and threw out Easley in the bottom of the ninth.

                                                           Melvin the Hero


The Good:

Billy Hatcher was 4 for 5 with a home run, 3 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 4 with a walk.

John Valentin was 2 for 5.

Tony Pena walked twice in 3 plate appearances.

Aaron Sele was outstanding. He allowed just 1 run on 3 hits in 8 innings of work.

Tony Fossas got the first two outs of the bottom of the 10th.

Ken Ryan earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Ernie Riles was 0 for 1 at the plate and was thrown out trying to steal.

Jeff Russell blew his first save of the year by allowing 2 runs in the ninth inning.



The Ugly:

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 3 but walked twice, stole a base and scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but walked twice.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 4 but walked.

Bob Zupcic was just 1 for 5.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox looked dead in their graves two weeks ago but have clawed their way back to respectability in the last two weeks. The 7 game win streak was fun but this 5 game win streak has to have them thinking about possible playoffs. Aaron Sele is having a 1981 Fernando Valenzuela start to his career and its impossible for him to keep this pace up, but if he were to pitch halfway decent, playoffs isn't a dirty word. The Sox are only 5 games back of the Blue Jays with 2 months left of baseball left to be played. If the Sox can keep up this momentum they very well could be standing tall at the end of September. The win improved the Sox to 42-39, 5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it 6 in a row when they send the rejuvenated Danny Darwin (7-7, 3.24 ERA) to the mound opposite Angels ace Chuck Finley at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Dopson Dazzles Angels (4/30/93)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Scott Fletcher was removed from the Disabled List and nobody has a damn clue who got put on it. Fletcher gives the Sox some speed and on base percentage to an offense that's struggled in his absence.

                                                                 IN

As for the game, this has been an up and down month for not only the Boston Red Sox but for John Dopson (2-1, 3.26 ERA) as well. After pitching one of the best games of his life on Patriots Day, he looked awful in his next start. In tonight's game against the California Angels, Dopson recaptured the magic of Patriots day to shut down the Angels for over 7 innings. He allowed just 1 run before Paul Quantrill slammed the door. John Valentin broke out of his slump with two big home runs and 5 total rbis as the Sox ended the month of April on a positive note with a 6-1 win at Fenway Park.

                                                  Detective John Munch approves of the win

Dopson began his outing by getting Luis Polonia to ground out to second to begin the top of the first. Chad Curtis drew a walk but JT Snow flied out to center. Chili Davis grounded back to the mound to end the inning. John Farrell got the start for California and Fletcher grounded out to third to start. Billy Hatcher popped up to first but Mike Greenwell drew a walk. Andre Dawson popped up to short to end the inning.

Dopson got the Angels to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning and Tim Salmon grounded out to third to start. Rene Gonzales grounded out to second and Damion Easley grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Mo Vaughn led off with a double. Mo moved to third on the Carlos Quintana grounder and scored on the Scott Cooper single. Bob Melvin flied out to center and John Valentin iced the game with a 2 run bomb into the screen in left. Fletcher grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                              Cooper knocks in a run

Dopson cruised in the top of the third inning as Greg Myers grounded back to the mound to begin. Gary DiSarcina flied out to right and Polonia singled but was thrown out at second trying to stretch to end the inning. Farrell matched Dopson in the bottom of the third as Hatcher popped up to first to start. Greenwell flied out to center and Dawson grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Curtis flied out to center to open the top of the fourth before Snow flied out to right. Davis took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Vaughn took strike three to start. Quintana and Cooper took back to back walks but Melvin flied out to center. Suddenly Valentin crushed another home run into the screen, this time a 3 run dinger to light the crowd up. Fletcher grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                       Breaking out of his slump

More than enough cushion for Dopson who cruised in the top of the fifth inning. Salmon took strike three, Gonzales grounded out to third and Easley also grounded out to third to end the inning. Ken Patterson took over for Farrell in the bottom of the fifth and Hatcher grounded out to first to begin. Greenwell lashed a base hit to left but Dawson whiffed. Vaughn doubled Greenwell to third but Quintana grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dopson dominated the top of the sixth as Myers grounded out to second to start. DiSarcina took strike three and Polonia flied out to right to end the inning. Chuck Crim came in for the bottom of the sixth and Cooper lined out to second to begin. Melvin took strike three but Valentin walked...only to get picked off to end the inning.

Dopson continued to pitch well in the top of the seventh as Curtis grounded out to third to start. Snow grounded out to first and Davis flied out to right to end the inning. Fletcher singled to open the bottom of the seventh and Luis Rivera pinch ran for him. Hatcher banged into a double play and Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning.

The Angels finally got on the board against a tiring Dopson in the top of the eighth although Salmon popped up to second to start. Dopson had retired 13 in a row before Gonzales singled to left. Easley doubled home Gonzales to break up the shutout and Myers walked to chase Dopson. John ran out of gas but pitched well for 7 1/3 innings, allowing just the 1 run. Paul Quantrill replaced him and Gary Gaetti pinch hit for DiSarcina. Gaetti flied out to center to move Easley to third but Cooper swiped a line drive off the bat of Polonia to end the inning with the Angels down 6-1.

                                                     Excellent effort by Dopson

Gene Nelson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Dawson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Vaughn walked but Quintana lined out to center. Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.

Quantrill stayed in to finish the job in the top of the ninth inning with Bob Zupcic taking over in right field for Dawson. Curtis popped up to short before Snow went down swinging. Davis and Salmon drew back to back walks but Gonzales grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

Hero of the Night is John Valentin. His two home runs outscored the Angels entire offense, driving in 5 runs by himself.

                                                           Valentin the Hero



The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

John Dopson earned the win with 7 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 3.

Paul Quantrill tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bob Melvin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 4.

Carlos Quintana was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Luis Rivera pinch ran for Scott Fletcher and played second base.

Bob Zupcic played right field in the top of the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

The month has been a doozy but the Sox are heading into May on a high note. Being over .500 is better than being under .500 and hopefully the Sox can keep up the momentum moving forward. Frank Viola had a heck of a month and Dopson appears to be healthy. John pitched almost as well tonight as he did Patriots Day and if it wasn't for Danny Darwin, the Sox would be in first place now. Getting Fletcher back helps and if Valentin can break out of his slump, good things are coming in the future. The win improved the Sox to 13-9 as the month ends. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Angels with Roger Clemens (3-1) going up against Scott Sanderson in a rematch of last week. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.