Indians Smash Red Sox in Game 2 (10/7/99)

Well so much for this season. After the Boston Red Sox were eliminated from the playoffs last year, they essentially replaced Mo Vaughn with Jose Offerman and said "Let's run it back." Well this season is about to turn out exactly like last year as the Cleveland Indians pounded the Sox in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. The Sox have now lost 18 out of their last 19 post-season games after today's rout. Bret Saberhagen got pounded for 6 runs in just 2 2/3 innings including allowing the backbreaking 3 run home run to Harold Baines. John Wasdin wasn't much better as he surrendered a grand slam to Jim Thome an inning later. Meanwhile Charles Nagy held the pitiful Boston attack to just 6 hits and a run in 7 innings. The Sox have scored a combined three runs in the playoffs and are on the brink as the Indians beat the Sox 11-1 at Jacobs Field.

                                                                Not good

Things went bad right from the start as Jose Offerman led off with a base hit up the middle but was promptly thrown out at second trying to steal. The Sox would have just five hits the rest of the game as John Valentin watched strike three go by. Jason Varitek flied out to the left field wall to end the inning. Saberhagen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kenny Lofton was rung up for strike three to start. Omar Vizquel grounded out to short but Roberto Alomar doubled off the left field wall. Manny Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Nomar Garciaparra led off the top of the second by grounding out to short but Troy O'Leary ripped a base hit to center. Mike Stanley banged into a double play to end the inning. Jim Thome popped up to Garciaparra to start the bottom of the second but Harold Baines shot a base hit to right. David Justice banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third although Butch Huskey lined out to second to start. Trot Nixon doubled to right on a 3-0 count but Damon Buford struck out swinging. Offerman ripped a base hit to right but got caught in a rundown to end the inning, but not before Nixon scored to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.

                                                        "You're out you dummy!"

The Indians finally exploded in the bottom of the third as Travis Fryman walked to start. Sandy Alomar Jr forced Fryman at second but Lofton walked. Vizquel tripled just out of the reach of Nixon to clear the bases and give the Indians the lead. Roberto Alomar doubled to right and moved to third on the fly out to center by Ramirez. Thome walked and Baines put the game on ice with a three run bomb into the Baltic Sea. That was it for Saberhagen who fell apart in the third inning, allowing 6 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. John Wasdin came in to get Justice to fly out to right to end the inning with the Indians up 6-1.

                                                      Well this game is over

The Sox failed to respond against Nagy in the top of the fourth as Valentin flied out to center to start. Varitek flied out to right and Garciaparra struck out swinging to end the inning. The Indians struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Fryman walked to start. Sandy Alomar struck out swinging as Fryman stole second. Lofton walked but Vizquel dumped a base hit to left to load the bases. Roberto Alomar hit a sac fly to score Fryman and Ramirez walked to reload the bases. Thome did the honors with a grand slam into Lake Eerie to wrap up the scoring. Baines flied out to left to end the inning with the Indians up 11-1.

                                                                  Indians pour it on

O'Leary grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth but Stanley doubled to left. Huskey grounded out to short and Nixon lined out to Thome to end the inning. Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Justice struck out swinging to start. Fryman walked but Sandy Alomar popped up to second. Lofton swung and missed for strike three but a passed ball by Varitek allowed Lofton to reach first. Vizquel struck out swinging to end the inning.

Buford flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Offerman grounded out to first. Valentin struck out swinging to end the inning. Wakefield returned for the bottom of the sixth and Roberto Alomar dumped a base hit to center to begin. Ramirez struck out swinging and Thome flied out to center, but Baines walked. Justice popped up to third to end the inning.

Nagy returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh and Varitek grounded out to first to start. Garciaparra grounded out to third and O'Leary flied out to center to end the inning. Nagy was almost unhittable in this one. Tom Gordon came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and hit Fryman to start. Sandy Alomar and Lofton struck out swinging but Vizquel walked. Roberto Alomar flied out to left to end the inning.

Steve Karsay came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Richie Sexson now playing first for Thome. Stanley greeted Karsay with a base hit to right but Huskey struck out swinging. Nixon walked but Buford flied out to left. Offerman flied out to center to end the inning. Rod Beck came in for the bottom of the eighth with Lou Merloni now at short. Ramirez struck out swinging before Sexson flied out to center. Baines grounded out to first to end the inning.

Michael Jackson came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Einar Diaz behind the plate and Enrique Wilson now at second. Valentin flied out to left, Varitek popped up to second and Merloni also popped up to second to end the game. The Indians had won it 11-1.

                                                                Sox on the brink

Jackass of the Night is Bret Saberhagen. He got hammered for 6 runs in just 2 2/3 innings allowing 5 hits and 3 walks.

                                                             Jackass Saberhagen

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3.

Mike Stanley was 2 for 3.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Tim Wakefield tossed two scoreless innings.

Tom Gordon pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Rod Beck pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Lou Merloni was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Butch Huskey was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Damon Buford was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

John Wasdin allowed 5 runs in just 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

None

Final Thoughts:

What a shame the year is about to end like this. After Pedro Martinez strong armed the Sox to the post-season, it all crashed and burned. The Cleveland Indians offense is one of the best in the game and apart from Pedro and Nomar Garciaparra, the rest of the team is painfully average. Guys like Stanley, Valentin and O'Leary had good seasons but when it comes to October, they aren't getting it done. Jim Thome has more home runs by himself than the Sox have hit as a team. This has a similar feeling to 1995 where the Red Sox are trying to counter Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and Roberto Alomar with Butch Huskey, Troy O'Leary and Jose Offerman. It seems like the injury to Pedro Martinez sucked the life out of the team and they can't wait for the season to end. After an off-day tomorrow the season might just end this Saturday afternoon in Game 3. The only man standing between the Red Sox and winter is Ramon Martinez and he goes against Dave Burba of the Indians at 4:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Saberhagen, Sox Drop Yankees (8/1/99)

The Boston Red Sox sent a statement that this year is much different to the New York Yankees. After splitting the first two games of this series, the Sox sent the Yankees out of Boston with 2 losses in 3 games. Bret Saberhagen (7-4, 3.21 ERA) tossed a gutty game to hold the Yankees to just 2 runs in 7 strong innings. Trailing 2-1, Brian Daubach hit a home run off Yankees starter Orlando Hernandez to tie the game in the fourth. In the sixth, Nomar Garciaparra drove in the go-ahead run and Troy O'Leary hit a two run bomb off "El Duque". The Yankees rallied for two runs against Tim Wakefield in the top of the eighth, but Tim stranded the tying run at third when he slammed the door in the ninth. The Sox had taken 2 out of 3 from New York with a 5-4 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                   Jennifer Rovero approves of the win

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Saberhagen in the top of the first as Chuck Knoblauch grounded out to first to start. Derek Jeter was frozen for strike three but Paul O'Neill doubled to left. Bernie Williams tripled to the centerfield wall to put the Yankees on top. Tino Martinez popped up to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                              Triple for Williams

Hernandez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman walked to start. John Valentin struck out swinging but Brian Daubach flied out to center. Nomar Garciaparra was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.

Chili Davis struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Jorge Posada hit a comebacker back to Saberhagen. Shane Spencer flied out to center to end the inning. Troy O'Leary walked to start the bottom of the second but Reggie Jefferson grounded into a double play. Jason Varitek hit a broken bat grounder to Knoblauch to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Scott Brosius ripped a base hit to right to start. Knoblauch singled to left but Jeter popped up to short. O'Neill got a base hit to left to load the bases and Williams hit a sac fly to center to score Brosius. Martinez popped up to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                             Yankees get another run

The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Damon Buford doubled down the third base line and Trot Nixon ripped a base hit to left to score him to cut the lead. Offerman grounded into a double play and Valentin popped up to center to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                              Buford scores a run

Davis was frozen for strike three to start the top of the fourth before Posada popped up to third in foul territory. Spencer flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Daubach clobbered his 13th home run of the season to tie the game. Nomar popped up to center and O'Leary flied out to right but Jefferson drew a walk. Williams robbed Varitek with a hell of a catch to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Daubach ties it up

Saberhagen cruised in the top of the fifth as Brosius flied out to right to start. Knoblauch grounded out to second and Jeter flied out to right to start. The Monster robbed Buford of a home run high off the wall so he had to settle for a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth. Nixon popped up to Jeter and Offerman grounded out to second to move Buford to third. Valentin lined out to left to end the inning.

O'Neill grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth and Williams popped up to O'Leary. Martinez popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Daubach doubled into the right field corner to start. Nomar singled into centerfield to score Daubach and O'Leary crushed his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Jefferson singled to right and that was it for Hernandez. Allen Watson came in to pitch and Varitek grounded out to second to move Jefferson to second. Buford grounded out to third and Nixon popped up to Posada to end the inning with the Sox up 5-2.

                                                        Home run O'Leary

Saberhagen returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh and Davis grounded out to first to start. Posada grounded out to first as well and Spencer grounded out to short to end the inning. Saberhagen retired 14 in a row in 7 strong innings allowing just 5 hits.

                                                            Saberhagen was outstanding

Offerman walked to start the bottom of the seventh to chase Watson. Ramiro Mendoza came in to pitch and Valentin singled to right to move Offerman to third. Daubach struck out swinging and Garciaparra grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Brosius struck out swinging to start. Knoblauch walked, stole second and stole third on the Jeter swinging strikeout. O'Neill singled to right to score Knoblauch and Williams tripled off the centerfield door to score Paul. Martinez flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-4.

                                                           Yankees inch closer

O'Leary grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Jefferson lined out to left. Varitek grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Wakefield returned to finish off the stop of the ninth and Davis doubled to center to put the tying run on to start. Chad Curtis pinch ran for Davis but Posada grounded back to the mound. Spencer flied out to the left field warning track but Brosius walked. Knoblauch singled in the hole at short but Davis remained at third to load the bases. With the game on the line, Jeter forced Knoblauch at second to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Bret Saberhagen. He held the Yankees to just two runs in 7 strong innings to earn the win. He gave up 5 hits while striking out 3.

                                                        Hero Saberhagen

The Good:

Jose Offerman walked twice in four plate appearances.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 2 runs scored.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Reggie Jefferson was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Damon Buford was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

John Valentin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Tim Wakefield got the save but allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Nothing like starting the stretch by taking 2 out of 3 from the Yankees. Saberhagen is the key to the season because last year proved you need more than just Pedro Martinez to win in the playoffs. Saberhagen dominated the Yankees after the third inning and that's the kind of start the Sox need from Bret moving forward. Daubach just may be one of the greatest scrap heap pickups of all time if he keeps up this pace for the rest of the season. If he hits 10-12 home runs he might put himself in the AL MVP race let alone AL Rookie of The Year. Still, as long as Pedro and Bret stay healthy the Sox have a chance down the stretch. The win improved the Sox to 57-47, 5.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now have to face the AL Central leading Cleveland Indians coming to town. Pat Rapp goes for the Sox against Dwight Gooden for Cleveland. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.