Sox Outslug Brewers (6/28/82)

Its about time the Boston Red Sox punched back. After getting kicked around for 3 games at home by the Milwaukee Brewers, this time it was the Red Sox that did the kicking. The potent Brewers offense knocked out Sox starter Chuck Rainey but the offense led by Jerry Remy was able to counterpunch Pete Vuckovich into submission. The Sox rode a 5 run seventh inning then survived a late surge by the relentless Milwaukee offense to salvage game four of this series with a 9-7 win at Fenway Park.

                                                  Indiana Jones approves of the win

Rainey took the ball in the top of the first inning and Paul Molitor grounded out to third to begin. Robin Yount singled to left but Cecil Cooper popped up to third. A passed ball moved Yount to second but Ted Simmons flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox ran themselves out in the bottom of the first inning against Vuckovich. Remy grounded out to second to begin before Dwight Evans flied out to center. Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski worked back to back walks before Wade Boggs laced a single to left. Rice motored around third and the throw came home...YERRRR OUT! Rice was out to end the inning, damn.

                                                         Nice going Rice

Ben Oglivie grounded out to first to start the top of the second before Gorman Thomas and Roy Howell drew back to back walks. Rainey recovered by getting Ed Romero to bang into a double play to end the inning. The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second inning as Dave Stapleton grounded out to short to begin. Rich Gedman grounded out to first and Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Brewers struck first in the top of the third inning although Charlie Moore grounded out to second to begin. Molitor beat out an infield single to short but Yount popped up to second. Cooper singled to center and Simmons singled home both runners to put Milwaukee on top. Oglivie flied out to right to end the inning but the Brewers were up 2-0.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third although Rick Miller walked to start. Remy lined out to short but Evans walked as well. Rice beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Yaz flied out to right to end the inning.

Rainey struck out Thomas to start the top of the fourth but Howell singled to center. Romero flied out to left but Moore walked. Molitor popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Boggs singled to right to begin. Stapleton hit a routine grounder to Romero who went OLE! to allow Dave to reach. Gedman doubled home Boggs to put the Sox on the board and Hoffman scored Stapleton with an rbi grounder to tie the game. Miller grounded out to short but a wild pitch by Vuckovich sent Gedman to third. Remy doubled home Gedman to give the Sox the lead. Evans drew a walk but Rice popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                         Clutch double by Gedman

Could Rainey pitch with the lead in the top of the fifth? Miraculously yes. Yount grounded out to third, Cooper flied out to right and Simmons grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth although Yaz flied out to center to start. Boggs and Stapleton stroked back to back base hits but Gedman grounded out to third. Hoffman flied out to center to end the inning.

The Brewers finally chased Rainey in the top of the sixth although Oglivie flied out to center to begin. Thomas walked and Howell crushed a 7,000 foot home run to give the Brewers the lead. Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled Rainey after allowing 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings. He was game but the home run killed him in the end. Bob Stanley came in and got both Romero and Moore to ground out to short to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-3.

                                                Not the best but not the worst either

The Sox answered in the bottom of the sixth as Miller singled to start. Remy poked a single to left and the hustling Miller made it all the way to third with Remy advancing to second on the throw. Evans popped up to second but a passed ball scored Miller and advanced Remy to third. Rice grounded out to short and Yaz grounded out to first but the game was tied 4-4.

                                                              Good hustle Miller

Stanley cruised in the top of the seventh as Molitor struck out to start. Yount grounded out to third and Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the seventh although Boggs grounded out to first to begin. Stapleton and Gedman drew back to back walks but Hoffman struck out. Miller was plunked to load the bases and Remy cleared the bases with an rbi double. That was it for Vuckovich as Jim Slaton came in and walked Evans. Rice cleared the bases with a triple to chase Slaton. Jamie Easterly came in and Yaz looked at strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                                      Remy gets it done

The Brewers fought back in the top of the eighth as Simmons singled to center to start. Oglivie flied out to center but Thomas crushed a 97,000 foot home run to inch the Brewers closer. Marshall Edwards pinch hit for Romero but grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Brewers down 9-6.

Rob Picciolo came in to play second in the bottom of the eighth as the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Boggs grounded out to short, Stapleton grounded back to the mound and Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Stanley came out to finish the top of the ninth but the Brewers refused to go quietly. Moore popped up to second but Molitor doubled to left. Yount grounded out to third but Cooper singled home Molitor to put the tying run at the plate. With the game on the line, Simmons flied out to center to end the game. The Sox hung on to win 9-7

Hero of the Night is Jerry Remy. He put the Sox on top twice by going 3 for 5 with a run scored and 4 total rbis.

                                                            Remy the Hero


The Good:

Dwight Evans walked 3 times in 5 plate appearances and scored a run.

Wade Boggs was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a walk, hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a walk but drove in 2 runs.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4 but walked.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored twice.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Bob Stanley got the win but allowed 3 runs in 3 2/3 of an inning.

Chuck Rainey allowed 4 runs in just 5 1/3 innings, allowing 6 hits and 4 walks.




Final Thoughts:

The Brewers are for real and the Sox need better pitching or else they won't be able to handle the high powered Milwaukee offense going forward. If the Brewers take 3 out of 4 at Fenway, what are they going to do when they get back home? The Sox don't have the starting pitching to hold the Brewers down or the lineup to bop their way back when they go down. Hoffman, Nichols, Stapleton and Miller aren't 30 homer a year guys but that may be what the Sox need to keep the AL East lead. Still, a win is a win so no use panicking just yet. The win improved the Sox to 43-28, 3 games ahead of the Brewers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox travel to Detroit to play a set with the Detroit Tigers. Dennis Eckersley (7-6) goes for the Sox up against Jerry Ujdur at 7:30 PM at Tiger Stadium.

Royals Blast Red Sox (5/13/82)

Maybe the Boston Red Sox are getting tired. In the midst of a ten game, three city road trip that's taken them from Texas to Minnesota, tonight the Kansas City Royals whacked the Red Sox real bad. Riding a six run bottom of the first, the Royals rode Dave Frost to victory as the ineffective Chuck Rainey (3-1, 3.62 ERA) failed to make it out of the first inning. Bruce Hurst took a beating in relief and the Royals rolled over the Sox 11-2 at Royals Stadium.

The Sox did nothing against Frost in the top of the first inning as Jerry Remy flied out to left to begin.  Dwight Evans whiffed and Jim Rice flied out to right to end the inning. Rainey had nothing in the bottom of the first as Willie Wilson singled and stole second to start. John Wathan caught the Sox napping with a bunt single to put runners at the corners before Wathan stole second. George Brett singled Wilson home and Willie Aikens singled home Wathan. Somehow Amos Otis looked at strike three before Hal McRae singled home Brett. Jerry Martin whiffed before Frank White doubled home Aikens. Onix Concepcion doubled home McRae and Sox manager Ralph Houk had finally seen enough. Chuck got hammered for 6 runs in just 2/3 of an inning, yuck! Bruce Hurst came in and got Wilson to ground back to the mound to end the inning but the game was over already 6-0.

                                                           "I sucked tonight" - Rainey

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Tony Perez popped up to second to begin.  Carney Lansford flied out to right but Dave Stapleton singled and took second on a wild pitch. Glenn Hoffman flied out to center to end the inning. Hurst cruised in the bottom of the second as Wathan grounded out to second to start. Brett grounded out to third before Aikens watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Frost cruised in the top of the third as Rich Gedman lined out to left to start. Rick Miller grounded out to short before Remy grounded out to first to end the inning. The Royals struck again in the bottom of the third as Otis doubled to start and McRae singled him home. Hurst recovered to get Martin to pop up to third before striking out White. Concepcion grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals ahead 7-0.

The Sox finally got on the board in the top of the fourth although Evans popped up to short to begin. Rice grounded back to the mound but Perez drew a walk. Lansford doubled home Perez to put Boston on the board. Stapleton flied out to left to end the inning but it was 7-1 Royals.

                                                           Lansford isn't ready to quit

Wilson singled to open the bottom of the fourth but Wathan grounded into a double play. Brett grounded out to first to end the inning.

Frost cruised in the top of the fifth as Hoffman grounded out to third to start. Gedman grounded out to second before Miller flied out to left to end the inning. The Royals tagged Hurst in the bottom of the fifth although Aikens grounded out to second to begin. Otis doubled and McRae singled him in before Martin singled Hal to third. White scored McRae with a sac fly and a wild pitch moved Martin to third. Concepcion grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 9-1 Kansas City.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the sixth as Remy grounded out to second to begin. Evans singled to left but Rice popped up to first. Perez singled but Lansford popped up to second to end the inning. Wilson singled to start the bottom of the sixth and Wathan whiffed, but Brett drew a walk. Brett was so bored that he shook his head and left the game with Greg Pryor running for him. Aikens grounded back to the mound and Otis flied out to left to end the inning.

Frost cruised in the top of the seventh as Stapleton popped up to left, Hoffman popped up to third and Gedman popped up to left to end the inning. The Royals got to Hurst again in the bottom of the seventh although McRae grounded out to short to start. Martin whiffed before White doubled. Concepcion singled home White before he too got bored. He threw his hands up at the Sox and left the game, Tim Ireland running for him. Wilson doubled home Ireland to wrap up the scoring for Kansas City. Wathan flied out to center to end the inning but it was 11-1 Kansas City, what a massacre.

                                                          5 runs allowed by Hurst

Ireland moved to third with Pryor at short as the Sox actually got a run in the top of the eighth. Miller singled and took second on the grounder by Remy. Evans singled home Miller to cut the lead. Rice flied out to right and Perez popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox down 11-2.

                                                             Evans gets a run back

Luis Aponte relieved Hurst in the bottom of the eighth and struck out Pryor to start. Aikens struck out but Otis walked. McRae flied out to right to end the inning.

Grant Jackson came in to close it out in the top of the ninth. Lansford singled but Stapleton flied out to left. Hoffman and Gedman both struck out to end the game. The Royals plastered the Red Sox 11-2.

Jackass of the Night is Chuck Rainey. He got lit up for 6 runs in just 2/3 of an inning, woof!

                                                 Nice start, Jackass


The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Tony Perez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carney Lansford was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Rick Miller was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Luis Aponte pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bruce Hurst allowed 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

What a disaster. Its been a long road trip for sure but the Sox looked tired in this one. They looked stuck in the mud on offense and neither Rainey nor Hurst could get anyone out. The Royals pounded out 11 runs on 17 hits and the Sox could muster just 2 runs on 7 hits. The Sox better hope Rainey can pitch better than THAT moving forward. Still, the Sox are still in first and that's all that matters for the moment. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-11, 2.5 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox look to bounce back when Mike Torrez (2-2) battles Vida Blue at 1:30 PM at Royals Stadium.

Rainey, BoSox Blank ChiSox in Game 2 (4/26/82)

Make that seven wins in a row for the Boston Red Sox. In the second game of today's doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, it was the Chuck Rainey show here in Chicago. Rainey earned his first win of the season by tossing a complete game 5 hit shutout against the White Sox. Offensively it was a balanced attack as everyone in the lineup but one got hits with a rally in the sixth inning being the difference maker. Chico Escarrega held the Red Sox to just 1 run in 5 innings but Boston rallied for four runs against Jerry Koosman to put the game away. Rainey kept Chicago out of sorts all game and it all led to an easy 5-0 victory over the White Sox in Game 2 at Comiskey Park.

                                              Jeannine Taylor approves of the win

Escarrega got the ball in the top of the first and Jerry Remy grounded out to second to start. Dwight Evans walked and took off for second, advancing to third when Carlton Fisk threw the ball away. Jim Rice struck out swinging and Carl Yastrzemski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Rainey began his dominance in the bottom of the first when Rudy Law flied out to left to start. Tony Bernazard grounded out to second and Steve Kemp grounded out to first to end the inning.

Carney Lansford grounded out to second to open the top of the second before Dave Stapleton grounded back to the mound. Glenn Hoffman popped up to second to end the inning. Greg Luzinski ripped a base hit to left to start the bottom of the second and Rice decided to kick the ball into the bleachers for an error. A wild pitch moved Greg to third but Tom Paciorek grounded out to third. Harold Baines grounded back to the mound but Marv Foley walked. Jim Morrison grounded out to second to end the inning.

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the third as Rick Miller singled to right to start. Gary Allenson singled to center but Remy flied out to right. Evans flied out to left and Rice forced Allenson at second to end the inning. Rainey got Vance Law to ground out to short to start the bottom of the third and Rudy Law struck out swinging. Bernazard singled to right but was caught in a rundown on an infield single to third to end the inning.

Yaz flied out to center to start the top of the fourth before Lansford grounded out to second. Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning. Luzinski took strike three to begin the bottom of the fourth and Paciorek grounded back to the mound. Baines singled to center but Foley lined out to short to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the fifth as Hoffman doubled to left to start. Miller dumped a base hit to right and Glenn scored to put Boston on top. Allenson singled to center to move Miller to third but Gary was doubled off first on a line drive to second by Remy. Evans popped up to second to end the inning with the Red Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Miller drives in a run

Rainey kept Chicago from answering in the bottom of the fifth as Morrison flied out to left to begin. Vance Law struck out swinging and Rudy Law flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the sixth against Jerry Koosman as Rice singled in the hole at second to start. Yaz singled to left and Lansford walked to load the bases. Stapleton came through with a base hit to left to score Rice and Hoffman walked home Yaz to increase the lead. Miller hit a grounder to the mound to force Lansford at home but Allenson beat out a double play ball to score Stapleton. Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning with Boston now head 4-0.

                                                             Big hit by Stapleton

Bernazard walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Kemp flied out to left. Both Luzinski and Paciorek flied out to right to end the inning.

Aurelio Rodriguez took over at third for the top of the seventh and Evans singled to right to start. Rice walked but Yaz grounded into a double play. Lansford flied out to right to end the inning. Rainey got Baines to ground out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Foley also grounded out to second. Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                         Rainey was pitching great

Both Stapleton and Hoffman flied out to center to start the top of the eighth but Miller grounded a base hit up the middle. Allenson singled to left but Remy flied out to left to end the inning. Vance Law singled to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Rudy Law flied out to left. Bernazard hit a bullet to Hoffman who doubled off Vance at first to end the inning.

The BoSox put the nail in the coffin in the top of the ninth as Evans singled to left to begin. Rice popped up to second but Evans swiped second. Evans moved to third on a grounder to first by Yaz and Lansford scored Dwight with a base hit to center. Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                               Lansford drives in a run

Rainey returned to finish the game in the bottom of the ninth and Kemp flied out to center to start. Luzinski grounded out to short and Paciorek took strike three to end the game. The BoSox had won it 5-0.

Hero of the Night is Chuck Rainey. He tossed a complete game 5 hit shutout to earn the win.

                                                           Chuck The Hero

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 stolen bases and a run scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Rick Miller was 3 for 4 with an rbi.

Gary Allenson was 3 for 4 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 5.

The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error, but walked and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Carney Lansford was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox are positively rolling right now and a doubleheader sweep of the White Sox is what the doctor ordered. It wasn't just that they won it was how they won. Bruce Hurst and Chuck Rainey both had great starts and only Luis Aponte was used out of the bullpen saving the others for tomorrow and beyond. The offense wasn't spectacular but the rally in the sixth inning really put the game away the way Rainey was pitching. Hoffman has been a wrecking crew this month and hopefully he can keep this up all season even if that sounds unrealistic. Also hope Rainey keeps this up even though that's most likely realistic as well. With the world champion Boston Celtics returning to the playoffs this Wednesday all the focus will shift to them. It would be nice if the Red Sox could provide entertainment and win a bunch of games to have a good spring now that the Boston Bruins are out. More games like this one will definitely help. The Sox now travel back to Boston to play the Kansas City Royals for a set looking for their eighth win in a row. Dennis Eckersley gets the start for Boston against Dave Frost of the Royals. The game begins at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Rally Past Red Sox on Patriots Day (4/19/82)

It was bad news all around as the Quebec Nordiques defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their second round NHL playoff series and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox in a game they couldn't hold a lead onn Patriots Day. The Sox and Jays battled to a 3-3 tie after 5 innings and the Sox took the lead on a Glenn Hoffman rbi double. Unfortunately a Lloyd Moseby home run off Bruce Hurst and a Barry Bonnell home run off Mark Clear proved to be the difference in the game. The Sox had the tying run on in the eighth and ninth innings but failed to score as the Jays came away with a hard fought 5-4 victory at Fenway Park.

                                      "Over there....name's Clear....that's the one. He did it!"

Chuck Rainey got the ball for the Red Sox in the top of the first inning and Damaso Garcia grounded out to second to start. Rance Mulliniks doubled to center and Lloyd Moseby walked but Willie Upshaw hit into a double play to end the inning. Dave Stieb got the ball for Toronto in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy grounded back to the mound to start. Dwight Evans also grounded back to the mound and Jim Rice took strike three to end the inning.

The Jays beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning as Wayne Nordhagen grounded out to short to start. Hosken Powell grounded out to first and Ernie Whitt grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Carl Yastrzemski led off with a base hit to right. Carney Lansford flied out to right but Dave Stapleton jacked a line drive to left that Jessie Barfield booted for an error that scored Yaz from first base. Stapleton moved to second but was doubled off on a line drive by Glenn Hoffman to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                 Yaz scores a run

Barfield grounded out to short to start the top of the third but Alfredo Griffin singled to center. Garcia flied out to center but Mulliniks drew a walk. Moseby grounded out to second to end the inning. Rich Gedman flied out to center to open the bottom of the third before Rick Miller flied out to left. Remy caught the Jays asleep with a bunt single to short and stole second, but Evans popped up to second to end the inning.

The Jays took command in the top of the fourth as Upshaw ripped a base hit to right that was booted by Evans for an error. Nodhagen singled Upshaw to third and Powell banged into a double play, but Hosken scored to tie the game. Whitt then hit a home run all the way to Santo Domingo to put the Jays on top. Barfield singled to left and Griffin grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Jays up 2-1.

                                                                    Whitt puts Toronto on top

Rice singled off the glove of Stieb to start the bottom of the fourth but Yaz banged into a double play. Lansford grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Jays finished off Rainey in the top of the fifth as Garcia singled to center to start. Mulliniks flied out to center but Moseby doubled to center to score Garcia and chase Rainey. Chuck lasted just 4 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs, not good. Bruce Hurst came in to pitch and Moseby moved to third on the grounder to first by Upshaw. Nordhagen struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 3-1.

                                                    Rainey doesn't make it out of the fifth

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth inning as Stapleton singled to left to start. Hoffman popped up to short and Gedman forced Stapleton at second. Miller walked and Remy dumped a base hit to right. Barfield airmailed the throw which allowed Gedman and Miller to score to tie the game. Evans walked and Rice grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Remy scores the tying run

Barry Bonnell pitch hit for Powell to start the top of the sixth and walked to start. Whitt popped up to third in foul territory, Barfield also popped up to third and Griffin grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the sixth as Yaz singled to right to start. Lansford walked and that was it for Stieb. Dale Murray came in to pitch and Stapleton flied out to right but Hoffman doubled to center to score Yaz. Gedman was intentionally walked to load the bases and with a chance to break the game open....Miller banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                                Hoffman drives in a run

Hurst promptly coughed the lead up in the top of the seventh although Garcia grounded out to short to start. Garth Iorg pinch hit for Mulliniks and flied out to right but Moseby hit a home run all the way to Madison, Wisconsin to tie the game. Upshaw grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                                 Moseby ties it up

The Sox failed to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Remy flied out to left to start. Evans flied out to center and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to crap his pants in the top of the eighth as Nordhagen struck out swinging to start. Bonnell then hit a home run all the way to the outer reaches of Mongolia to put the Jays ahead. Whitt struck out swinging but Barfield singled to right. Barfield took off for second and Gedman inexplicably threw the ball 100 feet over the third basemen's head for an error to move Barfield to third on the error. Griffin flied out to center to end the inning but the Jays took the lead 5-4.

                                                           Bonnell puts Toronto on top

Yaz tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to start the bottom of the eighth. Reid Nichols pinch ran for Yaz and took second on the grounder to third by Lansford. Stapleton took strike three and Hoffman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Clear returned for the top of the ninth and Garcia grounded out to short to start. Iorg doubled to left and Moseby walked, but Upshaw watched strike three go by. Nordhagen flied out to left to end the inning. Murray came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Gedman popped up to short to start. Miller grounded out to second but Remy lined a base hit to right to keep the Sox alive. With the tying run at first...Evans forced Remy at second to end the game. The Jays had beaten the Sox 5-4.

Jackass of the Night is Mark Clear. He served up the go-ahead home run to Bonnell that was the difference in the game.

                                                             Mark Jackass

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 3 for 5 with a stolen base and an rbi.

Carl Yastrzemski was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4.

The Bad:

Chuck Rainey allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 but walked.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3 but walked.

Bruce Hurst allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols ran for Yaz in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Another tough loss and it seems the Sox just can't get untracked. They've played 10 games so far, lost 6 of them and have trailed in almost all of them. This is definitely not a recipe for success. The problem with this one was the long ball. Three home runs by the Jays were the difference in the game. Not that the Sox need to go homer crazy but a key hit here or there and maybe they're coming out winners. Rainey looked like garbage and Hurst looked okay, the problem was the Moseby homer. Another thing to shake your head at is Stapleton was 2 for 3 in the game but with the tying run at second he took strike three. I bet he'd love to have one of his hits back for that one. All in all it was a bad loss and the Sox can't afford to lose too many games in April because they'll spend the rest of the spring trying to play catch up. Not exactly the Patriots Day the city of Boston had in mind with the Bruins and the Sox losing. The Sox to rebound tomorrow when the Baltimore Orioles come into town. Bob Ojeda (0-2) gets the start for the Sox up against Mike Flannagan of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

White Sox Rally Past Red Sox (4/14/82)

For five innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were going to cruise to a victory over the Chicago White Sox. Boston had gotten to Chicago starter Steve Trout for four runs and Chuck Rainey had tossed a shutout. Things went south as (who else?) Carlton Fisk drove in a run for the White Sox in the sixth inning and Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled Chuck for Bob Stanley (0-1, 10.80 ERA). Stanley allowed 4 runs including a three run bomb to Tom Paciorek to put Chicago up for good. The BoSox couldn't get a runner past second base the final three innings against Salome Barojas and the White Sox had beaten Boston 5-4 in front of a paltry crowd of 9,000 people at Fenway Park.

                                                 "STANLEYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!"

Rainey got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ron LeFlore got a base hit to right. LeFlore was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Gary Allenson before Tony Bernazard flied out to left. Steve Kemp walked but Greg Luzinski grounded out to short to end the inning. The BoSox blew a rally in the bottom of the first inning as Jerry Remy grounded out to short to start. Dwight Evans singled to left and Jim Rice walked but Carney Lansford flied out to right. Dave Stapleton walked to load the bases but Glenn Hoffman forced Stapleton at second to end the inning.'

Tom Paciorek singled to center to begin the top of the second but Harold Baines forced him at second. The pain in the ass Carlton Fisk flied out to left and Jim Morrison struck out swinging to end the inning. Tony Perez popped up to second to start the bottom of the second and Gary Allenson grounded out to first. Rick Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Rainey cruised in the top of the third as Bill Almon struck out swinging to start. LeFlore took strike three and Bernazard popped up to second to end the inning. Remy popped up to third to start the bottom of the third before Evans walked. Rice struck out swinging and Lansford flied out to center to end the inning.

Kemp grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth but Luzinski singled to left. Paciorek flied out to left and Baines flied out to center to end the inning. Boston struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Stapleton singled to center to start. Hoffman doubled into the gap in right, Stapleton came all the way around to score and Glenn took third on the throw. Perez grounded out to short but Hoffman scored to increase the lead. Allenson flied out to right and Miller grounded out to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 2-0.

                                                         Hoffman gets it done

Rainey got in trouble in the top of the fifth as Fisk singled to center to begin. Jim Morrison walked but Bill Almon beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. LeFlore walked to load the bases but Bernazard took strike three. Kemp grounded out to short to end the inning. Boston struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Remy caught Trout asleep with a bunt single to start. Evans walked and Rice reached on an error by Almon to load the bases. Lansford hit a routine grounder to Almon but he booted that one too for an error to score Remy. The third time was the charm as Stapleton hit into a double play but Evans scored. Hoffman popped up to short to end the inning but the double play was huge as the game was 4-0 Red Sox.

                                                              Remy starts the rally

The White Sox began their comeback in the top of the sixth as Luzinski grounded back to the mound to start. Paciorek doubled to left but Baines flied out to center. Who else but Fisk ripped a base hit to left to score Paciorek to put Chicago on the board. Morrison forced Fisk at second to end the inning with the White Sox down 4-1. That was it for Rainey as he was lifted after holding the White Sox to one run in 6 innings.

                                                          Rainey with six solid innings

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Perez flied out to right to start. Allenson grounded out to third but Miller walked. Remy flied out to left to end the inning. 

The White Sox took command when Bob Stanley came in for the top of the seventh. Almon grounded out to short but LeFlore singled to right. Bernazard doubled to left but Kemp struck out swinging. One out away from getting out of it....Luzinski singled home LeFlore and Paciorek hit a home run all the way to Concord to put Chicago ahead. Baines popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                      White Sox pull ahead thanks to this guy

Evans walked to open the bottom of the seventh but Salome Barojas came in to replace Trout. Rice banged into a double play and Lansford grounded out to second to end the inning.

Luis Aponte came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Fisk grounded out to third to start. Rudy Law pinch hit for Morrison and flied out to center before Almon grounded out to second to end the inning. Aurelio Rodriguez came in to play third in the bottom of the eighth and Stapleton grounded out to short to start. Hoffman struck out swinging and Carl Yastrzemski pinch hit for Perez only to strike out swinging to end the inning.

Aponte returned for the top of the ninth and LeFlore grounded out to first to start. Bernazard grounded out to second but Kemp singled to right. Luzinski flied out to center to end the inning. Mike Squires came in to play first and Wade Boggs pinch hit for Allenson to begin the bottom of the ninth. Boggs flied out to left, Miller grounded out to second and Remy grounded out to short to end the game. The White Sox had won it 5-4.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Stanley. He served up the 3 run jack to Paciorek to take the loss.

                                                          Stanley The Jackass

The Good:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 1 with 3 walks and a run scored.

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 but walked and a run scored.

Chuck Rainey tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball.

Luis Aponte tossed two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski struck out as a pinch hitter.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3.

Wade Boggs was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

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

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored one.

Tony Perez was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Well that game sucked in the end. Taking out Chuck Rainey after 6 innings backfired big time as Stanley coughed up the game. You'd think a 4-0 lead would be enough to win a game but not this time. Its a shame to waste a good start by Rainey or anyone really but that's the breaks. The play of the game was when Stapleton hit into that double play to kill the bases loaded rally. A base hit would have broke the game open and maybe Boston manager Ralph Houk keeps Rainey in with a 5 or 6 run lead. Or at the very least bring in Tom Burgmeier. Still, its only one game and there will be plenty of other games Stanley will come in and lock things down. The Red Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon against the White Sox when Bob Ojeda (0-1) goes for Boston up against Dennis Lamp of Chicago. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Send Sox To Fourth Straight Loss (4/30/81)

At least the Boston Red Sox scored some runs for the first time in four days. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Twins scored twice as many as they did. The Sox pitching woes continued as Frank Tanana (0-3, 7.08 ERA) got clobbered for 5 runs while getting knocked out in the second inning. Bob Stanley and Mark Clear also got tagged by the Twins. Jim Rice and Tony Perez broke out of their slumps with home runs but it wasn't enough to offset the horrendous pitching. When the dust settled the Sox closed out the month of April on a 4 game losing streak due to the Twins 8-4 victory over them at Fenway Park.

                                              "This team SUCKS!"

Once again the Sox stepped on their private parts in the top of the first inning although Tanana struck out Gary Ward looking to start. John Castino lined out to center but Mickey Hatcher singled. Roy Smalley then hit a home run into Newfound Lake to give the Twins the lead. Dave Engle flied out to right to end the inning but it was 2-0 Twins.

                                                            Twins take the lead early

The Sox finally scored a run in the bottom of the first against Twins starter Roger Erickson as Dwight Evans doubled to center to start and Dave Stapleton singled him home. Carl Yastrzemski popped up to short and Jim Rice struck out swinging, but Stapleton moved to second on a balk by Erickson. Tony Perez flied out to right but the Sox had finally scored a run, trailing 2-1.

                                                                First rbi in days for Boston

Naturally the Twins responded by knocking Tanana out in the bottom of the second inning. Pete Mackanin doubled to left but Glenn Adams flied out to right. Ron Jackson was plunked and Sal Butera doubled home Mackanin. Ward singled home both runners and Sox manager Ralph Houk stormed out of the dugout and chucked sunflower seeds at Tanana. Frank ran away to the dugout and Bob Stanley materialized out of thin air to pitch. Castino flied out to left and Hatcher popped up to Stanley to end the inning but it was 5-1 Twins.

                                                              "I sucked today" - Tanana

The Sox laid down and died in the bottom of the second as Carney Lansford flied out to center to start. Gary Allenson struck out looking and Glenn Hoffman lined out to left to end the inning.

Smalley singled to right to start the top of the third but was forced at second by Engle. Mackanin lined out to left and Adams lined out to right to end the inning. Rick Miller grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third but Evans struck out swinging. Stapleton popped up to first to end the inning.

Jackson grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Butera singled to left. Ward banged into a double play to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Rice popped up to first. Perez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Twins tagged Stanley in the top of the fifth although Castino flied out to right to start. Hatcher singled to right and Smalley walked, but Engle struck out swinging. Rob Wilfong pinch hit for Mackanin and walked to load the bases. Adams singled home Hatcher and Smalley to increase the lead and cause Houk to kick over his stack of mail piled up. Jackson flied out to left to end the inning with the Twins up 7-1.

                                                           Not even Bob could bail them out

Lansford flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Allenson flied out to left. Hoffman singled to left but Miller lined out to center to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Butera struck out swinging to start. Ward struck out swinging but Castino walked. Castino stole second but Hatcher struck out swinging to end the inning. Evans and Stapleton both flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Twins tagged Clear in the top of the seventh as Smalley walked to start. Engle singled to left and Wilfong singled to right to score Smalley. Adams grounded out to first and Jackson hit a shot to Lansford who fired home to get Engle. Butera popped up to third to end the inning but it was 8-1 Twins.

                                                                 Clear gives up a run

Rice lined out to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Perez singled to left. Perez was forced at second by Lansford and Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Chuck Rainey came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ward grounded out to second to start. Castino flied out to center and Hatcher grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the eighth as Smalley booted a grounder by Hoffman to start, advancing Glenn to second. Miller moved Hoffman to third with a fly out to right but Evans struck out swinging. Somehow Stapleton singled home Glenn to cut the lead. Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

                                                                Hoffman scores a run

Smalley grounded back to the mound to start the top of the ninth and Engle flied out to center. Wilfong lined out to first to end the inning. Erickson was denied a complete game when Rice led off the bottom of the ninth with his third home run of the year to start. Perez then cracked his second of the year to cut the lead in half and chase Erickson. Doug Corbett came in and Lansford struck out swinging. Allenson grounded out to third but Garry Hancock pinch hit for Hoffman. Hancock grounded out to second to end the game. The Twins had won it 8-4.

Jackass of the Night is Frank Tanana. He got hammered for 5 runs in just 1 1/3 innings to once again put the Sox in too big a hole to climb out of.

                                                            Jackass Tanana

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Tony Perez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Chuck Rainey tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Garry Hancock was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley allowed 2 runs in 3 2/3 innings

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Mark Clear gave up a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

What a garbage month that was. It started with Carlton Fisk giving the proverbial middle finger to Red Sox management on Opening Day and ended with a four game losing streak to send the Sox into May on a down note. This game has been typical of the last week or so with the starter getting knocked out and the bullpen providing no relief. The strangest part is the offense has been non-existent for the most part. The middle of the order has been asleep all month including Yaz, Rice and Perez. Perez is going to be 38 on May 14th and he could be losing it. Yaz is 41 years old and could be losing it too. Rice will figure it out eventually but right now the Sox are in deep trouble if these guys can't get it going. Losing to the Texas Rangers and the Twins doesn't inspire any confidence but at least April is over. The Sox look to rebound against the Twins tomorrow when Dennis Eckersley (2-2) takes on Fernando Arroyo of the Twins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Rout Sox, Avoid Sweep (4/22/81)

The good news was the Boston Celtics evened their East Finals series with the Philadelphia Sixers at one game apiece after their Game 2 victory. The bad news was the Texas Rangers gave a devastating beating to the Boston Red Sox. After the Red Sox pitched back to back complete games, Dennis Eckersley (1-1, 7.11 ERA) didn't even make out of the first inning, getting charged with 7 runs before the Sox could even come to bat. Chuck Rainey made his season debut getting pounded for 6 runs of his own and the Rangers never let up. When the carnage was over the Rangers pounded out 18 hits and 16 runs to annihilate the Red Sox 16-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Flounder can't stand Sox pitching

The Rangers ambushed Eckersley immediately in the top of the first inning as Bump Wills pounded a ground rule double to start. Mickey Rivers struck out swinging but Al Oliver singled home Wills to give the Rangers the lead. Buddy Bell singled and Johnny Grubb walked to load the bases and Pat Putnam cleared them with a double. Jim Sundberg walked and Billy Sample hit a perfect double play ball to Glenn Hoffman...UNDER HIS GLOVE! The error scored Putnam and kept the inning going. Both runners moved over on the grounder by Mario Mendoza but Wills singled home Sundberg and Sample to make it a touchdown. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough and pulled the ineffective Eckersley after just 2/3 of an inning. Chuck Rainey made his season debut to get Rivers to line out to right to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 7-0.

                                                     "I sucked today." - Eck

Rangers starter Danny Darwin got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy walked to start. Dwight Evans and Carl Yastrzemski both flied out to left and Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning.

It was Rainey's turn to take a beating in the top of the second as Oliver doubled to right to begin. Bell grounded back to the mound but Grubb singled Oliver to third. Putnam hit a sac fly to score Oliver with another run and Sundberg hit a routine grounder to Hoffman....OFF HIS GLOVE! Another error kept the inning alive and Sample doubled home Sundberg. Mendoza singled home Sample but Wills took strike three to end the inning. Hoffman's errors loomed large as the Rangers now led 11-0.

                                                   "Catch the damn ball, Glenn!" - CR

It was the Sox turn to rally in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez singled to right to start. Carney Lansford doubled Tony to third but Gary Allenson struck out swinging. Hoffman popped up to first but Rick Miller walked to load the bases. Remy singled home Perez and Lansford to put the Sox on the board. Evans doubled home Miller and Yaz drove in both runners with a single to cut the lead. Rice grounded out to second to end the inning but at least the Sox showed some fight to trail 11-5.

                                                            "Not dead yet!" - Yaz

Rainey recovered in the top of the third as Rivers grounded out to first to start. Oliver grounded out to second and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Perez grounded out to short to start. Lansford flied out to left and Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Rangers settled matters in the top of the fourth as Grubb and Putnam stroked back to back singles to open. Sundberg doubled home Grubb to increase the lead but Sample lined out to third. Mendoza scored Putnam with a sac fly to put the game out of reach. Wills hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Rangers up 13-5.

                                                           Grubb starts another rally

The Sox did get a run back in the bottom of the fourth although Hoffman and Miller both grounded out to short to start. Remy walked and Evans tripled into the centerfield triangle to cut the lead. Yaz flied out to left to end the inning but it was 13-6 Texas.

                                                          Evans doing what he can

Rainey got Rivers to ground out to first to start the top of the fifth and Oliver flied out to center. Bell grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Rice grounded out to second to start. Perez flied out to center but Lansford walked. Allenson flied out to center to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Grubb grounded out to second to start. Putnam popped up to second but Sundberg singled to left. Sample doubled Sundberg to third but Mendoza grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox had some more fight left in them in the bottom of the sixth against Bob Babcock coming into pitch. Hoffman singled to right but Miller flied out to left. Remy walked and Evans singled him to third, scoring Hoffman with another run. Yaz beat out a double play ball to score Remy and Rice beat out an infield single to third. Perez flied out to right to end the inning but it was 13-8 Rangers.

                                                           Remy walking and scoring

The Rangers wrapped up the scoring in the top of the seventh as Wills walked to start. Rivers singled him to third but Oliver popped up to third. Bell then hit a home run all the way to Denton, Texas to add to the lead. Grubb was plunked and Putnam singled to left, but Sundberg took strike three. Sample struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers up 16-8.

                                                                  Dammit Clear

Lansford tried to start a rally with a walk to begin the bottom of the seventh but Allenson flied out to left. Hoffman forced Lansford at second and Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Mendoza singled to left to start the top of the eighth but Wills banged into a double play. Rivers walked but Oliver flied out to center to end the inning. Jim Kern came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Remy walked to start. Evans singled to left and both runners moved over on the grounder by Yaz. Rice took strike three and Perez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bill Campbell made his season debut in the top of the ninth and struck out Bell swinging to start. Grubb flied out to left and Putnam grounded out to first to end the inning. Lansford grounded out to second to start the bottom of the ninth and Allenson took strike three. Hoffman walked but Miller took strike three to end the game. The Rangers had won it 16-8.

Jackass of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He didn't even make it out of the first inning and got plastered for 7 runs to put the game out of reach early.

                                                              Eck the Jackass

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 1 for 1 with 4 walks, 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 4 for 5 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Carney Lansford was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Bill Campbell pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Gary Allenson was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Chuck Rainey allowed 6 runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Mark Clear allowed 3 runs in 3 innings.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 but drove in 3 runs.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but walked and scored a run.

Rick Miller was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Gadzooks that was bad. It wouldn't be fair to expect Eckersley to continue the string of success Sox starters had the past few days but that was the complete opposite. The Rangers had a week's worth of offense in one day as they beat around every Sox pitcher they threw out there. The sad part was the Sox offense came to play by getting 10 hits and 8 runs of their own. Lansford and Evans were the driving force behind today's game and pretty much all April. Rice is going to catch fire eventually and it'll be glorious when he does. The only thing the Sox can do is forget about today and move on to the next game. The Sox are back in action Friday night when they visit the Baltimore Orioles. Frank Tanana (0-1) takes on Mike Flanagan of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Memorial Stadium.