Clemens, Sox Power Past Angels (4/30/94)

Hopefully the Boston Red Sox starting pitching holds up this season because so far this year, the Red Sox are a wagon with them. Roger Clemens (3-1, 3.16) tossed an eight inning gem allowing just 1 run to keep the Sox in the game. The Boston bats were held to just 7 hits by Mark Leiter but the Sox made them count. Andrew Dawson drove two big runs while Scott Cooper batted in another. It was the Clemens show as he dazzled the Angels before giving way to the bullpen. Ken Ryan and Greg Harris finished the game off as the Sox ended the month of April on a hot streak with a 4-1 victory over the Angels at Angels Stadium.

                                                       Jeannine Taylor approves of the win

The Sox jumped on Leiter in the top of the first inning as Otis Nixon lined out to left to start. Mike Greenwell doubled to center but Tim Naehring grounded out to third. Mo Vaughn was hit with a pitch and Andre Dawson pounded a ground rule double down the left field line to score Greenwell. Scott Cooper walked and Billy Hatcher popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Dawson drives in a run

Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Damion Easley grounded out to second to start. Dwight Smith popped up to short and Tim Salmon struck out swinging to end the inning.

Damon Berryhill popped up to short to start the top of the second inning and Scott Fletcher grounded out to short. Nixon also grounded out to short to end the inning. Chili Davis got hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the second but Eduardo Perez grounded into a double play. Chad Curtis grounded out to short to end the inning.

Greenwell struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Naehring singled to left. Vaughn popped up to third in foul territory and Dawson flied out to right to end the inning. The Angels tied it in the bottom of the third as Jorge Fabregas struck out swinging to start. Harold Reynolds walked, stole second and scored on the Gary Disarcina base hit to right. Easley took strike three but Disarcina stole second as well. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                 Disarcina ties it

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth as Cooper doubled to left to start. Hatcher hit a routine grounder to Easley who threw the ball away for an error to score Cooper. Berryhill grounded out to first to move Hatcher to third but Fletcher flied out to center. Nixon struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                                 Cooper scores a run

Salmon singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Davis struck out swinging. Perez struck out swinging and Curtis lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox added on in the top of the fifth as Greenwell popped up to third to start. Easley made another error to allow Naehring to reach first and Vaughn got a base hit to right. Dawson got a base hit to right to score Naehring and move Vaughn to third. Cooper beat out a double play ball to score Vaughn with another run but Hatcher popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                                  Vaughn scores a run

Fabregas lined out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Reynolds struck out swinging. Disarcina flied out to center to end the inning.

Berryhill flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Fletcher singled to left. Fletcher swiped second but Nixon grounded back to the mound. Greenwell was intentionally walked but Naehring flied out to right to end the inning. Easley popped up to second to start the bottom of the sixth but Smith got a base hit to right. Smith was thrown out at second trying to steal and Salmon grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Vaughn struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Dawson also went down hacking. Cooper walked but Hatcher flied out to left to end the inning. Davis took strike three to start the bottom of the seventh and shouted invectives at home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth. Fieldin threw Davis out of the game and Perez flied out to right. Curtis grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                                     Yerrrrr out!

Berryhill flied out to right to open the top of the eighth and Fletcher lined out to center. Nixon grounded out to first to end the inning. Clemens returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth as Fabregas popped up to third to start. Reynolds doubled to right but Disarcina struck out swinging. Easley grounded out to short to end the inning. Clemens was outstanding, allowing just 1 run in 8 strong innings allowing 4 hits and a walk.

                                                             The Rocket delivered

Craig Lefferts came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Greenwell grounded back to the mound to start. Naehring flied out to left and Lefferts dropped the throw from Disarcina on Vaughn's grounder for an error. Dawson was intentionally walked and Lee Tinsley pinch ran for him. Cooper flied out to center to end the inning. Ken Ryan came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Smith lined out to short to start. Salmon lined out to right but Bo Jackson pinch hit for Davis. Jackson walked and Perez got a base hit to center. Suddenly Sox manager Butch Hobson kicked over a gatorade jug and threw a bat at Ryan before needing to be restrained by arm security as Ryan ran over to take a swing at him. Greg Harris tiptoed to the mound to pitch to Curtis and got him to fly out to right to end the game. The Sox had won the game 4-1.

Hero of The Night is Roger Clemens. He allowed just 1 run in 8 innings while allowing 4 hits and walk. He also struck out 8 batters

                                                                Rocket Hero

The Good:

Andre Dawson was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Ken Ryan got the first two outs of the ninth inning.

Greg Harris earned the save by getting the final out of the game.

The Bad:

Otis Nixon was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 4.

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Mo Vaughn was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Lee Tinsley ran for Dawson in the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

For the second year in a row the Red Sox have had a strong April but this year has a different vibe. The offense is gelling incredibly and the starting pitching has held up so far. Clemens was his normal self and he dominated the Angels tonight. Combined with the efforts of Danny Darwin and Frank Viola, Clemens added to the Sox win streak big time. Ken Ryan looked a little shaky but Harris got the final out nicely. Billy Hatcher and Otis Nixon have cooled off a little but can't argue that the Sox have gotten the hits they needed to win games lately. Hopefully everyone stays healthy because good things are in store at this pace. The win improved the Sox to 17-7, 1.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for the series sweep and fifth consecutive win tomorrow night against the Angels. Joe Hesketh (0-1) looks for his first win of the season against Brian Anderson of the Angels. The fame begins at 8:05 PM eastern time at Angels Stadium.

Darwin, Sox Beat A's (4/28/94)

A week ago Boston Red Sox fans were complaining that the Red Sox were relying on aging starting pitching and it would come back to haunt them. Well the last two days Frank Viola and Danny Darwin (4-1, 5.17 ERA) have combined for 12 2/3 innings and 1 run allowed. Darwin held the Oakland A's to just one measly run in 6 2/3 gutty innings as the Sox tagged Todd Van Poppel for four runs in this one. Scott Cooper was the offensive star in this one, driving in all four of the Sox runs while the only run Darwin allowed was a home run by Mike Aldrete. The Sox bullpen held the A's scoreless the rest of the way as the Sox knocked off the A's 4-1 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                       Lorna Luft approves of the win

Van Poppel got the ball in the top of the first inning as Otis Nixon grounded out to short to start. Billy Hatcher struck out swinging and Mike Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Darwin got the ball in the bottom of the first as Stan Javier flied out to center to begin. Hatcher dropped a pop up by Mike Aldrete for an error and Aldrete moved to third on a grounder to second by Troy Neel. Geronimo Berroa struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Mo Vaughn walked to start. Andre Dawson doubled to center and Scott Cooper doubled to left to score both runners. Tim Naehring struck out swinging, Damon Berryhill took strike three and John Valentin popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                              Cooper drives in a pair

Ruben Sierra flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Terry Steinbach also flied out to center. Mike Brumley struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Nixon singled to left to start. Nixon stole second and Hatcher walked before Greenwell took strike three. Vaughn got a base hit to right but Nixon stopped and had to turn back to third, causing Naehring to go back to second. Vaughn got thrown out at first on the play. Dawson grounded out to third to end the inning. Scott Brosius grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third and Mike Bordick flied out to center. Javier grounded out to second to end the inning.

Cooper grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Naehring flied out to right. Berryhill popped up to short to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Aldtrete hit a home run all the home run to South Carolina to cut the lead. Neel flied out to left, Berroa watched strike three go by and Sierra hit a double to left....but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple to end the inning with the A's down 2-1.

                                                                 Aldrete tags Darwin

Valentin flied out to right to start the top of the fifth before Nixon grounded out to short. Hatcher flied out to left to end the inning. Steinbach singled to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Brumley struck out swinging. Brosius went down hacking but Bordick caught Cooper asleep with a bunt single. Javier flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Greenwell popped up to third to start. Vaughn singled to center but Dawson popped up to short. Cooper struck his sixth home run of the season to double the lead. Naehring was hit with a pitch but Berryhill struck out swinging. Valentin popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                       Another home run by Cooper

Aldrete was frozen for strike three to start the bottom of the sixth before Neel doubled to right. Berroa flied out to right and Sierra lined out to center to end the inning. 

Valentin popped up to second to begin the top of the seventh before Nixon flied out to center. Hatcher also flied out to center to end the inning. Steinbach flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Brumley struck out swinging. Brosius got a base hit to center and Bordick got a base hit to right to chase Darwin. Danny did well, allowing just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings off 7 hits. Ken Ryan came in and got Javier to fly out to center to end the inning.

                                                               Good work Darwin

Vince Horsman came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Greenwell flied out to center to start. Vaughn struck out swinging but Dawson singled to center. Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Dawson and was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Lee Tinsley came in to play right with Tony Fossas now on the mound to start the bottom of the eighth. A's manager Tony La Russa pinch hit Ricky Henderson for Aldrete but he took strike three. Neel singled to right to chase Fossas. Greg Harris came in and Berroa singled to right, but Sierra grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Junior Noboa came in for Henderson with old buddy Dennis Eckersley now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Cooper grounded out to first before Naehring grounded out to short. Berryhill grounded out to first to end the inning. Jeff Russell came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Steinbach grounded out to second to start. Brumley walked then took second on defensive indifference. Brosius flied out to center but Bordick walked. Javier walked to load the bases and Mark McGwire pinch hit for Noboa. McGwire struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

Hero of The Night is Scott Cooper. He drove in all four of the Sox runs including a two run home run.

                                                                   Hero Cooper

The Good:

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

Andre Dawson was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Danny Darwin tossed 6 2/3 innings of 1 run ball to earn the win. He allowed 7 hits and struck out 7.

Ken Ryan got the final out of the seventh inning.

Tony Fossas got the first out of the eighth inning.

Greg Harris got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Jeff Russell earned his 8th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bob Zupcic got thrown out at second trying to steal as a pinch runner.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

John Valentin was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error but walked.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Honorable Mention:

Lee Tinsley played right field in the final innings.

Final Thoughts:

Turns out the old pro's aren't washed up yet. Frank Viola pitched a shutout yesterday and Darwin allowed just 1 run in this one. The Sox bats have somewhat cooled off since their hot streak last week but the pitching has held up big time. The lefty/righty combo with Fossas and Harris is working and Russell had one bad game this month, otherwise he's been fine. Cooper made the all-star team last year and so far he's trying to do it again with six home runs already. If it wasn't for the equally red hot New York Yankees, the Sox would be leaving April with a commanding lead in the AL East. As it is, they just have to keep on winning. The Sox look to continue their winning ways in Anaheim as they travel there to play a three game set with the California Angels. Aaron Sele (2-0) gets the start for the Sox against Phil Leftwich of the Angels. The game begins tomorrow night at 10:00 PM at Anaheim Stadium.

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.

Darwin, Naehring Drop Angels (4/23/94)

The bad news was the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their first round NHL playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the California Angels. For the first couple weeks of the season Danny Darwin (3-1, 6.20 ERA) has looked every bit of 38 years old but today he turned back the clock for a vintage performance. He dazzled the Angels for 7 innings, allowing 3 runs and putting the Sox in position to win. Tim Naehring was the offensive star, driving in two runs including breaking a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth. Mike Greenwell hit a home run and Mo Vaughn knocked in a run as well and Darwin gave way to the returning Ken Ryan. Jeff Russell closed out the Angels in the ninth and the Sox had won the game 5-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                 The Duke of Paducah approves of the win

Darwin got the ball in the top of the first and old friend Spike Owen flied out to right to start. Dwight Smith grounded out to second and Tim Salmon flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to old pal John Dopson in the bottom of the first as Otis Nixon got a base hit to left to start. Billy Hatcher forced Otis at second but Mike Greenwell grounded out to second to move Billy to second. Tim Naehring ripped a base hit to center to score Hatcher but Mo Vaughn grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Another rbi for Naehring'

Chili Davis singled to left to start the top of the second but was doubled off first on a line drive to Scott Cooper by Eduardo Perez. Chad Curtis took strike three to end the inning. Damon Berryhill grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before John Valentin singled in the hole at short. Scott Cooper got a base hit to left but Valentin was thrown out at third. Dave Valle struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Angels struck back in the top of the third although Greg Myers took strike three to start. Harold Reynolds got a base hit to right but Gary Disarcina flied out to center. Owen doubled to right to score Reynolds and Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                   Look familiar?

The Sox answered in the bottom of the third as Nixon grounded out to short to start but Hatcher doubled to left. Greenwell then struck his fifth home run of the season to increase the lead. Naehring grounded out to third but Vaughn ripped a base hit to right. Berryhill grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                              Home run Greenwell

The Angels got another run in the top of the fourth as Salmon singled to left to start. Davis walked and Perez moved Salmon to third with a fly ball to center. Chad Curtis beat out a double play ball to score Salmon but Myers flied out to left to end the inning with the Angels down 3-2.

                                                         RBI for Curtis

Valentin singled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but took second on an error by the left fielder. Cooper moved Valentin to third with a grounder to second but Valle grounded back to the mound. Nixon took strike three to end the inning.

The Angels tied it in the top of the fifth as Reynolds lined out to second to start. Disarcina singled to right but Hatcher booted the ball for an error to move Gary to second. Owen hit a line drive to center for a hit to score Disarcina but Smith forced Spike at second. Salmon singled to right to move Smith to third but Davis flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                 Another rbi for Owen

The Sox broke the tie in the bottom of the fifth as Hatcher walked to start. Greenwell got a base hit to right and Naehring got a base hit to center to score Billy. That was it for Dopson as Craig Lefferts came in to pitch to Vaughn. Mo hit a fly ball to center and Myers dropped the throw home when Greenwell cleaned him out for another run. Myers had to leave the game and Chris Turner took over behind the plate. Berryhill hit a fly ball to center to move Naehring to third and Valentin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                              This guy's dangerous

Perez popped up to second to start the top of the sixth before Curtis lined out to second. Turner popped up to first to end the inning. Cooper grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Valle doubled to center. Nixon grounded out to second to move Valle to third but Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning.

Darwin returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh as Reynolds grounded out to first to start. Disarcina flied out to center and Owen flied out to left to send the inning. Darwin pitched well, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings off 7 hits and a walk.

                                                                 Good work Darwin

Greenwell flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh before Naehring drew a walk. Vaughn flied out to center and Berryhill took strike three to end the inning.

Ken Ryan made his season debut in the top of the eighth and Smith grounded out to short to start. Salmon and Davis both struck out swinging to end the inning. Joe Grahe came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Valentin took strike three. Cooper struck out swinging and Valle grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jeff Russell came in to close out the top of the ninth and Perez walked to start. Curtis forced Perez at second and Turner struck out swinging. Bo Jackson pinch hit for Reynolds and he too struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

Hero of The Night is Tim Naehring. He knocked in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth and the Sox held on the rest of the way.

                                                       Hero Naehring

The Good:

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

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

John Valentin was 2 for 4.

Danny Darwin tossed 7 innings while allowing just 3 runs off 7 hits and a walk.

Ken Ryan tossed a scoreless inning.

Jeff Russell earned his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dave Valle was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Another good win for the Sox and Tim Naehring is batting .400. Can he stay healthy for a season just once? This offense is absolutely rolling with the blend of youth and veteran mix and the pitching has held up so far. This was Darwin's best start this season and hopefully he's shaken off the early season jitters. Getting Ken Ryan back was also big as he was one of their best relievers last year for a team destined to go nowhere. To have a trio of Ryan, Russell and Paul Quantrill is going to shorten a lot of games this year. Apart from the catching situation, there's really not much to complain about this season so far. Hopefully health can hold up and the starting pitching improves. The Sox look to sweep California tomorrow afternoon when Aaron Sele (1-0) takes on Phil Leftwich of the Angels. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Walkoff A's in Ninth, Sweep Series (4/21/94)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The struggling Greg Blosser was sent down to Pawtucket and super utility man Bob Zupcic was called up to replace him. Blosser was 1 for 11 and the plan was to get the 22 year old more playing time in Pawtucket before bringing him back another time.

                                                                   OUT

                                                                     IN

It was a good day for Boston sports as the Boston Bruins defeated the Patrick Roy-less Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series. As for baseball, woah, who saw THIS coming for the Boston Red Sox? A day after Roger Clemens beats the Oakland A's with a 2 hit shutout, the Red Sox offense comes alive and beats one of the best closers in the game. Sox starter Joe Hesketh got lit up for 5 runs and got knocked out in the fourth inning thanks to some pretty lousy defense. Trailing 4-0, the Sox mounted a comeback by getting four runs in the sixth thanks to John Valentin and Tim Naehring. With one out in the bottom of the ninth against old friend Dennis Eckersley, Andre Dawson smacked a pinch hit rbi double to tie the game and Otis Nixon knocked him in with a double of his own to win the game 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Neriah Davis approves of the win

Hesketh got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rickey Henderson led off by grounding out to third. John Wathan was shown to be the acting manager today as Butch Hobson was home mourning a death in the family. Stan Javier grounded back to the mound but Geronimo Berroa doubled to the left field wall. Mark McGwire walked but Ruben Sierra struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                    No Hobson today

Bobby Witt got the start for Oakland and Otis Nixon led off the top of the first by grounding out to short. Billy Hatcher grounded out to third and Mike Greenwell flied out to center to end the inning.

Terry Steinbach grounded out to short to start the top of the second and Scott Brosius struck out swinging. Mo Vaughn dropped a pop up by Mike Bordick for an error but Hesketh struck him out swinging to end the inning anyway. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Mo Vaughn got a base hit to right field to start. Tim Naehring walked but Damon Berryhill flied out to center. John Valentin popped up to third but Scott Cooper walked to load the bases. Dave Valle grounded into a force to end the inning.

The A's struck first in the top of the third as Scott Hemond hit a bullet to Valentin to start. Henderson walked but was forced at second by Javier. Sox analyst Bob Kurtz told fans that Sox pitching prospect Frankie Rodriguez was no-hitting the Columbus Clippers through six innings, good for him. Javier took off for second and Valle turned around and threw the ball into the net behind the plate for an error to advance Stan to third. Naturally Javier scored on the base hit by Berroa to give the A's the lead. McGwire took strike three to end the inning but it was 1-0 A's.

                                                       Javier scores.

Nixon tried to bunt his way on but Witt snuffed it out to start the bottom of the third. Hatcher was plunked and hobbled around in pain. John Wathan sprinted out of the dugout and asked if Billy was okay and Hatcher said he's good. Hatcher was thrown out trying to steal and Greenwell struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                 Hatcher "Owwowowowowwwwwww!!!"

The A's struck back in the top of the fourth as Kurtz reported Columbus Clippers catcher Jorge Posada broke up Rodriguez' no hitter down in Pawtucket. Sierra flied out to center but Steinbach slapped a single to right. Brosius flied out to left but Nixon dropped a blooper by Bordick that counted as an rbi "double". Hemond hit a routine grounder to Cooper who threw his glove on the ball and dropped an elbow on it for an error to put runners at the corners. Henderson singled Hemond to third and stole second before both runners scored on the double down the left field line by Javier. That was it for Hesketh who got no help from his defense but was out after allowing 5 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Paul Quantrill came in and Berroa popped up to second to end the inning with the A's ahead 5-0.

                                                              Not Joe's best outing

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Vaughn struck out swinging to start. Naehring took strike three but Berryhill walked. Valentin took strike three to end the inning.

McGwire walked to start the top of the fifth but Sierra flied out to left. Steinbach singled to center but Brosius banged into a double play to end the inning. Cooper flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Valle struck out swinging. Nixon doubled to left but Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning.

Bordick singled to left to begin the top of the sixth and took second on a passed ball, but Hemond grounded out to short. Henderson struck out swinging and Javier took strike three to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Greenwell walked to start. Vaughn dumped a base hit to center and Greenwell motored around to third, Vaughn taking second on the throw. Naehring hit a bullet off the Monster to score both runners to put the Sox on the board. Berryhill flied out to left but Valentin singled to left to chase Witt. Steve Ontiveros came in and Cooper hit a shot into the right field corner. Naehring and Valentin scored but Cooper was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Valle took strike three to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 5-4.

                                                             Yerrrrr out!

Berroa grounded out to short to begin the top of the seventh and McGwire took strike three. Sierra flied out to center to end the inning. Nixon singled to left to start the bottom of the seventh and A's manager Tony La Russa took Ontiveros out. John Briscoe came in and Hatcher flied out to right. Greenwell banged into a double play to end the inning.

Scott Bankhead came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Steinbach flied out to right to start. Brosius grounded out to second but Bordick singled to center. Hemond flied out to center to end the inning. Vaughn flied out to center to begin the bottom of the eighth but Naehring walked. Berryhill banged into a double play to end the inning.

Bankhead returned for the top of the ninth and Henderson flied out to left to start. Javier blooped a single past a diving Naehring and Berroa walked. Old buddy Mike Brumley pinch ran for Berroa but McGwire struck out swinging. Sierra grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                         Good work Bankhead

Dennis Eckersley came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Valentin flied out to center to start. Cooper grounded a base hit to right that was bobbled by Sierra, Cooper taking second on the error. Lee Tinsley pinch ran for Cooper and Roger Clemens gave Cooper an interesting look in the dugout.

                                                    Insane Roger Clemens

Andre Dawson pinch hit for Valle and doubled off the right field barrier on the first pitch to tie the game. Scott Fletcher pinch ran for Dawson and Nixon doubled just inside the first base bag to score Fletcher with the winning run. The Sox had beaten Eckersley and the A's 6-5.

                                                         Sox win, Eck can't believe it

The Co-Heroes of the Night are Andre Dawson and Otis Nixon. Dawson came off the bench ice cold to tie the game and Nixon won it one at-bat later.

                                                      Hero 1: Dawson

                                                     Hero 2: Nixon

The Good:

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Lee Tinsley scored the tying run as a pinch runner

Scott Fletcher scored the winning run as a pinch runner.

Paul Quantrill tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Scott Bankhead got the win with 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Dave Valle was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Joe Hesketh got lit up by allowing 5 runs in 3 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored.

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 3 but walked.

John Valentin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Not much was expected of the Boston Red Sox this year considering their misery the last two seasons, but at least they're starting April pretty well so far. Clemens looked great last night and knocking off Dennis Eckersley tonight is nothing to sneeze at. The defense needs to be cleaned up but there shouldn't be too many games with 3 errors. Kudos to Quantrill and Bankhead for holding the fort after Hesketh was knocked out. They tossed a combined 5 1/3 shutout innings and kept Oakland off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Dawson's got a pretty bad knee so for him to contribute like that deserves a lot of credit. The hardest job in baseball is to come off the bench ice cold and hit one of the best closers in the game. Nixon carried the offense today with all his hits and the Sox are going be in good shape if he can get back to where he was with the Atlanta Braves. Sweeping the A's out of Fenway was fun but the California Angels come to town next for a set. Frank Viola goes for the Sox against Chuck Finley of the Angels tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Boston Bats Bash A's (4/19/94)

Welcome back the Boston Red Sox offense. After being held to one run by the Chicago White Sox in the previous game, the bats exploded against the Oakland Athletics in today's tilt. Aaron Sele (1-0, 1.86 ERA) pitched well, holding the A's to 3 runs in seven strong innings before giving way to Greg Harris. Meanwhile the bats pounded out 16 hits and 13 runs against Bob Welch and the Oakland bullpen. Scott Cooper went 4 for 5 with 4 runs batted in and a grand slam while both Tim Naehring and Mo Vaughn each clubbed two home runs. Mike Greenwell also went yard as the Sox pounded the A's 13-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Bret Hart approves of the win

Sele got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rickey Henderson flied out to center to start. Stan Javier grounded out to first and Ruben Sierra grounded out to second to end the inning. Welch got the ball in the bottom of the first and Otis Nixon's bunt attempt was snuffed out at first to start. Billy Hatcher grounded back to the mound and Mike Greenwell flied out to right to end the inning.

Mark McGwire walked to start the top of the second and Troy Neel took strike three. Terry Steinbach struck out swinging and old pal Mike Brumley flied out to left to end the inning. Mo Vaughn led off the bottom of the second with a towering home run to put Boston on top then Tim Naehring went yard for back to back jacks. Damon Berryhill singled to right and John Valentin looked to have hit a double play balll....if Brumley didn't throw the relay throw away for an error. Scott Cooper singled to center and Dave Valle walked to load the bases, but Cooper was doubled off second on a bullet hit to short by Nixon to end the inning. The Sox now led 2-0.

                                                                  Back to back jacks

Scott Brosius hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the third and Mike Bordick flied out to center. Henderson grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the third as Hatcher singled to left to start. Greenwell walked but Vaughn struck out swinging. Naehring walked and Berryhill walked with the bases loaded to score Hatcher. Valentin popped up to third but Cooper slugged a grand slam to ice the game early. That was it for Welch as Carlos Reyes came in to pitch to Valle. Dave grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-0.

                                                          Grand slam Cooper

Sele's only bad inning was the top of the fourth as Javier's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Aaron to start. Sierra hit a home run all the way to Pluto to cut the lead and McGwire singled to center. Neel also singled to center and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Steinbach struck out swinging but Brumley got a base hit to right to score both runners. Brosius got a base hit to left but Bordick flied out to left to end the inning with the A's down 7-3.

                                                                Home run by Sierra

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth although Nixon flied out to left to start. Hatcher lined out to left but McGwire muffed a ball by Greenwell for an error. Vaughn singled to center and Naehring singled to left to score Greenwell. Berryhill grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                               Rbi by Naehring

Henderson flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Javier singled in the hole at second. Sierra struck out swinging and McGwire forced Sierra at second to end the inning. Valentin grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Cooper singled to right. Valle struck out swinging but Nixon doubled to center. Hatcher took strike three to end the inning.

Neel struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Steinbach grounded out to second. Brumley blooped a base hit over Valentin's head but Brosius took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Once again Vaughn and Naehring struck back to back home runs to increase the lead. That was it for Reyes as Ed Nunez came in to pitch to Berryhill and Damon flied out to right. Valentin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

                                                            Back to back jacks....again

Sele returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Bordick lined out to right to start. Henderson walked but Javier and Sierra both struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Sele who allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks.

                                                           Good work by Sele

Cooper grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Valle struck out swinging. Nixon lined out to left to end the inning.

Greg Harris came in to pitch the top of the eighth and McGwire walked to start. Neel then hit a home run all the way to Norway to cut the lead. Steinbach struck out swinging, Brumley took strike three and Brosius flied out to left to end the inning.

                                                             Home run Neel

Old foe Dave Righetti came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Hatcher singled to right to start. Greenwell then clubbed his fourth home run of the year to increase the lead. Vaughn walked and Naehring singled to left before Berryhill's fly ball to right moved Mo to third. Valentin hit a sac fly to center to score Vaughn and Cooper got a base hit to right to move Tim to third. Valle grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 13-5.

                                                            Home run Greenwell

Harris returned to mop up the top of the ninth and Mike Aldrete pinch hit for Bordick. Aldrete lined out to left and Geronimo Berroa pinch hit for Henderson. Berroa struck out swinging and Junior Noboa pinch hit for Javier. Noboa popped up to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 13-5.

Hero of The Night is Scott Cooper. His grand slam was essentially the difference in the game.

                                                                     Hero Cooper

The Good:

Billy Hatcher was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Mo Vaughn was 3 for 4 with 2 home runs, a walk and 3 total runs scored.

Tim Naehring was 4 for 4 with 2 home runs, a walk and 3 total runs scored.

Aaron Sele got the win with 7 strong innings allowing just 3 runs off 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 batters.

The Bad:

Greg Harris allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 5.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but hit a 2 run homer, walked and scored three runs.

Damon Berryhill was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Dave Valle was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was a great team win and the Boston offense is really gelling. The veterans Nixon, Greenwell and Hatcher are mixing with the youth movement of Cooper, Vaughn, Naehring and Valentin big time. Andre Dawson didn't play but add him to the veteran's list as eight players out of nine have been producing in different ways day in and out. Cooper's grand slam pretty much ended the game early but Naehring and Vaughn have been on fire to start the season. The quartet of Cooper, Vaughn, Valentin and Naehring might be Lou Gorman's finest work when all is said and done even if Lou is no longer here. Add Sele to the list as well who pitched well today. Not much to complain about in this one apart from Greg Harris being ineffective again. Oh well, he'll figure it out. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the A's tomorrow evening when Roger Clemens (1-0) takes on Steve Karsay of the A's. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.