Sox Blow Huge Lead, Win in 13 (6/27/92)

In a microcosm of this miserable season for the Boston Red Sox, the normally struggling offense put 7 runs on the board to take a 7-0 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers...only for the normally reliable bullpen to cough it up in the late innings. The Brewers scored 7 runs off a tiring Roger Clemens, an the incompetent duo of Greg Harris and Jeff Reardon to tie the game in the top of the ninth. Still, the Sox held on thanks to the clutch pitching of Danny Darwin (4-4, 4.63 ERA) and Herm Winningham won the game with a walkoff base hit to send the fans home happy with an 8-7 win in 13 innings.

                     A rare happy moment

Clemens ran into trouble in the top of the first inning although Darryl Hamilton grounded out to short to start. Kevin Seitzer lashed a single to center on the first pitch before Clemens bounced a pitch in the dirt that caught catcher Tony Pena's hand, advancing Seitzer to second. Paul Molitor grounded out to third before BJ Surhoff drew a walk. Robin Yount swung at air to end the inning. Bruce Ruffin got the start for the Brewers and Jody Reed led off the bottom of the first with a fly out to left. Bob Zupcic grounded out to third and Wade Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dante Bichette led off the top of the second by hitting a bullet to Boggs who threw him out at first because Dante thought the ball was caught. Dave Nilsson grounded out weakly to short and Scott Fletcher lined out to a running Tom Brunansky to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Brunansky grounded out to short to start. Jack Clark hit a seeing eye single to left but Mo Vaughn banged into a double play to end the inning.

Clemens cruised in the top of the third inning as Pat Listach grounded out to short to start. Hamilton flied out to right and Seitzer grounded out to third to end the inning. Luis Rivera walked to start the bottom of the third but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Herm Winningham went down swinging but Tony Pena beat out an infield single. Reed flied out to center to end the inning.

Molitor beat out an infield single to short to open the top of the fourth but Clemens got Surhoff to hit into a double play and Yount watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth as Zupcic popped up to first in foul territory to start. Boggs almost got hit in the head before he drew a walk and Brunansky doubled just out of reach of Yount off the centerfield wall to score Wade to give the Sox the lead. Clark drew a walk and Vaughn clobbered his 3rd home run of the season into the left field scren to put the Sox up big. Rivera flied out to deep center and Winningham lined out to a running Yount to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                  3 run home run

Bichette tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth with a base hit but was picked off first. Nilsson watched strike three go by and Fletcher flied out to left to end the inning. Ruffin stayed in for the bottom of the fifth and Pena grounded back to the mound to start. Reed lined out to center but Zupcic struck a seeing eye single. Boggs grounded into a force to end the inning.

Clemens had to hustle in the top of the sixth as Listach grounded out to first with Vaughn running the wrong way to start. Hamilton almost beat out a grounder to first and Clemens nearly cleaned out first base umpire Greg Kosc making the play. Seitzer also grounded out to first with Clemens running over to cover to end the inning. When was the last time the pitcher had to make 3 straight putouts?

            "Where the hell is Vaughn?" - RC

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Brunansky popped up to Surhoff on the mound to start. Sox analyst Jerry Remy quipped "If you're gonna lose, look good doing it" as Clark drew another walk. Vaughn followed his home run earlier with an opposite field base hit that chased Ruffin and sent Clark to third. Mike Fetters came in and Rivera hit a chopper to him for the out but Clark scored on the play. Winningham lined one off the glove of Fletcher and Vaughn made a mad dash for home. Vaughn was safe and Nilsson airmailed Surhoff trying to get Winningham at first and Herm ran all the way to third. Pena hit one up the middle to score Winningham with what looked to be the killshot. Reed grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-0.

              Winningham scores

The game looked to be over when Clemens returned for the top of the seventh inning and got Molitor to fly out to center to start. Surhoff and Yount stroked back to back singles but Bichette lined out to left. Nilsson took strike three to end the inning. Surhoff moved to right with Franklin Stubbs coming in for Hamilton while playing first in the bottom of the seventh. Zupcic flied out to right and Boggs grounded out to short but Brunansky doubled off the Monster. Clark took strike three to end the inning.

Bad defense led to a Brewers rally in the top of the eighth inning. Fletcher hit a routine grounder to Boggs who booted the ball over to Rivera who threw the ball into the bleachers for two errors on the same play. Listach singled Fletcher to third and Stubbs doubled Scott home to put the Brewers on the board. Seitzer grounded out to short to score Listach and Molitor moved Stubbs to third with a ground out. Surhoff doubled off the Monster to score Stubbs but Yount grounded out to second to end the inning. Clemens was game for 8 innings as he left with a 7-3 lead with only 1 earned run allowed.

                     Victory seemed imminent

Jesse Orosco came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Vaughn popped up to center to start. Rivera flied out to right and Winningham watched strike three go by to end the inning.

A 4 run lead in the top of the ninth should have been easy for Greg Harris to preserve but instead Bichette singled off the elbow of Boggs to start. Nilsson flied out to Zupcic in deep center and Fletcher forced Bichette at second to put the Sox one out from victory with a 4 run lead. Down to his last strike, Listach hit a routine grounder to Reed at second who threw to first to end the ga....OH WAIT! Vaughn's foot was off the bag and the error was charged to Reed. Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out of the dugout to bring in his closer Jeff Reardon to close out the game. Reardon poured gas on the fire as Stubbs was down 0-2 only to come back and walk to load the bases. Down to his last strike, Seitzer singled off the glove of Boggs down the left field line to score two runs. Down to HIS last strike, Molitor dropped a base hit to left to score both runners to tie the game. The boo birds rained down as Jeff Reardon started ripping his clothes off and shouting at the home plate umpire for no apparent reason, causing him to be thrown out of the game. Tony Fossas came in and Molitor swiped second only for Surhoff to ground out to second to end the inning. The Sox were one strike away 3 times and after all that, the Brewers tied the game 7-7...brutal.

                    YER OUTTA HERE!

After a half hour rain delay, Doug Henry came in for the bottom of the ninth and the Sox continued to shoot themselves in the foot. Pena took strike three on a bad call on the outside corner and shouted at the umpire. If Reardon got that call on Stubbs the game would have been over. Reed singled in the hole at short....only to be thrown out trying to steal when Zupcic's bat flew 15 feet away on a swing and miss. Zupcic walked but Boggs flied out to left to end the inning to send the game to extras.

                   Not even close

Danny Darwin came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Yount flied out to center to start. Bichette grounded out to short and Nilsson lined out to second to end the inning. Brunansky whiffed to start the bottom of the tenth and Clark followed suit by swinging at air too. Vaughn grounded out to first to end the inning.

Fletcher singled in the hole at short to start the top of the eleventh but Listach foolishly struck out trying to bunt with two strikes. William Suero pinch ran for Fletcher only to be thrown out trying to steal. Stubbs popped up to left to end the inning to continue the torture. Darren Holmes came in to pitch the bottom of the eleventh and Rivera whiffed to start. Winningham's bunt attempt was snuffed out and Scott Cooper pinch hit for Tony Pena....just to pop up to short to end the inning.

John Flaherty took over behind the plate for the top of the 12th inning and Seitzer grounded out to second to start. Surhoff doubled to left but Yount flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the 12th as Reed grounded out to short to start. Zupcic grounded back to the mound and Boggs whiffed to end the inning.

Darwin came in for the top of the 13th inning and Bichette grounded out to short to start. Nillson blooped a single over the head of Reed but Suero popped up to third. Listach flied out to center to end the inning. Darwin stepped up big with 4 scoreless innings of work.

                                                         Good work Danny

The Sox finally sent the meager crowd home happy in the bottom of the 13th inning. Brunansky popped up to first but Clark dropped a base hit just in front of Yount who trapped the ball. Vaughn lashed a base hit to right to send Clark to third. Phil Plantier pinch hit for Rivera and drew a walk to load the bases. Tim Naehring pinch ran for Plantier and Winningham finally ended this nonsense with a base hit to left to win the game 8-7 in 13 innings at Fenway Park.

                         Sox win


Hero of the Night is Herm Winningham. Not only did he drive in the winning run, he drove in another run during the 6th inning rally.

                 Hobson and our Hero


The Good:

Jack Clark was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and 3 total runs scored.

Mo Vaughn was 3 for 6 with 2 total runs scored and a 3 run home run.

Tom Brunansky was 2 for 6 with an rbi and a run scored.

Phil Plantier walked as a pinch hitter.

Tony Pena was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Roger Clemens pitched well by tossing 8 innings and allowing 3 runs (1 earned) while striking out 4 batters.

Tony Fossas retired the only man he faced.

Danny Darwin tossed 4 scoreless innings to earn the win.



The Bad:

Scott Cooper was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Jeff Reardon melted in the top of the ninth by allowing 2 inherited runners to score and 2 of his own before getting thrown out of the game.



The Ugly:

Jody Reed was just 1 for 6 with an error.

Bob Zupcic was just 1 for 5 with a walk.

Wade Boggs was 0 for 5 with an error but walked and scored a run.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 4 with an error but walked and drove in a run.

Greg Harris was charged for 2 unearned runs but was let down by his defense and Jeff Reardon



Honorable Mention:

Tim Naehring pinch ran for Plantier in the bottom of the 13th.

John Flaherty caught the top of the 13th inning.




Final Thoughts:

Welcome to the Twilight Zone. The Sox have had trouble scoring runs all year and the one time they do it, the normally reliable pitching pukes all over the place. Reardon, the defense and Clemens falling apart was very out of the ordinary but at least the Sox came back to win. Danny Darwin stepped up big in extras so at least there were some positives in what would have been another agonizing loss in a season full of them. Nice to see Herm Winningham get a moment in the sun for once this season. Maybe this is a sign the Sox are ready to bust out with Clark and Vaughn stepping up today. All in all it was a lousy win but they all count anyway. The win improved the Sox to 34-36, 8.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Brewers when they send Frank Viola (7-4) to the mound up against Jaime Navarro at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Brown, Rangers Shut Down Sox (6/20/92)

The season of bad offense continued for the Boston Red Sox. This time it was Kevin Brown of the Texas Rangers that pitched a gem against them. Brown tossed 8 innings allowing just an unearned run while scattering 5 hits. John Dopson (3-3, 3.60 ERA) was game, tossing 7 innings and allowing 4 runs but it wasn't good enough. Dean Palmer and Juan Gonzalez drove in runs to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead but Jody Reed drove in a run in the top of the eighth. Unfortunately Butch Hobson let Dopson start the eighth and Palmer hit a two run jack to put the game on ice. Kenny Rogers slammed the door and the Rangers had won this one 4-1 at Arlington Stadium.

                                               Doc Brown scared by Kevin Brown

Brown got the ball in the top of the first and Jody Reed flied out to left to start. Luis Rivera grounded out to short and Wade Boggs also grounded out to short to end the inning. Dopson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brian Downing walked to start. Dean Palmer forced Brian at second then stole second. Rafael Palmeiro grounded out to second to move Palmer to third and Juan Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jack Clark got a base hit to right to start the top of the second but Mike Greenwell grounded out to first to move Jack to second. Ellis Burks and Tom Brunansky both struck out swinging to end the inning. Kevin Reimer grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Geno Petralli got a base hit to right. Jeff Huson grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Scott Cooper grounded out to first to start the top of the third and John Flaherty took strike three. Reed struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rangers struck first in the bottom of the third as Al Newman flied out to center to start. John Cangelosi got a base hit to center and moved to second on a grounder to second by Downing. Palmer singled in the hole at third to score Cangelosi but Palmeiro grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rangers up 1-0.

                                                              Palmer drives in a run

Rivera grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth but Boggs got a base hit to left. Clark was hit with a pitch but Greenwell grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gonzalez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Reimer flied out to center. Petralli grounded out to first to end the inning.

Burks struck out swinging to open the top of the fifth and Brunansky grounded out to third. Cooper struck out swinging to end the inning. Huson grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth and Newman flied out to right. Cangelosi walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Flaherty grounded out to third to start. Reed grounded out to second and Rivera grounded out to third to end the inning. The Rangers iced the game in the bottom of the sixth as Downing struck out swinging to start. Palmer lined out to left but Palmeiro walked. Gonzalez doubled down the left field line to score Palmeiro and Reimer was intentionally walked. Petralli forced Reimer at second to end the inning with the Rangers up 2-0.

                                                             Gonzalez adds to the lead

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Boggs got a base hit to center to start. Clark took strike three but Greenwell ripped a base hit to left. Burks struck out swinging and Brunansky popped up to first to end the inning. Huson lined out to left to start the bottom of the seventh and Newman grounded out to third. Cangelosi grounded out to third as well to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the eighth as Cooper doubled to center to start....then took third when Gonzalez booted the ball for an error. Phil Plantier pinch hit for Flaherty and struck out swinging, but Reed grounded out to short to score Cooper. Rivera grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                             Reed drives in a run

The Rangers iced the game in the bottom of the eighth with Tony Pena now behind the plate. Downing got a base hit to left and Palmer hit a home run all the way to Maine to increase the lead. That was it for Dopson who did the best he could but gave up too many mistakes. He allowed 4 runs off 6 hits and four walks. Sox manager Butch Hobson went nuts, bringing in Tony Fossas to face Palmeiro. Palmeiro struck out swinging and Hobson brought in Danny Darwin to face Gonzalez. Gonzalez walked and Hobson brought in Tom Bolton to face Reimer. The Rangers countered by pinch hitting Julio Franco for Reimer. Franco got a base hit up the middle and Russ McGinnis pinch hit for Petralli. McGinnis struck out swinging and Dickie Thon pinch hit for Huson. Thon walked to load the bases but Newman flied out to left to end the inning with the Rangers up 4-1.

                                                         Gave up too many home runs

Kenny Rogers came in to close out the top of the ninth and Boggs got a base hit to right to start. Bob Zupcic pinch hit for Clark and lined out to left. Greenwell struck out swinging and Burks flied out to left to end the game. The Rangers had won it 4-1.

Jackass of The Night is John Dopson. He allowed 4 runs in 7 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                               Jackass Dopson

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 4.

Jack Clark was 1 for 2.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Tony Fossas struck out the only man he faced.

Tom Bolton got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Luis Rivera was 0 for 4.

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Phil Plantier struck out as a pinch hitter.

John Flaherty was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Danny Darwin walked the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Jody Reed was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Tony Pena caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

What the hell is wrong with this Red Sox offense. Greenwell, Clark, Burks and even Boggs are nowhere near their normal output while Reed and Rivera aren't helping much either. This is one god awful offense and they were against an ace, but all season they haven't hit well. The Sox team pitching isn't even that bad but the bats have been silent pretty much all season. There's still time to turn things around one month before the trade deadline but Lou Gorman's 1991 free agents aren't looking so good right now. Matt Young, Danny Darwin and Jack Clark haven't done much of anything this year apart from Matt Young losing while throwing a no-hitter. The Sox are in deep doo-doo if they can't turn the season around because this offense is offensive. Stolen bases are non-existent and Butch Hobson was supposed to change the culture this season. He hasn't....looks like the front office outsmarted themselves. Its all adding up to a lost season and we're not even out of June yet. Dopson didn't even pitch that bad but as usual, no run support. The loss dropped the Sox to 32-32, 7 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to salvage the series tomorrow when their ace Roger Clemens (9-4) goes up against Todd Burns of the Rangers. The game begins at 10:00 PM eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Rangers Rally Past Sox in Game 2 (4/26/92)

The Boston Red Sox are sure inventing new ways to lose these days. In Game 1 of their doubleheader against the Texas Rangers, the Sox outhit the Rangers only to score 1 measly run. In Game 2 it was more of the same. The Red Sox took a 2-0 lead over Texas with Joe Hesketh outdueling Jeff Robinson. In the top of the eighth Brian Downing hit a 2 run bomb off Greg Harris (1-1, 1.93 ERA) and rallied for two more runs in the ninth against Harris and Jeff Reardon. Meanwhile the 2 early runs the Sox scored ended up being the only runs they'd plate. The worst offense in baseball ended an 18 inning day scoring just 3 runs and dropped the nightcap 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                      "LEARN HOW TO HIT!!!"

Hesketh got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brian Downing grounded out to third to start. Palmeiro took strike three and Juan Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the inning. Robinson got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Wade Boggs lined a base hit to left to start. Julio Franco booted a routine grounder by Jody Reed for an error and Phil Plantier managed to hit into a 3-6-5 double play. Tom Brunansky grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ruben Sierra singled in the hole at third to start the top of the second but Franco lined out to right. Dean Palmer struck out swinging and Sierra was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Herm Winningham singled to right to start. Tim Naehring caught the Rangers asleep with a bunt single and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Scott Cooper popped up to short and Bob Zupcic made his season debut with a pop up to short. John Flaherty grounded out to short to end the inning.

Kevin Reimer struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Dickie Thon grounded back to the mound. Ivan Rodriguez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Boggs flied out to left to start. Reed doubled to center and Plantier hit a grounder to second that was thrown away by Franco for an error that scored Reed. Brunansky flied out to right and Winningham grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                  Reed scores a run

Downing grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth but Palmeiro singled to center. Gonzalez popped up to second but Sierra singled to center. Winningham booted the ball which allowed everyone to advance. Franco grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Naehring grounded out to short to start. Cooper flied out to left but Zupcic hit a ground rule double to right. Flaherty singled up the middle to score Bob and Boggs ripped a base hit to center to move John to third. Reed struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                    Flaherty drives in a run

Palmer and Reimer both struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Thon flied out to right to end the inning. Plantier struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fifth before Brunansky  grounded out to short. Winningham grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rodriguez singled in the hole at second to start the top of the sixth but Downing forced him at second. Palmeiro struck out swinging and Gonzalez forced Downing at second to end the inning. Naehring popped up to left to start the bottom of the sixth and Cooper grounded out to second. Zupcic hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Hesketh returned for the top of the seventh and Sierra popped up to second to start. Franco grounded out to second but Palmer and Reimer both walked to chase Hesketh. Joe pitched a hell of a game, shutting out the Rangers for 6 2/3 innings. Greg Harris came in and Rangers manager Bobby Valentine sent in Jack Daugherty to pinch hit for Thon. Daugherty lined out to first to end the inning.

                                                    Hesketh with 6 2/3 shutout innings

Jeff Huson came in to play short with Floyd Bannister now on the mound for Texas to start the bottom of the seventh. Flaherty grounded out to short but Boggs reached on an error by Franco. Reed walked but Plantier lined out to third. Terry Mathews came in to pitch to Brunansky and Bruno flied out to right to end the inning.

The game changed on a dime in the top of the eighth as Rodriguez caught the sleep with a bunt single to third and Downing hit a home run all the way to Albuquerque to tie the game. Palmeiro grounded out to first, Gonzalez popped up to first and Sierra struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.

                                             Downing ties it up

Winningham took strike three to start the bottom of the eighth but Naehring doubled to left. Cooper struck out swinging and Zupcic took strike three to end the inning.

The wheels fell off in the top of the ninth as Franco and Palmer drew back to back walks to start. Al Newman pinch hit for Reimer but Sox manager Butch Hobson countered by bringing in Tony Fossas to pitch to him. Newman bunted foul for strike three and John Cangelosi pinch hit for Huson with Hobson countering by bringing in Jeff Reardon. The move backfired as Cangelosi hit a fly ball to left that Winningham tried to catch unsuccessfully in his hat for an error to score Franco. Rodriguez hit the killshot with a base hit to left to score Palmer with the insurance run. Downing grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Rangers up 4-2.

                                                          Reardon blows it

Rangers closer Jeff Russell came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Mike Greenwell pinch hit for Flaherty to start. Greenwell got a base hit to center but Boggs flied out to center. Reed popped up to short but Plantier singled to right to put the tying run on. Brunansky took strike three to end the game. The Rangers had swept the doubleheader with a 4-2 win.

Jackass of the Night is Greg Harris. He allowed the tying runs and was charged with the go-ahead runs to blow the game,

                                                             Jackass Harris

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5.

Phil Plantier was 2 for 5.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 4.

John Flaherty was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Mike Greenwell singled as a pinch hitter.

Joe Hesketh tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6.

Tony Fossas struck out the only guy he faced.

The Bad:

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jody Reed was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Herm Winningham was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors and a strikeout.

Bob Zupcic was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jeff Reardon allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

Wow, what more can be said? The Sox pitching held the Rangers to 7 runs in two games but only managed to score three of their own. They actually out-hit the Rangers in both games but couldn't get the clutch hit with men on base or hit a home run. Nobody on the team is hitting right now. Not Boggs, Reed, Plantier, Vaughn, Clark...no one. If Boggs and Reed can't get on base there isn't much Greenwell Clark and Plantier can do but even they aren't hitting either. Who would have thought for the past 50 years its been all-bat and no pitching but now its the other way around? Hesketh pitched great and Harris hadn't a bad game all season to this point. Just another troubling sign that the Morgan Magic Red Sox where everything went right is over. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox turn to their ace as they continue their homestand against the Chicago White Sox. Roger Clemens (2-2) goes for Boston Tuesday night against Kirk McCaskill of Chicago. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Stun Jays in Wild Ninth (4/19/92)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins lost Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox made a huge comeback to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox were trailing 2-1 to Juan Guzman and the Jays with Sox starter Matt Young getting pulled in the sixth inning. Danny Darwin (1-0, 2.19 ERA) served up two more runs in the top of the ninth to seemingly put the game out of reach. Not so fast! Down to their last out and trailing 4-2, Mike Greenwell got a line drive base hit to center to score the tying runs. Scott Cooper singled in the hole at second for the winning run and the Sox stunned the Jays 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                                Carl Lewis approves of the win

Young got the ball in the top of the first inning and Devon White singled to right to start. Roberto Alomar forced White at second and Joe Carter lined out to right. Young had Alomar picked off but spiked the ball like a football for an error to advance Roberto to second. Dave Winfield grounded out to short to end the inning. Guzman got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Wade Boggs lined out to left to start. Jody Reed singled in the hole at second but Phil Plantier grounded out to first to move Jody to second. Ellis Burks struck out swinging to end the inning.

Young cruised in the top of the second as Kelly Gruber flied out to center to start. Pat Tabler grounded out to short and Candy Maldonado popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Mike Greenwell led off the bottom of the second with a fly out to center. Jack Clark took strike three but Mo Vaughn drew a walk. Luis Rivera struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pat Borders grounded out to third to open the top of the third before Manuel Lee struck out swinging. White grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third although John Flaherty lined out to second to start. Boggs walked and Reed beat out a roller to third but Plantier flied out to left. Burks hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the fourth as Alomar singled to right to start.  Alomar moved to second on the grounder to second by Carter and Winfield drew a walk. Gruber singled home Alomar to give the Jays the lead but Tabler flied out to right. Maldonado flied out to right to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                                Gruber drives in a run

Mike Greenwell grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth but Sox manager Butch Hobson bolted out of his seat and threw Jack Clark out of the game like he was an umpire. The confused dugout had no idea what was going on as Butch sent Scott Cooper into the game for Clark. Cooper walked but Vaughn took strike three. Rivera struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the fifth as Borders grounded out to third to start. Lee singled to right and Young had him picked off too....but turned and threw the ball 100 feet over the THIRD basemen's head for an error to move Lee to second. White blooped a single to center to score Lee to increase the lead. White moved to second on the grounder to short by Alomar and Carter grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays ahead 2-0.

                                                    Throw the damn ball straight Matt!

The Sox blew a big rally in the bottom of the fifth as Flaherty hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Boggs ripped a base hit to center and took second on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch moved Boggs to third and a passed ball on a walk to Reed scored Wade to cut the lead. Plantier popped up to the first base line but Carter dropped the ball for an error. Burks took strike three but Greenwell was intentionally walked to load the bases. With a chance to tie the game....Cooper struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                               Boggs scores a run

The Jays knocked Young out in the top of the sixth as Winfield singled in the hole at second to start. Gruber walked but Tabler lined out to right. Maldonado walked to load the bases and that was it for Young. He lasted just 5 1/3 innings but allowed just 2 runs. Danny Darwin was brought in to pitch and got a huge out when Borders went down swinging. Lee grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                           Not great but it'll do

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Vaughn flied out to center to start. Rivera took strike three and Flaherty popped up to second to end the inning.

White lined out to left to start the top of the seventh but Alomar walked. Carter struck out swinging and Alomar was gunned down trying to steal to end the inning. Bob MacDonald came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning and Boggs popped up to third to start. Reed grounded out to third and Plantier lined out to left to end the inning.

Darwin snuffed out a bunt attempt by Winfield to start the top of the eighth and Gruber popped up to second. Tabler singled to left but Maldonado struck out swinging to end the inning. Duane Ward came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Burks struck out swinging to earn the hat trick. Greenwell singled to center but Cooper lined out to left. Vaughn grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Jays seemed to have put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth as Borders ripped a base hit to center to start. Lee dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Borders to second but White struck out swinging. Alomar then slapped a seeing eye single into left field. Borders came around to score and Alomar took second on the throw home. Naturally Carter smashed a base hit to right to score Alomar to seemingly put the game out of reach. Winfield lined out to right to end the inning with the Jays ahead 4-1.

                                                           Dammit Darwin

John Olerud came in to play first and Tom Henke came in to close out the bottom of the ninth Herm Winningham pinch hit for Rivera and blooped a base hit to center to start. Tim Naehring pinch hit for Flaherty but he struck out swinging. Boggs blooped a ground rule double down the left field line and Reed walked to load the bases. Plantier hit what should have been a game ending double play to Olerud....and he BOOTED IT! Winningham scored and suddenly the tying run was at second base on the error. Things look bleak when Burks struck out swinging to earn the golden sombrero but Greenwell ripped a base hit to center to score Boggs and Reed to tie the game. Plantier took third on the hit and David Wells came in to pitch to Cooper. Plantier took second and Cooper singled in the hole at second to score Plantier with the winning run. The guy who came in to replace Clark won the game with a base hit to stun the Jays 5-4.

Hero of the Night is Scott Cooper. The replacement for Clark won the game with a walkoff base hit/

                                                            Hero Cooper

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jody Reed was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a stolen base, a walk and 2 rbis.

Matt Young allowed 2 runs (only 1 earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

The Bad:

Ellis Burks was 0 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Jack Clark struck out in his only at bat.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Tim Naehring struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Phil Plantier was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

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

Danny Darwin vultured the win by allowing 2 runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Good comeback win for the Sox but once again the offense did almost nothing for eight innings. How sad is it Matt Young pitched a no hitter in his first start and allowed 2 runs in this one with nothing to show for it? Hell it took a hell of an effort from Roger Clemens to get the win last game because the offense has been non-existent so far this season. When the weather gets warmer maybe they'll pick up the pace. Apart from Darwin coughing up 2 runs, the pitching has been solid for most of the month. Still, a win is a win if its by 1 or 10 and nobody is going to complain about a win. If Young can pitch like this with Clemens and Frank Viola pitching to their potentials, they may be in contention this season.....if the offense ever improves. The Sox look to make it three in a row tomorrow afternoon against the Blue Jays. Jimmy Key goes for Toronto against Joe Hesketh of the Red Sox. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Offense Falters To Blue Jays (4/18/92)

Gadzooks this offense is bad! Frank Viola (0-2, 5.09 ERA) pitched like his former self for the first time all season but got no run support at all. The Boston Red Sox mustered just 4 hits and one run, getting tamed by Todd Stottlemyre as they dropped a 2-1 decision at Fenway Park.

                                           Barnaby can't stand this Sox offense

Viola began the top of the first by getting Devon White to line out to left to begin the game. Roberto Alomar struck out but Joe Carter doubled. Dave Winfield popped up to second to end the inning. The miserable Red Sox offense did nothing in the bottom of the first against Stottlemyre. Wade Boggs flied out to center, Jody Reed grounded out to short and Phil Plantier flied out to right to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the second inning. Kelly Gruber singled and took second on a passed ball. John Olerud walked on a very close call that had Viola up in arms. Candy Maldonado singled to score Gruber to give the Jays the lead. Pat Borders lined out to center but Manuel Lee doubled to score Olerud. White grounded out to second and Alomar flied out to left to end the inning but the Jays were ahead 2-0 much to Viola's chagrin.

                                             Viola can't stand his own offense or the umpires

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second inning. Ellis Burks singled but Mike Greenwell lined out to left. Jack Clark whiffed but Burks took second on the throw down. Mo Vaughn walked but Tim Naehring flied out to center to end the inning.

Viola settled down in the top of the third inning as Carter flied out to left. Winfield singled and Gruber lofted an easy fly to Plantier....who tried to catch it in his hat for some inane reason and dropped it, resulting in an error. Viola recovered to get Olerud to pop up to second and struck out Maldonado to end the inning. Somehow the Sox scored a run in the bottom of the third inning. Tony Pena hit a comebacker to the mound but Boggs walked. Reed flied out to left but Plantier and Burks hit back to back singles to score Boggs. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were back in it, 2-1.

                                                  Burks gets the Sox within 1

Viola did his part to keep the Jays silent in the top of the fourth inning. Borders grounded out to third, Lee looked at strike three and White grounded out to third to end the inning. Stottlemyre also settled down in the bottom of the fourth. Clark walked but Vaughn banged into a double play. Naehring grounded out to second to end the inning.

The duel continued in the top of the fifth as Viola struck out both Alomar and Carter before getting Winfield to line out to second to end the inning. More of the same in the bottom of the fifth as Pena watched strike three go by, Boggs flied out to left and Reed popped up to left to end the inning.

Viola remained tough in the top of the sixth inning as Gruber flied out to right, Olerud lined out to left and Maldonado grounded out to third to end the inning. Ditto for Stottlemyre in the bottom of the sixth as Plantier grounded out to first, Burks lined out to second and Greenwell flied out to right to end the inning.

Viola kept the Sox in it during the top of the seventh as Borders grounded out to short, Lee grounded out to second and White flied out to left to end the inning. After Plantier's drop, Viola retired 14 in a row. The Sox offense failed to pick up their pitcher in the bottom of the seventh. Clark looked at strike three, Vaughn hit a comebacker to the mound and Naehring watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Alomar lined out to center to begin the top of the eighth before Carter whiffed. Winfield beat out an infield single to break up the 16 in a row set down by Viola but Gruber grounded out to second to end the inning. Viola was pitching his ass off but had nothing to show for it.

                                                    Viola doing all he can

Stottlemyre's night was done as Duane Ward came in to pitch and Sox manager Butch Hobson countered by pinch hitting Herm Winningham for Pena. The gamble worked as Winningham got a base hit. Too bad Boggs lined out to left and Winningham was erased on the force by Reed. Plantier whiffed to end the inning.

Viola came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth inning with John Flaherty now behind the plate. Olerud lined one off Viola but the alert Reed nabbed him at first for the out. Maldonado whiffed and Borders flied out to center to end the inning. Apart from the second inning, Frank was as lights out as it got. Jays closer Tom Henke came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Burks whiffed but Greenwell walked to put the tying run on. Mike was erased on the force by Clark and Luis Rivera pinch ran for Jack. It didn't matter as Vaughn whiffed to end the game. The Jays held the Sox to just 4 hits and 1 run to win it 2-1.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll have to go with Mo Vaughn. He came up twice with a man on and a chance to tie or better but he either struck out or hit into a double play.

                                                   Jackass of the Night: Mo Vaughn


The Good:

Ellis Burks was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Herm Winningham pinch hit for Tony Pena and singled.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Viola was outstanding. He tossed a complete game, scattered 6 hits and allowing just 2 runs while at one point retiring 16 in a row.



The Bad:

Jody Reed was 0 for 4.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Tony Pena was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Phil Plantier was just 1 for 4.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jack Clark was 0 for 3 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Luis Rivera pinch ran for Jack Clark in the ninth.

John Flaherty caught the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Something is terribly wrong with the Red Sox offense. We're 9 games in and these guys can't hit for beans. What happened to Jack Clark's power? I thought Mo Vaughn was going to be the next superstar. Wade Boggs is hitting 200 and Mike Greenwell is hitting .182. Yes, its only April but that's a bad start for sure. You can't expect everyone to pitch like Roger Clemens. including Clemens himself to make up for lousy offense. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon with Matt Young taking the hill opposite Juan Guzman. There better be some offense tomorrow at Fenway Park.

Sox Hang On To Beat Orioles (4/15/92)

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox came out of their off-day with a victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Mike Gardiner of the Sox held the O's to no runs through the first six innings as the Sox took a 4-1 lead. Gardiner ran out of gas in the seventh inning as the O's clawed back to tie the game. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Jody Reed smacked a two run single to put the Sox ahead. Things got hairy in the top of the ninth when Chris Hoiles hit a one out home run but Jeff got the final two outs to earn the save and give the Sox the 6-5 win at Fenway Park.

                                                  Fefita Le Grande approves of the win

Gardiner got the ball in the top of the first and old buddy Brady Anderson struck out swinging to start. Joe Orsulak singled just wide of second base but Cal Ripken Jr popped up to short. Randy Milligan forced Orsulak at second to end the inning. Ben McDonald got the start for the Orioles and Wade Boggs struck out swinging to start. Jody Reed grounded out to short but Mike Greenwell walked. Ellis Burks struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mike Devereaux flied out to center to start the top of the second before old friend Sam Horn grounded out to second. Leo Gomez walked but Chris Hoiles struck out swinging to end the inning. McDonald cruised in the bottom of the second as Phil Plantier struck out swinging to start. Tom Brunansky grounded out to short and Mo Vaughn went down hacking to end the inning.

Billy Ripken popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the third but Anderson tripled into the left field corner. Orsulak hit a ground ball to first and Anderson was thrown out in a rundown although Joe moved to second. Ripken Jr took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Tim Naehring drew a walk to start. Tony Pena grounded back to the mound but Naehring took second. Boggs walked and Reed hit a routine grounder to Ripken Jr....bobbled for an error to score Naehring. Greenwell banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox led 1-0.

                                                         Naehring scores a run

Gardiner cruised in the top of the fourth as Milligan grounded out to short to start. Devereaux grounded out to short as well and Horn flied out to left to end the inning. Burks grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fourth but Plantier flied out to left. Brunansky singled in the hole at second but Vaughn struck out swinging to end the inning.

The O's fought back in the top of the fifth as Gomez grounded out to first to start. Hoiles singled to left and moved to second on the Ripken grounder to short. Anderson smacked another triple to score Hoiles to tie the game. Orsulak took strike three to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                              Anderson with two triples

McDonald cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Naehring struck out swinging to start. Pena popped up to second and Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning.

Gardiner dominated the top of the sixth as Ripken Jr popped up to second to start. Milligan and Devereaux both grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the sixth as Reed walked to start. Greenwell singled to right to move Jody to third but Burks hit a grounder to third. Reed was thrown out in a rundown but Greenwell moved to third and Burks second on the play. Plantier was intentionally walked to set up a double play but Bruno  hit a sac fly to right to score Greenwell to give the Sox the lead. Vaughn scored both runners with a double to left and Naehring walked to chase McDonald. Storm Davis came in to pitch and Pena walked to load the bases. Boggs flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                                    Vaughn drives in a pair

The O's rallied in the bottom of the seventh although Horn struck out swinging to start. Gomez flied out to right but Chris Hoiles singled to left. All of a sudden Butch Hobson sprinted out of the dugout and demanded the ball from Mike Gardiner with nobody warming up. Apparently Butch wanted Peter Hoy to pitch to pinch hitter Mark McLemore but fell asleep and forgot to call the bullpen to get him ready. McLemore doubled to left off the ice cold Hoy to score Hoiles and Anderson doubled to left to score him. Orsulak singled to right to score Anderson to tie the game as Gardiner threw his hands up and left the dugout. Hobson then brought in Greg Harris that was actually warming up and Greg got Ripken Jr to fly out to left to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                          Hobson failed Mike big time

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh as Reed flied out to right to start. Greenwell flied out to left but Ripken Jr threw a routine grounder by Burks away for an error. Plantier flied out to center to end the inning.

Harris returned for the top of the eighth and Milligan grounded out to short to start. Devereaux took strike three and Horn went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox came through in the bottom of the eighth as Bruno and Vaughn dropped back to back base hits to right to start. Tim Naehring dropped down a bunt to move both runners over and Herm Winningham was sent to pinch hit for Pena. Winningham grounded out to third but Boggs was intentionally walked. Mark Williamson replaced Storm Davis to pitch to Reed and Jody made the O's pay by blooping a base hit to center to score both runners to give Boston the lead back. Mike Flanagan was brought on to face Greenwell but Mike lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                                Jody gets it done 

Jeff Reardon came in to close out the top of the ninth with John Flaherty now behind the plate. Chico Martinez pinch hit for Gomez and flied out to center but Hoiles hit a home run all the way to Mongolia to cut the lead. McLemore grounded out to second and Anderson grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win 6-4.

Hero of the Night is Jody Reed. He drove in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth.

                                                                      Jody Hero

The Good:

Tom Brunansky was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Tim Naehring walked twice and scored a run in 3 plate appearances.

Mike Gardiner was charged with 2 runs in 6 2/3 superb innings. He allowed just 5 hits and a walk while striking out 5.

Greg Harris tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Herm Winningham grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Peter Hoy allowed an inherited runner to score and 2 of his own without retiring anyone.

Jeff Reardon allowed a home run while nailing down the save in the top of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.

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

Ellis Burks was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Phil Plantier was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Tony Pena was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

John Flaherty caught the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good win but Hobson almost blew it by bringing in Peter Hoy when Gardner wasn't even in trouble. All Gardiner needed was one more out and he would have put the Sox in great shape with Harris and Reardon ready to go. Its only April but Hobson is no Joe Morgan, that's for sure. Still, the offense managed to scratch out enough runs to win and Jody Reed had a hell of a game. The Sox missed the playoffs by slumping at the end of the season and hopefully Gardiner can prevent that this season. The Sox are going to bank on their pitching this season and hopefully the offense can improve over the end of last year. All in all it was a good win and hopefully it gets the Sox back on track. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Orioles tomorrow evening when Roger Clemens takes the mound up against Bob Milacki of the O's. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Young Throws No-No, Indians Win Game 1 (4/12/92)

No that's not a typo, Matt Young (0-1, 2.25 ERA) threw a no-hitter in Game 1 of today's doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians.....and lost. Young held the Indians hitless for 8 innings but walked SEVEN, allowed SIX stolen bases (4 to Kenny Lofton) and 2 runs. How did the Indians win? Charles Nagy tossed 7 innings, allowed just 1 run and struck out ten batters. Young was game but the walks and stolen bases just happened to be enough for the Indians to take Game 1 2-1 at Cleveland Stadium.

                                   "Hello Operator? How do you throw a no-hitter and lose?"

Nagy got the ball in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs led off with a grounder to second to begin. Jody Reed grounded out to third but Mike Greenwell walked. Ellis Burks struck out swinging to end the inning. The Indians struck first in the bottom of the first as Kenny Lofton walked to start. Lofton stole second then took third when Glenallen Hill struck out swinging. Carlos Baerga hit a routine grounder to short but Luis Rivera bounced the throw to Mo Vaughn at first for an error to score Lofton. Albert Belle popped up to right and Phil Plantier made a great running catch to rob Mark Whiten of a double to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

                                                 Lofton steals 2 bags and scores

Phil Plantier led off the top of the second by striking out swinging before Jack Clark took strike three. Mo Vaughn walked but Luis Rivera struck out swinging to end the inning. Paul Sorrento grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and Brook Jacoby hit a bullet...right to Vaughn. Junior Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning.

John Flaherty made his MLB debut in the top of the third by doubling down the third base line. Boggs moved Flaherty to third with a grounder to second but Reed took a full count curveball on the outside corner for strike three. Greenwell went down hacking to end the inning.

                                                                First hit for Flaherty

The Indians struck again in the bottom of the third as Mark Lewis walked to start. Lofton walked and Hill hit a perfect double play ball to Rivera. Rivera flipped to second to get Lofton but Reed threw wide of first and Hill was safe to put runners at the corners. Hill swiped second and Baerga hit a roller to short that Rivera couldn't make a play on, scoring Lewis. Belle struck out swinging and Whiten grounded out to second to end the inning with the Indians up 2-0.

                                                  Indians score another run

The Sox got one back in the top of the fourth as Burks beat out a little roller to short to start. Plantier went down hacking but Burks stole second. Clark grounded out to third but Vaughn walked. Rivera hit a routine pop up to second BUT BAERGA DROPPED IT! Burks scored to cut the lead but Flaherty lined out to second to end the inning with Boston down 2-1.

                                                     "I don't got it" - Baerga

Young cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Sorrento grounded out to second to start. Jacoby lined out to a running Burks and Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox blew a chance to tie the game in the top of the fifth as Boggs grounded out to short to start. Reed dropped a base hit to left but Greenwell popped up to left. Burks singled under the glove of Jacoby but Plantier flied out to left to end the inning. Lewis struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Lofton walked for the third time. Lofton stole second and then stole third on the swinging strikeout by Hill. Baerga grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox blew their biggest rally in the top of the sixth as Clark struck out swinging to start. Vaughn singled off the glove of Baerga and Rivera blooped a single to shallow right. Flaherty hit a bullet...right to Jacoby but Boggs singled off the mound to load the bases. With a chance to tie the game or better....Reed grounded into a force at third to end the inning.

                                                    Nagy gets out of trouble with the lead

Young got Belle to ground out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Whiten walked. Whiten got picked off and Sorrento struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                Yerrr Out!

The Sox did nothing against Nagy in the top of the seventh as Greenwell struck out swinging to start. Burks walked but Plantier struck out swinging. Burks was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Boggs made a great play to rob Jacoby of a hit to start the bottom of the seventh but Ortiz walked. Ortiz swiped second but Lewis walked. Lofton beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Hill grounded out to third to end the inning. Somehow Young had not allowed a hit through seven innings.

Brad Arnsberg came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Clark walked to start. Herm Winningham pinch ran for Clark but Vaughn took strike three. Rivera grounded into a double play to end the inning. Young returned for the bottom of the eighth and Baerga grounded out to third to start. Belle also grounded out to third and Whiten struck out swinging to end the inning. Young had thrown 8 no-hit innings but still somehow was trailing in the game.

                                                    Young throws a "no-hitter"

Derek Lilliquist came in to close out the top of the ninth with Scott Cooper scheduled to pinch hit. Sox manager Butch Hobson called back Cooper and sent Tom Brunansky in to pinch hit instead. Bruno walked to start and Boggs singled in the hole at second. Brunansky failed to advance to third on a fly ball to the left field warning track by Reed but Greenwell banged into a double play to end the game anyway. Somehow Matt Young threw an unofficial no-hitter and still lost 2-1 to the Indians.

                                           New Sox ineptitude, they allow no hits and lose

Jackass of the Night is Phil Plantier. He was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and left 3 crucial men on base.

                                                 Jackass Plantier

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5.

Ellis Burks was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Luis Rivera was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

John Flaherty was 1 for 3 in his ML Debut.

Tom Brunansky walked as a pinch hitter.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Matt Young tossed a complete game, allowing no-hits and 2 runs. Nine times out of ten this should be good enough.

The Bad:

None.

The Ugly:

Jody Reed was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts but walked.

Jack Clark was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Herm Winningham pinch ran for Clark.

Scott Cooper "pinch hit" in the top of the ninth

Final Thoughts:

Talk about inventing new ways to lose. The Sox literally held the Indians to zero hits and still lost. Most of it is on Young for walking the ballpark and allowing a hundred stolen bases but the Sox had their chances to drive in runs all game, choking each and every one of them. Plantier failing with 2 men on and Reed with the bases loaded. The Sox offense let Young down big time but allowing 2 runs without allowing a hit is on Young. The worst part is this was only Game 1 of a doubleheader, there's another 9 innings to play and lord help if the Sox offense remains asleep in that one. The Sox have no time to dwell on this loss because they still have Game 2 to play. Roger Clemens (0-1) looks to right the ship against Scott Scudder of the Indians in about 20 minutes at Cleveland Stadium.