Sox Rally Past Angels in 9th (4/29/83)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics dropped Game 2 of their NBA playoff second round series to the Milwaukee Bucks. The good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the California Angels. It didn't look good for the Sox in tonight's game as Bruce Hurst crashed back to earth by allowing 5 runs and getting knocked out in the 5th inning. Due to the efforts of Luis Aponte (2-0, 1.35 ERA) and Bob Stanley plus a clutch 2 run double by Tony Armas, the Sox roared past the Angels 6-5 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                 Boo Ferris approves of the win

Bruce Kison got the start for the Angels and Wade Boggs doubled to center to begin. Boggs moved to third on the grounder by Dwight Evans but was thrown out at home on the grounder by Jim Rice. Tony Armas grounded into a force to end the inning. Rod Carew greeted Hurst in the bottom of the first with a ground out to second. Old pal Juan Beniquez singled to center and swiped second but old buddy Fred Lynn struck out. Doug DeCinces grounded out to short to end the inning.

Dave Stapleton walked to start the top of the second but was thrown out at third on the base hit by Rich Gedman. Reid Nichols dropped down a bunt to advance Gedman to second but Glenn Hoffman struck out to end the inning. The Angels struck first in the bottom of the second although Brian Downing struck out looking to start. Ron Jackson crushed a 400,000,000 foot home run into the Azores to put the Angels on top. Tim Foli flied out to left but Bob Boone dumped a single to left. Ricky Adams grounded into a force to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

                                                         He'd make a great coach some day

The Sox fought back in the top of the third as Jerry Remy singled to left to start. Boggs drew a walk but Evans struck out swinging. Rice singled home Remy to tie the game and Armas doubled home Boggs to give the Sox the lead. Stapleton scored Rice with a grounder as Gedman was intentionally walked. Nichols popped up to third to end the inning but the Sox took the lead 3-1.

                                                           Remy starts the rally

The Angels clawed back in the bottom of the third as Carew started the rally with a double. Beniquez singled Carew to third and Lynn gave a big middle finger to his old team with a 3 run bomb to put the Angels on top. DeCinces grounded out to short, Downing flied out to left and Jackson flied out to center to end the inning with the Angels up 4-3.

                                                         Lynn puts the Angels on top

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Hoffman flied out to left to start. Remy grounded out to short and Boggs flied out to left to end the inning. Hurst got back on track in the bottom of the fourth as Foli grounded out to short to start. Boone grounded out to short and Adams popped up to first to end the inning.

Evans tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth with a base hit to right but Rice flied out to right. Armas moved Evans over with a grounder but Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning. The Angels chased Hurst in the bottom of the fifth although Carew flied out to center to start. Beniquez singled to center and Lynn walked to put the pressure on. DeCinces singled home Beniquez to increase the lead but Downing popped up to third. Jackson walked to load the bases and chase Hurst. After his past two starts went well, Hurst fell apart in this one. He surrendered 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Luis Aponte came in and got Foli to ground out to third to end the inning but the Angels were up 5-3.

                                                       "I sucked tonight" - Hurst

Gedman flied out to left to start the top of the sixth but Nichols and Hoffman drew back to back walks to chase Kison. Old friend Andy Hassler came in and got Remy to bang into a double play to end the inning. Aponte cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Boone flied out to left to begin. Adams grounded out to short and Carew grounded out to second to end the inning.

Boggs took strike three to start the top of the seventh but Boggs tripled to center to chase Hassler. Luis Sanchez came in and got Rice to hit a comebacker and Armas to line out to second to end the inning. Aponte got Beniquez to ground out to first to start the bottom of the seventh but Lynn doubled to left. DeCinces grounded out to short and Downing flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the eighth as Stapleton grounded out to short to start. Gedman popped up to third and Nichols grounded out to short to end the inning. Aponte returned for the bottom of the eighth and Daryl Sconiers pinch hit for Jackson. Sconiers flied out to left, Foli grounded out to third and Boone flied out to center to end the inning. Aponte had stepped up with 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

                                                          Great work Aponte

The Sox pulled off a rally in the top of the ninth as Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman to begin. Miller grounded out to third but Remy walked. Boggs got a base hit to left and Evans walked to load the bases. Rice scored Remy with a grounder and Armas bashed a double to center. Boggs and Evans scored on the double to put the Sox on top and Ed Jurak pinch ran for Armas. Stapleton flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-5.

                                                           Boggs scores the tying run

Bob Stanley came in for the save in the bottom of the ninth with Julio Valdez taking over at short and Jackson struck out to start. Carew also went down by strikeout and Beniquez popped up to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-5.

Hero of the Night is Tony Armas. His two run double put the Sox on top for good.

The Good:

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

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

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jerry Remy was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Luis Aponte got the win with 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bob Stanley earned his 6th save with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bruce Hurst allowed 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 2 but walked.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Ed Jurak pinch ran for Armas in the top of the ninth.

Julio Valdez played short in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Sad to see Bruce Hurst regress but great to see the offense come from behind. Aponte and Stanley really stepped it up to hold off the Angels after Hurst faltered. This is one of those wins on the road you'll look back on at the end of the year if the Sox are still in contention as "need to have". If the Sox can survive a stinker by Hurst, they better hope John Tudor can step up tomorrow night. Speaking of Tudor, the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Angels tomorrow night when they send him to the mound up against Tommy John at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Mariners Outslug Sox (4/26/83)

It was a bad day for Boston sports. On a night where the Boston Bruins lost Game 1 to the New York Islanders in their NHL Wales Final series, the Boston Red Sox dropped a game to the Seattle Mariners. The Red Sox offense pounded out 10 hits and 6 runs against 44 year old Gaylord Perry and Bill Caudill of the Seattle Mariners but Mike Brown (1-2, 6.00 ERA) got lit up for 6 runs himself. The Mariners got a run off Doug Bird for good measure and it all added up to another loss for the Sox. Carl Yastrzemski didn't play as the Mariners outslugged the Sox in front of a paltry crowd of just 1,891 at the Kingdome.

                                               Crickets chirped as the Mariners won

The Sox did nothing against Perry in the top of the first as Wade Boggs singled to right to begin. Dwight Evans flied out to center but Jim Rice banged into a double play to end the inning. The Mariners pounded on the incompetent Brown in the bottom of the first as Steve Henderson walked to start. Dave Edler doubled home Henderson to put the Mariners up two batters into the game. Al Cowens grounded out to first but Richie Zisk walked. Pat Putnam singled home Edler and moved Zisk to third, and Zisk scored on the Dave Henderson sac fly. Rick Sweet doubled home Putnam and Todd Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mariners up 4-0 already.

                                                       Wh y can't the Sox get guys like this?

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning as Tony Armas grounded out to third to start. Rich Gedman grounded out to first and Dave Stapleton grounded out to second to end the inning. The Mariners struck again in the bottom of the second as Julio Cruz and Steve Henderson stroked back to back singles to start. Edler dropped down a bunt to move the runners over and Cruz scored on the Cowens grounder to third. Zisk popped up to first to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-0.

Perry cruised in the top of the third inning as Rick Miller struck out to start. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to first and Ed Jurak grounded out to first to end the inning. Brown settled down in the bottom of the third as Putnam grounded out to second to start. Dave Henderson flied out to right and Sweet grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox finally broke through in the top of the fourth as Boggs singled to center to start. Evans popped up to short but Rice crushed his 5th home run of the season to put the Sox on the board. Armas then belted his first home run of the season for back to back jacks. Gedman doubled to center but Stapleton grounded out to short. Miller flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                       Back to back homers

The Mariners got the run back in the bottom of the fourth as Todd Cruz led off with a solo bomb to increase the lead. Julio Cruz struck out and Steve Henderson flied out to right, but Edler tripled into the right field corner to chase the ineffective Brown. After John Tudor and Bruce Hurst delivered the last two starts, Brown crapped his pants by allowing 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Doug Bird came in and Cowens flied out to left to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 6-2.

                                                          Cruz hits one out

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Hoffman was plunked to start. Jurak flied out to right and Boggs grounded into a double play to end the inning. Zisk grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Putnam and Dave Henderson stroked back to back singles. Sweet hit into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the sixth as Evans popped up to second to start. Rice singled to center but Armas struck out. Gedman hit a grounder to third that was ruled a hit but the ball skipped away for an error to score Rice and send Gedman all the way to third. Stapleton singled home Gedman to cut the lead to one run but Miller grounded out to second to end the inning. Still, the Sox were back within a run 6-5.

                                                          Stapleton drives in a run

Bird caught Todd Cruz looking to begin the bottom of the sixth but Julio Cruz was plunked. Cruz swiped second and took third on the Steve Henderson grounder before edler struck out to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Hoffman popped up to short to start. Jurak struck out and Boggs flied out to left to end the inning. The Mariners iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Cowens singled to start. Cowens stole second and Zisk walked prompting Rod Allen to run for Zisk. Both runners moved over on the Putnam grounder and Dave Henderson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Sweet scored Cowens with a grounder and Todd Cruz took strike three to end the inning with the Mariners up 7-5.

                                                            Nice relief Bird

Bill Caudill came in for the top of the eighth with Manny Castillo at third and Evans popped up to second to start. Rice grounded out to short but Armas blasted his second home run of the game to cut the lead. Gedman struck out to end the inning but the Sox were down 7-6.

                                                      Armas pounds another homer

Luis Aponte came in for the bottom of the eighth and Julio Cruz grounded out to first to start. Dave Henderson hit a routine grounder to second but Stapleton dove on the ball and poked at it for an error. Castillo singled Henderson to third and Sox manager Ralph Houk brought in Mark Clear. Clear picked off Henderson and struck out Cowens to end the inning.

John Moses came in to play left for the top of the ninth and Stapleton singled to center to put the tying run on. The rally ended as Miller banged into a double play. Reid Nichols pinch hit for Hoffman but flied out to right to end the game. The Mariners held on to win 7-6.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Brown. He got hammered for 6 runs in just 3 1/3 innings to take the loss.

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with a two run home run and two total runs scored.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with both hits being home runs.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Mark Clear got the final two outs of the 8th inning.



The Bad:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ed Jurak was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch

Doug Bird allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings.

Luis Aponte retired just one of the 3 men he faced.




Final Thoughts:

What a shame. After Tudor and Hurst pitched great the last two games, Brown had a chance to keep the momentum going and he fell flat on his face. The Mariners are awful but they still managed to light up Brown for 6 runs. The Sox offense did what they could to stay in the game but Brown put them in a hole that was too much to overcome. Yaz and Jerry Remy not playing didn't help but at some point Brown has to develop, right? Tomorrow the Sox look to rebound against the Mariners when they send Dennis Eckersley (1-1) to the mound up against lefty Matt Young. The game begins at 10:30 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

Brewers Annihilate Sox on Patriots Day (4/18/83)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4 of their NHL playoff second round series. As for baseball, so much for the Boston Red Sox sending a message to the American League champion Milwaukee Brewers. The defending champs stomped a mudhole in the Sox to show that they're still the team to beat in the American League. As if yesterday's 1-0 loss to the Texas Rangers wasn't painful enough, the inept offense was blanked again, this time by Don Sutton. Harvey's Wallbangers pounded out 22 hits and 14 runs, pounding Mike Brown (1-1, 4.15 ERA). Doug Bird and Luis Aponte into submission. The Sox mustered just 6 hits and the Brewers to a two touchdown victory 14-0 over the Sox on Patriots Day at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

The Brewers wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning as Paul Molitor singled to right to start. Paul was erased on the force by Robin Yount before old friend Cecil Cooper walked. The Brewers pulled off a double steal before Yount scored on the grounder by Ben Simmons. Old pal Ben Oglivie grounded out to second to end the inning with the Brewers up 1-0.

The Sox blew a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs doubled to left to begin. Dwight Evans struck out but Jim Rice singled Wade to third. Carl Yastrzemski hit one up the elevator shaft but Dave Stapleton walked to load the bases. With a chance to do some damage...Rich Gedman grounded out to second to end the inning.

The floodgates opened in the top of the second inning as Gorman Thomas and Roy Howell stroked back to back singles to begin. Charlie Moore singled home Thomas and a flyball by Jim Gantner moved Howell to third. Molitor singled home Howell and a wild pitch moved the runners over. Yount walked to load the bases and Cooper beat out a double play ball to score Molitor. Simmons flied out to center to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-0.

                                         Cooper making the Sox pay for trading him

Boston failed to answer in the bottom of the second as Reid Nichols flied out to left to start. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third but Jerry Remy beat out an infield single. Boggs grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Somehow Brown pitched a clean top of the third as Oglivie flied out to left to start. Thomas flied out to right and Howell flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as both Evans and Rice flied out to left, but Yaz singled off Sutton. Stapleton struck out to end the inning.

Brown cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Moore grounded out to third to start. Gantner flied out to center before Molitor grounded out to short to end the inning. Sutton got Gedman to pop up to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Nichols grounded out to short. Hoffman singled to center but Remy flied out to center to end the inning.

Yount tripled into the triangle to start the top of the fifth but was stranded as Cooper grounded out to first. Simmons also grounded out to first but Oglivie walked to put runners at the corners. Thomas grounded into a force to end the inning. Boggs lined out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Evans singled to left. Evans was erased on the force by Rice before Yaz flied out to left to end the inning.

Brown returned for the top of the sixth and Howell grounded out to second to start. Moore singled to left but Gantner banged into a double play to end the inning. After the dreadful start, Mike Brown recovered to toss 6 innings. Too bad the Sox couldn't generate any offense.

                                      Good recovery by Brown to keep the Sox in it

Too bad the Sox offense was asleep for the second straight day as Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the sixth. Gedman flied out to left and Nichols grounded out to third to end the inning,.

Doug Bird came in for the the top of the seventh inning as Molitor popped up to short to start. Yount and Cooper stroked back to back singles but Simmons banged into a double play to end the inning. Sutton cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Remy flied out to center but Boggs walked. Evans popped up to short to end the inning.

The Brewers iced the game with a huge rally in the top of the eighth inning. Oglivie took strike three and Thomas hit a routine grounder to Boggs....but Wade was too busy singing opera as Thomas reached on the error. The Brewers pounced on the Sox as Howell and Moore stroked back to back doubles to increase the lead. Gantner singled home both runners and took second on the throw. Molitor and Yount both flied out to center to end the inning but the Brewers were up 7-0.

                                                           Nice going Boggs

Tom Tellmann came in to get the Sox to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rice grounded out to second, Yaz grounded out to short and Stapleton grounded out to second in short order.

The Brewers pulverized the Sox in the top of the ninth as Cooper and Simmons stroked back to back singled to start. Oglivie singled home Cooper and Thomas doubled home Simmons. Howell singled home both runners and Moore doubled home Howell to chase Bird. The guy came in with a 4-0 deficit and left with it 12-0. Luis Aponte poured gas on the fire although Gantner flied out to left. Molitor singled home Moore before Yount and Cooper stroked back to back singles to load the bases. Simmons singled home Molitor to wrap up the scoring. Oglivie took strike three and Thomas hit one up the elevator shaft to end the carnage with the Brewers up two touchdowns 14-0.

                                                "Aye carumba!" - Aponte

Mercifully the game ended in the bottom of the ninth with Ed Romero at third. Gedman lined out to left and Nichols flied out to center, but Hoffman walked. Remy flied out to center to end the game. The Brewers had won it big 14-0.

Jackass of the Night is Doug Bird. He was charged with 9 runs in just 2 innings and gave up a staggering 11 hits.

                                                    Nice relief, Jackass


The Good:

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with a walk.



The Bad:

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 4.

Mike Brown took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 innings of work off 7 hits and 3 walks.

Luis Aponte allowed 2 inherited runners to score and 1 of his own in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk but his error allowed the floodgates to open.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4.





Final Thoughts:

Good grief what a massacre. The Brewers have the best offense in the American League and showed why this morning. If the Sox want to compete against the champs, they're going to need better starting pitching than Mike Brown. Wish they had John Tudor or Bruce Hurst going instead. The offense was nonexistent for the second straight game as well. It may or may not be a concern going forward but we'll have to wait and see. Doug Bird had his lunch handed to him but I think Sox manager Ralph Houk figured the game was over and wanted Bird to finish it no matter how many runs he gave up, unfortunately he couldn't. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow evening against the Brewers when Dennis Eckersley takes on Moose Haas at 6:05 PM at Fenway Park

Sox Drop 4th in a Row (4/12/83)

Nothing went right for the Boston Red Sox in this one. One day after being shut down by the Kansas City Royals the Sox got shut down again. Riding the hot pitching of old friend Steve Renko and some late heroics, the Royals defeated the Sox 5-1 at Royals Stadium to send Boston to their fourth straight loss.

Somehow it was the Red Sox who scored first in the top of the first inning against Renko. Wade Boggs singled but Dwight Evans grounded into a double play. Jim Rice walked before Tony Armas singled. Carl Yastrzemski singled home Rice but Armas got greedy and tried for home, getting thrown out by a mile to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. Ironically it would be the last time the Sox would score today.

                                                       Nice baserunning Armas

John Tudor got the ball in the bottom of the first and Willie Wilson whiffed to begin. UL Washington and George Brett both flied out to right to end the inning.

Renko settled down in the top of the second inning and Dave Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Rich Gedman struck out before Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Amos Otis began the bottom of the second by striking out before Hal McRae lined out to center. Frank White hit a routine grounder to Hoffman who decided to wrestle with it for an error. Willie Aikens struck out to end the inning.

Julio Valdez flied out to center to begin the top of the third inning before Boggs grounded out to short. Evans reached on an error by Washington but Rice lined out to left to end the inning. Tudor stayed tough in the bottom of the third although Jerry Martin singled to start. John Wathan bunted Martin to second and Martin moved to third on the grounder by Wilson. Washington walked but Tudor struck out Brett to end the inning.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the fourth inning as Armas flied out to center to start. Yaz singled but was erased on the Stapleton force. Gedman singled but Hoffman popped up to second to end the inning. The Royals tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as Otis and McRae hit back to back singles to start. White banged into a double play but Otis moved to third, scoring on a wild pitch by Tudor. Aikens struck out to end the inning and Tudor was kicking himself for that one.

                                                 A wild pitch? Seriously Tudor?

The Sox blew their chance to do some damage in the top of the fifth inning. Valdez walked and Boggs singled but Evans erased Boggs at second. Rice walked to load the bases but Armas banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor tried to keep it tied in the bottom of the fifth as Martin flied out to left to begin. Wathan popped up to first and Wilson hit a routine grounder to second....for some reason Valdez dove on the ball and dryland swam with it for an error. Washington lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox blew another chance in the top of the sixth although Yaz grounded to first to start. Stapleton popped up to first but Gedman walked. Hoffman singled and Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough of Valdez after that puzzling error. Rick Miller pinch hit for Valdez only to ground out to second to end the inning. Marty Barrett took over at second in the bottom of the sixth and Brett started it with a single. Otis popped up to second before McRae flied out to right. White singled before Aikens popped up to second to end the inning.

Mike Armstrong took over for Renko in the top of the seventh and Boggs greeted him with a base hit. He was stranded as Evans flied out to center but Rice walked. Once again Armas banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor came back for the bottom of the seventh and Martin grounded out to short to begin. Wathan flied out to left but Wilson singled and stole second. Washington grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Yaz flied out to center, Stapleton popped up to short and Gedman grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Royals put the game away in the bottom of the eighth when Brett doubled to begin. Otis popped up to first but McRae was intentionally walked. White made the Sox pay with a single to score Brett. Don Slaught pinch hit for Aikens and walked to load the bases, chasing Tudor from the game. Luis Aponte came in and poured gas on the fire. Martin singled home McRae and white before Wathan singled to reload the bases. Wilson walked to score another run before Washington struck out. Martin was picked off third to end the inning but it was 5-1 Royals.

                                         "What the hell is wrong with Aponte!!!???"

Dan Quisenberry had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Hoffman flied out to center. Reid Nichols pinch hit for Barrett and grounded out to short. Boggs grounded back to the mound to end it. The Royals had won 5-1 and sent the Sox to their fourth straight loss.

Jackass of the Night is Luis Aponte. He turned a 2-1 deficit into an out of reach 5-1 defeat.

                                                 Nice relief, Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 5

Jim Rice walked 3 times and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk.



The Bad:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4.

Glen Hoffman was just 1 for 4.

Julio Valdez was 0 for 1 with an error but walked.

John Tudor took the loss but pitched great until running out of gas in the 8th inning. He went 7 1/3 and was charged for all 5 runs even though Aponte allowed the last three.



Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett played second base from the 6th inning on.




Final Thoughts:

Wow, what happened to the offense? The Sox have arguably one of the best lineups in baseball with sluggers such as Rice and Armas with contact hitters Evans, Boggs and Yaz. I understand once in a while but the offense has been anemic most of the season already. Granted its only April and they have plenty of time to bounce back but they have lost 5 of their first 7 games, that's not good. Tudor running out of gas didn't help but Aponte blowing it was worse. Who knows what would have happened if it was a one run game in the 8th or 9th. Tomorrow the Sox turn to Mike Brown to take on Paul Splittorff at 8:30 Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

9th Inning Rally Guides Sox Over Rangers (4/8/83)

For 8 innings it looked like this game between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers was going to be deadlocked for a long time but Glenn Hoffman had other ideas. His 9th inning 2 run single led the charge as the Sox rallied for a 9th inning victory over the Rangers. In front of a paltry crowd of just under 7,800 people, the Sox won the game 8-5 at Arlington Park.

                                                      Conan The Barbarian approves of the win

Rangers starter John Butcher took the mound in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs grounded out to short to begin. Dwight Evans singled to right and Jim Rice walked to put some pressure on. The rally ended as Tony Armas struck out and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to left to end the inning. Mike Brown got the start for the Sox and Billy Sample popped up to short to start. Mike Richardt singled but the alert Rich Gedman gunned him down trying to steal. Buddy Bell flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning when Dave Stapleton and Gedman stroked back to back singles. Hoffman dropped down a bunt to move both runners into scoring position but Julio Valdez popped up to third. Boggs came through with a double to score both runners to give the Sox the lead. Evans grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.

                                                "Hey Julio, this is how you do it" - Boggs

The Rangers wasted no time getting back in the game in the bottom of the second inning when Dave Hostetler and Larry Parrish worked back to back walks. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position but Brown manage to freeze Pete O'Brien for strike three. Jim Sundberg grounded out to short but Hostetler scored. George Wright singled to score Parrish to tie the game. Bucky Dent grounded out to third to end the inning but the Rangers had tied it 2-2.

Butcher settled down in the top of the third inning as Rice grounded out to second to start. Armas beat out an infield single but Yaz grounded into a double play to end the inning. Brown matched Butcher in the bottom of the third as Sample popped up to second to start. Richardt grounded out to short and Bell struck out to end the inning.

The Sox missed a golden chance to take the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Stapleton and Gedman stroked back to back singles and Hoffman sacrifice bunted both men into scoring position. Unfortunately Valdez grounded sharply to first, unable to advance anyone. Boggs walked to load the bases but Evans grounded into a force to end the inning, what a waste. The good news was Brown stayed hot in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hostetler whiffed, Parrish looked at strike three and O'Brien flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth inning as Rice grounded out to third, Armas flied out to left and Yaz flied out to right to end the inning. Brown almost has a clean bottom of the fifth when he struck out Sundberg to start. Wright grounded out to first but Dent doubled. Sample grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox finally scored in the top of the sixth after Stapleton doubled to begin. Gedman popped up to second but Hoffman singled Dave to third. Rick Miller was sent to pinch hit for Valdez but Texas manager Bobby Cox countered by bringing in Mike Mason to pitch to him. Sox manager Ralph Houk countered by pulling back Miller in favor of Reid Nichols. The move worked as Nichols was plunked to load the bases. Boggs doubled home Stapleton and Gedman to give the Sox the lead. Evans walked to re-load the bases and Rice drew a walk to score Boggs with another run. Armas had a chance to break it open but struck out again. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning but it was 5-2 Sox.

                              Nichols after getting hit says "OWOWOWOWOWOWOWW!!!!!!"

Rookie Marty Barrett took over at second in the bottom of the sixth and Richardt doubled to left to start. Brown struck out both Bell and Hostetler but Parrish walked. O'Brien flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Brown who tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball, good enough to put the team in position to win.

                                                       Good effort by Brown in this one

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the seventh inning as Stapleton flied out to left, Gedman whiffed and Hoffman also struck out to end the inning. Mark Clear was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and he got Sundberg to fly out to left to start. Wright singled and stole second but Dent flied out to left. Sample walked but Richardt also flied out to left to end the inning,

Barrett flied out to center to start the top of the eighth and Boggs watched strike three go by. Evans doubled but Rice grounded out to second to end the inning. Clear fell apart in the bottom of the eighth although he struck out Bell to start. Hostetler singled but moved to second on the Parrish ground-out. One out away from getting out of it, Clear allowed a single to O'Brien to score Hostetler. Sundberg doubled home O'Brien and Wright singled in Sundberg before moving to second on the throw. That was it for Clear as Houk replaced him with Luis Aponte. Larry Biittner pinch hit for Dent and Aponte intentionally walked him. Wayne Tolleson pinch ran for Biitner but Aponte got out of it by getting Sample to pop up to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                        "I sucked tonight" - Clear

The Sox got pissed off at the blown save and struck back big time in the top of the ninth. Armas grounded out to third but Yaz singled. Ed Jurak pinch ran for Yaz and Stapleton singled Ed to third. Odell Jones came in to pitch and Gedman walked to load the bases. Hoffman came through with a 2 run single to give the Sox the lead. Barrett beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Boggs singled in Gedman for another insurance run. Evans flied out to right but it was 8-5 Red Sox.

                                                          Hoffman puts the Sox ahead

Aponte returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and got Richardt to ground out to short to start. Bell also grounded out to short and Hostetler grounded back to the mound to end it. The Sox had stolen one 8-5.

Hero of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. His 2 run single in the night put the Sox up for good.

                                                                    Hero Hoffman


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 5 with a walk and FIVE rbi's.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with a walk.

Ed Jurak scored a run as a pinch runner.

Dave Stapleton was 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Reid Nichols was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Mike Brown tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 7.

Luis Aponte got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Julio Valdez was 0 for 2.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 2.

Mark Clear coughed up the lead by giving up 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked twice and drove in a run.

Tony Armas was just 1 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5.





Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller was supposed to pinch hit for Julio Valdez




Final Thoughts:

After the opening day disaster the Sox have been able to string together two good back to back wins. Fans wondered how the Sox would replace Tony Perez and his rbi bat at first and so far Dave Stapleton has been stellar. Granted its only been 3 games but its better than no production at all. The Sox still need an ace if Dennis Eckersley will never return to 1978 form, hopefully John Tudor or Bob Ojeda can be that guy because it won't be Brown or Eck. Speaking of Ojeda, tomorrow night he makes his season debut opposite Mike Smithson at Arlington Park.

Sox Lose Eckersley, Game (8/19/82)

If the Boston Sox had any hope of catching the Milwaukee Brewers, those dreams went up in smoke in tonight's game against the California Angels. Dennis Eckersley was pitching well until pulling a muscle in his bicep and had to leave in the third inning. After he was gone the bullpen gave up 8 runs in his absence. The Sox got 5 quick runs off old pal Steve Renko but Bruce Kison tossed 6 shutout innings to give the game to the Angels 8-5 at Anaheim Stadium.

The Red Sox wasted no time pounding Renko in the top of the first inning. Jerry Remy singled and Dwight Evans hit a roller to the mound that Renko threw away to put runners at the corners. Jim Rice doubled home both men to give the Sox the lead. Carl Yastrzemski popped up to short and Carney Lansford flied out to left but Dave Stapleton singled home Rice. Rick Miller flied out to left to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                        Rice knocks in a pair

Eckersley started off well in the bottom of the first although Brian Downing singled to start. Rob Wilfong forced Downing at second and Rod Carew banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Rich Gedman grounded out to second to start. Glenn Hoffman flied out to right and Remy flied out to center to end the inning. Eck got Reggie Jackson to ground out to second to start the bottom of the second before Fred Lynn flied out to right. Don Baylor flied out to right to end the inning.

Renko got Evans to strike out to open the top of the third before Rice grounded out to short. Yaz flied out to left to end the inning. Disaster struck in the bottom of the third as Ron Jackson popped up to third to start. Tom Foli popped up to third but after Eck made the pitch he fell to the ground clutching his arm. Eck had to be carried out on a stretcher after just 2 2/3 innings. Bob Stanley came in and got Bob Boone to ground out to third to end the inning but Eck was gone.

                                                    Done with a pulled bicep muscle

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth inning as Lansford began with a double. Stapleton doubled him home and Gedman singled in Stapleton. At this point it was 5-0 and the Angels were on the ropes but the Sox let them off the hook. Bruce Kison came in and dominated as Gedman flied out to right but Hoffman walked. Remy grounded out to first but both runners advanced. With a chance to hit a knockout punch, Evans struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                       Stapleton adds to the lead

Stanley got Downing to ground out to first to start the bottom of the fourth before Wilfong flied out to left. Carew grounded out to second to end the inning.

Kison got Rice to ground out to third to begin the top of the fifth before Yaz flied out to left. Lansford singled to center but Stapleton struck out to end the inning. The Angels began their comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning as Jackson walked to start. Lynn popped up to third but Baylor walked. Jackson beat out an infield single to load the bases but Foli beat out a double play ball to score Jackson. Boone flied out to left to end the inning but it was now 5-1 Sox.

Miller grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Gedman also grounded out to second as well. Hoffman singled to right but was foolishly thrown out trying to stretch a double to end the inning. The Angels inched closer in the bottom of the sixth although Downing grounded out to first to begin. Wilfong singled and Carew doubled before Jackson singled home both runners to chase Stanley. Mark Clear came in and walked Lynn but Baylor popped up back to Mark. Jackson walked to load the bases but Foli took strike three to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 5-3.

                                                         3 runs allowed, not good

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Remy flied out to left to start. Evans grounded out to third but Rice singled to center. Yaz lined out to first to end the inning. The Sox fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as Boone doubled to start. Bob moved to third on the grounder by Downing before Wilfong grounded to the mound. Carew and Reggie Jackson both walked to load the bases and chase Clear. Lynn singled home Boone and Carew to tie the game before Baylor singled to left. Rice fired home but Jackson beat the throw to give the Angels the lead. Both runners advanced before Ron Jackson hit a routine grounder to third. Lansford went OLE! and Lynn scored with Baylor moving to third. Foli singled home Baylor and Sox manager Ralph Houk had enough of Burgmeier. He came in with the bases loaded and allowed all the runners to score plus two of his own. Luis Aponte got Boone to fly out to center but the Angels put up 5 runs to take the lead for good, 8-5.

                                                        Clear takes the loss

Lansford tried to atone for his error with a walk to open the top of the eighth but Stapleton flied out to right. Miller banged into a double play to end the inning. Aponte held the fort in the bottom of the eighth as Downing popped to short to start. Wilfong and Carew hit back to back singles but Jackson flied out to left. Lynn flied out to center to end the inning.

Juan Beniquez came in to play first and Bobby Clark came in to play right in the top of the ninth. Gedman grounded out to short before Wade Boggs pinch hit for Hoffman. Boggs hit one up the elevator shaft and Remy grounded out to short to end the game. The Angels had come back to win the game 8-5.

Jackass of the Night is Tom Burgmeier. He came in with the bases loaded and the Sox still in the lead, allowed all 3 runs to score and 2 of his own to put the Sox behind to good.

                                             Burgmeier is Jackass


The Good:

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

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

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Dennis Eckersley tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings before leaving with an injury.

Luis Aponte tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4.

Wade Boggs popped up as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Mark Clear took the loss with 3 runs allowed in 1 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

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

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

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.




Final Thoughts:

Well this game was a sucker punch to the balls. Not only did they lose Eckersley but the bullpen blew the game as well. Blowing a 5 run lead is almost hard to do especially since the bullpen has been one of the strong points this year. Stanley, Clear and Burgmeier combined to give up 8 runs between them against an Angels you can't afford to let get hot. If Eckersley is done for a month that could end the season for the Sox considering they're relying on the aging Mike Torrez and the spot starters like Chuck Rainey to carry them to the playoffs. As good as the offense has been, they don't have enough starting pitching. It was a tough loss but the Sox are now 65-54, 4 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the AL East. The Sox are back in action tomorrow night with a set against the Oakland A's in Oakland. Brian Kingman goes for the A's with Mike Torrez going for the Sox at a horrible 10:30 PM Eastern time start at the Oakland Coliseum.

Indians Walk Off in 14 (6/20/82)

In a heartbreaking loss for the Boston Red Sox, the Cleveland Indians rallied in the 8th inning to send the game into extras where they won in the 14th. Mark Clear couldn't slam the door after a decent Bruce Hurst start and Luis Aponte couldn't slam the door in the fourteenth inning. It was a hard fought game but the Indians took it 5-4 in the 14th inning at Cleveland Stadium.

                                             This game makes George Bailey mad

Len Barker got the start for the Indians and he cruised in the top of the first inning. Jerry Remy struck out before Dwight Evans grounded out to first. Carney Lansford grounded out to short to end the inning. Hurst got the ball in the bottom of the first and the Indians immediately tagged him. Miguel Dilone grounded out to third but Toby Harrah smashed a 400,000 foot bomb to put the Indians on top. Mike Hargrove and Andre Thornton both whiffed to end the inning but the Indians were up 1-0.

The lead stayed the same in the top of the second as the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second, Rich Gedman grounded out to third and Dave Stapleton also grounded out to second to end the inning. The Indians struck again in the bottom of the second as Evans dropped a routine pop up by Alex Bannister to start. Rick Manning caught the Sox asleep with a bunt to put runners at first and third. Von Hayes grounded out to second to score Bannister and move Manning to second before Chris Bando flied out to center. Mike Fischlin tripled into the gap to score both runners. Dilone hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but it was 3-0 Indians.

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Glenn Hoffman and Reid Nichols both flied out to left to start. Rick Miller singled to left but Remy flied out to left to end the inning. Hurst got in trouble in the bottom of the third by walking the bases loaded. Harrah, Hargrove and Thornton all walked but Bannister hit a ground ball to third. Lansford gunned it home to nail Harrah at home before Gedman fired to first to get Bannister for the double play. Manning struck out to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth as Evans walked to start. Lansford hit one up the elevator shaft but Yaz cracked his 9th home run of the year to cut into the lead. Gedman stuck out and Stapleton grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                               Yaz hits one out

Hurst recovered in the bottom of the fourth as Hayes grounded out to second to start. Bando grounded out to short but Fischlin bunted his way on. Dilone lined out to right to end the inning.

Barker cruised in the top of the fifth inning as Hoffman struck out to start. Nichols grounded out to third and Miller grounded out to second to end the inning. Hurst kept pace in the bottom of the fifth although Harrah walked to start. Hargrove lined out to right but Thornton singled. Bannister and Manning both flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the sixth as Remy started the rally with a single. Evans lashed a double to left that Dilone bobbled, allowing Remy to score the tying run and advancing Dwight to third. A wild pitch by Barker scored Evans to give the Sox the lead but both Lansford and Yaz flied out to right. Gedman singled to right and Stapleton singled to center but Nichols flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                           Evans gives the Sox the lead

Hurst cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Hayes grounded out to second to begin. Bando grounded out to short and Fischlin struck out to end the inning. That was it for Hurst who turned in a solid effort, throwing 6 innings of 3 run ball to put himself in line for the win.

                                                               Good work Hurst

Barker cruised in the top of the seventh as Miller lined back to the mound to start. Remy popped up to left and Evans struck out to end the inning. Mark Clear was summoned for the bottom of the seventh and Dilone grounded out to first to start. Harrah looked at strike three and Hargrove grounded out to short to end the inning.

Barker returned for the top of the eighth and Lansford grounded out to first to begin. Yaz struck out before Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning. The Indians got to Clear in the bottom of the eighth as Thornton walked and was sacrificed to second by Bannister. Manning struck out but Hayes tied the game with a double. Bando looked at strike three to end the inning but the game was tied 4-4.

                                                        Thanks a lot Clear

Ron Hassey took over behind the plate for the top of the ninth and Stapleton popped up to first to begin. Hoffman lined out to right and Nichols struck out to end the inning. The Indians almost won it in the bottom of the ninth when Fischlin singled to start. Dilone looked at strike three but Harrah singled. Hargrove walked to load the bases but Thornton looked at strike three. Karl Pagel pinch hit for Bannister but Clear froze him for strike three to end the inning.

Jack Perconte came in to play second in the top of the tenth with Barker still on the mound. Miller beat out an infield single and was sacrificed to second by Remy, but Evans grounded out to third. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning. Tom Burgmeier came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and Manning grounded out to first to start. Hayes lined out to second but Hassey singled to center. Fischlin grounded out to third to end the inning.

Dan Spillner came in to pitch the top of the eleventh and Yaz struck out to begin. Gedman grounded out to second and Stapleton looked at strike three to end the inning. The Indians almost won it in the bottom of the eleventh when Dilone singled to start and was sacrificed to second by Harrah. Dilone swiped third and Hargrove was plunked. Thornton was intentionally walked and Jerry Dybzinsky pinch hit for Percone....only to bang into a double play to end the inning.

Dybzinsky moved to short with Fischlin taking over at second to open the top of the 12th inning. Wade Boggs pinch hit for Hoffman and flied out to right to start. Nichols looked at strike three before Miller grounded out to short to end the inning.

Julio Valdez took over at short for the bottom of the 12th and Manning singled to right to begin. Manning was sacrificed to second by Hayes and he moved to third on the grounder by Hassey. Fischlin popped up to first to end the inning.

Remy grounded out to second to start the top of the 13th but Evans drew a walk. Lansford looked at strike three before Yaz popped up to third to end the inning. Luis Aponte came in for the bottom of the 13th and Dilone grounded out to short to start. Harrah flied out to left and Hargrove watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Gedman singled to start the top of the 14th and Gary Allenson pinch ran for him. Stapleton singled and Valdez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position. They never moved as Nichols flied out to right and Miller flied out to center to end the inning. The end mercifully came in the bottom of the 14th when Thornton singled to start. Dybzinsky sacrificed him to second but for some reason Sox manager Ralph Houk had Manning intentionally walked. Hayes walked to load the bases and Hassey singled home Thornton to end the game. It took 14 innings but the Indians had won it 5-4.

Jackass of the Night is Reid Nichols. He was 0 for 6 including 2 strikeouts and failed to get two men in scoring position in during the crucial top of the 14th inning.

                                                             Nice clutch hitting Jackass



The Good:

Rich Gedman was 2 for 6.

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 6.

Julio Valdez dropped down a perfect bunt in the top of the 14th inning.

Rick Miller was 2 for 6.

Bruce Hurst tossed 6 innings of 3 run ball to keep the Sox in the game. Only 1 run was earned, he walked four and struck out 4.

Tom Burgmeier tossed 3 shutout innings of relief.



The Bad:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 6 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wade Boggs flied out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

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

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked twice and scored 2 runs.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 6 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Mark Clear blew the lead in the bottom of the 8th but pitched scoreless 7th and 9th innings.

Luis Aponte took the loss in the bottom of the 14th but pitched a clean top of the 13th.



Honorable Mention:

Gary Allenson ran for Gedman in the top of the 14th and caught the bottom of the 14th.




Final Thoughts:

This game was a sucker punch to the gonads. As mediocre as the Sox offense was against Barker today, they still had a chance to win if Clear didn't blow it. Still, they had 2 on and 1 out in the top of the 14th but couldn't get the clutch hit they needed. The Indians are a perfectly mediocre 31-32 and the Sox blew a big chance to gain a game in the AL East standings by dropping this one. The less said of this unmitigated disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 39-25, 2 games in front of the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox are back home against the Tigers with a chance to put some distance from them in the East standings. Dan Petry goes for the Tigers up against John Tudor (5-5) of the Red Sox at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.