Morris, Tigers Blank Sox (6/25/85)

So much for the red hot Boston Red Sox. After winning 14 of 15 to start the month, they have certainly cooled off. After pounding the Detroit Tigers for nine runs yesterday, they got shut out today by Jack Morris. Morris tossed a complete game, 4 hit shutout while Bobby Ojeda (4-2, 3.16 ERA) pitched a gutty game but got no run support. Darrell Evans clobbered a two run home run in the fourth inning and Tom Brookens knocked in a run in the eighth inning. That's all Detroit needed as they beat the Red Sox 3-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score, Dean Wormer?

Ojeda got the ball in the top of the first inning and Lou Whitaker smacked an opposite field double to the Monster to start. Alan Trammell hit a broken bat grounder to short and Kirk Gibson struck out swinging on a full count fastball. Lance Parrish hit a bullet....right to Wade Boggs to end the inning. Morris got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steve Lyons grounded a base hit up the middle. Boggs singled in the hole at third but Jim Rice grounded into a double play. Lyons did advance to third but Bill Buckner grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox would get just two hits the rest of the game.

The Tigers blew a rally in the top of the second as Larry Herndon walked to start. Chet Lemon ripped a base hit to left and Evans caught the Sox asleep with a bunt down the third base line. Ojeda fielded it but Boggs had ran in too so nobody covered third. Boggs made up for it with a great play on a grounder by Barbaro Garvey to come home for the force. Tom Brookens popped up to Buckner and Whitaker took strike three on the outside corner to end the inning. Mike Easler struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Dwight Evans doubled off the Monster. Rich Gedman grounded out to first to move Evans to third but Marty Barrett flied out to right to end the inning.

Trammell lined one off the glove of Boggs for a "hit" to start the top of the third but Gibson struck out swinging. Parrish flied out to right and Herndon took strike three to end the inning. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Lyons popped up to third in foul territory and Boggs grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Tigers struck first in the top of the fourth as Lemon ripped a base hit to left before Evans clobbered a home run all the way into the Charles River to give Detroit the lead. Garbey walked but Brookens flied out to a running Lyons. Whitaker dumped a base hit just in front of Lyons but Garbey was picked off second to end the inning with Detroit up 2-0.

                                                        "Damn you Evans" - Ojeda

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Rice grounded out to third to start. Buckner grounded out to short and Easler lined out to a running Lemon to end the inning.

Gibson smashed a double to right to start the top of the fifth but Parrish grounded out to short. Herndon flied out to deep right and it was enough to move Gibson to third. Lemon also flied out to right to end the inning. Evans led off the bottom of the fifth by grounding out to third before Gedman flied out into the centerfield triangle. Barrett flied out to right to end the inning.

Ojeda stayed strong in the top of the sixth as Evans took strike three to start. Garbey popped up to second and Brookens grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew their last chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the sixth as Hoffman doubled to the Monster to start. Lyons struck out swinging on a pitch in the dirt and Boggs flied out to left. Hoffman moved to third on a wild pitch but Rice grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Tigers threatened in the top of the seventh as Whitaker lined a base hit up the middle to start. Trammell dropped down a bunt to move Whitaker to second but Gibson struck out swinging. Parrish was intentionally walked but Herndon also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox failed to pick up Ojeda in the bottom of the seventh as Buckner flied out to left to start. Easler hit a bullet right to Darrell Evans but Dwight Evans drew a walk. Gedman flied out to left to end the inning.

The Tigers finally knocked out Ojeda in the top of the eighth although Evans made a running catch to rob Lemon of a double to start. Hoffman made a great stab of a Darrell Evans liner but Garbey doubled off the Monster to chase Ojeda. Bobby tossed 7 2/3 innings and would be charged with 3 runs on 10 hits. Sox manager John McNamara waited until the last second then brought in Mark Clear to pitch to Brookens. The gamble failed as Brookens dunped a base hit in front of Rice. Garbey turned and ran for home and Rice had him beat....if the throw didn't bounce 30 feet from home plate for an error to score Barbaro. Whitaker grounded back to Clear to end the inning but the damage was done, 3-0 Tigers.

                                                         Ojeda deserved better

The Sox went into the tank in the bottom of the eighth inning as Barrett lined out to short to start. Hoffman whiffed badly on a pitch in the dirt and Lyons grounded out to second to end the inning.

Clear returned for the top of the ninth and Trammell popped up to Buckner to start. Gibson lined out to Hoffman and Parrish popped up to Barrett to end the inning. Morris came back to complete the game in the bottom of the ninth but Boggs walked to start. Rice completed his horrible day by banging into a double play. Buckner popped up to third in foul territory to end the game. The Tigers had won it 3-0.

                                                            Complete game for Morris

Jackass of the Night is Jim Rice. He was 0 for 4, grounded into two double plays, made a critical throwing error and left a man at third.

                                               Jackass couldn't hit or throw in this one

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4.

Mike Easler was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Steve Lyons was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Ojeda took the loss but allowed just 3 runs in  7 2/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7.

Mark Clear allowed an inherited runner to score but allowed no runs of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

That game sucked for the Red Sox. Morris totally dominated them after the second inning and Ojeda did the best he could. Jim Rice had his worst game as a professional as he left men on base all game and his throwing error led to the dagger run scoring. Still, doesn't matter if it was 2-0 or 20-0, nobody was touching Morris after the second inning. The problem with the Sox offense is its too inconsistent. Tony Armas not playing didn't help but otherwise, they ran into one of the best in the game tonight. Ojeda did the best he could and Clear held the fort as well, but sometimes there's nothing you can do. The loss dropped the Sox to 37-32, six games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night when Al Nipper (4-5) takes on Randy O'Neal of Detroit. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Shock White Sox in 8 run Comeback (4/28/84)

In what's been an up and down month, tonight's Boston Red Sox game against the Chicago White Sox featured a month's worth of drama. The White Sox took a 6-0 lead against Bob Ojeda and the Red Sox going into the seventh inning. Suddenly the Red Sox exploded for 3 runs in the 7th, 3 in the eighth and two in the ninth to take the lead. Bob Stanley slammed the door in the ninth inning and the BoSox stunned the ChiSox 8-7 at Commiskey Park.

                                               Flounder loves rallies

Tom Seaver got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy led off with a grounder to short. Dwight Evans also grounded to short but Wade Boggs smacked a double. Jim Rice struck out to end the inning. Ojeda got the ball in the bottom of the first and walked Rudy Law to start. Carlton Fisk flied out to left and Law was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Rich Gedman. Tom Paciorek flied out to right to end the inning.

Mike Easler led off the top of the second inning with a grounder to second but Tony Armas hit a double. Armas moved to third on the Gedman grounder and Nichols grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Greg Luzinsky walked to open the bottom of the second and Ron Kittle followed with a base hit. Dave Stegman flied out to right and Luzinsky was doubled off second on the line drive to third by Vance Law to end the inning.

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third inning as Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Remy also grounded out to short and Evans grounded out to second to end the inning. Scott Fletcher grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third but Julio Cruz singled. Rudy Law flied out to left and Fisk flied out to right to end the inning.

Seaver cruised in the top of the fourth as Boggs grounded out to first to start. Rice grounded out to third and Easler struck out to end the inning. Ojeda kept pace in the bottom of the fourth although Paciorek singled to start. Tom moved to second on the grounder by Luzinsky and Kittle struck out. Stegman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Armas grounded out to short to begin the top of the fifth but Gedman drew a walk. Nichols banged into a double play to end the inning. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Vance Law flied out to right to start. Fletcher singled to center and moved to second on the Cruz grounder. Rudy Law singled home Fletcher and Fisk doubled Rudy home. Paciorek grounded out to second to end the inning with the White Sox leading 2-0.

                                                           Fisk still haunting the Red Sox

The BoSox failed to answer in the top of the sixth as Hoffman popped up to second to start. Remy grounded out to short and Evans watched strike three go by to end the inning. The ChiSox finished off Ojeda in the bottom of the sixth as Luzinsky walked to start. Kittle popped up to third and Stegman took strike three but Vance Law doubled and Fletcher walked to load the bases. Cruz then walloped a 78,000 foot grand slam to seemingly ice the game. Rudy Law singled and that was it for Ojeda. He was good for 5 innings but that grand slam was the killer. Mark Clear came in and got Fisk to fly out to center to end the inning but the game looked over at 6-0 Chicago.

                                                                Not good enough

Suddenly the Red Sox sprang to life in the top of the seventh inning. Boggs doubled and Rice singled him in to put Boston on the board. Easler struck out but Armas clobbered his 6th home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Gedman grounded out to first and Nichols popped up to second but the Red Sox were down 6-3.

                                                         Tony jacks one out

Clear did his part in the bottom of the seventh as Paciorek struck out to start. Luzinsky grounded out to third but Kittle walked. Harold Baines pinch hit for Stegman and struck out to end the inning.

Mike Squires took over in the field for Paciorek to start the top of the eighth. Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman and got a base hit to chase Seaver. Britt Burns came in to allow Remy to get a base hit and Evans to walk to load the bases. Boggs banged into a double play but Miller scored and Remy moved to third. Rice FINALLY crushed his first home run of the season to tie the game. Easler struck out to end the inning but the BoSox had tied it 6-6.

                                                      Rice ties it up

Just as soon as the BoSox tied it, the White Sox took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Ed Jurak took over at third in Miller's spot with Jackie Gutierrez now playing short in Boggs' spot. Jerry Hairston pinch hit for Vance Law and walked to begin. Jerry Dybzinski pinch ran for Hairston and swiped second but Fletcher took strike three. Dybzinski moved to third on the fly out by Cruz and scored on a passed ball. Law popped up to Clear to end the inning but the ChiSox dealt a blow by taking a 7-6 lead.

It didn't look good in the top of the ninth when Armas grounded out to second to start. Dave Stapleton pinch hit for Gedman and struck out but somehow Nichols singled. Ron Reed came in to get the final out but Nichols stole second. Jurak stepped up with a triple to tie the game. Remy hit a routine grounder to Fletcher...UNDER HIS GLOVE! Jurak scored to give the BoSox the lead. Evans was intentionally walked but Gutierrez took strike three to end the inning with Boston ahead 8-7.

                                                          Jurak scores the go-ahead run

Gary Allenson took over behind the plate with Bob Stanley on the mound to close it out in the bottom of the ninth. Fisk grounded out to third, Squires grounded out to third and Luzinsky popped up to third to end the game. The BoSox had stormed back to win 8-7.

Hero of the Night is Ed Jurak. His triple tied the game and he scored the winning run.

                                                        Jurak the Hero


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a 3 run homer.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with a two run homer.

Rick Miller singled and scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.



The Bad:

Jackie Gutierrez struck out in his only at bat.

Mike Easler was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Dave Stapleton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2.

Bob Ojeda got lit up for 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

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

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 2 with a passed ball but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Mark Clear allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings of work but it was unearned.



Honorable Mention:

Gary Allenson caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

What a game! The BoSox looked dead in the water down 6-0 with 9 outs to play and they stormed back to win the game. The offense can't do that every night but they got it done in this one. Ed Jurak with the triple was just as instrumental as the three run bomb by Rice and the two run shot by Armas. They pretty much did this without Easler who was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. Ojeda looked awful in the 6th inning but Stanley and Clear was a passed ball away from shutout ball the rest of the way. The BoSox have one game left in the month of April and that poor start put them a mile behind the Detroit Tigers who look invincible right now. If the Red Sox were to get an ace pitcher by hook or crook, then maybe they'd have a prayer of catching them. The Red Sox look to sweep the White Sox and end the month of April in style when they send Al Nipper to the mound up against Richard Dotson at 3:05 PM Eastern Time at Commiskey Park.

Sox Outslug A's (4/22/84)

Say what you will about the lousy Boston Red Sox pitching but their offense is definitely for real. Dennis Eckersley (1-2, 6.94 ERA) took a beating as did relief pitcher Mark Clear. They allowed 8 runs between them but were picked up by the offense. Mike Easler led the charge with 3 total rbis and the Sox as a team clubbed three home run and pounded out 15 hits. Needing a win to get back on track, the Sox got it by beating the Oakland A's 12-8 in front of a paltry crowd of just over 14,000 people at Fenway Park.

                                                    Slayer approves of the win

Eckersley cruised in the bottom of the first as Rickey Henderson struck out to start. Dwayne Murphy also struck out and Joe Morgan flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Oakland starter Steve McCatty as Jerry Remy walked to start. Remy moved to second on the force by Dwight Evans and Wade Boggs flied out to right. Jim Rice singled home Remy to put the Sox on top. Mike Easler struck out to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                           Rice drives in a run

Carney Lansford struck out to start the top of the second before Bruce Bochte flied out to right. Dave Kingman struck out to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Tony Armas singled to start. Rich Gedman walked and Reid Nichols singled to load the bases with nobody out. Jackie Gutierrez hit a grounder back to the mound who got Armas at home and Jackie at first for the double play. Jerry Remy singled to center and both runners tried to score. Gedman scored but Nichols was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                          YERRR OUT!

The A's started to figure out Eckersley in the top of the third as Mike Davis and Mike Heath stroked back to back singles to start. Donnie Hill beat out a double play ball but Eck struck out Henderson. Murphy grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox continued to run into outs in the bottom of the third although Evans grounded out to third to start. Boggs singled but Rice popped up to short. Easler walked and Armas singled to left. Boggs tried to score and he was thrown out at home to end the inning.

                                                     Stay at third next time!

Morgan popped up to third to begin the top of the fourth before Lansford flied out to left. Bochte grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew it open in the bottom of the fourth inning as Gedman singled to start. Nichols singled Gedman to third and took second on the throw to chase McCatty. Chris Codiroli came in and Gutierrez singled home Gedman to increase the lead. Remy scored Nichols with a groundout but Evans doubled Jerry to third. Boggs was intentionally walked to load the bases but Rice beat out a double play ball to score Remy. Easler singled home Evans and Armas tripled to clear the bases. Gedman struck out to end the inning but it was 8-0 Sox.

                                                         What a rally

As soon as the Sox broke it open, the A's rallied in the top of the fifth. Kingman hit a home run into the Charles River to start and Davis doubled. Davis moved to third on the Heath fly out to center and scored on the base hit by Hill. Henderson singled and both runners moved into scoring position on the grounder by Murphy. A wild pitch scored Hill but Morgan grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth against Jim Bettendorf. Nichols grounded out to short but Gutierrez struck his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Remy popped up to first but Evans walked. Boggs walked but Rice struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-3.

                                                     Jackie hits one out

The Sox needed innings so Eckersley had to gut out the top of the sixth. Lansford flied out to center but Bochte singled. Kingman hit another home run into the Charles River to bring the A's closer. Davis struck out and Heath grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-5. That was it for Eckersley who lasted just 6 innings and allowed 5 runs.

                                                           Not his best stuff

The Sox continued to attack in the bottom of the sixth although Easler struck out to start. Armas grounded out to short but Gedman struck his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Nichols grounded out to short to end the inning but it was now 10-5 Sox.

                                                       Gedman goes yard

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hill grounded out to short to start. Henderson was hit with a pitch but Murphy popped up to third. Morgan grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Gutierrez flied out to left to start. Remy flied out to center and Evans popped up to second to end the inning.

The A's struck back due to some shoddy fielding in the top of the eighth. Lansford walked and Bochte hit a perfect double play ball to first....that Easler booted for an error. Kingman hit a routine grounder to Boggs but he booted that and Lansford came around to score. A wild pitch moved both runners and Davis walked to load the bases with nobody out. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough of clear and brought in Bob Stanley to get out of the jam. Heath singled home Bochte to put the tying run on first and old pal Garry Hancock came in to pinch hit for Hill. Hancock beat out a double play ball to cut the lead to just two runs. Tony Phillips pinch ran for Hancock but Henderson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox survived with the lead intact, 10-8.

                                        "Can you idiots field your position?" - Clear

Keith Atherton came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and the Sox added to the lead. Boggs walked but Rice flied out to center. Easler then wrapped up the scoring by pounding his second home run of the year. Armas and Gedman struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-8.

Stanley slammed the door in the top of the ninth as Murphy struck out to start. Morgan grounded out to second and Lansford grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had outslugged the A's 12-8.

Hero of the Night is a tough one with everyone on offense contributing but I'll go with Mike Easler. He hit a 2 run bomb and drove in 3 runs total to pace the attack.

                                                          Easler The Hero


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 2 with 3 walks and a run scored.

Tony Armas was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with a walk, 3 runs scored and a home run.

Reid Nichols was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jackie Gutierrez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a home run.

Bob Stanley tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.

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

Dennis Eckersley got the win but allowed 5 runs in 6 innings, he hasn't been right all month.

Mark Clear was charged with 3 runs but only 1 was earned due to shoddy defense in 1+ inning.



Final Thoughts:

At least the offense has shown up in April. The pitching has been suspect but the addition of Easler has really helped the offense big time. Boggs, Rice, Evans, Easler and Armas are as good as Baltimore's. Too bad the pitching is nowhere close to that. The Sox have a lot of young arms and hopefully one of them can develop into something good. Eckersley has lot it big time and Mike Brown obviously isn't the answer. Hopefully the Sox can fix the pitching because it would be a shame to waste an offense that's this good. Today's game was a microcosm on what the Sox have to do to win games. The Sox have only won 5 of the first 15 games they've played and the Detroit Tigers have been red hot to start the season. The Sox welcome the California Angels in next for a set. Bob Ojeda (0-2) takes on Geoff Zahn at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Drop Seventh Straight on Late Rally (4/19/84)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox lost their seventh straight game. Looks like the Boston Red Sox will never win a game again. No matter what they do they just can't get it done and today was no different. In front of a paltry crowd of 10,926 the Sox turned a 4-4 game into a defeat for their seventh straight loss, this game at the hands of the Texas Rangers. Oil Can Boyd (0-2, 3.94 ERA) was game but Mark Clear got bombed and the Rangers swept the Sox out of Fenway Park with a 7-4 defeat.

                      "Oh mighty idol will the Red Sox ever win again?" - IJ

Boyd got the start for the Sox in the top of the first and Billy Sample grounded out to third to start. Gary Ward flied out to right and George Wright flied out to center to end the inning. Charlie Hough took the mound in the bottom of the first and the Sox did nothing. Jerry Remy flied out to center and Dwight Evans struck out. Wade Boggs walked but Jim Rice popped up to second to end the inning.

Boyd got some help from his defense in the top of the second inning. Buddy Bell led off with a single but Larry Parrish banged into a double play. Pete O'Brien flied out to right to end the inning. Somehow the Sox scored first in the bottom of the second inning. Mike Easler grounded out to second but Tony Armas blasted a solo home run to put the Sox on top. Rich Gedman flied out to center but Reid Nichols doubled. A wild pitch moved Nichols to third and a passed ball scored him. The hazards of a knuckleball pitcher is you never know where the ball will land. Glenn Hoffman struck out to end the inning but it was 2-0 Boston.

                                                     Armas goes yard

Boyd kept the lead in the top of the third inning as Ned Yost flied out to right, Wayne Tolleson flied out to center and Curt Wilkerson grounded out to first to end the inning. 9 up, 9 down for Boyd. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third inning. Remy grounded out to second but Evans doubled. Boggs scored Dwight with a double of his own and moved to third on a passed ball. The rally ended as Rice struck out and Easler grounded out to first to end the inning.

                                                     Boggs makes it a 3-0 game

Sample became the first baserunner for Texas when he walked to open the top of the fourth but Ward flied out to center. Wright banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time increasing the lead when he smashed his second solo home run of the game to start the bottom of the fourth. Gedman grounded out to first, Nichols grounded out to short and Hoffman struck out to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

Just when it seemed this would be an easy victory for the Sox, Boyd crapped his pants in the top of the fifth inning. Bell doubled and Parrish walked. O'Brien and Yost struck back to back rbi singles to cut the lead in half. Tolleson dropped down a bunt that Boyd fielded and ended up throwing it 500 feet completely out of Fenway for an error that scored O'Brien and moved the others into scoring position with nobody out. Wilkerson grounded out to score Yost with the tying run but Sample flied out to center. Ward flied out to right to end the inning but the Rangers had easily tied the game 4-4.

                                                  Nice going Boyd

The Sox offense never recovered and they were done for the night in the bottom of the fifth. Remy struck out but Evans walked. Boggs flied out to center and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.

Boyd came back for the top of the sixth and allowed a leadoff single to Wright, only for Bell to ground into a double play. Parrish doubled and O'Brien was intentionally walked only for both runners to advance on a passed ball by Gedman. Yost struck out to end the inning. Hough shut down the Sox in the bottom of the sixth as both Easler and Armas struck out. Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning.

Boyd cruised in the top of the seventh inning as Tolleson flied out to right, Wilkerson grounded back to the mound and Sample popped up to Boyd to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh inning as Nichols and Hoffman grounded out to third before Remy grounded out to second to end the inning.

Boyd somehow returned for the top of the eighth inning and Ward popped up to second to start. Wright popped up to short but Bell doubled. Parrish flied out to left to end the inning. Odell Jones replaced Hough in the top of the eighth inning and Evans popped up to third to start. Boggs singled and Rice flied out to right. Easler walked to put the go-ahead run at second but Armas grounded out to short to end the inning.

Houk rolled the dice twice in the top of the ninth and crapped out both times. He sent Boyd out to go another inning but lasted just one batter when O'Brien singled. Houk quickly hooked him but settled on Mark Clear to limit the damage. Instead Clear poured gas on the fire as Mickey Rivers pinch hit for Yost and singled. Tolleson singled to load the bases and Bob Jones pinch hit for Wilkerson just to walk in the go-ahead run. The boo-birds rained down on clear and it got worse as Sample singled home Rivers for the insurance run. Ward struck out but Wright grounded out, scoring Tolleson with the dagger. Bell flied out to center to end the inning but it was now all over, 7-4 Rangers.

                                                   Outstanding incompetence by Clear

The deflated Red Sox went through the motions in the bottom of the ninth with Marv Foley behind the plate and Jim Anderson at short. Gedman flied out to center and Nichols struck out before Rick Miller was sent in to pinch hit for Hoffman. Miller flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had lost their seventh straight by a score of 7-4.

Jackass of the Night is Mark Clear. He allowed his inherited runner to score and two of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                               Its quite Clear who the Jackass is


The Good:

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

Wade Boggs was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

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



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4.

Glen Hoffman was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Mike Easler was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Oil Can Boyd nearly went the distance but took the loss by allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks.




Final Thoughts:

Can it get any worse? It doesn't appear to be possible after the Sox found a way to lose 7 straight games. Blowouts, close games, incompetent starters, bullpen failures, inconsistent offense....you name it, it happened. The Detroit Tigers are finding ways to win while the Sox are inventing new ways to lose. Tomorrow night Bruce Hurst (1-2) takes a beating as the Oakland A's come to town with Tim Conroy expected to pitch a 3 hit shut-out against the Sox at Fenway Park.

Tigers Outslug Sox, Streak at 4 (4/12/84)

Well the good news was the Boston Red Sox offense finally woke up to knock around the red hot Detroit Tigers for 9 runs off 14 hits. The bad news was the Tigers offense knocked the Sox pitching staff six ways from Sunday for 13 runs off 16 hits along with 3 errors committed by the Sox defense. When all was said and done the Tigers stomped the Red Sox 13-9 at Fenway Park in front of a capacity crowd for the fourth straight loss by the Sox.

                                          Dr Hook McCracken can't stand Sox pitching

Bruce Hurst (1-2, 2.55 ERA) never got out of the box as he was ambushed by the angry Tigers. Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell worked back to back walks before Barbaro Garbey hit a routine double play ball to Glenn Hoffman at short. Hoffman fielded the ball and threw it straight up in the air before catching it in his hat much to the chagrin of the irate crowd. Glenn was charged with an error but the bases were loaded with nobody out. Hurst somehow managed to strike out Lance Parrish but Larry Herndon walked to drive in the game's first run. Chet Lemon singled home Trammell and Garbey to increase the lead before Rod Allen singled in Herndon. Rusty Kuntz singled home Lemon and that was it for Hurst. He lasted just 1/3 of an inning although the insane error by Hoffman didn't help and was on the hook for 5 runs with two runners still on base.

                                                   "I sucked today!" - Hurst

Mike Brown came in and poured gas on the fire by allowing a double to Tom Brookens. Whitaker hit a routine tapper in front of Rich Gedman who was so angry at Hoffman that he wrestled with the ball instead of throwing it to a base, allowing Kuntz and Brookens to both score, causing half the crowd to get up and leave. Trammell doubled and for some reason Tigers manager Sparky Anderson pinch hit Dave Bergman for Garbey. Bergman was intentionally walked to re-load the bases but Brown got Parrish to bang into a double play to end the inning. The Tigers put up 8 runs on 5 hits and 2 errors to take an 8-0 lead.

                                           Major Burns prays for the Sox pitchers

Somehow the Sox came roaring back in the bottom of the first inning against Milt Wilcox. Remy singled and Dwight Evans was hit with a pitch. Wade Boggs walked to load the bases and Jim Rice singled home Remy and Evans. Mike Easler singled home Boggs but Tony Armas banged into a double play, still managing to score Rice but it cleared the bases. This was huge because Gedman belted a solo home run to chase Wilcox and put the Sox back in striking distance. Doug Bair replaced Wilcox and got Dave Stapleton to strike out to end the inning but the Sox put up a five spot to trail 8-5.

                                                 "WE'RE NOT DEAD YET!!" - Gedman

Brown trudged back to the mound for the top of the second inning and Herndon doubled to lead off. Lemon struck out then Darrell Evans pinch hit for Rod Allen only to strike out. Herndon took third on a wild pitch but Kuntz flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox inched closer in the bottom of the second inning although Hoffman struck out to start. Remy popped up to first but Evans launched a solo home run to cut the lead to just two. Boggs struck out to end the inning but the Sox were back in it, 8-6.

                                                           Evans gets a run back

All Brown had to do was hold the fort until the offense kept clawing back in the top of the third and somehow he did. Brookens grounded out to first before Whitaker hit a routine ground ball to Hoffman at short. This time Hoffman picked the ball up, threw it over his head like a grenade and stuck his fingers in his ears waiting for the explosion that never came. The only reason Whitaker didn't take second was he was too busy laughing at Glenn. Whitaker was forced at second by Trammell and Alan was thrown at second trying to steal by Gedman to end the inning. The Sox didn't do much in the bottom of the third although Rice led off with a single. Mike Easler struck out and Tony Armas forced Rice at second. Gedman struck out to end the inning.

Brown couldn't tame the Tigers in the top of the fourth inning although he got Bergman to ground out to begin. Parrish then launched a 1,000 foot home run to give the Tigers their 3 run lead back. Herndon flied out to left and Lemon grounded out to third to end the inning with the Tigers up 9-6.

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the fourth as Stapleton singled but Hoffman banged into a double play. Remy popped up to short to end the inning.

Brown recovered in the top of the fifth to get Evans to fly out to right. Kuntz struck out but Brookens singled. Whitaker popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fifth although Evans walked to begin. Boggs flied out to left but Rice banged into a double play to end the inning.

Brown finally ran out of gas in the top of the sixth inning although Trammell hit one up the elevator shaft to begin. Bergman singled but Parrish popped up to first. Herndon doubled and Sox manager Ralph Houk made the change to bring in Bob Stanley. Brown had allowed 2 runs in nearly 6 innings pitched, it could have been a lot worse. Stanley got Lemon to fly out to right to end the inning. Glenn Abbott came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Easler greeted him with a single. Armas got hit with a pitch to put the tying run at the plate. Gedman grounded out to first but both runners moved into scoring position. Stapleton walked to load the bases and Houk pinch hit Rick Miller for Hoffman hoping for a spark. The opposite happened as Miller banged into a double play to end the inning. What a waste.

Jackie Gutierrez took over at short as Stanley returned for the top of the seventh. Evans grounded out to short, Kuntz struck out and Brookens grounded out back to Stanley to end the inning. The Sox hit into ANOTHER double play as Evans bounced into one after Remy singled. Boggs flied out to center to end the inning but that was 5 double plays in 7 innings...that ain't funny.

The Tigers finally iced the game in the top of the eighth inning. Whitaker, Trammell, Bergman and Parrish all singled to score two runs and put runners at the corners. Herndon beat out a double play ball to score another run and Lemon singled Parrish to third. Evans beat out a double play ball to score yet another run although Kuntz struck out to end the inning with the Tigers up 13-6. Game over.

                                           "Awww man I crapped mah pants!" - Stanley

Willie Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Dwight Lowry taking over behimd the dish in the bottom of the eighth. Rice struck out but Easler and Armas struck back to back singles. Gedman walked to load the bases for some hope but Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft. Reid Nichols pinch hit for Gutierrez and came through with a double to score Easler and Armas. Remy followed through with a single to score Gedman but Evans struck out to end the inning. The Sox did manage to get closer but was still too far out of reach 13-9.

                                                    Nichols brings the Sox closer.

Mark Clear came in to pitch with Ed Jurak taking over at short for the top of the ninth inning. Brookens struck out but Whitaker doubled. Trammell walked but Bergman flied out to right. Lowry grounded out to second to end the inning. The end finally came in the bottom of the ninth although Boggs walked to begin. Naturally Rice grounded into the SIXTH double play of the game. Easler doubled but Armas grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox lost their fourth straight 13-9.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Stanley. Had he held the fort after Mike Brown left, the Sox could have taken the game or at least had a solid chance. Instead he allowed 4 runs in 2 1/3 innings that ended up being the difference in the game.

                                                         Jackass of the Night: Bob Stanley


The Good:

Jerry Remy was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk, hit by pitch, solo home run and 2 total runs scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 5 with 2 rbi's and a run scored.

Mike Easler was 4 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Reid Nichols doubled in 2 runs as a pinch hitter.

Mike Brown tossed 5 1/3 innings of relief allowing just 2 runs to keep the Sox in the game.

Mark Clear pitched a scoreless ninth.



The Bad:

Glen Hoffman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and 2 errors committed in the field.

Rick Miller hit into a double play as a pinch hitter.

Bruce Hurst sucked, allowing 7 runs (5 earned) in just 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch and scored.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk, solo home run and 2 total runs scored but his error in the first allowed 2 runs to score which ended up being crucial.



Honorable Mention:

Jackie Gutierrez played shortstop in the top of the eighth.

Ed Jurak played shortstop in the top of the ninth.



Final Thoughts:

It was nice for the offense to finally wake up but the pitching picked a fine time to take the day off. The Sox couldn't get anyone out whether it was Hurst, Brown or Stanley. The good news is THIS is the offense the front office expected going into the season and its unlikely Hurst is going to suck like that too often. If they can keep this kind of offense going, they have a chance to catch Baltimore in the AL East race, even if they have no ace. Tomorrow night the Texas Rangers are in town as the Sox look to snap their four game losing streak. Old buddy Frank Tanana matches up with Dennis Eckersley (0-1) in the first game of the series at Fenway Park.

Late Rally Falls Short, Drop Third Straight (4/11/84)

For eight innings it seemed the Seattle Mariners were cruising toward an easy 5-1 win. Then all of a sudden the Boston Red Sox exploded but it just wasn't enough. Dennis Eckersley (0-1, 5.28 ERA) was game but all 5 of his runs allowed counted and the 5th one proved to be a difference maker as the Mariners sent the Sox to their third straight loss with a 5-4 squeaker at the Kingdome.

                                           Luke can't stand 3 straight losses

Jerry Remy led off the top of the first by striking out. Dwight Evans drew a walk and stole second on the strikeout from Wade Boggs. Jim Rice grounded out to short to end the inning. Eckersley began the bottom of the first by getting Jack Perconte to fly out to center. Barry Bonnell struck out and Gorman Thomas flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Mike Easler flied out to center, Tony Armas whiffed and Dave Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning. Eckersley began the bottom of the second by striking out Pete Putnam before getting Al Cowens to fly out to left. Alvin Davis also flied out to left to end the inning.

The miserable Sox offense failed to mount anything in the top of the third inning as Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third to start. Gary Allenson flied out to center and Remy struck out to end the inning. Eck allowed a leadoff double to Bob Kearney and Phil Bradley caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single. Eck recovered to get Spike Owen to pop up to second and Perconte to fly out to left. Kearney broke for home and Rice heaved the ball to the plate....YER OUTTA THERE! Rice's throw nailed him and the inning was over.

                                                    "Hey Bob...where you goin?" - Rice

Still no offense in the top of the fourth as Evans flied out to center to start. Boggs hit a comebacker to the mound and Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. The Mariners struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Bonnell singled to start. Thomas flied out to left but Putnam singled. Cowens beat out a double play and that proved huge as Davis blasted a three run home run to give the Mariners a commanding 3-0 lead. Kearney walked but Bradley grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                      "Dadgummit Avin Davis!!!"

Easler singled to start the top of the fifth inning but Armas struck out. Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning. Eck settled down in the bottom of the fifth as Owen was thrown out on a squibber in front of the plate. Perconte and Bonnell both grounded out to short to end the inning.

Young kept on dominating in the top of the sixth inning as Hoffman flied out to center to start. Allenson struck out but Remy singled. Evans hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning. The Mariners struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Thomas grounded out to short to start. Putnam grounded out to first but Cowens launched a 70,000 foot home run halfway to British Columbia to increase the lead. Davis walked and Kearney flied out to center to end the inning with the Mariners leading 4-0.

                                                   "I own Eckersley" - Cowens

Young kept the Sox down in the top of the seventh inning as Boggs grounded out to second to start. Rice singled but both Easler and Armas struck out to end the inning. Eck got three ground ball outs in the bottom of the seventh, retiring Bradley on a comebacker to start. Owen grounded out to second and Perconte grounded out to third to end the inning.

Somehow the Sox scored in the top of the eighth inning with Domingo Ramos now in the game at third with Bonnell taking over for Thomas in left. Stapleton doubled and moved to third on the Hoffman ground out. Allenson singled home Stapleton to put the Sox on the board. Rice struck out but Evans singled. Boggs walked to load the bases to chase Young from the game. With a chance to take the lead with one swing....Dave Beard struck out Rice to end the inning. Still, the Sox got one back to trail 4-1.

                                                     Allenson's single puts the Sox on the board

Just as soon as the Sox scored a run, the Mariners got it back in the bottom of the eighth. Bonnell grounded out to first to start before Ramos struck out. Putnam doubled and Larry Milbourne pinch ran for him. Cowens doubled home Milbourne for another Seattle run and Davis was intentionally walked. That was it for Dennis Eckersley as Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled him before he could register a complete game. Mark Clear induced a ground out by Kearney to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-1.

The game looked to be all over but the Sox sprang to life in the top of the ninth. Easler doubled and Armas walked but Stapleton popped up to short. Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman and beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners with one down. Rich Gedman pinch hit for Allenson and Beard tried to pick Miller off at first...only the ball went under Davis' glove, scoring Easler and sending Miller to third. Gedman walked to put runners at the corners and bring the tying run to the plate. Mariners manager Dell Crandall brought in Mike Stanton and Stanton looked to have the game over when Remy hit a routine grounder to short. Owen somehow threw the ball away to allow Miller to score. Evans hit a ground ball up the middle for a base hit to score Gedman and somehow put the tying run on second. That was it for the incompetent Stanton as Crandall brought in Ed Vande Berg to finish the job. Instead Boggs walked to load the bases to put the tying run at third. Roy Thomas replaced Vande Berg and finally Rice flied out to left to end the game. A furious rally fell short and the Mariners had won 5-4.

Jackass of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. Sure the bats didn't wake up until the end but still, Eck allowed 5 runs in 7 2/3 innings when 4 or even 3 would have given the Sox a chance to win.

                                                         Eck the Jackass


The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and stolen base.

Mike Easler was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Mark Clear retired the only man he faced.

Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman and scored a run.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman walked and scored a run as a pinch hitter.



The Bad:

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Close but no cigar for the Sox in this one. After going lifeless for most of the game, at least it was nice to see them spring to life in the ninth inning...albeit with the help of two errors. Still, at least they made it interesting at the end despite another dud pitched by Eckersley. He needs to get his head out of his ass because the Sox need him with everyone not named Bruce Hurst struggling. Speaking of Hurst (1-0), he goes Friday night against the red hot Detroit Tigers who haven't lost a game yet. Milt Wilcox will be Bruce's opponent when the Sox return home to Fenway Park.

Sox Routed by A's (4/8/84)

Holy moly that was an epic beatdown. As if the sputtering Boston Red Sox offense wasn't bad enough, today the pitching staff got absolutely shelled by a relentless Oakland A's attack. One day after getting shutout, the A's pounded out 14 runs off 16 hits and ambushed the unsuspecting Red Sox 14-2 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                             Wonka doesn't like bad pitching staffs

Steve McCatty got the ball for the A's in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy flied out to right to start. Dwight Evans grounded out to short but Wade Boggs walked. Jim Rice singled but Mike Easler grounded out to second to end the inning. Mike Brown (0-1) got the start for the Sox and promptly pissed his pants. Rickey Henderson singled, stole second and promptly moved to third on the flyout by Dwayne Murphy. Joe Morgan singled home Henderson and Carney Lansford singled as well. Bruce Bochte singled in Morgan and moved Lansford to third. Right away Sox manager Ralph Houk knew Brown wasn't ready and got Al Nipper hot in the bullpen. It was too late as Kingman singled home Lansford to increase the lead. Davey Lopes singled to center but the ball got under Tony Armas' glove, allowing Bochte to score and chase Brown from the game after just 1/3 of an inning. Yeesh, better off letting Al Nipper start.

                                                            Couldn't make it out of the first

Nipper came in and promptly allowed a 2 run single to Mike Heath. Donnie Hill hit a comebacker to the mound and Henderson flied out to right but the A's had ambushed the Sox for a 6-0 lead.

Could the Sox answer in the top of the second inning? Actually yes! Tony Armas did what he could by launching a solo home run off McCatty to pull within 5 runs. That was it for the rally as Rich Gedman flied out to left, Dave Stapleton popped up to third and Glenn Hoffman popped up to second to end the inning.

                                                    Armas blasts one to cut the lead

Something was wrong with Remy as he was replaced with Marty Barrett for the bottom of the second inning. Murphy singled but Nipper recovered to induce a double play by Morgan. Lansford struck out to end the inning.

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the third inning when Barrett drew a walk and Evans doubled. Boggs flied out for a huge out at the time and all Rice could do was bring in Barrett with a groundout. Easler struck out to end the inning but the Sox cut the lead again 6-2.

                                          Marty comes in for Jerry and scores

Nipper hung tough in the bottom of the third as Bochte walked but Kingman popped up to first. Lopes singled but Heath popped up to second. Hill grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth although Armas grounded out to short to start. Gedman singled but Stapleton flied out to left. Hoffman singled but Barrett popped to short to end the inning. That would be the last time the Sox would come close to getting back in the game. After the Sox squandered, right on cue Henderson smacked a solo home run to increase the Oakland lead to begin the bottom of the fourth. Murphy hit a comebacker to Nipper, Morgan flied out to right and Lansford grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 7-2 Oakland.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the fifth as Evans flied out to left to start. Boggs walked but Rice banged into a double play to end the inning. The A's iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Bochte walked but Kingman popped up to second. Lopes continued the carnage with a 2 run bomb to put the game out of reach. Heath struck out and Hill flied out to left to end the inning with the A's up 9-2.

                                              My sentiments exactly, Kent

The Sox went to sleep in the top of the sixth as Easler struck out to start the frame. Armas doubled and moved to third on the Gedman ground out. Stapleton grounded out to second to end the inning. Mark Clear was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and he poured gas on the fire as well. Henderson walked and Murphy singled him to third. Murphy took second on a wild pitch and Morgan brought home Henderson with a sac fly. Lansford popped to short but Bochte and Kingman smacked back to back run scoring doubles. Jeff Burroughs pinch ran for Kingman but Lopes popped up to third to end the inning with the A's now up 12-2.

                                             Nice going Clear

The Sox fell asleep in the top of the seventh as the Oakland bench emptied. Jeff Bettendorf came in to pitch, Bill Almon took over for Lansford, Heath moved from catcher to right, Essian took over for Lopes but caught and Tony Phillips took over at second. Hoffman popped up to first, Barrett struck out and Evans hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. John Henry Johnson came in for Clear and he took a beating as well. Heath led off with a double and Hill doubled him home. Henderson flied out but Hill moved to third. Murphy struck out and Johnson was called for a balk, allowing Hill to run home. Phillips struck out to end the inning but the carnage continued, 14-2 A's.

                                                  Way to balk, Johnson

The ice cold offense did nothing in the top of the eighth although Boggs worked a walk. Rice struck out, Easler popped to second and Armas flied out to right to end the inning. Bob Stanley came in to pitch with Reid Nichols in for Rice to begin the bottom of the eighth. Stanley got Almon to hit a comebacker before Bochte grounded out to second. Burroughs grounded out to third to end the inning.

Finally the game came to an end in the top of the ninth. Gedman flied out to center and Stapleton popped up to first but Houk decided to pinch hit Rick Miller for Hoffman just in case they rallied for 12 runs without an out. Miller popped up to third and the game was over, the A's had won it 14-2.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Brown. He failed to make it out of the first inning and was charged with 6 runs.

                                                       Jackass of the Night: Brown


The Good:

Wade Boggs walked 3 times in 4 plate appearances.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.

Bob Stanley pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 1 before leaving.

Mike Easler was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mark Clear allowed 3 runs in just 1 inning.

John Henry Johnson allowed 2 runs in 1 inning.



The Ugly:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4.

Al Nipper allowed 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings after coming in as an emergency for the ineffective Brown. He was better off starting the damn game.



Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols played left field in the bottom of the eighth




Final Thoughts:

Gadzooks that was bawful. As if the ice cold offense wasn't bad enough, the A's couldn't miss. The bullpen has some major issues but they had to pitch 7 2/3 innings because Mike Brown pissed himself. The season is only 6 games in and the Sox already need a dependable starter and someone who can hit for power at the bottom of the order. Maybe Ojeda and Hurst can step it up, maybe not. Either way the Sox are 3-3 and don't look good already. Rice has been ice cold but he'll heat up, the question is when. The Sox now travel to Seattle on Tuesday for a 3 game set with the Mariners with Bob Ojeda on the mound for the Sox taking on Jim Beattie at the Kingdome.