Sox Top Angels in Game 1 (8/29/89)

Better late than never when it comes to the Boston Red Sox. After floundering for most of the season the Sox are on a recent hot streak. Today the Sox are playing a day/night doubleheader against the California Angels and they took the first game to run their win streak to 8 straight games. The Sox jumped on Angels ace Bert Blyleven for 5 first inning runs and never looked back. Sox starter Mike Smithson got knocked out in the third inning but Dennis Lamp (3-1, 2.64 ERA) and Joe Price saved the day with 6 solid innings. The Sox head to the nightcap with an 8-4 victory over the Angels.

                                                 8 in a row...ah ah ah!

Smithson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Devon White grounded out to second to begin. Claudell Washington grounded out to first. Johnny Ray grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox pounded Blyleven in the first inning as Wade Boggs doubled to center to start. Marty Barrett singled Wade to third and Ellis Burks beat out a double play ball to score Boggs with the first run. Mike Greenwell walked but Nick Esasky whiffed. Danny Heep scored Burks with a double and Dwight Evans pounded his 15th home run of the season to cap off the inning. Jody Reed flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox led 5-0.

                                                    Heep drives in a run

The Angels answered in the top of the second inning although Wally Joyner grounded out to first to start. Chili Davis singled to center and Brian Downing doubled Davis to third. Lance Parrish grounded out to short but Davis scored a run. Jack Howell scored Downing with a single before Kent Anderson got a base hit as well. White grounded out to second to end the inning but the Angels were down 5-2.

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the second as Rich Gedman struck out swinging to start. Boggs grounded out to short before Barrett flied out to center to end the inning.

The Angels struck again in the top of the third inning as Washington doubled to left to begin. Washington moved to third on the grounder by Ray and Joyner singled him home. Davis took strike three but Reed booted a ball by Downing to allow him a reach. Sox manager Joe Morgan had enough of Smithson and brought in Dennis Lamp to put out the fire. Parrish flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox still up 5-3.

                                             Smithson doesn't last long

The Sox took command in the bottom of the third although Burks lined out to short to start. Greenwell singled and Esasky hit a ground rule double into the third base stands. Heep grounded out to second but Greenwell scored and Esasky moved to third. Evans singled home Esasky for his 4th rbi of the day. Reed flied out to left to end the inning but it was now 7-3 Sox.

                                                       Evans is on fire

Lamp cruised in the top of the fourth inning and Howell grounded out to second to start. Anderson popped up to second and White grounded out to short to end the inning.

Rick Monteleone came in to bitch the bottom of the fourth and the Sox wrapped up the scoring. Gedman singled to center and Boggs doubled Rich home. Barrett dropped down a bunt to move Boggs to third but Burks grounded out to short. Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                         Boggs drives in a run

Lamp dominated the top of the fifth as Washington grounded out to first to start. Ray singled to right but Joyner banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the fifth although Esasky whiffed to start. Heep grounded out to first but Evans and Reed stroked back to back singles. Gedman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Kevin Romine took over for Heep in right to start the top of the sixth and Davis singled to left to begin. Davis moved to second on the grounder by Downing and to third on the grounder by Parrish. Howell whiffed to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the sixth as Boggs grounded out to second to start. Barrett popped up to second but Burks singled to center. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning.

Lamp returned for the top of the seventh and froze Anderson for strike three. White singled to center but was thrown out trying to stretch a double. Sox manager Joe Morgan felt that was good enough for Lamp who saved the day with 4 scoreless innings. Joe Price came in and served up back to back base hits for Washington and Ray before Joyner took strike three to end the inning.

                                                           Outstanding effort by Lamp

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the seventh as Esasky popped up to short to start. Romine whiffed before Evans popped up to second to end the inning.

Price cruised in the top of the eighth as Davis whiffed to start. Downing and Parrish both flied out to center to end the inning. Reed singled to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Gedman banged into a double play. Barrett walked but Burks grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Angels had a last gasp against Price in the top of the ninth although Howell whiffed to start. Anderson singled to center but White whiffed. Washington doubled home Anderson before Ray walked. Joyner whiffed to end the game with the Sox taking the day game of his doubleheader 8-4.

Hero of the Night is Dennis Lamp. He allowed just 3 hits in 4 scoreless innings as the Sox offense tacked on enough runs to win.

                                                       Lamp is the Hero



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Marty Barrett was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Danny Heep was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 3 for 4 with 4 total rbis and a 3 run homer.

Jody Reed was 2 for 4.



The Bad:

Kevin Romine was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Mike Smithson allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.

Joe Price allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Nick Esasky was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox have won 8 games in a row. 2 weeks ago they were hopelessly out of contention but they're starting to get back in it. Morgan Magic may be repeating two years in a row. The offense stepped up big time and Lamp was outstanding in relief of Smithson. Taking the first game of a doubleheader is always important because it forces the other team to play behind the 8-ball going into the nightcap. It was a good win and the Sox need to win tonight to keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 67-66, 4.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tonight Eric Hetzel gets the start for the Sox opposite Dan Petry at 8:20 PM at Fenway Park.

Brewers Pound Sox, Drop Third Straight (6/28/89)

Nothing is going right for the Boston Red Sox these days. The Sox continued to drop further under .500 with today's drubbing at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. Mike Smithson (4-6, 5.02 ERA) took the beating as he allowed 6 runs in just over 6 innings of work. Bob Stanley and Mike Rochford also got knocked around by the Brewers in this all around embarrassment. The Sox scratched out 5 runs but it wasn't enough as the Brewers laid waste to the Red Sox 12-5 at County Stadium.

                                                Sox fans wondering how bad 89 can get

The Sox did manage to strike first in the top of the first inning against Milwaukee starter Teddy Higuera. Jody Reed led off with a walk but Luis Rivera and Wade Boggs both took strike three but Reed stole second. Mike Greenwell singled home Reed to put the Sox up early. Dwight Evans drew a walk but Nick Esasky struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Greenwell drives in a run

Smithson initially pitched well in the bottom of the first as Paul Molitor grounded out to short to start. Robin Yount drew a walk but Gary Sheffield flied out to right. Greg Brock popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Jim Gantner booted a routine grounder by Rick Cerone to begin the top of the second. Cerone was erased on the force by Randy Kutcher and Randy stole second. Kevin Romine lined out to short but Reed singled home Kutcher to increase the lead. Rivera popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                Reed knocks in a run

The Brewers pounced in the bottom of the second as Glenn Braggs doubled to left to start. Rob Deer then smacked a 5,000,000 foot home run into Lake Eerie to tie the game. BJ Surhoff walked and Terry Francona singled to left. Both runners moved over on the grounder by Gantner and Molitor scored Surhoff with a sac fly to give the Brewers the lead. Yount singled to center to score Francona with another run. Sheffield lined out to short to end the inning but it was 4-2 Brewers.

                                                 Some guy named Francona scores a run

The Sox tried to rally in the top of the third as Boggs got a base hit to center to start. Boggs moved to second on a deep fly out to right by Greenwell and Evans drew a walk. Esasky got a base hit to left but Cerone killed the rally with a pop up to short. Kutcher took strike three to end the inning. Smithson recovered in the bottom of the third as Brock flied out to left to start. Braggs and Deer both whiffed to end the inning.

Higuera cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Romine grounded out to third to start. Reed flied out to center and Rivera whiffed to end the inning. Surhoff flied out to center to open the bottom of the fourth before Francona also flied out to center. Gantner singled and stole second before Molitor walked. Yount popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth inning as Boggs grounded out to short to start. Greenwell and Evans both grounded out to short to end the inning. Sheffield grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Brock singled to center. Brock moved to second on the grounder by Braggs but Deer took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox inched closer when Esasky mauled his 12th home run of the year to start the top of the sixth. Rick Cerone walked to chase Higuera from the game. Chuck Crim came in and Kutcher banged into a double play. Romine flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                        Esasky hits one out

Smithson kept pace in the bottom of the sixth as Surhoff grounded out to short to start. Francona lined out to left and Gantner grounded out to first to end the inning.

Crim cruised in the top of the seventh as Reed popped up to first to start. Rivera grounded out to third and Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. The wheels fell off in the bottom of the seventh as Molitor singled to center to begin. Yount flied out to center but Molitor stole second and Sheffield walked. That was it for Smithson who left trailing 4-3 and eventually was charged with 6 runs in 6 1/3 innings.

                                                       Not his best stuff

Bob Stanley poured gas on the fire when he came in as Brock singled home Molitor with the insurance run. Braggs beat out a double play ball and Deer walked to load the bases. Surhoff then cleared the bases with a double to put the game out of reach. Francona grounded out to third to end the inning but the Brewers were up 8-3.

Tony Fossas made the Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the eighth inning as Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Evans grounded out to third and Esasky also grounded out to third to end the inning. Rookie Mike Rochford came in to take a beating in the bottom of the eighth although Gantner popped up to third to start. Molitor flied out to center but Yount walked. Sheffield beat out an infield single to short before Brock walked to load the bases. Braggs hit a routine grounder to second but Reed threw the ball away allowing Yount and Sheffield to score. Deer was intentionally walked to reload the bases and Surhoff singled home Brock and Bragggs. Francona flied out to left to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 12-3.

                                                         Bad defense leads to bad pitching

Dave Engle came in for Surhoff behind the plate with Jay Aldrich now on the mound to begin the top of the ninth. Cerone popped up to second and Kutcher lined back to the mound, but Romine beat out an infield single to short. Reed walked and Rivera singled home Romine. Boggs singled home Reed and if Stanley and Rochford didn't crap themselves, this game would have been interesting. As it was, Greenwell grounded out to second to end the game. The Brewers had won it 12-5.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Stanley. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score and 2 of his own to put the game out of reach

                                                Stanley The Jackass

The Good:

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Dwight Evans walked twice in four plate appearances.

Nick Esasky was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

The Bad:

Mike Smithson got lit up for 6 runs in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss. He allowed 7 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3.

Mike Rochford allowed 4 runs in an inning although none were earned.

The Ugly:

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Luis Rivera was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Rick Cerone was 0 for 3 but walked.

Randy Kutcher was 0 for 4 but stole a base and scored a run.

Kevin Romine was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Can this season end already? Its only June but it appears Morgan Magic has definitely worn off. Not that Sox manager Joe Morgan himself is the problem, but he's just not getting through to these guys like he did last year. It could be a clubhouse issue which means some of these guys won't be back next year. The loss of Bruce Hurst hurt the most as the Sox are getting almost nothing beyond Roger Clemens and Mike Boddicker pitching wise. Smithson took another beating and Stanley looks to have lost it as well. All in all it added up to another piece of crap loss in a season full of them. The loss dropped the Sox to 34-39, 8.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to snap their 3 game losing streak in the series finale with the Brewers tomorrow when they send John Dopson (7-5) to the mound up against Chris Bosio at 2:30 PM at County Stadium.

O's Knock Out Boddicker, Sox (4/6/89)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series, the bad news was the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Boston Red Sox. After a rainout wiped out last night's game, the O's pounced on a rusty Mike Boddicker for 3 runs before Mike was chased in the third inning. Mike Smithson (0-1, 5.79 ERA) got tagged for 3 more runs to put the Sox in a hole too deep to climb out of. On the other side, Jose Bautista of the O's pitched into the ninth inning and allowed 4 runs. Mark Williamson slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the O's had won it 6-4 at Memorial Stadium.

                                                     "Two straight losses to start the season"

Things started out well for the Sox in the top of the first although Wade Boggs grounded out to first to start. Marty Barrett flied out to center but Dwight Evans walked. Mike Greenwell beat out an infield single to first and Ellis Burks doubled home Evans to put the Sox on top. Jim Rice got a base hit to center to score both runners to increase the lead but Nick Esasky flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                 Rice drives in a pair

The O's answered in the bottom of the first against Boddicker as Brady Anderson was plunked to start. Phil Bradley struck out swinging but Joe Orsulak singled to right. Orsulak took second on a passed ball as Anderson swiped third before Cal Ripken Jr walked to load the bases. Larry Sheets singled to center to score Anderson and Orsulak, moving Ripken to third. Mickey Tettleton beat out a double play ball to score Ripken to tie the game. Jim Traber singled to center but Craig Worthington struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                Sheets drives in two

Rich Gedman popped up to short to start the top of the second before Jody Reed singled to center. Bautista had Reed picked off but he threw the ball away, allowing Jody to take second. Boggs walked but Barrett hit into a double play to end the inning. Rene Gonzales struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Anderson singled to right. Bradley took strike three and Orsulak struck out swinging to end the inning.

Evans went down hacking to start the top of the third before Greenwell grounded out to first. Burks flied out to center to end the inning. Ripken Jr flied out to right to start the bottom of the third and Sheets hit a routine pop up to Reed. Reed tried to catch the ball in his hat and it fell for an error. Tettleton walked on a blown strike three call and Boddicker let home plate umpire Larry McCoy have it. McCoy told Boddicker to take a hike and that was it for Mike after 2 1/3innings and 3 runs allowed. Mike Smithson came in and got Traber to fly out to left. Worthington flied out to left as well to end the inning.

                                                             Mike got the heave ho!

Rice grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Esasky grounded out to third. Gedman flied out to center to end the inning. The O's took command in the bottom of the fourth as Gonzales doubled to center to start. Anderson dropped down a bunt to move Rene to third and he scored on the Bradley base hit to center. Orsulak lined out to short and Ripken grounded into a force to end the inning with the O's up 4-3.

                                                           Bradley puts the Orioles ahead

Reed flied out to center to start the top of the fifth, Boggs flied out to left and Barrett grounded out to third in short order. The O's tagged Smithson in the bottom of the fifth as Sheets doubled to right to begin. Tettleton sacrificed Sheets to third but Traber took strike three. Worthington drove in Sheets with a single to right and Gonzales singled to left. Anderson flied out to center to end the inning with the O's ahead 5-3.

                                                     Worthington drives in a run

Evans grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth, Greenwell flied out to center and Burks struck out swinging in short order. Smithson cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Bradley grounded out to second to start. Orsulak struck out swinging and Ripken Jr flied out to right to end the inning.

Rice grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh, Esasky flied out to center and Gedman flied out to left to end the inning. Bautista had not allowed a baserunner since Boggs walked in the second inning. The O's iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Sheets grounded out to short to start. Tettleton hit a home run all the way to the Carpathian mountains to increase the lead. Traber popped up to short and Worthington flied out to center to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 6-3.

                                                        Nice relief Smithson

Reed grounded back to the mound to start the top of the eighth and Boggs grounded out to short. Barrett got the first Sox hit since the second inning with a seeing eye single to left but Evans flied out to center to end the inning. Rob Murphy sprinted to the mound from the bullpen for the bottom of the eighth and Gonzales flied out to left to start. Anderson flied out to right and Bradley struck out swinging to end the inning.

Francisco Melendez came in to play first for the top of the ninth but Greenwell smashed his second home run of the season to chase Bautista after 8 plus solid innings. Mark Williamson came in and Burks grounded out to short. Rice grounded out to short and Esasky grounded out to third to end the game. The O's had won it 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Smithson. He came in to a tied game and left it after allowing 3 runs.

                                                   Smithson the Jackass

The Good:

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

Rob Murphy pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Nick Esasky was 0 for 4.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3.

Mike Boddicker allowed 4 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked.

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but knocked in two runs.

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 but made an error.

Final Thoughts:

This kind of game really steams the clams of Sox manager Joe Morgan. The Sox scored 3 runs early and had Bautista on the ropes but not only let him off, but he dominated the rest of the game. Then Boddicker gets himself run in the third inning forcing Mike Smithson into action. Smithson gets lit up for 3 runs but the Sox couldn't generate any offense after the first inning. Not the start the Boston Red Sox were looking for after getting swept out of the playoffs, losing Bruce Hurst to free agency and the lousy Spring training they had. Still its only two games and there's plenty of time to turn things around but losing two straight gives off a bad vibe. Hopefully next time Boddicker can keep his cool and Smithson won't allow 3 runs. The Sox now travel to Kansas City for a set with the Royals beginning tomorrow night. Oil Can Boyd makes his season debut for the Red Sox against Floyd Bannister of the Royals. The game begins at 8:30 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

O's Walkoff on Sox in 11 on Opening Day (4/3/89)

Well that sucked. The defending American League East champion Boston Red Sox got off on the wrong foot to begin the 1989 season. After rallying in the 7th inning, the Sox pushed the Baltimore Orioles to 11 innings. Closer Lee Smith got hurt warming up and Sox manager Joe Morgan put out a 5 man infield in the bottom of the eleventh, but Mike Smithson gave up the winning hit to Craig Worthington on a missed catch by Rice to give the O's the 5-4 victory at Memorial Stadium.

Dave Schmidt got the start for Baltimore and Wade Boggs began the season by grounding back to the mound. Marty Barrett grounded out to third and Dwight Evans popped up to second to end the inning. Sox ace Roger Clemens got the start for the Sox and old friend Brady Anderson grounded out to first to start. Phil Bradley looked at strike three before Steve Finley flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the second as Mike Greenwell popped up to second to start. Ellis Burks whiffed before Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. Clemens matched Schmidt in the bottom of the second as Cal Ripken Jr whiffed to start. Larry Sheets grounded into a shift in right before Mickey Tettleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Nick Esasky made his Sox debut by flying out to right to open the top of the third before Rich Gedman waived at strike three. Jody Reed lined out to short to end the inning. Clemens blew away Jim Traber to start the bottom of the fourth but Craig Worthington singled. The alert Gedman gunned down Craig trying to steal before Rene Gonzales lined out to right to end the inning.

Tragedy struck the Orioles in the top of the fourth when Finley hurt himself on a base hit to right by Boggs. Joe Orsulak replaced him as Boggs was erased on the force by Barrett. Evans and Greenwell both flied out to center to end the inning. The Orioles struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning. Anderson walked but Bradley whiffed. Anderson swiped second and scored on the Orsulak base hit. Ripken Jr banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 1-0 Baltimore.

                                               Comes off the bench to give the O's the lead

The Sox failed to answer in the top of the fifth as Burks grounded out to third to start. Rice beat out an infield single to short and Esasky walked, but Gedman whiffed and Reed lined out to left to end the inning. Clemens held the fort in the bottom of the fifth although Sheets singled to right to begin.  Tettleton walked but Traber popped up to third. Worthington flied out to right before Gonzales grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Boggs doubled to right to start. Barrett dropped down a bunt to move Wade to third and Evans doubled home Boggs to tie the game. Greenwell put the exclamation point on the inning with a 2 run jack to give the Sox the lead. Burks flied out to left and Rice popped up to third but it was 3-1 Red Sox.

                                                            Greenwell puts the Sox on top

The O's roared back in the bottom of the sixth as Anderson doubled to begin the frame. Bradley walked and both runners moved over on the groundout by Orsulak. Ripken Jr then smashed a 3 run bomb to give the O's the lead back. Sheets grounded out to first and Tettleton grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 4-3 O's.

                                                  Ripken goes yard

The Sox refused to go quietly in the top of the seventh inning as Esasky doubled to left to start. Gedman moved Esasky to third with a grounder back to the mound and Reed chased Schmidt with a base hit to score Nick with the tying run. Kevin Hickey came in and a passed ball moved Reed to second before Boggs grounded out to short. Brian Holton came in and got Barrett to ground out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                         Reed ties it up

Clemens came back for the bottom of the seventh and cruised. Traber singled to left but Worthington banged into a double play. Gonzales grounded out to short to end the inning.

Evans whiffed to open the top of the eighth but Greenwell singled and stole second. Burks grounded out to third before Rice flied out to left to end the inning. For some reason Joe Morgan felt he could squeeze one more inning out of Clemens but he was quickly chased with a double by Anderson. Closer Lee Smith limped into the game after pulling a groin while warming up but managed to get Bradley to ground out to second. Orsulak and Ripken Jr both whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to strike in the top of the ninth when Esasky singled but he was thrown out at second trying to steal. Gedman popped up to second and Reed looked at strike three to end the inning. Rob Murphy made a mad dash to the mound from the bullpen to replace the injured Smith in the bottom of the ninth. Sheets whiffed but Tettleton singled to right. Bob Stanley replaced Murphy and Rob sprinted into the dugout with Randy Milligan pinch hitting for Traber. Milligan singled Tettleton to third but Worthington grounded out in front of the plate. Milligan moved into scoring position but Gonzales grounded out to third to end the inning. On to extras we went on Opening Day.

Boggs drew a walk to open the top of the tenth and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Barrett. The bunt backfired as Evans flied out to center. Greenwell was intentionally walked and Burks flied out to right to end the inning. Stanley returned for the bottom of the tenth and allowed a single to Anderson to start. Bradley sacrificed him to second on a bunt but Orsulak flied out to center. Ripken Jr flied out to right to end the inning.

Rice popped up to short to open the top of the eleventh before Esasky flied out to left. Gedman singled to center but Reed grounded into a force to end the inning. The O's finally won it in the bottom of the eleventh although Stanley retired Sheets on a fly ball to center. Tettleton walked and Milligan singled him to third before Mike Smithson was brought in to pitch to Worthington. Sox manager Joe Morgan brought in Greenwell to be a fifth infielder but Worthington blooped one to left. Rice dove.....and missed the ball. Tettleton came around to score and the O's had walked off with the win 5-4.

                                                                   Dammit

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Bob Stanley. He put the winning runs on and took the loss.

                                                       Stanley The Jackass



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a walk, stolen base and a two run home run.

Nick Esasky was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Lee Smith pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Rob Murphy retired one of the two men he faced.



The Bad:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 3.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Smithson gave up the winning single to Worthington



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Jody Reed was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Roger Clemens was as average as it got. He allowed 4 runs in 7 innings of work to take the no-decision. He struck out just 4 and gave up 7 hits.




Final Thoughts:

Well that was a kick in the ass. Losing Smith was bad enough but losing the game like that just adds to the frustration. The Sox had their chances but couldn't get a clutch hit so it was only a matter of time before Baltimore put them away. The Sox rolled the dice by trading Todd Benzinger to get Esasky and Murphy and we'll see if both will help. The one the Sox are going to miss this season will be Bruce Hurst. The dependable lefty was very upset about the Margo Adams scandal which is why he's in San Diego now. John Dopson has huge shoes to fill as his replacement. The Sox look to bounce back Wednesday evening with Mike Boddicker making his season debut opposite Jose Bautista at 7:00 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Indians Shut Out Sox (10/1/88)

After the Boston Red Sox backed into the AL East Division title last night after their loss to the Cleveland Indians, the Sox offense remained asleep in today's matinee against the same Indians. With Marty Barrett dealing with a bad back and the division already clinched, Sox manager Joe Morgan took no chances in this one with the Oakland A's looming in the American League Championship Series. Jeff Sellers (1-7, 4.83 ERA) was the hard luck loser as he threw 7 no-hit innings only to run out gas in the eighth inning. His counterpart John Farrell of the Indians tossed 8 innings of shut out ball as the Indians took the meaningless game 1-0 at Municipal Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Farrell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jody Reed led the game off by grounding out to first to start. Spike Owen doubled into the right field corner before Dwight Evans moved him to third with a grounder. Mike Greenwell popped up to first to end the inning. Sellers got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Ron Washington chased a nasty slider for strike three to start. Andy Allanson whiffed before Joe Carter popped up to short to end the inning.

Todd Benzinger dumped a single into right to begin the top of the second but Kevin Romine flied out to right. Rick Cerone struck out on a swinging on a changeup before Ed Romero swung and missed for strike three to end the inning after a fan got a standing O for pulling a foul ball out of the fence. Corey Snyder grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second inning before Sellers punched out Dave Clark. Luis Medina went down swinging to end the inning, good start for Sellers.

                                                         Sellers gets it done early

Rookie Carlos Quintana whiffed to begin the top of the third inning before Reed popped up to left. Owen grounded out to first to end the inning. Rod Allen grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third as the NBC announcers brought up the last time the Red Sox won in Oakland happened to be a Jeff Sellers start. Eddie Williams went down swinging as did Jay Bell to end the inning. That's 6 K's for Jeff in 3 innings.

Evans drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fourth inning before Greenwell beat out a double play ball. Randy Kutcher pinch ran for Greenwell but he was erased on the Benzinger force. Romine popped up to center to end the inning. Sellers kept up the pace in the bottom of the fourth as Washington whiffed on a nasty slider to begin. Allanson went down swinging as well before Carter grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cerone grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth before Romero grounded out to third. Two yahoos actually got married in the stands and Farrell was so distracted that Quintana drew a walk. Reed flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning.

                                                    Cheers to the happy couple

Sellers remained perfect in the bottom of the fifth as Snyder lined out to center to start. Clark went down swinging and Medina lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the sixth as Owen popped up to left. Evans grounded out to short and Kutcher grounded out to third to end the inning. Sellers got Allen to line out to second to begin the bottom of the sixth before Williams was out on a bang bang grounder to short. Bell broke up the perfect game by drawing a walk but Sellers kept up the no-hitter by striking out Washington to end the inning, that's 10 strikeouts as well.

The Sox failed to get Sellers any runs in the top of the seventh as Benzinger grounded out to first to start. Romine whiffed and Evans popped up to center to end the inning. Allanson hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the seventh before Carter popped up to right. Snyder lined out to center to end the inning. Sellers had tossed 7 no-hit innings while striking out 10, outstanding.

                                              "Can these bums score a run?" - JS

Too bad John Farrell was just as tough as Sellers in the top of the eighth with Scott Jordan now in center. Romero grounded out to third, Quintana whiffed and Reed grounded out to third to end the inning. Sellers returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Clark to pop up to short. 5 outs from a no-hitter, Medina crushed a 90,000 foot home run to break up the no-hitter and send Sellers to the showers. On any other day, this would have been just an annoyance but the home run was the difference in the game. Mike Smithson came in and got Allen to pop up to first but Williams caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single to third. Bell swung and missed and fell on himself to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

                                          Outstanding effort for Sellers gone to waste

The Sox did try to rally against Farrell in the top of the ninth as Owen dumped a single to right to start. Evans walked to chase Farrell. Closer Doug Jones was brought in to face pinch hitter Larry Parrish (for Kutcher). The worst thing happened as Parrish banged into a double play to kill the rally. Benzinger lined out to first to end the game. The Indians had just 2 hits and one run all game but it was enough to win the game 1-0.

           Indians celebrate


Jackass of the Night is Larry Parrish. Normally its unfair to bring in someone ice cold off the bench and have him hit, but the double play proved to be the difference in the game with Farrell on the ropes.

                  Nice double play, Jackass


The Good:

Spike Owen was 2 for 4.

Dwight Evans walked twice in 4 plate appearances.

Jeff Sellers took the loss but pitched incredibly well. He allowed 1 run on just 1 hit while striking out 10 in 7 1/3 innings.

Mike Smithson got the final two outs of the 8th inning.



The Bad:

Jody Reed was 0 for 4.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 2.

Randy Kutcher was 0 for 1.

Kevin Romine was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rick Cerone was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ed Romero was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Todd Benzinger was just 1 for 4.

Carlos Quintana was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Good thing this game means nothing because if the Sox lost a meaningful game on a solo home run and as double play in the ninth, this would have really hurt. Sellers pitched the game of his life but the JV offense failed to score a run. If Ellis Burks, Wade Boggs, Marty Barrett or Jim Rice played I'm sure they could have at least pushed across one run. As it is, its just an annoyance as the real goal is to stay healthy for the Oakland A's. The Sox already have their rotation set with Bruce Hurst going in Game 1 at Fenway, Roger Clemens in Game 2 and Mike Boddicker in Game 3 in Oakland. As for the regular season, tomorrow is the finale with Mike Boddicker (3.39 ERA) going for the Sox up against Tom Candiotti at 2:30 PM Eastern time at Cleveland Stadium.