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

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

                                               Doc Brown scared by Kevin Brown

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

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

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

                                                              Palmer drives in a run

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

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

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

                                                             Gonzalez adds to the lead

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

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

                                                             Reed drives in a run

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

                                                         Gave up too many home runs

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

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

                                                               Jackass Dopson

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 4.

Jack Clark was 1 for 2.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Tony Fossas struck out the only man he faced.

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

The Bad:

Luis Rivera was 0 for 4.

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

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

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Phil Plantier struck out as a pinch hitter.

John Flaherty was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Danny Darwin walked the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

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

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Tony Pena caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

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

Viola, Red Sox Shut Down White Sox (4/29/92)

It was a weird month but the Boston Red Sox ended April on a high note by defeating the Chicago White Sox. Frank Viola (2-2, 3.06 ERA) almost went the distance as he allowed just 1 run through 8 2/3 innings. Meanwhile the much maligned Red Sox offense finally cashed in with runners in scoring position against White Sox starter Alex Fernandez. Phil Plantier and Wade Boggs supplied most of the offense by driving in 5 of the team's six runs. Jody Reed went 3 for 4 as well to aid the cause while Viola pitched his gem. With Viola on the run in the ninth, Jeff Reardon came in to slam the door. The BoSox ended the month of April on a good note with a 6-1 win over the White Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                        Hawkeye Pierce approves of the win

The White Sox wasted no time tagging Viola in the top of the first as Luis Rivera scooped up a grounder by Tim Raines and threw the ball into the centerfield bleachers for an error. Steve Sax singled to right to move Raines to third and move himself to second on the throw. Robin Ventura hit a sac fly to left to score Raines with the first run. Sax stole third but Frank Thomas struck out swinging. George Bell popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning with the White Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Ventura drives in a run

The Red Sox didn't wait around to get to Fernandez as Wade Boggs walked to start then moved to third on the base hit to right by Jody Reed. Phil Plantier doubled to left to score Boggs and Reed but Ellis Burks hit a routine grounder to Sax. Sax threw the ball away for an error that scored Plantier with another run and Burks took third on a passed ball. Herm Winningham walked but Jack Clark popped up to second. Winningham stole second as Mo Vaughn struck out swinging but Tony Pena grounded out to third to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 3-1.

                                                           Plantier drives in a run

Mike Huff began the top of the second by flying out to left. Ron Karkovice flied out to left and Lance Johnson grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Luis Rivera flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Boggs struck out swinging. Reed got a base hit to left but Plantier struck out swinging to end the inning.

Craig Grebeck beat out an infield single to short to start the top of the third but Raines flied out to right. Sax flied out to left and Ventura grounded out to second to end the inning. Burks grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Winningham lined out to left. Clark flied out to right to end the inning.

Thomas grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Bell walked. Huff forced Bell at second and got thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Vaughn flied out to right to open the bottom of the fourth and Pena took strike three. Rivera flied out to right to end the inning.

Karkovice struck out swinging to open the top of the fifth but Johnson singled to center. Johnson was also thrown out trying to steal and Grebeck grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth although Boggs flied out to right to open. Reed singled in the hole at second then swiped second base. Plantier doubled down the first base line to score Reed with another run. Burks struck out swinging and Winningham grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                          Reed scores a run

Viola cruised in the top of the sixth as Raines grounded out to short to start. Sax popped up to first and Ventura grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Clark popped up to first in foul territory to start. Vaughn struck out swinging but Grebeck booted a grounder by Pena to keep the inning alive. Rivera ripped a base hit to center and Boggs doubled into the gap in center to score both runners. Roberto Hernandez came in to pitch to Reed and Jody walked. Plantier walked to load the bases but Burks popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                             Boggs drives in a pair

Thomas grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh but Bell singled to left. Bell tried to stretch a double but was thrown out by Winningham at second. Huff flied out to right to end the inning. Scott Radinsky came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Winningham took strike three to start. Clark grounded out to short and Vaughn took strike three to end the inning.

Karkovice walked to begin the top of the eighth but Johnson banged into a double play. Grebeck grounded out to short to end the inning. Bobby Thigpen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth but Pena singled to right to start. Rivera struck out swinging but Boggs walked, only for Reed to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Viola tried to finish what he started in the top of the ninth and Raines singled to left to start. Sax flied out to left but Ventura walked. Thomas flied out to center but Bell walked to load the bases. Sox manager Butch Hobson felt Viola had done enough as he mastered the White Sox for 8 2/3 innings. Jeff Reardon came in and Matt Merullo pinch hit for Huff. Merullo popped up to third in foul territory to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 7-1.

Hero of the Night is Frank Viola. He almost threw a complete game but went 8 2/3 innings while allowing 1 run on 5 hits and 3 walks to earn the win.

                                                              Viola The Hero

The Good:

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

Jody Reed was 3 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base and scored two runs.

Phil Plantier was 2 for 3 with a walk, 3 rbis and a run scored.

Jeff Reardon earned the save by getting the final out of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ellis Burks was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jack Clark was 0 for 4.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Herm Winningham was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and stole a base.

Tony Pena was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Luis Rivera was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was an up and down month for sure. The offense didn't get untracked until the very end but the pitching held up for the most part. The trio of Roger Clemens, Frank Viola and Mike Gardiner looked great and Joe Hesketh had a good game last time he pitched. The bullpen of Greg Harris, Danny Darwin, Tony Fossas and Jeff Reardon has been solid and there's a chance they can hold up all season. The offense is too talented not to come around, especially Mike Greenwell, Vaughn, Plantier, Boggs and Clark. Tonight's game was a glimpse of what can happen when the offense cashes in on their chances given by mistakes and runners in scoring position. The win improved the Sox to 9-9, 5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night against the Kansas City Royals. Mike Gardiner (3-0) goes for the Sox against Mark Gubicza of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Clemens, Red Sox Down White Sox (4/28/92)

When all else fails, the Boston Red Sox usually turn to Roger Clemens (3-2, 1.38 ERA) to bail them out. Tonight against the Chicago White Sox the ace of the staff held them to just a single run in seven innings of work. The usually putrid Red Sox offense somehow managed to score six runs against Chicago starter Kirk McCaskill and the White Sox bullpen. Nearly everyone on offense contributed but things got hairy when the White Sox rallied against Danny Darwin in the eighth inning. Tony Fossas and Jeff Reardon saved the day as the Red Sox defeated the White Sox 6-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Karen Witter approves of the win

Clemens got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tim Raines popped up to short to start. Steve Sax lined out to short and Robin Ventura took strike three to end the inning. The BoSox rallied in the bottom of the first against McCaskill as Wade Boggs singled in the hole at second to start. Jody Reed singled to right to move Boggs to third and Wade scored on the lineout to left by Mike Greenwell. Ellis Burks beat out a roller to third and McCaskill threw a wild pitch and Matt Merullo the catcher threw the ball away to allow Reed to score. Phil Plantier walked but Jack Clark took strike three. Mo Vaughn grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Reed scores a run

Frank Thomas grounded out to second to start the top of the second but George Bell singled to center. Dan Pasqua struck out swinging and Merullo took strike three to end the inning. Tony Pena grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Luis Rivera popped up to first in foul territory. Boggs drew a walk but Reed flied out to right to end the inning. 

Lance Johnson singled to center to start the top of the third before swiping second. Craig Grebeck lined out to first and Johnson moved to second on the grounder to first by Raines. Sax grounded out to third to end the inning. Greenwell grounded out to first to start the bottom of the first and Burks flied out to center. Plantier singled to right and Clark grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ventura lined out to right to start the top of the fourth before Thomas walked. Bell singled to left to move Thomas to third and swiped second during the swinging strikeout by Pasqua. Merullo struck out swinging to end the inning. Vaughn grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth before Pena struck out swinging. Rivera singled in the hole at short and Boggs walked, but Reed popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Johnson flied out to left to start the top of the fifth and Grebeck grounded out to second. Raines struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Greenwell flied out to center to start. Burks also flied out to center and Plantier struck out swinging to end the inning.

The White Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Sax doubled to left to start. Ventura also doubled to left to score Sax and Thomas walked. Bell banged into a double play and Pasqua took strike three to end the inning with Chicago down 2-1.

                                                            Ventura drives in a run

The BoSox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Clark walked to start. Vaughn singled to center and Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Clark. Pena dropped down a bunt to move the runners over and Rivera singled to left to score Zupcic. Vaughn moved to third on the hit but Wilson Alvarez came in to pitch to Boggs. Wade hit a sac fly to center to score Vaughn to ice the game. Reed lined out to left to end the inning with the Red Sox up 4-1.

                                                              Rivera drives in a run

Clemens returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Merullo grounded out to second to start. Johnson and Grebeck both struck out swinging to end the inning. Clemens was masterful, tossing 7 innings and allowing just the one run while striking out nine.

                                                          Clemens gets it done

The BoSox rallied again in the bottom of the seventh as Greenwell walked to start. Ventura booted a routine grounder by Burks for an error but Plantier struck out swinging. Zupcic singled to left to score Greenwell and move Burks to third. Vaughn forced Zupcic at second but Burks scored another run. Pena grounded out to third to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 6-1.

                                                               Zupcic drives in a run

Danny Darwin came in to throw up on himself in the top of the eighth inning as Raines doubled to left to start. Sax singled Raines to third before he swiped second himself. Ventura lined a base hit to right to score both runners and chase Danny from the game, Greg Harris came in and Thomas walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Bell flied out to left and Pasqua earned the golden sombrero by taking strike three. Merullo was plunked to load the bases and Sox manager Butch Hobson brought in Tony Fossas to pitch to Johnson. Johnson grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 6-3.

                                                              Fossas saves the day

Terry Leach came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rivera grounded out to first to start. Boggs flied out to center and Reed grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jeff Reardon came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Warren Newson pinch hit for Grebeck. Newson singled to right but was doubled off of first on the bullet to first by Raines. Sax singled to center and Esteban Beltre ran for him. Ventura doubled to right but Thomas flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-3.

Hero of the Night is Roger Clemens. He dominated the White Sox by holding them to 1 run in 7 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 9 batters.

                                                          Rocket Hero

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Phil Plantier was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Bob Zupcic was 1 for 1 at the plate with an rbi and a run scored.

Luis Rivera was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Greg Harris got the first 2 outs of the eighth inning.

Tony Fossas retired the only man he faced.

Jeff Reardon earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Tony Pena was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Danny Darwin allowed 2 runs without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Jody Reed was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 2 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Jack Clark was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Mo Vaughn was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

So THAT'S what offense looks like? Granted they didn't hit home runs out of Fenway but they finally drove some guys in when they were in scoring position. Rivera's rbi single, Zupcic's rbi single and even the grounders to drive in runs. After a month of futility it was nice to see them score some runs. They needed them too because Darwin crapped his pants big time. That was his first hiccup all season really and its a good thing Harris, Fossas and Darwin got the outs they did. Sox manager Butch Hobson has taken some criticism for not switching up his batting orders but he's been managing the bullpen really well so far. Fossas has been the guy that if you absolutely need to get a lefty out, he's the one to do it. Hopefully the Sox can keep scoring like this the rest of the season because their pitching's been pretty good all things considered. Clemens was his usual self and not much needs to be said about his greatness. The Sox have one more game this month and its tomorrow night against the White Sox. Frank Viola (1-2) goes for Boston up against Alex Fernandez of the White Sox. The game begins at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

                                                      "LEARN HOW TO HIT!!!"

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

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

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

                                                                  Reed scores a run

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

                                                                    Flaherty drives in a run

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

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

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

                                                    Hesketh with 6 2/3 shutout innings

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

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

                                             Downing ties it up

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

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

                                                          Reardon blows it

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

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

                                                             Jackass Harris

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5.

Phil Plantier was 2 for 5.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 4.

John Flaherty was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Mike Greenwell singled as a pinch hitter.

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

Tony Fossas struck out the only guy he faced.

The Bad:

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Witt Outduels Young, Rangers Take Game 1 (4/26/92)

Ten years ago to the day the Boston Red Sox swept a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. Today the Sox dropped Game 1 of their own doubleheader against the Texas Rangers. The Sox offense did manage 10 hits and 4 walks against Bobby Witt and the Rangers bullpen but could only muster 1 measly run. Matt Young (0-2, 2.95 ERA) was game for 5 innings but allowed 3 rubs. Danny Darwin kept the Sox in it with 4 shutout innings but the Sox bats couldn't generate any offense. The Sox had chances all game but the Rangers took Game 1 by a score of 3-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                This offense makes Counselor Troi cry 

The Rangers wasted no time scoring in top of the first inning as John Cangelosi struck out swinging to start. Rafael Palmeiro grounded out to second but Juan Gonzalez hit a home run to the moon to put Texas on top. Ruben Sierra singled in the hole at second but Brian Downing took strike three to end the inning with the Rangers up 1-0.

                                                               Gonzalez hits one out

The Sox began their rally killing woes in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs flied out to left to start. Jody Reed grounded out to third but Mike Greenwell singled to left. Ellis Burks doubled to left but Phil Plantier lined out to left to end the inning. 

Young cruised in the top of the second as Dean Palmer grounded out to short to start. Dickie Thon struck out swinging and Ivan Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning. Jack Clark popped up to short to start the bottom of the second and Mo Vaughn grounded out to second. Tony Pena flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rangers iced the game in the top of the third as Al Newman struck out swinging to start. Cangelosi grounded out to short but Palmeiro walked. Gonzalez singled to right and Sierra lined a base hit to center. Burks had Sierra at first but Clark muffed the throw to score Palmeiro and the runners moved over on the error. Downing struck out swinging but the ball got away from Pena and Gonzalez scored. Palmer forced Downing at second to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 3-0.

                                                             Catch the ball Vaughn!

The Sox blew their next rally in the bottom of the third as Luis Rivera singled in the hoke at short to start. Boggs lined out to third and Reed popped up to third but Greenwell was plunked. Burks walked to load the bases but Plantier popped up to second to end the inning. 

Thon singled to right to start the top of the fourth but was doubled off first on a bullet to Boggs by Rodriguez. Newman grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Clark grounded out to short to start. Vaughn singled to center and Pena doubled him home to cut the lead. Rivera walked and both runners moved over on the grounder to first by Boggs. Reed walked to load the bases but Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                               Pena drives in a run 

Cangelosi walked to open the top of the fifth and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Palmeiro. Gonzalez flied out to left and Sierra popped up to second to end the inning. Burks struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Plantier singled inside the bag at first. Clark took strike three but Vaughn walked. Pena struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Downing walked to start the top of the sixth and Palmer singled to center to chase Young. He lasted just 5 plus innings and allowed 3 runs. Danny Darwin came on in relief and Thon dropped down a bunt but Darwin got Downing at third. Rodriguez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Jeff Huson pinch hit for Newman to start the top of the seventh and struck out swinging. Kevin Reimer pinch hit for Cangelosi and doubled to right before Palmeiro singled him to third. Reimer made a mad dash for home on a hit and run but the only problem was Gonzalez struck out swinging. Reimer was out at home to end the inning. The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh as Burks grounded out to third to start. Plantier grounded out to first and Clark grounded out to third to end the inning.

Darwin got Sierra to ground out to third to start the top of the eighth but Downing was plunked. Palmer took strike three and Thon popped up to short to end the inning. Kenny Rogers came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Tom Brunansky pinch hitting for Vaughn to start. Bruno blooped a base hit to right but was foolishly thrown out at second trying to steal. Pena doubled to left and Rivera hit a seeing eye single to left that would have scored Brunansky. Boggs flied out to left and Reed grounded into a force to end the inning.

Darwin returned for the top of the ninth and Rodriguez struck out swinging to start. Huson lined out to center but Reimer doubled to left. Jack Daugherty pinch ran for Reimer and Palmeiro was intentionally walked. Gonzalez popped up to second to end the inning. Good work by Darwin to toss 4 innings of shutdown ball.

                                                            Darwin gets it done

Rogers returned for the bottom of the ninth and Greenwell grounded out to first to start. Burks flied out to right and Tim Naehring was set to pinch hit for Plantier. Rangers manager Bobby Valentine countered by bringing in closer Jeff Russell. Sox manager Butch Hobson pulled back Naehring and sent Herm Winningham to pinch hit instead. Naturally Winningham looked at strike three to end the game. The Rangers won Game 1 by a score of 3-1.

Jackass of the Night is Wade Boggs. He was 0 for 5 including leaving the tying runs on in the fourth inning.

                                                         Jackass Boggs

The Good:

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Tony Pena was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Luis Rivera was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Danny Darwin tossed 4 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Herm Winningham struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jack Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jody Reed was just 1 for 4 with walk.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Phil Plantier was just 1 for 4.

Tom Brunansky singled as a pinch hitter but was thrown out trying to steal.

Matt Young took the loss but allowed just 3 runs in 5 plus innings.

Honorable Mention:

Tim Naehring "pinch hit" for Phil Plantier.

Final Thoughts:

The offensively challenged Sox sure bit the big one today. They actually outhit the Rangers 10-9 but they couldn't cash in on almost any of their chances. They're dead last offensively in the American League despite the pitching actually being good. Young wasn't great today but he didn't suck either. Darwin was damn good in relief and its a shame the Sox couldn't pick him up because he certainly deserved the win. The fact the veterans such as Boggs, Clark and Greenwell haven't been producing and the younger guys like Vaughn and Plantier haven't been hitting well either. There really isn't any way to fix it because their recent draft picks were mostly pitchers and apart from John Valentin, there isn't really any help coming from Pawtucket either. Way to go Sox GM Lou Gorman, although to be honest who thought the entire team would slump in April? The Sox have no time to dwell on the loss as they are back in action in a few minutes against these same Rangers. Joe Hesketh gets the start for Boston against Jeff Robinson of Texas. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Beat Rangers in Rain (4/24/92)

Sometimes Mother Nature works in your favor and tonight it did for the Boston Red Sox against the Texas Rangers. The Red Sox pounced on Texas starter Jose Guzman for 3 runs in the bottom of the third to give the team the lead. Frank Viola (1-2, 4.18 ERA) ended up tossing six innings while only allowing a single run on a Brian Downing home run. Then the rains came to wipe out the rest of the game. Mo Vaughn and Phil Plantier knocked in the only runs the Sox needed as they took a 6 inning, rain shortened game 3-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Bodhi approves of the win

Viola got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brian Downing flied out to left to start. Rafael Palmeiro lined out to left but Ruben Sierra singled in the hole at short. Juan Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning. Guzman got the ball in the bottom of the first and Wade Boggs grounded out to second to start. Jody Reed lined out to short but Mike Greenwell blooped a single to center. Dickie Thon booted a grounder by Ellis Burks for an error but Phil Plantier flied out to right to end the inning.

Julio Franco grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Dean Palmer walked. Jack Daugherty hit a routine grounder to Boggs who threw himself on the ball and pretended to be dead for an error. Thon beat out a double play ball and Ivan Rodriguez grounded out to second to end the inning. Jack Clark struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Mo Vaughn ripped a base hit to right. Tony Pena took strike three but Rivera doubled off the Monster. Boggs lined out to center to end the inning.

Downing walked to open the top of the third but Palmeiro flied out to center. Sierra popped up to short but Gonzalez singled up the middle to move Downing to third. Franco struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox attacked in the bottom of the third a Reed walked to start. Greenwell popped up to third in foul territory but Burks walked before both runners moved over on a wild pitch by Guzman. Plantier doubled to left to score both runners and Clark singled in the hole at third to move Phil to third. Vaughn hit a sac fly to right to score Plantier to increase the lead but Pena grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                 Plantier drives in two

Palmer flied out to left to start the top of the fourth and Daugherty struck out looking. Thon grounded out to short to end the inning. Rivera struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Boggs singled to left. Reed grounded out to third to move Boggs to second but Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Rangers struck back in the top of the fifth as Rodriguez popped up back to Viola to start, but Downing hit a home run all the way to Sorrento, Italy to cut the lead. Palmeiro grounded out to second and Sierra lined out to center to end the inning. Burks hit a roller to third to begin the bottom of the fifth but was thrown out trying to steal second. Plantier struck out swinging and Clark took strike three to end the inning.

Gonzalez lined out to left to start the top of the sixth and Franco grounded out to second. Palmer walked and Daugherty struck out swinging to end the inning. Technically this was a complete game for Viola who allowed just 1 run, 3 hits and 3 walks. Guzman returned in a pouring rain in the bottom of the sixth and Vaughn got a base hit to left before the umpires called the game. If Vaughn ever gets 3,000 hits this one just before the rain stopped the game could be important. As it was, the Sox had won it 3-1 in 6 innings.

Hero of the Night is Frank Viola by default. He tossed a 6 inning complete game by allowing 1 run off 3 hits.

                                                      The rain shortened Hero

The Good:

Ellis Burks was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Phil Plantier was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jack Clark was 1 for 3.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 2 with an rbi.

Luis Rivera was 1 for 2.

The Bad:

Tony Pena was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 but made an error.

Jody Reed was 0 for 2 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was somewhat of a gift win but Viola was pitching great before the game was called. Had he gone one more inning I wouldn't expect Greg Harris and Jeff Reardon to cough up the lead. Still, 6 innings is 6 innings and its a cheap win. Plantier drove in a few runs and Vaughn drove in one as well to pace the offense. The Sox only scored three runs in this one but they only had six inning so this shouldn't really count in the grand scheme of things. It was cheap but Viola earned his first win in a Sox uniform and hopefully more are on the way. There's really not much else to say in a game this short so we'll leave it at that. If the Sox end up playing tomorrow night even though its raining like crazy, Matt Young (0-1) goes for the Sox up against Bobby Witt of the Rangers. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park....we hope.

Wegman Outduels Clemens, Brewers Beat Sox (4/23/92)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series. The bad news was the Boston Red Sox were beaten by the Milwaukee Brewers. Bill Wegman of the Brewers outpitched Roger Clemens (2-2, 1.41 ERA) and the Boston bats were as cold as the Milwaukee weather. The Sox took an early lead on a Tony Pena rbi double but the Brewers rallied for three runs in the third inning. That turned out to be the difference in the game as the Sox failed to capitalize on any scoring chances. The putrid Sox offense failed to pick up Clemens and the Brewers won 3-2 at County Stadium.

                                                  "Can't hit for Clemens at all"

Wegman got the ball in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs led off with a ground out to second. Jody Reed walked but Mike Greenwell banged into a double play to end the inning. Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Paul Molitor flied out to center to start. Darryl Hamilton flied out to left but BJ Surhoff singled to left. Dante Bichette struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck for the only time in the top of the second inning as Ellis Burks walked to start. Phil Plantier walked and Tom Brunansky dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Mo Vaughn was intentionally walked and Tony Pena made the Brewers pay with a double to left to score Burks & Plantier. The key to the game was Luis Rivera failed to score Vaughn by grounding out to short and Boggs lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                    Pena drives in a pair

Robin Yount took strike three to start the bottom of the second before Franklin Stubbs struck out swinging. Kevin Seitzer grounded out to second to end the inning. 

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Reed singled in the hole at short to start. Greenwell walked but Burks struck out swinging. Plantier popped up to third in foul territory and Brunansky struck out swinging to end the inning. The Brewers exploded in the bottom of the third as Jim Gantner beat out a roller to third to start. Scott Fletcher walked and Molitor hit a routine grounder to Boggs who turned and fired the ball out of the ballpark for an error to score Gantner. Fletcher moved to third on the error and he scored on the sac fly to left by Hamilton. Surhoff grounded out to second but Bichette got a base hit to right to score Molitor. Bichette was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning but it was now 3-2 Brewers.

                                                              "Dammit Boggs!" - RC

The Sox blew a huge rally in the top of the fourth as Vaughn grounded out to short to start. Pena dumped a base hit to left, Rivera hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short and Boggs walked to load the bases. Reed forced Pena at home and Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Clemens recovered in the bottom of the fourth as Yount struck out swinging to start. Stubbs went down hacking and Seitzer grounded out to third to end the inning.

Wegman cruised in the top of the fifth as Burks grounded out to short to start. Plantier flied out to left and Brunansky flied to to center to end the inning. Gantner singled in the hole at third to start the bottom of the fifth but Fletcher flied out to center. Molitor forced Gantner at second and Hamilton lined out to third to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Vaughn grounded out to the mound to start. Pena grounded out to short and Rivera grounded out to third to end the inning. Surhoff grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth and Bichette struck out swinging. Yount lined out to short to end the inning.

Boggs grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh and Reed grounded out to third. Greenwell singled to center but Burks flied out to right to end the inning. Stubbs struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the seventh before Seitzer singled in the hole at short. Gantner lined out to left but Fletcher singled in the hole at second. Molitor grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew yet another rally in the top of the eighth as Plantier singled in the hole at second to start. Brunansky dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Phil to second and Brewers manager Phil Garner brought in Jesse Orosco to pitch to Vaughn. Sox manager Butch Hobson countered by pinch hitting Tim Naehring for Vaughn. Naehring walked and Doug Henry was brought in to face Pena. Tony popped up to short and Herm Winningham pinch hit for Rivera only to ground out to third to end the inning.

                                              Wayne's assessment of the Sox offense

Clemens returned for the bottom of the eighth with Scott Cooper now at first. Hamilton struck out looking before Surhoff flied out to left. Bichette singled to center but Yount flied out to right to end the inning. Clemens ended up going the distance while allowing 3 runs in 8 innings. Usually that would be good enough to win, but not this time.

                                                Complete game for Roger but no win

Boggs beat out an infield single to short to start the top of the ninth but Reed banged into a double play. Greenwell lined out to left to end the game. The Brewers had won it 3-2.

Jackass of the Night is Herm Winningham. He came off the bench to pinch hit and failed to get the tying run in.

                                                                Jackass Winningham

The Good:

Phil Plantier was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Tim Naehring walked as a pinch hitter.

Tony Pena was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Luis Rivera was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Roger Clemens pitched a complete game 7 hitter. He allowed 3 runs all in one inning and struck out 8 batters.

The Bad:

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked.

Jody Reed was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Scott Cooper played first in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

This Red Sox offense is downright offensive. The Sox have had scoring trouble all month but time and time again Roger Clemens bailed them out. Not this time....not even Clemens could overcome this pathetic offense. Its still early and there's plenty of time to turn things around but the Sox have gotten some good pitching from some of the guys and great pitching from Mike Gardiner and Roger Clemens. The Sox can't afford to continue to waste pitching like that if they hope to compete in the AL East, especially against AL East opponents. Its time for some of the younger guys like Naehring, Vaughn and Plantier to step up and for the veterans like Burks, Clark and Greenwell to pick up the pace. Its too bad the Sox couldn't pull this one out because Clemens pitched very well. At least the bullpen will be quite rested for the next game. The Sox look bounce back when they return home tomorrow for a set with the Texas Rangers. Frank Viola (0-2) goes for Boston up against Jose Guzman of the Rangers. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.