Daubach, Sox Walkoff A's (8/16/99)

For eight innings it looked like the Oakland A's were going to pull in to a tie for the American League Wild Card slot. Brian Rose got rocked for 4 runs in just 2 1/3 innings although the Sox got some runs back courtesy of Reggie Jefferson and John Valentin. The A's got a run off Rich Garces to take a 5-3 into the bottom of the ninth. Things looked bleak when John Valentin struck out for the second out but A's manager Art Howe made a boo-boo. He brought in Tim Worrell to face the AL Player of The Week Brian Daubach. Daubach continued his hot streak with a bases clearing double to win the game. The Sox had stunned the A's 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Shireen Crutchfield approves of the win

Rose got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ryan Christenson grounded out to third to start. Randy Velarde grounded out to first and Jason Giambi struck out swinging to end the inning. Omar Olivares got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman grounded a single up the middle. John Valentin grounded into a double play and Brian Daubach flied out to the left field wall  to end the inning.

John Jaha grounded out to short to start the top of the second before old friend Matt Stairs grounded out to second. Ben Grieve grounded out to second to end the inning. Nomar Garciaparra popped up to first in foul territory to start the bottom of the second. Reggie Jefferson singled to center but Jason Varitek forced Jefferson at second to end the inning.

The A's struck first in the top of the third as Miguel Tejada walked to start. Eric Chavez singled to right and AJ Hinch hit a home run all the way to Yellowstone to put the A's on top. Christenson walked and Velarde singled to center, but Giambi took strike three. Jaha ripped a base hit to center to score Christenson to chase the incompetent Rose. He allowed 4 runs in 2 2/3 innings on 4 hits and 2 walks. Mark Guthrie came in to pitch and Stairs moved the runners over with a grounder to first. Grieve flied out to left to end the inning with the A's up 4-0.

                                                              Rose gets hammered

Donnie Sadler grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Trot Nixon flied out to center. Offerman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Tejada walked to start the top of the fourth but Chavez struck out swinging. Hinch forced Tejada at second and promptly stole second. Christenson grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Valentin grounded out to short to start. Daubach walked and Nomar was hit with a pitch, but O'Leary lined out to third. Jefferson lined a ball off the Monster for a single to score Daubach. Varitek grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                            Daubach scores a run

Guthrie returned for the top of the fifth and the Sox broadcast team was chosen by their first round pick in the 1999 draft Rick Asadoorian. Hope he makes it some day. Velarde struck out swinging, Giambi flied out to left and Jaha struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                            Asadoorian in the house

The Sox struck back with Olmedo Saenz in for Giambi to start the bottom of the fifth. Sadler grounded out to short but Nixon stroked a seeing eye single in to right. Offerman moved Nixon to second with a grounder to first and Valentin ripped a base hit to right. Nixon scored to cut the lead in half but Daubach struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                             Sox inch closer

Stairs struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth but Grieve lined out short. That was it for Guthrie as Rich Garces came in to pitch to Tejeda. Miguel lined out to third to end the inning. Garciaparra reached on an error to start the bottom of the sixth but O'Leary could only move Nomar to second with a fly ball to right. Jefferson grounded out to second to move Nomar to third but Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning.

The A's struck in the top of the seventh as Chavez lined out to center to start. Hinch struck out swinging but Christenson singled to right. Christenson stole second and Velarde singled to to center, the ball getting booted by Sadler for an error to score Christenson. Saenz lined out to center to end the inning with the A's ahead 5-2.

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the seventh as Sadler beat out a grounder to Tejeda to start. A passed ball moved Sadler to second and Nixon moved Donnie to third with a grounder to second. Offerman singled in the hole at short to score Sadler to cut the lead and chase Olivares. Greg McMichael came in to pitch and Valentin struck out swinging and Daubach flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                            Sadler scores a run

Jaha took strike three to start the top of the eighth before Stairs grounded out to second. Grieve got a base hit to right and Jason McDonald ran for him. Tejada struck out swinging to end the inning. Garciaparra grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Buddy Groom came in to pitch to O'Leary. Troy grounded back to the mound and that was it for Groom. Doug Jones came in to pitch and Mike Stanley pinch hit for Jefferson. Stanley grounded out to short to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Chavez struck out swinging to start. Hinch grounded out to short and Christenson took strike three to end the inning. The Sox refused to go quietly in the bottom of the ninth as Varitek dumped a base hit to right to start. Butch Huskey pinch hit for Sadler and hit a line drive base hit to center to put the tying run on. Darren Lewis pinch ran for Huskey but Nixon flied out to left. Offerman drilled a base hit to right to load the bases but Valentin struck out swinging. A's manager Art Howe brought in Tim Worrell to face Daubach and one strike away from defeat, Daubach launched a ball off the Monster. Varitek and Lewis scored easily and the throw came home to get Huskey....OFFLINE....RED SOX WIN!!!

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brian Daubach. He got the bases clearing doubled to win the game.

                                                     Nomar hugs our hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Reggie Jefferson was 2 for 3 with an rbi.

Darren Lewis scored a run as a pinch runner.

Donnie Sadler was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Butch Huskey singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Mark Guthrie tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Derek Lowe got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Troy O'Leary was 0 for 4.

Mike Stanley was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Brian Rose allowed 4 runs in just 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

John Valentin was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rich Garces allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

What a week for Daubach and what a come from behind win for the Red Sox. The Sox have a legitimate chance to repeat as Wild Card champions or overtake the Yankees if they can go on a run. Wins like this can launch a team with the proper momentum. Things are clicking and hopefully the Sox can keep this going. The only drawback is Brian Rose continues to pitch like trash. The Sox are going to need starting pitching if they're going to beat the Yankees and just Pedro Martinez and Bret Saberhagen isn't going to cut it. The win improved the Sox to 66-52, 6.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Oakland tomorrow night when Bret Saberhagen (9-4) takes on Gil Heredia of Oakland. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Saberhagen, Sox Drop Yankees (8/1/99)

The Boston Red Sox sent a statement that this year is much different to the New York Yankees. After splitting the first two games of this series, the Sox sent the Yankees out of Boston with 2 losses in 3 games. Bret Saberhagen (7-4, 3.21 ERA) tossed a gutty game to hold the Yankees to just 2 runs in 7 strong innings. Trailing 2-1, Brian Daubach hit a home run off Yankees starter Orlando Hernandez to tie the game in the fourth. In the sixth, Nomar Garciaparra drove in the go-ahead run and Troy O'Leary hit a two run bomb off "El Duque". The Yankees rallied for two runs against Tim Wakefield in the top of the eighth, but Tim stranded the tying run at third when he slammed the door in the ninth. The Sox had taken 2 out of 3 from New York with a 5-4 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                   Jennifer Rovero approves of the win

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Saberhagen in the top of the first as Chuck Knoblauch grounded out to first to start. Derek Jeter was frozen for strike three but Paul O'Neill doubled to left. Bernie Williams tripled to the centerfield wall to put the Yankees on top. Tino Martinez popped up to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                              Triple for Williams

Hernandez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman walked to start. John Valentin struck out swinging but Brian Daubach flied out to center. Nomar Garciaparra was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.

Chili Davis struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Jorge Posada hit a comebacker back to Saberhagen. Shane Spencer flied out to center to end the inning. Troy O'Leary walked to start the bottom of the second but Reggie Jefferson grounded into a double play. Jason Varitek hit a broken bat grounder to Knoblauch to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Scott Brosius ripped a base hit to right to start. Knoblauch singled to left but Jeter popped up to short. O'Neill got a base hit to left to load the bases and Williams hit a sac fly to center to score Brosius. Martinez popped up to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                             Yankees get another run

The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Damon Buford doubled down the third base line and Trot Nixon ripped a base hit to left to score him to cut the lead. Offerman grounded into a double play and Valentin popped up to center to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                              Buford scores a run

Davis was frozen for strike three to start the top of the fourth before Posada popped up to third in foul territory. Spencer flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Daubach clobbered his 13th home run of the season to tie the game. Nomar popped up to center and O'Leary flied out to right but Jefferson drew a walk. Williams robbed Varitek with a hell of a catch to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Daubach ties it up

Saberhagen cruised in the top of the fifth as Brosius flied out to right to start. Knoblauch grounded out to second and Jeter flied out to right to start. The Monster robbed Buford of a home run high off the wall so he had to settle for a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth. Nixon popped up to Jeter and Offerman grounded out to second to move Buford to third. Valentin lined out to left to end the inning.

O'Neill grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth and Williams popped up to O'Leary. Martinez popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Daubach doubled into the right field corner to start. Nomar singled into centerfield to score Daubach and O'Leary crushed his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Jefferson singled to right and that was it for Hernandez. Allen Watson came in to pitch and Varitek grounded out to second to move Jefferson to second. Buford grounded out to third and Nixon popped up to Posada to end the inning with the Sox up 5-2.

                                                        Home run O'Leary

Saberhagen returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh and Davis grounded out to first to start. Posada grounded out to first as well and Spencer grounded out to short to end the inning. Saberhagen retired 14 in a row in 7 strong innings allowing just 5 hits.

                                                            Saberhagen was outstanding

Offerman walked to start the bottom of the seventh to chase Watson. Ramiro Mendoza came in to pitch and Valentin singled to right to move Offerman to third. Daubach struck out swinging and Garciaparra grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Brosius struck out swinging to start. Knoblauch walked, stole second and stole third on the Jeter swinging strikeout. O'Neill singled to right to score Knoblauch and Williams tripled off the centerfield door to score Paul. Martinez flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-4.

                                                           Yankees inch closer

O'Leary grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Jefferson lined out to left. Varitek grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Wakefield returned to finish off the stop of the ninth and Davis doubled to center to put the tying run on to start. Chad Curtis pinch ran for Davis but Posada grounded back to the mound. Spencer flied out to the left field warning track but Brosius walked. Knoblauch singled in the hole at short but Davis remained at third to load the bases. With the game on the line, Jeter forced Knoblauch at second to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Bret Saberhagen. He held the Yankees to just two runs in 7 strong innings to earn the win. He gave up 5 hits while striking out 3.

                                                        Hero Saberhagen

The Good:

Jose Offerman walked twice in four plate appearances.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 2 runs scored.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Reggie Jefferson was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Damon Buford was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

John Valentin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Tim Wakefield got the save but allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Nothing like starting the stretch by taking 2 out of 3 from the Yankees. Saberhagen is the key to the season because last year proved you need more than just Pedro Martinez to win in the playoffs. Saberhagen dominated the Yankees after the third inning and that's the kind of start the Sox need from Bret moving forward. Daubach just may be one of the greatest scrap heap pickups of all time if he keeps up this pace for the rest of the season. If he hits 10-12 home runs he might put himself in the AL MVP race let alone AL Rookie of The Year. Still, as long as Pedro and Bret stay healthy the Sox have a chance down the stretch. The win improved the Sox to 57-47, 5.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now have to face the AL Central leading Cleveland Indians coming to town. Pat Rapp goes for the Sox against Dwight Gooden for Cleveland. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Rose, Sox Sweep Indians (5/30/99)

How about those first place, red hot Boston Red Sox? The Sox went to Cleveland to face the same Indians team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year and swept them. Today it was rookie Brian Rose (3-0, 1.29 ERA) that tossed five perfect innings and holding the Indians to just two runs through six. Meanwhile Nomar Garciaparra hit his second 3 run bomb in 3 days off Dwight Gooden in the third inning. The Sox got some insurance in the eighth inning when Mike Stanley drove in Nomar as the suddenly hot Sox bullpen held the fort. Mark Guthrie, Jim Corsi, Rheal Cormier and Tom Gordon slammed the door as the Sox completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory over the Indians at Jacobs Field.

                                                          Olivia Hussey approves of the win

Gooden got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Offerman flied out to right. John Valentin doubled to left but Reggie Jefferson watched strike three go by. Nomar Garciaparra flied out to right to end the inning. Rose got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kenny Lofton grounded out to first to start. Omar Vizquel struck out swinging and Roberto Alomar's bunt was snuffed out by Rose to end the inning.

Troy O'Leary doubled to left to start the top of the second and Mike Stanley was plunked. Jason Varitek struck out swinging and Darren Lewis grounded into a double play to end the inning. Manny Ramirez flied out to center to begin the bottom of the second and Jim Thome hit one up the elevator shaft. Richie Sexson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Trot Nixon doubled to right to start. Jose Offerman got a base hit to right to move Nixon to third, then promptly stole second. Both Valentin and Jefferson struck out swinging but Nomar pounded his 10th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. O'Leary walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                      Home run Garciaparra

David Justice led off the bottom of the third by popping up to short and Travis Fryman flied out to center. Einar Diaz popped up to third to end the inning.

Stanley flied out to center to start the top of the fourth and Varitek grounded out to first. Darren Lewis lined out to right to end the inning. Lofton popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Vizquel popped up to third. Alomar popped up to short to end the inning.

Nixon flied out to center to open the top of the fifth and Offerman grounded out to second. Valentin and Jefferson both got base hits to center but Nomar struck out swinging to end the inning. Ramirez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Thome swung at air as well and Sexson flied out to right to end the inning.

O'Leary grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth and Stanley flied out to right. Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Nomar blew the perfect game by throwing a grounder by Justice away for an error to start. Fryman struck out swinging but Diaz broke up the no-no with a double to left. Lofton then hit a routine grounder to Stanley....under his glove for another error to score Justice, moving Diaz to third. Vizquel forced Lofton at second but Diaz scored. Alomar grounded out to short to end the inning with the Indians down 3-2.

                                               Dammit Nomar

Steve Karsay came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Lewis popped up to second. Nixon singled to center but Offerman grounded out to second to move Trot over. Valentin struck out swinging to end the inning. Rose returned for one final batter in the bottom of the seventh but Ramirez got a base hit to center. He was outstanding, holding the Indians to 2 runs on 2 hits and might have had a perfect game bid of the Sox didn't boot the ball around. Mark Guthrie came in to pitch and Ramirez stole second. Thome struck out swinging, Sexson grounded out to short and Justice grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                    Rose stares down the Indians

The Sox got an insurance run in the top of the eighth as Jefferson grounded back to the mound to start. Nomar walked but O'Leary struck out swinging. Garciaparra stole second and Stanley got a base hit to center to score Nomar. Varitek walked but Lewis flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Stanley drives in a run

Jim Corsi came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Fryman greeted him with a double to center. Enrique Wilson pinch hit for Diaz and grounded out to third. Out came Jimy Williams as he wanted Rheal Cormier to face Lofton. Kenny walked but Vizquel flied out to left. Alomar grounded out to third to end the inning.

Chris Turner took over behind the plate with Mike Jackson now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Nixon flied out to center to start and Offerman struck out swinging. Valentin walked but Jefferson grounded out to second to end the inning. Tom Gordon came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Ramirez walked to start. Thome flied out to center and Sexson struck out swinging. Justice also struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of The Night is Nomar Garciaparra. His three run home run was all the runs the Sox needed in this one.

                                                         Nomar Garcia-Hero

The Good:

John Valentin was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mike Stanley was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a hit by pitch

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Brian Rose got the win by tossing 6 innings of 2 run ball on just 2 hits.

Mark Guthrie tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Jim Corsi got the first out of the eighth inning.

Rheal Cormier got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Tom Gordon earned his 10th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Reggie Jefferson was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the youth movement has put the Sox in a good position moving forward. First Juan Pena dazzled in his two starts and now Rose not only won again, he was no-hitting last year's AL Central champions. Between Pedro being the best pitcher in baseball, the Sox bats doing what they can and a good bullpen, the Sox are in good shape so far this season. They can cut down on the errors because that almost ruined the day but at least Nomar and Stanley made up for them with big hits. The New York Yankees aren't going away and each win by the Sox is crucial in order to topple the world champions. Starts like this moving forward is how the Sox need to do it, especially when they face inferior opponents. The win improved the Sox to 30-19, a half game ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for a three game set against the Detroit Tigers beginning tomorrow afternoon on Memorial Day Monday. Mark Portugal gets the start for the Sox against Bryce Florie of Detroit. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Martinez Dazzles, Blanks Angels (5/7/99)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rheal Cormier decided to serve his three game suspension for beating the crap out of Jim Thome. Rookie Juan Pena might be called up to get the start in Game 2 of the upcoming series against the Anaheim Angels.

                                                            Pena to the rescue

As for the game, how bout that Pedro Martinez (6-1, 1.74 ERA). He was absolutely dominant in tonight's win over the Anaheim Angels and old friend Mo Vaughn. Pedro shut out the Angels for eight innings and struck out a career high 15 batters, surrendering just 6 hits. Meanwhile put 4 runs on the board against Anaheim starter Omar Olivares and another two against relief pitcher Mike Magnante. Mike Stanley drove in 3 runs with John Valentin getting two more. Tim Wakefield slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox had won the game 6-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Racquel Darrian approves of the win

Martinez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Darrin Erstad doubled down the right field line to start. Matt Walbeck grounded out to third and old pal Mo Vaughn got a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful in his first game back. Vaughn struck out swinging and Garret Anderson took strike three on the outside corner to end the inning.

                                                                 Mo salutes the fans

Omar Olivares got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jose Offerman flied out to center to start. John Valentin flied out to left and Reggie Jefferson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Troy Glaus led off the top of the second by striking out swinging and Todd Greene did the same. Orlando Palmeiro grounded out to first to end the inning. Nomar Garciaparra got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second but Troy O'Leary flied out to center. Mike Stanley got a base hit to left but Jason Varitek grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Andy Sheets struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Jeff Huson lined a ball off Pedro that Offerman gobbled up to make the out. Sox manager Jimy Williams and pitching coach Joe Kerrigan sprinted to the mound to check on Pedro but he told them he was alright. Erstad popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Damon Buford singled to center to start. Trot Nixon singled off the glove of Olivares & the hand of Huson for a "single" and Offerman walked to load the bases. Valentin hit a sac fly to right to score Buford and move Nixon to third. Offerman got picked off first but Nixon managed to score to increase the lead. Jefferson got a base hit to center but Nomar forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                    Offerman's gaffe turns into a run

Walbeck got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth with Buford cutting off the ball and Stanley threw wide at second on a grounder by Vaughn for an error. Anderson struck out swinging but Glaus got a base hit to center. Walbeck came around to score....but wait! Walbeck beat the throw but apparently he missed the plate, getting tagged out by Varitek. Greene struck out swinging to end the inning. Good defense in that inning.

                                                     You're out you dummy!

O'Leary popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Stanley popped up to right. Varitek walked but Buford flied out to center to end the inning.

Palmeiro got a base hit to center to open the top of the fifth but Sheets struck out swinging. Huson got a base hit to right and both runners moved over on the Erstad grounder to first. Walbeck grounded out to first to end the inning. Nixon grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth as Sox analyst Sean McDonough joked that he and Jerry Remy bought the Boston Bruins. Jerry "Oh we did?" Offerman walked but Valentin struck out swinging. Jefferson forced Offerman at second to end the inning.

Vaughn struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth and Anderson did the same. Glaus went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox broke it open in the bottom of the sixth as Nomar reached on an error by Glaus to start. O'Leary got a base hit to center and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Stanley ripped a base hit to the Monster to score both runners. That was it for Olivares as Mike Magnante came in to pitch and Varitek flied out to center. A wild pitch moved Stanley to second but Buford flied out to right. Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                             Good work Stanley

Greene doubled off the ladder of the Green Monster to start the top of the seventh but Palmeiro popped up to right. Sheets and Huson both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Offerman doubled to center to start. Valentin doubled to right to score Offerman but Jefferson struck out swinging. Al Levine came in to face Nomar and Garciaparra flied out to center. O'Leary walked but Stanley doubled to left. Valentin scored easily but O'Leary was thrown out at home after crashing into Walbeck to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                      Hell of a play by Walbeck

Erstad struck out swinging to begin the top of the eighth and Charlie O'Brien pinch hit for the dazed Walbeck. O'Brien struck out swinging and Vaughn flied out to center to end the inning. Martinez was outstanding, striking out 15 batters in 8 shutout innings while allowing just 6 hits.

                                                           Great performance by Pedro

Varitek struck out swinging to open the bottom of the eighth and Buford grounded out to short. Nixon also grounded out to short to end the inning.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Anderson flied out to center to start. Nomar booted a grounder by Glaus for an error but Greene struck out swinging. Palmeiro struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-0.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Pedro Martinez. He tossed eight shutout innings allowing just 6 hits while striking out 15 batters.

                                                              Hero Pedro

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

John Valentin was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Stanley was 3 for 4 with 3 rbis.

Tim Wakefield tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Reggie Jefferson was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Damon Buford was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox may be mediocre but Pedro Martinez is anything but. He was once again outstanding by setting a career high in strikeouts. The Sox bats have been sputtering lately but this time they delivered by pushing six runs across the plate. Pedro threw 126 pitches and you have to wonder if that was too many this early in the season but Sox manager Jimy Williams made the right decision to take him out after eight. Don't want him blowing his arm out just for a complete game with the game already in hand. It was good to see Mo Vaughn again and he got a well deserved ovation from the crowd. Sox analyst Sean McDonough pointed out the Sox may be a .500 team right now but so is everyone that's not the New York Yankees. Now's a perfect time to go on a run to nab the wild card spot early. The win improved the Sox to 14-14, 5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three wins in a row and their second straight against Anaheim when Juan Pena makes his Major League debut for the Sox against Tim Belcher of the Angels tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Jones, Mets Blank Sox (6/6/98)

So much for revenge of the 1986 World Series. After the Mets emphatically beat down Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez, today they took the offense out of the game and blanked the home town team. Bobby Jones tossed a 3 hit shutout through 8 innings while the Sox bats did absolutely nothing. Meanwhile Tim Wakefield (6-3, 4.27 ERA) tossed one of his best games of the season allowing one run on just 1 hit and a walk.....and lost. Butch Huskey scored the only run of the game on a damn balk to put the Mets up in the sixth inning. The Sox got the tying run on base in the eighth and ninth innings but couldn't deliver the punch they needed. The Mets had beaten the Sox 1-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first and Brian McRae grounded out to second to start. Bernard Gilkey popped up to Darren Lewis and John Olerud flied out to left to end the inning. Jones got the ball in the bottom of the first as Darren Lewis dumped a base hit to left to start. Reggie Jefferson got a seeing eye single into right but Nomar Garciaparra hit into a 5-3 double play to put Jefferson at second. Mo Vaughn popped up to center to end the inning.

Butch Huskey led off the top of the second by flying out to the centerfield warning track before Carlos Baerga grounded out to second. Edgardo Alfonso singled to left but Matt Franco struck out swinging to end the inning. Troy O'Leary led off the bottom of the second with a single off the leg of Rey Ordonez but John Valentin just missed a home run off Pesky's Pole by 5 feet. John popped up to second, Scott Hatteberg forced O'Leary at second and Mike Benjamin grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ordonez flied out to center to begin the top of the third before Alberto Castillo flied out to center. McRae popped up to short to end the inning. Darren Bragg led off the bottom of the third by grounding out to second and Lewis lined out to left. Jefferson grounded out to first to end the inning.

Gilkey flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Vaughn went OLE! on a grounder by Olerud for an error. Huskey flied out to the left field warning track and Baerga popped up to third to end the inning. Garciaparra grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Vaughn drew a walk. O'Leary grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Alfonso grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Franco popped up to Vaughn. Benjamin booted a ball from Ordonez for an error but Castillo forced Rey at second to end the inning. Valentin took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Hatteberg grounded out to second. Benjamin walked but Bragg struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Mets struck first in the top of the sixth as McRae walked to start. Gilkey struck out swinging but McRae swiped second. Olerud grounded out to second to move McRae to third and he scored on a balk of all things. Sox manager Jimy Williams ran out of the dugout for an explanation to no avail. Huskey grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mets up 1-0.

                                                  "That's a balk and you know it!"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Lewis flied out to center to start. Jefferson grounded out to first and Garciaparra lined out to right to end the inning.

Baerga popped up to Vaughn in foul territory to start the top of the seventh before Alfonso grounded back to the mound. Franco popped up to short to end the inning. Vaughn lined out to left to start the bottom of the seventh before O'Leary grounded out to second. Valentin grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ordonez flied out to center to begin the top of the eighth and Benjamin made a great play to rob Castillo of a hit. Franco popped up to short to end the inning. That was it for Wakefield who allowed just 1 hit and a walk in 8 strong innings, allowing just the balked in run. 

                                                     Wakefield deserved better

Hatteberg led off the bottom of the eighth by striking out swinging and Midre Cummings pinch hit for Benjamin. Cummings struck out swinging but Bragg walked to put the tying run on. Lewis forced Bragg at second to end the inning.

Lou Merloni came in to play second in the top of the ninth with Tom Gordon now on the mound. Gilkey grounded out to short to start but Olerud singled off the Monster. Huskey grounded into a double play to end the inning. John Franco came in to close out the bottom of the ninth as Damon Buford pinch hit for Jefferson to start. Buford grounded out to third and Garciaparra took a full count strike three on the inside corner for strike three. Vaughn ripped a base hit to center and Jimy Williams sent Steve Avery the pitcher to run for Vaughn. O'Leary struck out swinging to end the game. The Mets had won it 1-0.

                                                                 Mets win

Jackass of the Night is Nomar Garciaparra. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout while hitting into a huge double play in the first, plus taking strike three in the ninth.

                                                         Nomar the Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Jefferson was 1 for 3.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3 with a walk.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Tim Wakefield pitched his best game of the season, allowing just 1 run on 1 hit and a walk in 8 innings of work.

The Bad:

Damon Buford was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Benjamin was 0 for 1 with an error but walked.

Midre Cummings struck out as a pinch hitter.

Darren Bragg was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Lou Merloni played second base in the final two innings.

Steve Avery pinch ran for Vaughn in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

You can't lose a game worse than that, especially after Wakefield utterly dominated that game. John Valentin missed what would have been the game winning home run by five feet and the Sox bats just couldn't get a clutch hit when it counted. Wakefield allowed 1 hit in 8 innings and still lost, that's absolutely disgusting. The Sox quite frankly are a light hitting team after Mo Vaughn and losing a game like this is disheartening. The New York Yankees continue to win and losing two straight to the New York Mets at home is a recipe for disaster. The loss dropped the Sox to 34-25, 10.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid the sweep tomorrow when today's pinch runner Steve Avery (2-1) takes on Masato Yoshii of the Mets. The game begins at 8:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Walkoff Sox in 12, Streak At Four (5/14/98)

Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for the Boston Red Sox. For eight innings it looked like Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez was going to beat the Minnesota Twins. He held them to just 1 run in 8 innings while striking out 11 batters. Unfortunately the Boston bats went silent in this one as Mike Morgan of Minnesota held the Sox to 1 run in 7 innings as well. The key to the game was the Minnesota bullpen who tossed 5 shutout innings against the inept Sox offense. Finally in the bottom of the 12th inning, Pat Meares hit a two out rbi single off John Wasdin to win the game for the Twins 2-1 at the Metrodome in 12 innings.

                                                                   Not the best game

Morgan got the ball in the top of the first inning and Darren Lewis' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Matt to start. Reggie Jefferson doubled to left but Mo Vaughn flied out to center. Scott Hatteberg flied out to left to end the inning. Martinez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Todd Walker took strike three to start. Brent Gates flied out to left but Paul Molitor doubled to center. Orlando Merced flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Troy O'Leary mashed his 11th home run of the season to start the frame. Midre Cummings took strike three, John Valentin struck out swinging and Mike Benjamin watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Another home run for Troy

Ron Coomer struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Matt Lawton grounded out to short. Alex Ochoa caught the Sox asleep with a bunt down the third base line but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Mark Lemke got a base hit to left to start the top of the third but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Lewis flied out to center but Jefferson and Vaughn both struck out swinging to end the inning. Javier Valentin struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Pat Meares drew a walk. Meares stole second but Walker struck out swinging. Gates grounded out to short to end the inning.

Hatteberg grounded back to the mound to open the top of the fourth but O'Leary got a base hit to right. Cummings grounded into a double play to end the inning. Suddenly John Valentin keeled over in the dugout, was carried out on a stretcher and rushed to the local ICU. Lou Merloni came in for him for the bottom of the fourth. Molitor struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fourth but Merced got a base hit to left. Coomer flied out to right and Lawton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Merloni grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Benjamin grounded out to short. Lemke also grounded out to short to end the inning. The Twins struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Ochoa took strike three to start. Valentin flied out to center but Meares doubled to left. Walker got a base hit to center to score Meares with the tying run but Gates flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Walker ties it up

Lewis took strike three to start the top of the sixth but Jefferson walked. Vaughn got a base hit to right....but Hatteberg grounded into a double play to end the inning. Molitor doubled to left to start the bottom of the sixth and moved to third on the Merced fly ball to center. Coomer struck out swinging and Lawton took strike three to end the inning.

                                                              Sit down Lawton

O'Leary grounded out to first to start the top of the seventh and Cummings grounded back to the mound. Merloni got a base hit to left and Benjamin beat out a roller to third but Lemke grounded out to first to end the inning. Ochoa flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and both Valentin and Meares struck out swinging to end the inning.

Eddie Guardado came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Lewis walked to start. Jim Leyritz pinch hit for Jefferson and took strike three. Vaughn struck out swinging and Jason Varitek pinch hit for Hatteberg. Lewis stole second and Varitek was intentionally walked to get to O'Leary. Troy lined out to second to end the inning. Pedro returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth as Walker grounded out to second to start. Gates popped up to third in foul territory and Molitor grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Pedro who was masterful, tossing 8 innings and allowing just 1 run while striking out 11. Too bad the offense fell asleep.

                                                           Great outing by Pedro

Dan Naulty came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Damon Buford pinch hit for Cummings. Ochoa fell down trying to make a catch and Buford motored around for a triple. Naturally Valentin and Benjamin struck out swinging. Lemke took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. What a waste.

                                                   "I don't got it" - Ochoa

Tom Gordon came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Merced struck out swinging to start. Coomer flied out to center and Lawton grounded out to first to end the inning.

Lewis grounded out to short to start the top of the tenth and Leyritz grounded out to third. Vaughn flied out to right to end the inning. Ochoa grounded out to third to start the bottom of the tenth and Valentin grounded out to short. Meares flied out to center to end the inning.

Varitek popped up to short to start the top of the 11th and O'Leary struck out swinging. Buford flied out to left to end the inning. Walker grounded out to short to start the bottom of the 11th and Gates did the same. Molitor grounded out to third to end the inning.

Mike Trombley came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th and Merloni grounded out to short to start. Benjamin also grounded out to short and Lemke grounded out to third to end the inning. If Ochoa didn't fall down, the last Sox hit would have been Benjamin's in the seventh. John Wasdin came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th and Merced got a base hit to center. Denny Hocking came in to run for him and Wasdin threw the pickoff throw away to move Hocking to second. Coomer singled to right to move Hocking to third and Lawton was intentionally walked to load the bases. Somehow Ochoa struck out swinging and Terry Steinbach pinch hit for Valentin. Somehow Steinbach took strike three but Meares singled over the head of Benjamin to score Hocking with the winning run. The Twins had won it 2-1 in 12 innings.

                                                                Twins win

Jackass of The Night is John Wasdin. He allowed the walkoff single in the bottom of the 12th after nearly pulling off the Houdini.

                                                  One strike from the Houdini, Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Jefferson was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Jason Varitek walked in two plate appearances

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 5 with a home run.

Damon Buford was 1 for 2.

Pedro Martinez was impeccable, allowing 1 run in 8 innings off 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

Tom Gordon tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jim Leyritz was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 3.

Midre Cummings was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

John Valentin struck out in his only at bat.

The Ugly:

Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and stole a base.

Mo Vaughn was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Lou Merloni was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mark Benjamin was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Mark Lemke was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Give credit to the Twins pitching staff. They survived not only Pedro Martinez for eight innings but 3 innings of Tom Gordon as well. It helped that Nomar Garciaparra didn't play but the Twins earned this one. Its a shame the Sox not only wasted Pedro's start but Gordon won't be able to go tomorrow as well. The Twins had to use 3 guns out of the bullpen as well but they'll worry about tomorrow when it comes. If you wanted a grinding, low scoring pitchers duel then this was for you. If you wanted some offense, this game would have put you to sleep. Another shame was Wasdin caused the bases loaded situation but was one strike away from escaping it. Not that the Sox would have guaranteed to score in the 13th inning but it would have been a hell of a story. Just have to tip your cap and move on. The loss dropped the Sox to 24-15, 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. The Sox now travel home for a three game set with the Kansas City Royals beginning tomorrow night. Tim Wakefield (4-1) takes on Jose Rosado of Kanas City. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.