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

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

                                                 8 in a row...ah ah ah!

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

                                                    Heep drives in a run

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

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

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

                                             Smithson doesn't last long

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

                                                       Evans is on fire

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

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

                                                         Boggs drives in a run

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

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

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

                                                           Outstanding effort by Lamp

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

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

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

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

                                                       Lamp is the Hero



The Good:

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

Marty Barrett was 1 for 3 with a walk.

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

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

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

Jody Reed was 2 for 4.



The Bad:

Kevin Romine was 0 for 1 at the plate.

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



The Ugly:

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

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

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

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




Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Rally Falls Short in Milwaukee (6/27/89)

Its been that kind of year for the Boston Red Sox and we're not even out of June yet. The Red Sox incompetence this season is mind-boggling and tonight was no different against the Milwaukee Brewers. Not even Roger Clemens (8-6, 3.06 ERA) could save the Sox this time as the Brewers got to him for 5 runs in just 6 1/3 innings. Rob Murphy was able to hold the fort and the Sox tried to pull off a feverish rally in the top of the ninth. Unfortunately the Sox fell short and the Brewers beat them by the skin of their teeth 5-4 at County Stadium.

                                                     Bill Murray's message to the Red Sox

The Sox wasted no time getting to Brewers starter Don August in the top of the first inning. Jody Reed grounded out to short to start but Danny Heep singled to center. Gary Sheffield booted a grounder by Wade Boggs and Jim Gantner booted a grounder by Greenwell to score Heep to put the Sox on top. Dwight Evans whiffed and Greenwell was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Heep scores a run

Clemens took the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Paul Molitor led off by lining out to center.  Robin Yount grounded out to short but Sheffield singled to short. Greg Brock struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox tried to rally in the top of the second when Nick Esasky singled to center to start. Rich Gedman walked but Luis Rivera forced Esasky at third. Randy Kutcher watched strike three go by and Reed flied out to left to end the inning. Glenn Braggs struck out looking to begin the bottom of the second before Rob Deer popped up to third. BJ Surhoff lined out to short to end the inning.

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the third when Heep walked to start. Boggs singled to left but Greenwell lined out to center. Evans hit one up the elevator shaft and Esasky flied out to center to end the inning. The Brewers took command in the bottom of the third although Terry Francona grounded back to the mound to start. Gantner singled to short and Molitor walked before Yount hit a double play ball to short. Rivera flipped to Reed who turned and fired the ball all the way to Idaho to score Gantner with the tying run. Sheffield singled to left to score Yount to give the Brewers the lead before he stole second. Brock whiffed to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 2-1.

                                                                  Nice error Reed

August cruised in the top of the fourth as Gedman popped up to third to start. Rivera whiffed and Kutcher grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Brewers struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Braggs singled to right to start. Deer moved Braggs to second with a grounder and a wild pitch moved Braggs to third. Surhoff singled him home to increase the lead then moved to second on the grounder by Francona. Gantner grounded out to second to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 3-1.

                                                            Can someone get him out?

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth as Reed grounded out to short to start. Heep grounded out to second and Boggs also grounded out to second to end the inning. Molitor took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Yount flied out to center. Sheffield doubled to left but Brock grounded out to second to end the inning.

Greenwell got a base hit to center to start the top of the sixth but Evans banged into a double play. Esasky grounded out to third to end the inning. Braggs popped up to first to begin the bottom of the sixth but Deer and Surhoff stroked back to back singles. Both runners moved over on the Francona grounder but Gantner whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Gedman singled to right to begin. Dana Williams pinch ran for Gedman but Rivera banged into a double play. Kutcher doubled to center and Reed singled him home to cut the lead and chase August. Kevin Romine pinch hit for Heep and Tony Fossas came in to pitch. Romine singled to left but Boggs grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                            Kutcher scores a run

The Brewers iced the game in the bottom of the seventh with Rick Cerone now behind the plate. Molitor walked to start but was thrown out by Cerone trying to steal. Yount singled to right and Sheffield walked to chase Clemens. Roger didn't have it tonight as he would be tagged for 5 runs in just 6 1/3 innings. Rob Murphy made a mad dash out of the bullpen to the mound only to allow Brock to single home Shefield and Yount to increase the lead. Braggs popped up to first and Deer took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                             Not Roger's best outing

Greenwell tried to start a rally with a base hit to start the top of the eighth and Chuck Crim came in to pitch. Evans singled to center but Esasky flied out to center and Cerone banged into a double play to end the inning. Murphy sprinted out of the dugout to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Surhoff doubled to right to begin. Francona popped up to first and Surhoff was thrown out trying to steal third by Cerone. Gantner grounded out to second to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the top of the ninth as Rivera and Kutcher stoked back to back singles to start. Reed flied out to center and Romine grounded back to the mound, but Crim was lifted for Dan Plesac. Boggs beat out a little roller to short to score Rivera and Greenwell singled home Kutcher to put the tying run at third. Unfortunately Evans flied out to center to end the game. The Sox fought hard but the Brewers held on to win 5-4.

Jackass of the Night is Roger Clemens. Yes Murphy allowed the final two runs to score but had Clemens pitched better, the Sox may have won the game. As it was, he took the loss by allowing 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings.

                                                            Jackass Clemens

The Good:

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

Kevin Romine was 1 for 2.

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Mike Greenwell was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 2 with a walk.

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

Randy Kutcher was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

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

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5.

Nick Esasky was just 1 for 4.

Rick Cerone was 0 for 1 at the plate but threw out two runners trying to steal.

Rob Murphy allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in 1 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Dana Williams pinch ran for Gedman in the top of the seventh.

Final Thoughts:

That 9th inning was a sucker punch to the gonads. Not that the Sox would have won in extra innings guaranteed but with the way things are going this season, a win like that would bring much needed rapport back. The Sox just don't have the magic this season and its very evident. There's something wrong and the loss of Bruce Hurst couldn't hurt THAT much. Hopefully the Sox can turn it around this season or else they may go from first to worst like in 1987 again. Even Clemens looked mortal in this one and that's never a good thing. The loss dropped the Sox to 34-38, 7.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to bounce back when they send Mike Smithson (4-5) to the mound up against Teddy Higuera of the Brewers. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Fenway Park.

Clemens, Sox Beat Tigers (6/5/89)

This season is a disaster for the Boston Red Sox but thank goodness for Roger Clemens (6-4, 2.82 ERA) this season. One of the only silver linings so far held the Detroit Tigers to just 5 hits and 2 runs while pitching into the eighth inning. Mike Greenwell put the Sox up early with a 2 run bomb off Detroit starter David Palmer. Dwight Evans added a solo blast off old pal Mike Trujillo and the Sox scratched out two other runs. Rob Murphy slammed the door in the final two innings and the Sox had beaten the Tigers 5-2 at Tiger Stadium.

                                                       Monique Noel approves of the win

The Sox bushwhacked Palmer in the top of the first inning as Jody Reed walked to start. Reed moved to second on the grounder to first by Ed Romero and Wade Boggs singled home Reed to put Boston top. Mike Greenwell smashed his eighth hone run of the year to increase the lead and Dwight Evans singled to left. Ellis Burks forced Evans at second then stole second base, but Carlos Quintana took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                              Home run Greenwell

Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first and Gary Pettis flied out to left to start. Dave Bergman grounded out to second and Lou Whitaker flied out to right to end the inning.

Nick Esasky walked to start the top of the second but Rich Gedman flied out to left. Reed banged into a double play to end the inning. The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the second as old friend Fred Lynn popped up to first in foul territory to start. Keith Moreland hit a home run to Addison Gilbert Hospital to cut the lead but Matt Nokes grounded back to the mound. Chet Lemon took strike three to end the inning with the Tigers down 2-1.

                                                           Moreland goes deep

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Romero walked to start. Boggs doubled to right and Romero scored on the grounder to first by Greenwell. Evans grounded out to short and Burks went down hacking to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                              Romero scores a run

Clemens cruised in the bottom of the third as Rick Schu flied out to right to start. Alex Pedrique flied out to right and Pettis took strike three to end the inning.

Quintana flied out to right to start the top of the fourth before Esasky grounded out to short. Gedman grounded out to second to end the inning. Clemens dominated the bottom of the fourth as Bergman grounded back to the mound to start. Whitaker grounded out to second and Lynn struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Reed walked to start the top of the fifth but Jody was doubled off first on the bullet to third hit by Romero. Boggs singled in the hole at first and that was it for Palmer. Paul Gibson came in to pitch and Greenwell flied out to center to end the inning. Moreland grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Nokes singled to left. Lemon walked but Schu went down hacking. Pedrique went down swinging to end the inning.

Old friend Mike Trujillo came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Evans greeted him with his eighth home run of the season to increase the lead. Burks took strike three but Quintana and Esasky drew back to back walks to chase Trujillo. Frank Williams came in and Quintama was doubled off second on a bullet hit to Whitaker by Gedman to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                                Evans jacks one

The Tigers got a run back in the bottom of the sixth as Pettis struck out swinging to start. Bergman grounded out to first but Whitaker hit a home run all the way to Venus to cut the lead. Lynn grounded out to second to end the inning with the Tigers down 4-2.

                                                                Whitaker hits one out

Reed grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh before Romero popped up to second. Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. Moreland hit a squibber in front of the plate that Gedman spiked like a football for an error to start the bottom of the seventh. Nokes banged into a double play but Lemon singled to center. Schu grounded out to second to end the inning. 

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth as Greenwell grounded out to short to start. Evans singled up the middle and stole second for good measure. Burks walked and Quintana lined a base hit to right. Evans came around to score but was thrown out at home. Esasky grounded out to third to end the inning. Clemens returned briefly for the bottom of the eighth and Pat Sheridan pinch hit for Pedrique to start. Sheridan struck out swinging but Pettis singled to center to chase Clemens. Roger was game, tossing 7 1/3 innings and giving up just the two solo shots. Rob Murphy sprinted from the bullpen to take the mound and Gary Ward pinch hit for Bergman. Ward popped up to first in foul territory and Whitaker grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                             Clemens pitches into the eighth

Mike Heath came in for the top of the ninth and the Sox blew another rally. Gedman grounded out to second but Reed and Romero drew back to back walks. Willie Hernandez came in to pitch to Boggs and Wade flied out to left. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Murphy bolted out of the dugout to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lynn struck out swinging to start. Moreland singled to center but Nokes struck out swinging. Lemon took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

Hero of the Night is Roger Clemens. The Sox had a balanced offensive attack but Roger Clemens held the fort for 7 1/3 innings, allowing just two solo home runs to earn the win.

                                                                  Rocket Hero

The Good:

Jody Reed walked three times in five plate appearances and scored a run.

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

Dwight Evans was 3 for 4 with an rbi, stolen base and a run scored.

Carlos Quintana was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Nick Esasky walked twice in four plate appearances.

Rob Murphy got the save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with an error.

The Ugly:

Ed Romero was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 5 but knocked in 3 total runs and hit a 2 run homer.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and stole a base.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox can't get untracked this season but Clemens has been his usual self for sure. He didn't completely dominate the Tigers but they could only muster two solo home runs against him. Murphy has been damn good this season and slammed the door big time. Greenwell knocked in 3 big runs and its good to see the offense do some running with Burks and Evans swiping bags. If Morgan Magic is wearing off, the Sox have a lot of work to do to prepare for next season. Still, the Sox were a balanced attack in this game and hopefully the Sox can turn the ship around like they did last year. The win improved the Sox to 25-27,  5.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to beat the Tigers again tomorrow night when Joe Price (1-1) takes on Mike Schwabe of Detroit. The game begins at 8:30 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Ryan Outduels Clemens, Rangers Beat Sox (4/30/89)

The good news is the Roger Clemens (3-1, 1.96 ERA) held the Texas Rangers to two runs in a complete game effort for the Boston Red Sox. The bad news was 42 year old Nolan Ryan held the Red Sox to just 1 run in 8 innings himself. Ryan left after 8 innings of 1 run ball and the Rangers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a one out home run by Rafael Palmeiro. Rangers closer Jeff Russell slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the Rangers had beaten the Red Sox 2-1 at Arlington Stadium. Its been that kind of year so far.

                                                 Barnaby hates blown leads in the 8th

Ryan got the ball in the top of the first and Boggs drew a leadoff walk. Danny Heep forced Boggs at second and Ellis Burks took a fastball to the head and collapsed. Ellis had to be carried out on a stretcher and rushed to the local ICU as Randy Kutcher pinch ran for him. Both runners moved over on the grounder to second by Mike Greenwell before Boggs scored on the wild pitch by Ryan. Jim Rice hit a 380 foot out to the left field wall to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                 Burks gets knocked out

Clemens got the ball in the top of the first inning and Cecil Espy led off by taking a curveball down the middle for strike three. Scott Fletcher flied out to right and Clemens sent a message to the Rangers by brushing back Rafael Palmeiro before he walked. Ruben Sierra flied out to right to end the inning.

Nick Esasky led off the top of the second by striking out swinging before Rich Gedman flied flied out to center. Jody Reed reached when Scott Fletcher's throw pulled Palmeiro off the bag but Ed Romero flied out to the left field wall to end the inning. The red hot Julio Franco led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to third to start. Geno Petralli got a base hit to left and moved to second on the Rick Leach grounder. Steve Buechele was plunked unintentionally and Gedman trotted to the mound to tell Roger to calm the heck down. Jeff Stone grounded out to second to end the inning.

Boggs led off the top of the third by taking strike three to start. Heep whiffed but Kutcher drew a walk. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Espy lined out to third to start the bottom of the third before Fletcher grounded out to short. Palmeiro grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rice led off the top of the fourth by getting plunked before moving to second on a passed ball. Esasky whiffed again before Gedman went down hacking. Reed took strike three to end the inning after the Rangers telecast said Reed struck out only 21 times in 1988. Sierra flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Franco grounded out to short. Petralli dumped a base hit in front of Greenwell in left and Leach walked, but Buechele grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Romero and Boggs grounded out to second to start. The Sox got their first hit when Heep dumped a single to right. Kutcher drew another walk but Greenwell popped up to left to end the inning.

                                                Ryan allowed just 1 hit through 5

Stone grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Espy also grounded out to second. Clemens blew away Fletcher to end the inning.

                                              Clemens gets it done through 5

Ryan turned up the heat in the top of the sixth as Rice whiffed to start. Esasky earned the hat trick with his third strikeout and Gedman also went down hacking to end the inning. Clemens matched Ryan by catching Palmeiro looking to start the bottom of the sixth. Sierra grounded out to first and Heep reached into the stands to corral a Franco fly out to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Reed doubled just on the left field foul line to start. Romero failed to drop down a bunt but instead lashed a base hit to right. Sierra threw home but the throw was cut-off and Romero was caught in a rundown. Foolishly Reed tried for home and he got caught in a rundown. Reed motioned Romero to go to third but Ed didn't move from second and Reed was tagged out. Boggs was intentionally walked but Heep banged into a double play to end the inning. What the hell was Reed thinking?

                                                IDIOT!

Dwight Evans took over for Heep in the bottom of the seventh as Petralli took strike three to start. Leach whiffed but Buechele beat out a little roller to Romero for an infield single. Stone lined out to center to end the inning.

Ryan cruised in the top of the eighth as Kutcher swung at ball four to start. Greenwell flied out to right but Rice whiffed to end the inning. Ryan had thrown 136 pitches and allowed just the one run in 8 innings while striking out 11.

                                                     Ryan was tough

The Rangers took command in the bottom of the eighth as Espy dumped a base hit to left to start. Fletcher tried to bunt him over but popped up to first, but Palmeiro smashed a two run home run off the right field foul pole to give the Rangers the lead. Sierra flied out to center but Franco singled up the middle. Petralli took strike three to end the inning with the Rangers leading 2-1. Clemens went the distance but the two run home run was the difference in the game.

                                                 Dammit

Rangers closer Jeff Russell came on for the top of the ninth with Pete Incaviglia now in left field. Esasky earned the dubious golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout of the game to start. Gedman grounded out to second and Sam Horn pinch hit for Reed. Horn took strike three to end the game. The Rangers shocked the Sox to win the game 2-1.

                                                 Rangers win


Jackass of the Night is Nick Esasky. In a one run game he was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

                                                Golden Sombrero Jackass


The Good:

Ellis Burks had a hit by pitch before leaving.

Randy Kutcher walked twice in three plate appearances.

Ed Romero was 1 for 3.

One of the few times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Roger Clemens was outstanding. He threw a complete game 6 hitter with the one mistake being a two run homer by Palmeiro. He walked 2 and struck out 6.



The Bad:

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 4.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Sam Horn struck out to end the game.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but was plunked.

Wade Boggs was 0 for 2 but walked twice.

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 but got caught in a crucial rundown.

Danny Heep was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Dwight Evans played right field in the final two innings.




Final Thoughts:

Well this game was a kick to the gonads. The Sox weren't going to get much off of Ryan and Clemens kept pace for 7 innings. One bad pitch to Palmeiro ended up being the difference in the game because the Sox ran themselves into outs and couldn't get a clutch hit when it counted. The Sox would have been shut out if it wasn't for a bad pitch by Ryan. The Rangers started out hot in the month of April and basically found ways to win all month, today was no different. The Sox have found ways to lose all month, today was also no different. The Sox better get things in gear because you're not going to win the AL East playing mediocre baseball. The loss dropped the Sox to 10-12 for the month of April, 1 game behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Clemens and Ryan are due to meet again next week at Fenway but tomorrow the Sox head to Minnesota to play a set with the Twins. Oil Can Boyd (1-1) goes for the Sox up against Allan Anderson of the Twins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at the Metrodome.

Rangers Walkoff Sox in 12 Innings (4/28/89)

For 5 innings the Boston Red Sox were in complete control of this game against the Texas Rangers. Mike Boddicker had held the Rangers to just 2 runs at that point while the Sox were ahead 6-2. Then the wheels fell off as the Rangers chased Boddicker in the sixth and tied the game off Bob Stanley in the bottom of the eighth. With the game well past midnight and no end in sight, the game was suspended until the following morning. When action resumed, Julio Franco hit a walkoff home run against Rob Murphy (0-2, 3.95 ERA) to end the game once and for all. The Rangers needed 12 innings to beat the Red Sox 7-6 at Arlington Stadium.

                                                     Doc Brown can't believe it

The Sox exploded against Rangers starter Kevin Brown in the bottom of the first inning as Wade Boggs walked to start. Ed Romero doubled to left and Ellis Burks walked to load the bases. Mike Greenwell whiffed but Jim Rice scored Boggs with a ground out. Dwight Evans walked to reload the bases and Nick Esasky pounded a grand slam to put the Sox up big early. Jody Reed beat out an infield single to third but Rick Cerone took strike three to end the inning. Things looked good with the Sox ahead 5-0 already.

                                                              Esasky with the grand slam

The Rangers wasted no time getting back in the game against Boddicker in the bottom of the first as Cecil Espy struck out looking to start. Scott Fletcher walked and Rafael Palmeiro doubled him to third. Ruben Sierra scored Fletcher with a sac fly and Julio Franco singled home Palmeiro. Franco swiped second but Geno Petralli flied out to center to end the inning with the Rangers down 5-2.

                                                      Why can't the Sox have guys like this?

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Boggs grounded back to the mound to start. Romero grounded out to third but Steve Buechele booted a grounder by Burks for an error. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Pete Incaviglia was plunked to start the bottom of the second but Rick Leach flied out to left. Incaviglia stole second but Buechele took strike three. Espy grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third when Rice got a base hit to left to start and took second on the Evans strikeout. Esasky walked and that was it for Brown. Brad Arnsberg came in and Reed walked to load the bases. Cerone beat out a double play ball to score Rice and Boggs walked to re-load the bases. Naturally Romero grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                                  Rice scores a run

Boddicker cruised in the bottom of the third as Fletcher grounded out to second to start. Palmeiro lined out to first and Sierra popped up to center to end the inning.

Burks walked to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on the Greenwell grounder. Rice struck out swinging and Evans flied out to right to end the inning. Franco grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the second but Petralli and Incaviglia stroked back to back singles. Leach flied out to right and Buechele grounded out to short to end the inning.

Esasky flied out to right to start the top of the fifth then Reed flied out to left. Cerone walked to chase Arnsberg and Drew Hall got Boggs to strike out swinging to end the inning. Espy dropped down a bunt but then tackled Cerone trying to make the play, forcing the umpire to call him out on interference. Fletcher lined out to first but Palmeiro walked. Sierra flied out to right to end the inning.

Romero walked to start the top of the sixth but was thrown out trying to steal. Burks walked but Greenwell flied out to left and Rice flied out to center to end the inning. The Rangers fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Franco walked to start. Petralli flied out to right but Incaviglia singled to left to chase Boddicker. Bob Stanley came in and Leach singled home Franco to cut the lead. Buechele struck out swinging but both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Espy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Evans flied out to center to start. Esasky grounded out to third and Reed grounded out to second to end the inning. Fletcher walked to begin the bottom of the seventh but Palmeiro flied out to center. Sierra flied out to right and Franco grounded out to third to end the inning.

Kenny Rogers came in to pitch the top of the eighth and the Sox blew their best chance to ice the game. Cerone walked and Boggs singled to left to put two men on and nobody out. Marty Barrett pinch ran for Cerone and Romero moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Burks was intentionally walked to set up the double play...and naturally Greenwell hit into one to end the inning. Dammit!

                                                           Good going Mike.

Rich Gedman took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth and things looked good when Petralli whiffed to start. Incaviglia walked and Leach doubled him home to cut the lead, but Buechele struck out swinging. One out away from escaping the jam....Espy singled home Leach to chase Stanley. Lee Smith came in and Espy stole second before scoring on the Fletcher base hit to left to tie the game. Fletcher was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning but the Rangers tied it 6-6.

                                                        Nice going Stanley

Cecillo Guante came in to pitch the top of the ninth and struck out the side. Rice, Evans and Esasky all went down hacking in short order to end the inning. Palmeiro singled to center to put the winning run on in the bottom of the ninth but Sierrs flied out to right. Franco banged into a double play to end the inning.

Reed grounded back to the mound to start the top of the tenth and Gedman watched strike three go by. Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning. With the game heading toward 3 AM in Boston and well past midnight in Texas, the game was suspended until the following day. When action resumed in the bottom of the tenth, Rob Murphy was on the mound and Mike Stanley pinch hit for Petralli, getting a base hit to second. Jeff Stone pinch ran for Stanley and Incaviglia singled to center. Jeff Kunkel pinch hit for Leach and bunted both runners over. Murphy got a big out by striking out Buechele and Buddy Bell pinch hit for Espy and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jim Sundberg took over behind the plate for the top of the eleventh and Romero struck out swinging to start. Burks whiffed but Greenwell walked. Rice went down hacking to end the inning. Fletcher grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eleventh and Palmeiro flied out to left. Sierra lined out to left to end the inning.

Evans grounded out to third to open the top of the 12th inning then Esasky flied out to right. Reed popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. The game finally ended quickly in the bottom of the 12th inning. Franco hit a home run to South America to win the game. After all of that, the Rangers had won it 7-6.

                                                                  Damn it

Jackass of the Night is Rob Murphy. He allowed the home run to Franco to end the game.

                                                                     Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Ellis Burks walked 4 times and scored a run.

Rick Cerone walked twice and drove in a run.

Mike Boddicker was solid for 5 1/3 innings getting charged with 3 runs while striking out 2.

The Bad:

Rich Gedman struck out in his only plate appearance.

Bob Stanley allowed 3 runs of his own and let an inherited runner to score in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but walked twice and scored a run.

Ed Romero was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 5 but walked.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run and scored.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 5 but walked and scored a run.

Nick Esasky was just 1 for 5 with a walk but the one hit was a grand slam.

Jody Reed was just 1 for 5 but walked.

Lee Smith allowed the tying run to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett pinch ran for Cerone in the top of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox had a 6-2 lead and the Rangers starter out in the third inning yet still found a way to lose. The Rangers bullpen essentially tossed 9 2/3 scoreless innings. The Sox would have only needed 4 to have won the game. Hats off to the Rangers for pulling that off but that's terrible offense by the Sox to not score a single run after Kevin Brown was out of the game. Its not like the Rangers are known for their bullpen like the Oakland A's or New York Mets. Its been a bad month for the Sox as the Texas Rangers have been finding ways to win and the Sox finding ways to lose. Once again, give credit to the Rangers for not quitting when they lost their starter in the third inning. The Sox look to bounce back later tonight as it turns out when Wes Gardner (0-1) takes on Charlie Hough of the Rangers at 10:35 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Dopson, Sox Beat Orioles (4/14/89)

When the Boston Red Sox lost an angry Bruce Hurst to free agency, they needed to replace him big time. The Sox took a chance by trading for power-armed yet often injured John Dopson (2-0. 2.09 ERA). So far that trade has worked out. Dopson almost pitched 8 innings, allowing just 2 earned runs to earn his second win of the season. The Boston bats came alive to knock around Baltimore Orioles starter Dave Schmidt, led by Dwight Evans with 3 rbis. Dopson tired in the eighth inning and Bob Stanley came in to slam the door the rest of the way. The Sox had beaten the Orioles 7-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Laurie Wood approves of the win

The O's wasted no time getting to Dopson in the top of the first inning as old pal Brady Anderson lined out to right to start. Phil Bradley hit a home run all the way to Aruba to put Baltimore on top but Joe Orsulak grounded out to second. Cal Ripken Jr walked but Larry Sheets struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's ahead 1-0.

                                                          Bradley hits one out

Schmidt cruised in the top of the first as Wade Boggs led off with a lineout to right. Marty Barrett grounded out to short and Ellis Burks flied out to center to end the inning.

Dopson cruised in the top of the second as Mickey Tettleton struck out swinging to start. Jim Traber grounded back to the mound and Craig Worthington struck out swinging to end the inning. Mike Greenwell flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Jim Rice took first on a throwing error by Worthington. Dwight Evans lined out to left and Nick Esasky flied out to center to end the inning.

Rene Gonzales took strike three to begin the top of the third before Anderson grounded out to first. Bradley flied out to center to end the inning. Rich Gedman grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Jody Reed flied out to left. Boggs walked but Barrett forced him at second to end the inning.

Orsulak took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Ripken Jr grounded out to third. Sheets grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Burks beat a roller to third to start. Greenwell blooped a single to center but Rice popped up to shallow center. Evans hit a grounder in the hole at short to score Burks and Dwight was credited with a "double". Esasky grounded out to short to score Greenwell but Gedman popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                          Evans puts the Sox on top

The O's fought back in the top of the fifth as Tettleton popped up to third to start. Traber walked and Worthington doubled him home to tie the game. Gonzales popped up to shallow left and Anderson struck out swinging to end the inning. Reed popped up to third to begin the bottom of the fifth but Boggs doubled to left. Barrett and Burks both flied out to left to end the inning.

Bradley struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth before Orsulak grounded out to second. Ripken Jr walked but Sheets took strike three to end the inning. The Sox broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth as Greenwell and Rice stroked back to back base hits to start. Evans singled home Greenwell and took second on the Esasky grounder to the mound. Gedman scored Rice with a sac fly and Reed walked to chase Schmidt. Mark Thurmond came in and got Boggs to ground out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Evans drives in another run

Dopson cruised in the top of the seventh as Tettleton flied out to right to begin. Traber struck out swinging and Worthington flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Barrett and Burks both singled to right to start. Greenwell singled to center to score Barrett and Rice singled to right to score Burks although Jim got thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Evans ripped a base hit to right to score Greenwell but Esasky grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                              Rice drives in a run

Mike Devereaux pinch hit for Gonzales to start the top of the eighth and grounded out to third to start. Anderson grounded out to second but the wheels fell off for Dopson. Bradley walked, Orsulak hit a ground rule double to right and Bradley scored on a passed ball by Gedman. Ripken Jr hit a routine grounder to first and Esasky did a cannonball on the ball for an error to score Orsulak. That was it for Dopson as Bob Stanley came in to pitch. Sheets grounded out to second to end the inning. Dopson was victimized by bad defense but went 7 2/3 gutty innings, allowing 4 runs.

                                                          Dopson gets it done

Billy Ripken took over for Devereaux to begin the bottom of the eighth and Gedman popped up to third in foul territory to start. Reed and Boggs both flied out to center to end the inning. Stanley came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Tettleton grounded out to first to start. Traber lined out to left and Worthington grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-4.

Hero of the Night is Dwight Evans. He went 3 for 4 and drove in 3 big runs.

                                                           Dwight Hero

The Good:

Ellis Burks was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Mike Greenwell was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 3 runs scored.

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

John Dopson earned the win by allowing 2 earned runs (4 total) in 7 2/3 innings.

Bob Stanley earned the save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Nick Esasky was 0 for 4 with an error but drove in a run.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Jody Reed was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

It would be unfair to expect Dopson to be as good as Bruce Hurst was but the Sox are going to need him to be if they hope to repeat as AL East champions. The Sox offense was bolstered with Nick Esasky in the off-season but they need Dopson big time with Hurst gone. The offense was rolling today and hopefully they can ride this momentum to have a good month. The Sox stumbled out of the gate but hopefully a win like this could be the start of something good. Stanley slammed the door in tonight's game and the addition of Rob Murphy can only help Stanley as he turns 35 this coming November. All in all it was a good win and the Sox will look for another one tomorrow afternoon against Baltimore. Mike Boddicker (1-0) takes on Jeff Ballard of the O's at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.