Angels Sweep Sox (8/25/91)

Well this west coast trip began with a thud now didn't it? With the Boston Red Sox desperately needing some momentum heading into the home stretch, the Sox got swept out of Anaheim by the mediocre California Angels. Joe Hesketh (8-3, 3.69 ERA) had one of his worst starts all year as he allowed 7 runs and got knocked out in the fifth inning. Dennis Lamp gave up two big insurance runs and the normally light hitting Angels earned the sweep with a 9-5 victory at Anaheim Stadium.

                                            Judge Doom hates getting swept

Mark Langston got the start for the Angels and Wade Boggs started the top of the first with a ground out to first to start. Jody Reed grounded out to short but Carlos Quintana drew a walk. Jack Clark grounded out to third to end the inning. Hesketh got the Angels to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the first inning. Luis Polonia grounded out to first, Gary Gaetti grounded out to short and Wally Joyner grounded out to first to end the inning.

Phil Plantier walked to begin the top of the second but Ellis Burks banged into a double play. Tom Brunansky grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Dave Winfield doubled to begin the bottom of the second and moved to third on the Lance Parrish fly out. Hesketh got a big out when Junior Felix grounded out to third and Shawn Abner whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as John Marzano flied out to center to begin. Luis Rivera and Boggs stroked back to back singles before moving into scoring position on the Reed grounder. Quintana hit a routine fly to right but Felix dropped it to allow both runners to score and Carlos to reach second. Clark doubled home Quintana to increase the lead but got picked off to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                           Quintana scores a run

The Angels struck back in the bottom of the third as Luis Sojo flied out to right to start. Dick Schofield grounded out to third but Polonia walked. Gaetti pounded a home run to left to cut the lead. Joyner grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                           Home run Gaetti

The Sox answered in the top of the fourth as Plantier walked to start. Burks went down swinging but Bruno crushed his 14th home run of the year to increase the lead. Marzano singled to center but Rivera flied out to left. Boggs grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                 Brunansky hits one out

The Angels countered in the bottom of the fourth although Winfield grounded out to third to start. Parrish and Felix stroked back to back singles before the light hitting Abner crushed a 300,000,000 foot home run into the Fiji Islands to tie the game. Sojo grounded out to third but Schofield singled to center. Polonia popped up to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                     The light hitting Abner ties it

Mike Fetters took over for the top of the fifth and Reed lined out to third to begin. Quintana got a base hit up the middle but Clark banged into a double play to end the inning. The Angels knocked Hesketh out in the bottom of the fifth as Gaetti flied out to left to start. Joyner doubled and Winfield walked to chase Hesketh. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings and was charged with 7 runs. Dennis Lamp came in and poured gas on the fire as Parrish singled home Joyner, Felix singled home Winfield and Abner doubled home Parrish. Sojo flied out to left and Schofield flied out to center to end the inning with the Angels up 8-5.

                                                        Terrible effort by Hesketh

The Sox had one last chance to come back in the top of the sixth but Plantier grounded out to first to start. Burks took strike three but Brunansky walked. Marzano singled to bring the tying run to the plate but Rivera grounded out to second to end the inning. The Angels iced the game in the bottom of the sixth as Polonia took strike three to start. Gaetti hit one up the elevator shaft but Joyner tripled and Winfield doubled him home to wrap up the scoring. Parrish swung and missed for strike three but the Angels were up 9-5.

                                                     Not much relief tonight

Boston went quietly in the top of the seventh as Boggs popped up to short to start. Reed and Quintana both grounded out to third to end the inning. Tom Bolton came in for the bottom of the seventh inning and Felix grounded out to third to start. Abner whiffed and Sojo grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Clark flied out to right to start the top of the eighth before Plantier singled to center. Burks banged into a double play to end the inning. Bolton returned for the bottom of the eighth and cruised. Schofield grounded out to short, Polonia whiffed and Gaetti grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox did try to rally in the top of the ninth although Bruno popped up to second to begin. Marzano grounded out to second but Rivera beat out an infield single to second. Boggs drew a walk to chase Fetters. Mark Eichhorn came in to pitch with "Psycho" Steve Lyons pinch hitting for Reed. Lyons grounded out to first to end the game. The Angels completed the sweep over the frazzled Sox with a 9-5 win.

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

                                                       Lamp the Jackass



The Good:

Carlos Quintana was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

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

Tom Brunansky was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

John Marzano was 2 for 4.

Luis Rivera was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Tom Bolton tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Jody Reed was 0 for 4.

Steve Lyons was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Joe Hesketh got creamed for 7 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. He gave up 7 hits and walked two batters.



The Ugly:

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

Jack Clark was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.



Final Thoughts:

Well this west coast trip is off to a caterwauling of nonsense. The Sox needed to win 2 of 3 to keep pace with the Toronto Blue Jays and instead they fell further behind. Unless the Sox go on a tear in September, it doesn't look like the Sox will be repeating as AL East champions. If they kept Mike Boddicker and left Matt Young on the scrap heap, maybe they'd be frontrunners for the playoffs. As it is, they may not have enough to get it done this year. Its too bad their two big free agent signings on the pitching side, Young and Danny Darwin, fell flat on their faces. The loss dropped the Sox back to .500 at 62-62, 5.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox travel to Oakland to continue their road trip and Roger Clemens (12-8) goes up against Mike Moore at 10:05 PM Eastern Time at Oakland Coliseum.

McCaskill, Angels Outduels Morton & Red Sox (8/24/91)

What year is this? 5 years ago if Kirk McCaskill of the California Angels shut down the Boston Red Sox in a season he went 17-10 it would have been par for the course. This season Kirk has already lost 16 games and appears to be headed on the downside of his career. Plus, if you told me before the game that Kevin Morton (3-2, 4.41 ERA) would toss 7 innings and allow just 1 run, I'd have asked how much the Sox won by. As it was, McCaskill turned back the clock 5 years to toss 8 innings of shutout ball. Bryan Harvey slammed the door as the Sox mustered just 4 total hits and got blanked by the Angels 1-0 at Anaheim Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

McCaskill began his dominance in the top of the first as Wade Boggs lined out to left to start. Jody Reed grounded out to short and Phil Plantier grounded out to first to end the inning. Morton got the ball in the bottom of the first and Luis Polonia beat out an infield single to first. Luis Sojo grounded into a double play and Wally Joyner took strike three to end the inning.

Jack Clark popped up to first to start the top of the second before Mike Greenwell flied out to center. Mo Vaughn got a base hit to center but Ellis Burks flied out to right to end the inning. Gary Gaetti walked to open the bottom of the second but Dave Winfield flied out to left. Dave Gallagher flied out to right and Shawn Abner flied out to left to end the inning.

John Marzano grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Luis Rivera grounded out to first. Boggs singled to left but Reed popped up to short to end the inning. Dick Schofield Jr walked to begin the bottom of the third but Ron Tingley grounded back to the mound. Polonia took strike three before Sojo grounded out to second to end the inning.

McCaskill cruised in the top of the fourth as Plantier popped up to short to start. Clark flied out to right and Greenwell was thrown out at second after reaching on a fielding error by Joyner to end the inning.

                                                 Stop getting thrown out at second

Morton kept pace in the bottom of the fourth as Joyner flied out to left to start. Gaetti popped up to short but Winfield walked. Gallagher flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth as Vaughn grounded out to third to start. Burks grounded out to short and Marzano grounded out to second to end the inning. Morton dominated the bottom of the fifth as Abner lined out to third to start. Schofield Jr popped up to Greenwell in foul territory and Tingley whiffed to end the inning.

                                                       Morton getting it done

Rivera whiffed to start the top of the sixth before Boggs flied out to left. Reed lined one off the glove of McCaskill but Schofield Jr threw him out at first to end the inning. Polonia struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Sojo popped up to short. Joyner grounded out to second to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the seventh as Plantier flied out to center to start. Clark took strike three and Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning. The Angels finally tagged Morton in the bottom of the seventh although Gaetti hit a squibber in front of the mound to start. Winfield then clobbered a 4 million foot home run into the Pacific Ocean to give the Angels the lead. Gallagher popped up to first and Abner grounded out to short to end the inning. Morton pitched his ass off but left trailing 1-0 after 7 innings.

                                                      Morton deserved better

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the eighth although Vaughn grounded out to short to start. Burks singled to left to put the tying run on but Marzano flied out to left. Steve Lyons pinch hit for Rivera and popped up to right in foul territory to end the inning. McCaskill tossed 8 innings of shut-out ball and the Sox couldn't touch him. Greg Harris came in for the bottom of the eighth with Lyons taking over at second with Reed moving to short. Schofield Jr grounded out to short to start but Tingley singled to center. A wild pitch moved Tingley to second before moving to third on the Polonia grounder to first. Sojo grounded out to third to end the inning.

Bryan Harvey came in to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox tried to rally when Boggs led off with a double to center. Reed did his job with a sacrifice bunt to move Boggs to third....but Plantier lined out to first. Clark lined out to second to end the game. The Angels had won it 1-0.

Jackass of the Night is Phil Plantier. All he had to do was hit a grounder or a fly ball and the game would have been tied but instead he went 0 for 4 and failed to get Boggs home in the ninth.

                                                 Plantier the Jackass



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3.

Ellis Burks was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Kevin Morton pitched great. The rookie allowed just 1 run in 7 innings on just 2 hits and 3 walks.

Greg Harris pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

Jody Reed was 0 for 3.

Jack Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3.

John Marzano was 0 for 3.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Steve Lyons was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

None




Final Thoughts:

Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. Morton pitched his ass off in this one and the Sox offense failed to pick him up. They made McCaskill look like his 1986 self and getting just 4 hits is unacceptable. The Sox normally can score runs so what in the world was that? Even so, the Sox had their chance in the ninth but Plantier and Clark blew that completely. Its a shame and its just another frustrating loss in a season full of them. The Sox have 39 games left in the season but they just seem off compared to last year. They can still go on a run but they are definitely missing Mike Boddicker this season. The only positive to come from this apart from Morton's performance was the game sucked but at least it was short. The loss dropped the Sox to 62-61, 4.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon against the Angels. Joe Hesketh (8-2, 3.22 ERA) goes for the Sox up against Mark Langston of the Angels at 4:05 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Sox Edge Royals Amidst Protest (4/28/91)

Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox was supposed to pitch tonight but his suspension stemming from last year's ALCS disaster was held up. Instead Dana Kiecker (1-0, 2.92 ERA) got the spot start and held the Kansas City Royals to 1 run in 5 1/3 innings. The Boston bullpen tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings to hold the fort. The Sox were held to just two runs by Storm Davis and Tom Gordon but they were enough to win the game. The game was delayed by rain for two hours deep into the night and by the ninth inning, the Sox were playing under protest. MLB said duly noted but play the game. Mike Greenwell drove in the only two runs Kiecker and the bullpen needed as the Sox defeated the Royals 2-1 at Royals Stadium while under protest.

                                                             "I protest, Brother!"

Davis took the mound in the top of the first and the Sox wasted no time getting to him. Wade Boggs led off with a base bit past the diving Kurt Stillwell to start. Bill Pecota bobbled a line shot by Jody Reed which allowed Jody to reach on the error. Mike Greenwell dumped a base hit to right to score Boggs with the game's first run. Jack Clark walked to load the bases but Ellis Burks popped up to a running Danny Tartabull. Tom Brunansky popped up to second and Mike Marshall grounded out to second to end the inning. A disappointing rally but the Sox still led 1-0.

                                                           Boggs scores a run

The Royals struck back in the bottom of the first against Kiecker as Jim Eisenreich hit a ground ball up the middle for a base hit. Eisenreich stole second and moved to third on the Bill Pecota grounder. Aa the rain came pouring down, Danny Tartabull ripped a 410 foot double off the centerfield wall to tie the game. Kirk Gibson grounded out to second to advance Tartabull to third but Warren Cromartie grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                         Tartabull ties it up

The Sox threatened in the top of the second inning as Tony Pena grounded out to short to start. Tim Naehring popped up to first but Boggs singled in the hole at short. Reed singled off the glove of Pecota and Greenwell lashed a base hit to right. Unlike his father, Danny Tartabull has a cannon arm so Boggs held at third. Clark grounded out to third to end the inning. The tarp was put on the field for a rain delay and 2 hours later, play resumed. Kiecker returned for the bottom of the second and Kurt Stillwell hit a line drive snared at the left field wall by Greenwell. Mike Macfarlane looked at a curveball on the inside corner for strike three and Brian McRae whiffed at a ball in the dirt to end the inning.

Tom Gordon came in to pitch the top of the third and Burks took strike three to start. Brunansky drew a walk and wiped out Shumpert to break up a double play ball by Marshall. Pena took strike three to end the inning. Terry Shumpert flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Eisenreich grounded out to short. Pecota walked but Tartabull whiffed on a nasty slider to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Naehring flied out to left to start. Boggs doubled and Reed singled him to third before Wade scored on the Greenwell grounder. Clark walked and Burks grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                     Sox take the lead

Kiecker returned for the bottom of the fourth and Gibson grounded back to the mound to start. Cromartie grounded out to short and Stillwell took strike three to end the inning.

Brunansky led off the top of the fifth with a fly out to shallow center to start. ESPN analyst Jon Miller says Mike Marshall is unhappy and wants out of Boston and Sox general manager Lou Gorman told Mike that no one's asking for him, ouch. Marshall whiffed and Pena flied out to center to end the inning. Macfarlane beat out an infield single to third to start the bottom of the fifth but McRae banged into a double play. Shumpert struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Naehring popped up to first to start. Boggs grounded back to the mound and Reed popped up to second to end the inning. Kiecker was chased in the bottom of the sixth as Eisenreich singled to right to start. Pecota singled up the middle but Tartabull whiffed. That was it for Kiecker after 5 2/3 innings of a rain shortened start. Tony Fossas came in to pitch to Gibson and he check swing grounded back to Tony to move the runners over. Russ Morman pinch hit for Cromartie and he popped up to center to end the inning.

                                                    "Damn rain, I shoulda been in longer" - DK

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Greenwell tripled past the diving McRae to start. Clark took strike three and Burks whiffed, but Brunansky drew a walk. Marshall check swing grounded back to Gordon to end the inning. Carlos Quintana came in to play first with Jeff Gray now in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Quintana immediately helped as he made a great play to rob Stillwell of extra bases to start. MacFarlane flied out to the left field wall and McRae lined out to right to end the inning.

Pena flied out to right to start the top of the eighth and Naehring grounded out to short, but Boggs singled off the diving Shumpert. Reed grounded into a force to end the inning. Gray returned for the bottom of the eighth as Shumpert flied out to right to start. Eisenreich singled up the middle and Terry Puhl pinch hit for Pecota. Gray struck out Puhl swinging and Sox manager Joe Morgan decided to bring in Jeff Reardon for the four out save. Reardon walked Tartabull but Gibson popped up to Greenwell to end the inning.

Paul Zuvella took over at third to start the top of the ninth and Greenwell popped up to Tartabull to start. Clark lined a broken bat base hit up the middle and "Psycho" Steve Lyons pinch ran for him. Burks waived at a pitch on the outside corner to earn the hat trick of three strikeouts. Brunansky took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Gordon had allowed just 1 run in 7 innings, nice offense Sox. Reardon came back to close out the bottom of the ninth as Morman lined out to a running Burks to start. Kurt Stillwell singled in the hole at second and Gary Thurman pinch ran for him. Reardon hit MacFarlane on the wrist and David Howard ran for him. All of a sudden Joe Morgan bolted out of the dugout and started ripping his clothes off screaming that MacFarlane never touched first after getting hit. Joe Morgan the ESPN analyst says Morgan the manager was right although the umpires told the manager to scram. McRae then banged into a double play to end the game. After all of that, the Sox had won it 2-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Wade Boggs. He was 4 for 5 and scored both of the runs the Sox scored.

                                                   Wade Hero

The Good:

Jody Reed was 2 for 5.

Mike Greenwell was 3 for 5 and drove in both runs.

Jack Clark was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Dana Kiecker got the win with 5 1/3 innings of 1 run ball, surviving the rain delay as long as he could.

Tony Fossas got the final two outs of the sixth inning.

Jeff Gray pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Jeff Reardon earned his seventh save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Ellis Burks was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mike Marshall was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Pena was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.

Honorable Mention:

Steve Lyons pinch ran for Jack Clark in the top of the ninth.

Carlos Quintana played first base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

That was a weird game and once again the Boston bats did virtually nothing. Dana Kiecker tossed a gutty game and once again the trio of Fossas, Gray and Reardon had to save the day. Burks looked like he was swinging at air and Marshall didn't do his trade value any good by going 0 for 4. Gotta feel bad for the poor Royals fans in the ninth inning that had to listen to both managers piss and moan about certain calls. There's no instant replay so what they say is final. The Sox desperately need some offensive help if they hope to compete this year. What they displayed this month didn't cut it. Its a shame the offense has been so bad because the pitching was that good. This game was a microcosm of that as they won yet another close game 2-1. The Sox have one game left this month and its Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins. Matt Young gets the start for the Sox against Allan Anderson of the Twins. The game begins Tuesday night at 8 PM Eastern time at the Metrodome.

Sox Survive Scary Ninth, Beat Royals (4/27/91)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins lost Game 6 of their NHL Playoff second round series against the Montreal Canadiens. The good news was Jack Clark finally got his head on straight and helped the Boston Red Sox defeat the Kansas City Royals. Tom Bolton (2-0, 1.47 ERA) tossed 6 solid innings of 1 run ball to keep the Sox in front. Kevin Romine broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with a 2 run pinch hit single and Clark hit the 3 run killshot in the eighth inning. The Royals put up a huge fight in the ninth inning but Jeff Reardon was able to slam the door on the 6-4 victory over the Royals at Royals Stadium.

                                                                 Peg Bundy approves of the win

Royals starter Kevin Appier took the ball in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs flied out to left to start. Jody Reed flied out to center and Mike Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning. Bolton started strong in the bottom of the first as Jim Eisenreich grounded out to short to start. Gary Thurman also grounded out to short and Danny Tartabull struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Jack Clark grounded back to the mound to start. Ellis Burks singled to center but Tom Brunansky took strike three. Mike Marshall doubled home Burks to give the Sox the lead. Tony Pena singled to center but Marshall was thrown at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                YERRRR OUT!

The Royals answered in the bottom of the second as Kirk Gibson flied out to right to start. Mike Macfarlane singled and took second on the ground out by Russ Morman. Bill Pecota singled in the hole at short to score Macfarlane to tie the game. Kurt Stillwell grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           MacFarlane scores to tie it

Tim Naehring took strike three to start the top of the third but Boggs drew a walk. Reed flied out to center but Greenwell singled up the middle. Clark walked to load the bases but Burks popped up to right to end the inning. Terry Shumpert grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the third and Eisenreich flied out to center. Thurman walked but Tartabull flied out to center to end the inning.

Brunansky led off the top of the fourth with a pop up to second to begin. Marshall singled to center and moved to second on the grounder by Pena. Naehring grounded out to short to end the inning. Bolton froze Gibson for strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and Macfarlane flied out to left. Morman popped up to second to end the inning.

Boggs took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Reed grounded out to third. Greenwell and Clark drew back to back walks but Burks whiffed to end the inning. Pecota lined out to right to start the bottom of the fifth and Stillwell took strike three. Shumpert walked but Eisenreich took strike three to end the inning.

Brunansky started the top of the sixth by walking to chase Appier. Steve Crawford came in and both Marshall and Pena singled to load the bases with nobody out. Steve Lyons came in to pinch hit for Tim Naehring but the Royals countered by bringing in Dan Schatzeder to pitch. Sox manager Joe Morgan countered by pulling back Lyons and sending in Kevin Romine to pinch hit. Romine lined a base hit to score Marshall and Brunansky to give the Sox the lead. Boggs banged into a double play and Reed popped up to right to end the inning but the Sox led 3-1.

                                                               Romine gives the Sox the lead

Luis Rivera came in to play short in the bottom of the sixth as Thurman grounded out to short to start. Tartabull flied out to left and Gibson popped up to second to end the inning.

Greenwell grounded out to short to begin the top of the seventh but Clark walked to chase Schatzeder. Luis Aquino came in and Burks was plunked but Brunansky flied out to left. Marshall singled to right to load the bases but Pena flied out to center to end the inning. A frustrated Marshall left the game and was replaced by Carlos Quintana to start the bottom of the seventh. The Royals chased Bolton when Macfarlane doubled to left and Morman hit a bloop single to short. Joe Hesketh managed to Houdini his way out of trouble after Pecota sacrificed both runners along with a bunt. Stilwell walked to load the bases but Shumpert and Eisenreich both whiffed to end the inning. Bolton ended up tossing 6 innings while being charged with just one run.

                                                            Bolton does a good job

The Sox looked to have put the game away in the top of the eighth although Rivera grounded back to the mound to start. Boggs walked but was forced at second by Reed. Greenwell walked but Clark smashed his third home run of the year to put the Sox up big. Burks drilled a single to right but Brunansky flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                                  Big home run by Clark

Thurman began the bottom of the eighth by striking out swinging. Tartabull also went down hacking but Gibson walked. Macfarlane flied out to center to end the inning.

Quintana doubled to center to start the top of the ninth and moved to third on the Pena grounder. Quintana was stranded as Rivera grounded out to second and Mike Magnante came in to pitch. Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning. Hesketh returned for the bottom of the ninth and all hell broke loose. Morman struck out swinging but Pecota walked. Stillwell doubled to right and Shumpert singled home Pecota. Hesketh picked off Pecota but Eisenreich singled home Stillwell to cut the lead in half and chase Hesketh. Jeff Reardon was summoned to close out the game and Warren Cromartie pinch hit for Thurman. Cromartie hit a routine grounder to Quintana...UNDER HIS GLOVE. The should be game ender ended up bringing the tying run to the plate. Tartabull singled home Eisenreich to put the tying runs on. Brian McRae pinch ran for Tartabull but Gibson whiffed to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win it 6-4.

Hero of the Night is Jack Clark. His three run home run was the difference in the game

                                                                  Jack The Hero

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Ellis Burks was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

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

Tony Pena was 2 for 5.

Kevin Romine knocked in two runs with a pinch hit single.

Tom Bolton picked up the win with 6 innings of 1 run ball.

Jeff Reardon earned his sixth save by getting the final out of the bottom of the ninth.

The Bad:

Tim Naehring was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Joe Hesketh allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice.

Jody Reed was 0 for 5 but scored a run.

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 4 with with a strikeout but walked and scored.

Carlos Quintana singled in his only at-bat but his error led to a run scoring in the bottom of the ninth.

Honorable Mention:

Steve Lyons "pinch hit" for Tim Naehring in the top of the sixth.

Final Thoughts:

As the month comes to a close, its very obvious the Sox are in desperate need of some offense to match the pitching. Roger Clemens had one of the best months in Major League history but he can only go once every few days. The other starters including Tom Bolton stepped up big and so did the trio of Tony Fossas, Jeff Gray and Jeff Reardon. The Sox offensive woes need to be addressed if they have any hope of repeating as AL East champs. Bolton pitched well tonight and Clark finally delivered a meaningful longball for the first time since Opening Day really. Hopefully after he got fined a grand for going nuts on a toilet, it woke him up to start getting it together. Hesketh got lit up but it was his first bad game in almost 3 weeks so hopefully that was just a hiccup. It was a good win and the Sox look to make it two in a row tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. The Sox don't know who's pitching because its supposed to be Roger Clemens, but his suspension may or may not be served starting tomorrow. Storm Davis of the Royals will be pitching for KC at 9:05 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

Jays Snap Streak, Beat Sox (4/24/91)

It was fun while it lasted as the Boston Red Sox winning streak was snapped by the Toronto Blue Jays. The anemic Red Sox offense was held to just 1 run by Dave Steib and the Toronto bullpen. Matt Young (0-1, 2.37 ERA) got lit up for 5 runs in 5 innings while walking 5 batters before he got knocked out in the sixth inning. The Sox offense managed to get 9 hits but none in the clutch as they dropped the game 6-1 to the Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

                                                        "Can this team score runs?"

The Jays wasted no time attacking Young in the top of the first as Devon White set the tone with a walk to start. Roberto Alomar flied out to center but Kelly Gruber grounded out to third. Carter singled White to third and Devon scored on a passed ball to give the Jays the lead. Pat Tabler walked and Mark Whiten struck out looking to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                          Catch the damn ball!

Stieb got the Sox to beat the ball in the dirt to start the bottom of the first. Wade Boggs grounded out to first, Steve Lyons grounded out to second and Mike Greenwell grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Glenallen Hill grounded back to the mound to start the top of the second and Pat Borders struck out swinging. Manuel Lee walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Jack Clark grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Ellis Burks singled to center. Tom Brunansky walked but Carlos Quintana forced Bruno at second. Luis Rivera flied out to left to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the third as White walked to start and Alomar sacrificed him to second. Another passed ball moved White to third and he scored on the sac fly by Gruber. Carter struck out looking to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                     "That's two passed balls on one catcher in three innings...that aint funny" - MY

Marzano atoned for his passed balls with a swinging bunt base hit to start the bottom of the third. Boggs doubled John to third but nobody moved on the Lyons grounder to first. Greenwell flied out to center and Marzano got caught in a rundown to end the inning.

                                                              Not having a good day

Tabler lined out to left to start the top of the fourth and Whiten grounded out to short. Hill flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Clark walked to start. Burks hit one up the elevator shaft but Brunansky reached on an error by the shortstop. Quintana forced Bruno at second but Rivera singled home Clark to cut the lead. Marzano struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                                  Rivera drives in a run

The Jays used some more small ball to add another run in the top of the fifth although Borders grounded out to third to start. Lee singled to center and White doubled him to third before Manuel scored on the ground out by Alomar to increase the lead. Gruber whiffed to end the inning with the Jays up 3-1.

                                                              Double by White

Boggs flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Lyons grounded out to second. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Jays finished off Young in the top of the sixth as Carter singled to center to start. Tabler walked and Sox manager Joe Morgan had enough of Young. Matt would be charged with 5 runs in just 5 plus innings of work. Dana Kiecker came in and poured gas on the fire as Whiten singled home Tabler and advanced Whiten to third. Hill scored Whiten with a sac fly to ice the game. Borders singled to left and both runners advanced on a balk. Lee whiffed and White grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 5-1.

                                                             Not Young's finest hour

Clark took strike three to start the bottom of the sixth and Burks whiffed. Brunansky and Quintana stroked back to back singles but Rivera flied out to right to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the seventh as Alomar lined out to left to start. Gruber flied out to left but Carter walked. Carter stole second and scored on the base hit by Tabler to wrap up the scoring. Whiten singled to left and Hill walked to load the bases, but Borders went down hacking to end the inning with the Jays up 6-1.

                                                           Not much relief

Mike Timlin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Marzano grounded out to short to start. Boggs grounded out to second but Lyons singled to right. Greenwell flied out to center to end the inning.

Lee grounded out to first to start the top of the eighth and White took strike three. Alomar struck out swinging to end the inning. Clark grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth and Burks did the same. Brunansky struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tony Fossas came in for the top of the ninth and Gruber grounded out to short to start. Carter singled to left but Tabler banged into a double play to end the inning. Duane Ward came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Quintana whiffed to start. Rivera went down hacking but Marzano singled to center. Boggs doubled Marzano to third but Lyons whiffed to end the game. The Jays had won it 6-1.

Jackass of the Night is Dana Kiecker. He allowed 2 inherited runs to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                                          Jackass Kiecker

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5.

Tom Brunansky was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Tony Fossas pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 4.

Matt Young took the loss by allowing 5 runs (3 earned) while getting knocked out in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Steve Lyons was just 1 for 5.

Jack Clark was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carlos Quintana was just 1 for 4.

Luis Rivera was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

John Marzano was 2 for 4 but allowed 2 passed balls and got caught in a rundown.

Final Thoughts:

This game was a boot to the head. Young didn't pitch too bad but Marzano couldn't catch a cold or run the bases. The key was Kiecker not being able to keep it a 3-1 game, maybe it turns out differently if it was a 2 run game instead of 5 by the end. This was not a game to look on with fondness, that's for sure. The offense has been abysmal pretty much most of April and today was no different. They didn't have  Roger Clemens type of effort to bail them out this time. At least Boggs is starting to find his stroke, can the rest of them join in please? After an off-day the Sox look to bounce back Friday night in Kansas City in a set with the Royals. Greg Harris looks to build on his last start when he takes the ball against old friend Mike Boddicker of the Royals. The game begins at 8:05 PM at Royals Stadium.

Sox Edge Indians (4/20/91)

After a rainout postponed yesterday's game to August, today the Sox continued their string of good pitching against the Cleveland Indians. This time it was Greg Harris (1-2, 3.31 ERA) who tossed 6 shutout innings against the Indians. Tom Candiotti was tough on the Sox allowing just two runs in 7 innings, but those two runs just happened to be enough. Carlos Quintana and Mike Greenwell knocked in the crucial runs, Jeff Gray and Jeff Reardon slammed the door and the Sox had taken the game 2-1 at Cleveland Stadium.

                                                             Stacy Arthur approves of the win

Candiotti took the mound in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs led off by lining out to short. Steve Lyons made his season debut by popping up to short. Mike Greenwell singled to third and a passed ball moved him to second. Jack Clark walked but Ellis Burks struck out swinging to end the inning. Harris took the mound in the bottom of the first and Alex Cole struck out swinging to start. Jerry Browne popped up to left in foul territory and Chris James struck out looking to end the inning.

Tom Brunansky flied out to center to begin the top of the second and Carlos Quintana grounded out to second. Tony Pena walked but Tim Naehring grounded into a force to end the inning. Albert Belle grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second but Brook Jacoby doubled to left. Carlos Baerga walked and Sandy Alomar was plunked to load the bases. Felix Fermin banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Boggs doubled to left to start. Lyons popped up to second in shallow right but Greenwell singled home Boggs to give the Sox the lead. Jack Clark flied out to right and Greenwell was picked off first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                          Greenwell drives in a run

Mitch Webster struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Cole grounded back to the mound. Browne grounded out to short to end the inning.

Burks grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth inning and Brunansky struck out swinging. Quintana flied out to center to end the inning. The Indians threatened in the bottom of the fourth as James singled in the hole at short to start. Belle walked but Jacoby messed up the bunt and James was thrown out at third. Belle got picked off second and Baerga popped up to second to end the inning.

Pena hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fifth and Naehring struck out looking. Boggs and Lyons stroked back to back singles but Greenwell popped up to Alomar to end the inning. Alomar flied out to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Fermin singled to second and stole second base. Fermin moved to third on the Webster grounder but Cole grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Clark flied out to center to start. Burks singled to left and took second when Belle booted the ball. Brunansky grounded out to third but Quintana doubled to left to score Burks with the insurance run. Pena flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                            Quintana with an rbi double

Harris returned for one more inning in the bottom of the sixth as Browne grounded out to first to start. James walked and Belle hit a routine grounder to Naehring who picked the ball up and dove on the ground with it for an error. Jacoby popped up to second and Baerga lined out to first to end the inning. Good work by Harris to throw 6 shutout innings to keep the Sox in front.

                                                                 Harris goes 6 strong

Naehring popped up to second to start the top of the seventh and Boggs grounded out to short. Lyons drew a walk and Greenwell popped up to third to end the inning. Jeff Gray came in for the bottom of the seventh and Alomar hit a routine grounder to Naehring who ran and jumped on third base for an error. Fermin flied out to center and Webster struck out swinging, but Cole singled past the diving Naehring. Browne singled down the right field line to score Alomar but Cole tried to score from first and was caught in a rundown to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 2-1.

                                                    "Catch the damn ball Naehring!"

Steve Olin came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Clark grounded out to third to start. Burks walked but Brunansky was called out on catcher interference. Quintana grounded out to second to end the inning. Gray returned for the bottom of the eighth and James grounded out to short to start. Belle whiffed and Jacoby popped up to short to end the inning.

Olin came back for the top of the ninth and Pena popped up to first to start. Naehring walked but was forced at second by Boggs. Lyons flied out to right to end the inning. Jeff Reardon came in for the save in the bottom of the ninth and Baerga popped up to second to start. Alomar flied out to left and Beau Allred pinch hit for Fermin. Reardon punched out Allred to end the game. The Sox had won it 2-1.

Hero of the Night is Greg Harris. He tossed 6 shutout innings on a day the Sox offense accomplished almost nothing.

                                                                   Harris Hero

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Ellis Burks was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jeff Reardon earned his 3rd save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Steve Lyons was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Jack Clark was 0 for 3 but walked.

Carlos Quintana was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Tony Pena was 0 for 3 but walked.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 3 with 2 errors but walked.

Jeff Gray allowed an unearned run in two innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox offense continues to struggle but they're getting good pitching lately to keep them afloat. This can't possibly last and the Sox are gonna have to do something to generate some offense. This looks like last year already and Jack Clark so far has made little difference. The sad part is the acquisitions of Matt Young, Danny Darwin and Clark were supposed to offset the losses of Mike Boddicker, Dwight Evans and in essence Bruce Hurst. Still, its too early in the season to judge and the Sox still won the game. Harris pitched a heck of a game and take nothing away from that. The Sox look to make it 5 wins in a row tomorrow against the Indians when they send Dana Kiecker to the mound opposite Charles Nagy at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Cleveland Stadium.

Clemens, Sox Down Orioles (6/21/86)

The Boston Red Sox are in a bit of a pickle after losing not only Bruce Hurst, Sammy Stewart and Al Nipper in the span of a month but Mike Brown took a line drive off the arm last night to add him to the growing injury list. Needing a big win after last night's disaster, Roger Clemens (13-0, 2.18 ERA) continued his dominating season with an 8 inning gem against the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox blasted O's starter Ken Dixon for 4 first inning runs to set the tone and got a sac fly by Rich Gedman in the fourth to pretty much ice the game. Without Wade Boggs, who is still grieving the death of his mother, the Sox got another two runs off the Orioles bullpen in the eighth and Bob Stanley slammed the door in the ninth to give Boston a 7-3 victory over Baltimore at Fenway Park.

                                                        So far its been true

Clemens got the ball in the top of the first and Tom O'Malley took strike three on the outside corner to start. Juan Beniquez whiffed on a 95 mph fastball and Jim Dwyer flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox blitzed Ken Dixon in the bottom of the first as Marty Barrett led off by striking out swinging. Ed Romero hit one under the glove of Dixon and beat out the throw to first for a "single." Bill Buckner slapped a base hit to right to move Romero to third but Jim Rice popped up to Juan Bonilla in foul territory. Don Baylor swung and missed for strike three....but the ball got away from catcher Rick Dempsey. Romero scored and Baylor was safe at first. Evans made Dixon play by clubbing his 8th home run of the season into the screen in left to increase the lead. Tony Armas struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-0.

                                                          Evans hits a three run bomb

The Orioles beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second as Eddie Murray grounded out to second to begin. Cal Ripken Jr grounded out to short and Larry Sheets hit a comebacker to Clemens who threw to first to end the inning. NBC posted a graphic of everyone on the Disabled List for the Sox with Bruce Hurst pulling a groin on June 1st, Al Nipper was spiked by Larry Parrish on May 19th, Sammy Stewart pulled a muscle in his forearm the same game Hurst got hurt, Wes Gardner got hurt in Spring Training and Glenn Hoffman has a cardiac issue. Rich Gedman led off by striking out swinging before Rey Quinones flied out to center. Barrett popped up to right field to end the inning.

Mike Young flied out to a running Armas to start the top of the third before Bonilla singled in the hole at second. Dempsey struck out swinging and O'Malley grounded out to third to end the inning. Barrett flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Buckner also flied out to right. Rice completed the trifecta with a fly out to right to end the inning.

The O's struck back in the top of the fourth as Beniquez walked to start. Dwyer dumped a base hit to right to move Juan to third but Murray lined out to Quinones. Ripken hit a seeing eye single through the hole at short to score Beniquez. Sheets slapped a base hit to right to load the bases but Young took strike three. Bonilla grounded into a force to end the inning with the O's down 4-1.

                                                          O's get a run back

The Sox answered in the top of the fifth as Baylor walked to start. Evans struck out swinging but Armas walked on a pitch that got away which allowed Don to reach third. Gedman hit a sac fly to left to score Baylor to increase the lead, but Quinones popped up to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                          Baylor scores a run

Dempsey popped up to second to start the top of the fifth before O'Malley grounded out to second. Beniquez also popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Barrett popped up to Murray to start. Romero popped up to short and Buckner flied out to left to end the inning.

Dwyer led off the top of the sixth with a fly out to center but Quinones threw high of first on a grounder hit by Murray for an error. A wild pitch moved Murray to second but Ripken popped up to Buckner in foul territory. Sheets struck out swinging to end the inning. Rice led off the bottom of the sixth with a pop up to center and Baylor hit one up the elevator shaft. Dixon threw over the head of Evans and Dwight took a dim view of that, pointing at him and having to be restrained by the umpires. When cooler heads prevailed, Evans hit a seeing eye single into left field. Armas struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                               "I've had it up to HERE with Dixon" - Evans

The O's got another run in the top of the seventh as Young grounded out to first to start. Bonilla beat out an infield single to short but Dempsey struck out swinging. O'Malley walked and Beniquez dumped a base hit to center to score Bonilla. Dwyer popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                           Old pal Beniquez

Gedman walked to start the bottom of the seventh and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Quinones. Barrett popped up to left. Romero grounded out to short to end the inning.

Clemens returned for one last inning in the top of the eighth with Steve Lyons now playing centerfield. Murray led off with a walk but Ripken flied out to right. Murray moved to second on the grounder to Buckner by Sheets and Buckner robbed a hit from Young with a great stab & throw to Clemens to end the inning. Roger was outstanding, going 8 strong innings while allowing 2 runs while striking out six batters.

                                                        Clemens goes above and beyond

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Buckner hit a pop up that Young lost in the sun. It hit off the glove of Young for a "double" and Buckner moved to third on the fly out to the centerfield triangle by Rice. Baylor hit a foul ball about 500 feet just foul and O's manager Earl Weaver decided to pull the plug on Dixon before the next pitch was hit that far but fair. Nate Snell came in and immediately plunked Baylor before Evans singled to center to score Buckner, moving Baylor to third. That was it for Snell and Weaver brought in Brad Havens to pitch to Lyons. Steve scored Baylor with a sac fly to center and Evans promptly stole second. Gedman grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                            Baylor scores the final run

Bob Stanley came in to close out the top of the ninth and Bonilla grounded out to short to start. Al Pardo pinch hit for Dempsey and grounded out to short as well. Tom O'Malley grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-2.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of the Night is Roger Clemens. He tossed 8 innings of 2 run ball allowing 6 hits while walking three. He also struck out six batters.

                                                              Hero Rocket

The Good:

Bill Buckner was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Don Baylor walked, was hit with a pitch and scored 3 runs.

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

Steve Lyons drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Bob Stanley pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4.

Rey Quinones was 0 for 2.

The Ugly:

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

Tony Armas was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but drew a walk.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Clemens continues to be the odds-on favorite for the American League Cy Young and another great performance keeps them well ahead in first place in the AL East. This was also a big win with Wade Boggs still out on bereavement and with the rotation shaky due to injuries & ineffectiveness. Still, good news is on the horizon with Bruce Hurst and Al Nipper due to return soon and Clemens is out of this world. It would be nice for Rice's power to return and Evans & Baylor to get their averages up but not everything will be perfect. The Sox need Hurst back to keep up this momentum but they've had a great start to this season as we're only a few weeks before the All-Star game. The win improved the Sox to 44-22, 6 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Orioles tomorrow afternoon when Jeff Sellers (0-2) goes up against Storm Davis of Baltimore. The game begins at 1:00 PM at Fenway Park.