Clemens Goes Berserk, Gets Ejected, Sox Lose to White Sox (7/30/86)

The Boston Red Sox could be without their star pitcher Roger Clemens (17-3, 2.54 ERA) for a few games after he went insane in tonight's game against the Chicago White Sox. In the fifth inning of a tied game, Clemens thought he made the play at first but umpire Greg Kosc ruled he missed the bag. Clemens protested by jumping onto Kosc earning an ejection. He then got in Kosc's face and shouted invectives before being literally carried out horizontally by Don Baylor and Jim Rice. The White Sox went on to win the game and there's talk Clemens will be suspended for his terrible behavior. In a season where the Red Sox have as good a chance of anyone to win the division, your ace cannot get himself thrown out of games like this where every win matters. As it was, the White Sox took care of business with a 7-2 win at Comiskey Park.

                                               Sox lose game and Clemens

Jose DeLeon got the start for the ChiSox and Ed Romero led off with a ground rule double into the left field corner before moving to third on a wild pitch. Wade Boggs popped up to left but Bill Buckner drove home Ed with a grounder to second to put the BoSox on top. Jim Rice lined out to second to end the inning with the BoSox up 1-0.

                                                Romero scores the game's first run

Clemens made the White Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the first. John Cangelosi grounded back to the mound, Steve Lyons grounded out to first and Harold Baines grounded back to Roger to end the inning.

Don Baylor drew a walk to lead off the top of the second but Dwight Evans went down hacking. Tony Armas popped up to second and Rich Gedman flied out to right to end the inning. Greg Walker blooped a single in front of Rice to start the bottom of the second but new acquisition Ron Hassey banged into a double play. Carlton Fisk popped up to third to end the inning.

DeLeon cruised in the top of the third as Dave Stapleton popped up to third in foul territory to start. Romero lined out to a running Cangelosi before Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning. The ChiSox threatened in the bottom of the third as Tim Hulett got a base hit up the middle to start after a 12 pitch at bat. Hulett was erased on the force by Ozzie Guillen before Ozzie was thrown out trying to steal second by the alert Gedman. Julio Cruz walked and Cangelosi caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single, but Clemens blew away Lyons to end the inning.

The BoSox struck again in the top of the fourth although Buckner whiffed to start. Rice lined out to short but Baylor hit an absolute bomb into the upper deck in left for his 19th home run of the year. Evans hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but the BoSox were ahead 2-0.

                                                  Baylor goes upper deck

The ChiSox tried to rally in the bottom of the fourth when Baines and Walker stroked back to back singles to start. Clemens got a key play when Hassey banged into another double play to kill the rally. Fisk lined out to center to end the inning.

Armas grounded out to third to begin the top of the fifth but Gedman poked a single to right. Stapleton whiffed and sent his bat flying before Romero grounded into a force to end the inning.
Things fell apart for the Sox in the bottom of the fifth as Hulett and Guillen stroked back to back singles to start. Cruz dropped down a bunt to Clemens but he booted it to load the bases. Cangelosi forced Cruz at second but Hulett scored to cut the lead. Cangelosi swiped second before Lyons hit a sac fly to center to score Guillen, advancing Cagelosi to third and tying the game. Baines hit a routine grounder to Buckner who flipped to Clemens for the out....BUT WAIT! First base umpire Greg Kosc said Clemens missed the bag and Guillen scored to give the White Sox the lead. A furious Roger got in his face and swore he touched the bag and Greg gave Roger the HEAVE-HO! Clemens tried to plead his case as Sox manager John McNamara stumbled out of the dugout to ask for an explanation. Clemens refused to leave and had to literally be carried out by Don Baylor and Jim Rice. Al Nipper then started barking at the umpires after what happened last night and he got tossed as well. Sammy Stewart had to wait for Nipper to be escorted out to begin his warmup throws and Walker flied out to left to end the inning. When the madness ended the White Sox had taken the lead 3-2 and Clemens was gone.

                                                          Mayhem in Chicago

Boggs tried to start a rally with a walk to begin the top of the sixth but Buckner popped up to left. Rice popped up to Fisk in foul territory before Baylor struck out swinging to end the inning. The White Sox pounded on Stewart in the bottom of the sixth as Hassey walked to start. Fisk flied out to right but Hulett bashed a 70 million foot home run to ice the game. Guillen dumped a single to left and moved to second on the grounder by Cruz. Cangelosi grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 5-2 White Sox.

                                                      Hulett with a home run

Dave Schmidt  came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Evans lined out to short to start. Armas accidentally check swinged a ball back to the mound for the second out although Gedman was plunked. Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning. Tim Lollar came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Lyons flied out to Armas on the warning track. Baines also flied out to the centerfield wall but Walker blooped a single to center but Hassey grounded out to first to end the inning.

Romero led off the top of the eighth by lining out to a running Baines in right but Boggs singled past the daving Hulett. Buckner banged into a double play to end the inning. Bob Stanley came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning and the White Sox tagged him. Fisk led off with a pop up to second but Hulett singled to left. Guillen flied out to right but Cruz drew a walk. Cangelosi singled to center to score Hulett and Cruz tried for third. Armas' throw got away and Cruz scored on the error. Lyons drew a walk but Armas ran down a Baines fly ball at the centerfield wall to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 7-2

                                                            Game over

Schmidt returned to close out the top of the ninth and Rice grounded out to short to start. Baylor singled off the glove of Guillen but Evans banged into a double play to end the game. The White Sox had won it 7-2.

     
Jackass of the Night is Roger Clemens in more ways than one. Getting yourself thrown out of a crucial game with your team fighting for first place

                                                         Calm down Jackass



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Don Baylor was 2 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch.

Tim Lollar pitched a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 with an error.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Sammy Stewart allowed 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Bob Stanley allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

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

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox wanted to end July with a bang but that wasn't the one they were looking for. Clemens going nuts and getting ejected probably cost him a few starts in what should be a Cy Young season for a team on a run to their first division title in 11 years. Not that the Sox helped themselves by leaving guys on base and giving up 4 runs after Clemens left, but still, a loss like that is going to hurt come September. After Oil Can Boyd has his meltdown 2 weeks ago, this is another instance of a pitcher doing more harm to himself that could have been avoided. Hopefully this is just a minor setback that will be laughed at a few weeks from now but it doesn't look good now. The loss dropped the Sox to 59-41, 4 games in front of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action friday night when they come home to play the world champion Kansas City Royals. Bruce Hurst (5-5) goes for the Sox against Danny Jackson at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Stewart, A's Defeat Clemens and Sox (7/7/86)

Uh oh, it looks like Roger Clemens (14-2, 2.58 ERA) is human after all. After losing his first game all season last Wednesday against Toronto, the Oakland A's have come into Boston and beaten him as well in new manager Tony La Russa's Oakland debut. Clemens got lit up by rookie sensation Jose Canseco and old slugger Dave Kingman, allowing 6 runs five plus innings of work. Clemens gave up three runs early, the third on an rbi grounder by old pal Carney Lansford. The Sox got a run back on a wild pitch but Kingman and Canseco hit back to back jacks in the sixth to finish off Roger. The Sox did rally to pull close but couldn't deliver the knockout punch in the seventh inning. It all added up to a bitter 6-4 defeat by the Athletics at Fenway Park.

                                                            Dammit

Clemens got the ball in the top of the first and Tony Phillips flied out to center to start. Old buddy Carney Lansford got rung up for strike three and Jose Canseco struck out swinging to end the inning. Stewart got the ball in the bottom of the first and Marty Barrett grounded out to third to start. Wade Boggs flied out to center and Bill Buckner grounded out to first to end the inning.

The A's rallied in the top of the second although Dave Kingman struck out swinging to start. Bruce Botche singled to center but was forced at second by Mike Davis. Dwayne Murphy doubled off the Monster to score Botche and Alfredo Griffin doubled to center to score Murphy. Jerry Willard grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's up 2-0.

                                                            A's strike first

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Jim Rice hit a ground ball up to middle that Phillips fielded but couldn't do anything with it for a "single". Don Baylor forced Rice at second before Dwight Evans flied out to left. Tony Armas struck out swinging to end the inning.

The A's struck again in the top of the third as Phillips chopped a base hit up the middle to start. Phillips took off for second and Gedman threw the ball into the bullpen for an error to move Tony to third. Phillips scored on the Lansford grounder to short to increase the lead and Canseco popped up to first. Kingman struck out swinging to end the inning with Oakland up 3-0.

                                                   Phillips scores another run

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the third as Rich Gedman flied out to center but Rey Quinones singled to center. Barrett drilled a base hit to right to move Quinones to third and a wild pitch scored Rey to put Boston on the board. Boggs and Buckner both flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                             Quinones scores a run

Bochte grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Davis struck out swinging. Murphy flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Rice walked to start. Baylor got a base hit to left but Evans popped up to left. Armas struck out swinging and Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning.

Rice dopped a pop up by Griffin for a two base error to start the top of the fifth but was thrown out at third trying to steal. Willard grounded out to first and Phillips grounded out to second to end the inning. Quinones grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Barrett doubled to the left field wall. Boggs moved Barrett to third with a grounder to second but Buckner struck out swinging to end the inning.

The A's chased Clemens in the top of the sixth as Lansford singled in the hole at short. Canseco hit a home run all the way to the moon then Kingman hit one into the Charles River for back to back jacks. That was the end for Clemens as he got rocked for 6 runs in just 5 plus innings off 7 hits. Tim Lollar walked Botche and Davis blooped a single to left. Murphy grounded out to second to move the runners over but Botche was doubled off at third on a liner to Boggs by Griffin to end the inning with the Sox down 6-1.

                                                 "You sucked tonight, Rog" - Gedman

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Rice ripped a base hit to center to start. Phillips slipped catching a pop up by Baylor and Rice took second in the confusion. Evans cracked his 11th home run of the season to cut the lead in half but Armas

                                                           Evans brings the Sox closer

Willard got a base hit to right to start the top of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Phillips. That was it for Lollar as Sox manager John McNamara wanted Mike Brown to face the righties. Lansford grounded out to short but Canseco got a base hit to left. Willard tried for home but was thrown out by Rice to end the inning.

                                                           Yerrrrr out!

The Sox blew their best chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the seventh as Quinones got a base hit to left. Barrett walked to chase Stewart and Dave Van Ohlen came in to face Boggs. Wade drilled a base hit off the Monster to score Quinones and put the tying run at first. The play of the game occurred when Buckner bunted too hard to third to force Barrett and Buckner was thrown out at first for a double play. Doug Bair came in to face Rice and Jim grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 6-4.

                                                    Quinones scores a run

Kingman walked to start the top of the eighth but Botche grounded into a double play. Davis singled to right to chase Brown and Joe Sambito came in to pitch. Murphy struck out swinging to end the inning. Stan Javier came in to play center in the bottom of the eighth and Baylor popped up to first. Evans also popped up to first and Armas earned the hat trick with a swinging strikeout to end the inning.

The A's threatened in the top of the ninth as Griffin singled to center to start but was forced at second on Willard's bunt attempt. Phillips also dropped down a bunt but Buckner was pulled off the bag by Boggs' throw. Sox manager John McNamara stormed out of the dugout screaming his head off that Buckner's foot did NOT come off the bag. McNamara got the heave ho by first base umpire Ted Hendry. Pitching coach Bill Fischer lifted Sambito in favor of Steve Crawford. Lansford flied out to right but Canseco singled to left to load the bases. Kingman struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                        "Get outta here you lunatic!" - Hendry

Gedman struck out swinging to start the bottom of the ninth and Mike Stenhouse pinch hit for Rey Quinones. Stenhouse flied out to center and Barrett grounded out to third to end the game. The A's had won it 6-4.

                                                            A's win

Jackass of The Night is Roger Clemens. He allowed 6 runs in just 5 plus innings and put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                               Jackass Clemens

The Good:

Marty Barrett was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Jim Rice was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Rey Quinones was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

Tim Lollar tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Mike Brown tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Joe Sambito tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Steve Crawford pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Mike Stenhouse flied out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Don Baylor was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

Uh oh. That's two losses in a row for Clemens and with Bruce Hurst still not back from his groin pull, the Sox are in a bit of trouble if Roger is coming back to earth. ABC analyst Al Michaels made a point if the offense scores four runs with your ace on the mound, usually you win. Not tonight they didn't, Clemens got pounded. The Sox did have a chance to tie it in the seventh but Rice couldn't get it done. Not being able to hit the A's bullpen was disappointing but the A's can't lose them all. Hopefully this is just a minor hiccup and not a major injury like last year. Kingman and Canseco are big home run hitters so maybe they just timed Roger better than others. Either way its just one loss and the all-star break is coming up to rest a bit. They still have a nice lead in the AL East marathon so let's see how they respond in the next one. The loss dropped the Sox to 52-29, 7 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when Oil Can Boyd (10-6) takes on Bill Mooneyham of Oakland. The game begins at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Angels Rally Late, Defeat Sox (5/6/86)

The good news was the Boston Celtics eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of their second round NBA playoff series but the bad news was the California Angels defeated the Boston Red Sox. The Angels and the Sox battled to a 2-2 tie through seven innings. Oil Can Boyd (2-3, 3.57 ERA) had been solid up to that point but allowed a run in the top of the eighth to put California ahead. In the top of the eighth, the Sox defense failed Steve Crawford and Tim Lollar as an error by Lyons and a mental one by Glenn Hoffman allowed three big runs to score. The Sox failed to score against the California bullpen as the Angels defeated the Sox 6-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                                     Ugh

Boyd got the ball in the top of the first inning and Gary Pettis struck out swinging to start. Rob Wilfong popped up to Bill Buckner and Wally Joyner grounded out to first to end the inning. Jim Slaton got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dwight Evans led off by striking out swinging. Wade Boggs hit a comebacker to Slaton and Buckner flied out to right to end the inning.

Reggie Jackson led off the top of the second with a fly out to left and Brian Downing grounded out to third. Doug DeCinces flied out to right to end the inning. Jim Rice led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to third and Don Baylor grounded out to second. Rich Gedman popped up to DeCinces in foul ground to end the inning.

The Angels took command in the top of the third as Ruppert Jones hit a ground ball through Glenn Hoffman's legs to start. Jerry Narron hit a grounder to Buckner who didn't see Jones directly behind him and threw to second for the force. Had he saw Jones it would have been a double play. Boyd then threw a pickoff throw away to move Narron to second and Dick Schofield Jr popped up to Boggs. The opening error and Buckner not seeing Jones came back to haunt the Sox as Pettis hit a 296 foot home run just inside the Pesky Pole to put the Angels on top. Wilfong grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 2-0.

                                                   Pettis hits one out of an empty Fenway

Marty Barrett led off the bottom of the third with a fly out to right and Steve Lyons flied out to the left field warning track. Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Joyner grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Jackson flied out to left. Downing lined out to a running Lyons to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Evans dropped a base hit to left to start. Boggs doubled off the Monster and Evans scored on the sac fly by Buckner to right. Rice grounded out to short but Baylor walked. Gedman hit a fly ball to left and Pettis collided with Downing, but Al held on to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                              Evans scores a run

DeCinces grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Jones struck out swinging. Narron doubled into the gap in center but Schofield Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. George Hendrick came in for Pettis to start the bottom of the fifth as Barrett hit a comebacker to the mound. Lyons flied out to left but Hoffman shot a base hit into right. Evans forced Hoffman at second to end the inning.

Hendrick grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth before Wilfong struck out swinging. Joyner lined out to a running Lyons to end the inning. Boggs doubled to the left field wall to start the bottom of the sixth but Buckner popped up to right. Rice also popped up to right and Baylor grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jackson got a broken bat grounder to second to start the top of the seventh but Downing got a base hit to left. DeCinces forced Downing at second and Jones got a base hit to right. Narron popped up to center to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Gedman flied out to the right field warning track to start. Barrett sliced a base hit to right and Lyons drew a walk but Hoffman lined out to third. Evans doubled down the left field line to score Barrett to tie the game. That was it for Slaton as Terry Forster came in to pitch. Boggs walked and Buckner popped up to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Barrett scores to tie it

The Angels finished off Boyd in the top of the eighth as Schofield Jr singled to right to start. Hendrick dropped down a bunt to move Dick to second and Schofield scored on the Wilfong single to center. That was it for Boyd who allowed 3 runs in 7 1/3 innings on six hits. Joe Sambito came in to pitch and got Joyner to pop up to short. Jackson flied out to left to end the inning with the Angels up 3-2.

                                                      Boyd deserved better

Doug Corbett came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rice grounded out to third to start. Baylor grounded out to first and Gedman lined out to short to end the inning.

Things fell apart in the top of the ninth with Steve Crawford now on the mound. Downing poked a double down the first base line but DeCinces lined out to right. Jones was intentionally walked but Angels manager Gene Mauch pinch hit Bob Boone for Narron. Boone lined a single to center but Lyons booted the ball for an error to score Downing and Jones. Schofield Jr took strike three but Hendrick walked to chase Crawford. Tim Lollar came in to face Wilfong and Rob beat out a roller to third to load the bases. Joyner hit a roller to Hoffman who failed to get Wilfong at second to score Boone with another run. Jackson struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 6-2.

                                                    "Dammit Lyons" - Evans

Barrett grounded out to short to start the bottom of the ninth before Lyons lined out to third. Tony Armas pinch hit for Hoffman and chopped a base hit up the middle. Ed Romero pinch ran for Armas but Evans forced Ed at second to end the game. The Angels had won 6-2.

                                                             Angels win

Jackass of the Night is Steve Crawford. He was charged with 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning to put the game out of reach.

                                                             Steve The Jackass

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Wade Boggs was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Tony Armas got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Joe Sambito got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jim Rice was 0 for 4.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Don Baylor was 0 for 3 but walked.

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

Steve Lyons was 0 for 3 with an error but walked.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 but committed a crucial error.

Oil Can Boyd took the loss but allowed 3 runs (just 1 earned) in 7 1/3 strong innings. He allowed 6 hits while striking out four.

Tim Lollar allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Ed Romero pinch ran for Armas in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Things fell apart in this one after the Sox battled to tie the game in the seventh. The Boggs leadoff double that got wasted was a big turning point as was Hoffman's error leading to Jones' home run. Lyons' error in the eighth opened the floodgates. Buckner failing with two men on in the seventh hurt as well. Its a shame the Sox lost this one because both the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians won their games. The Sox had a surprising April to keep them near first place and need to make a run to take over in May. Still, the Sox hadn't made errors in over a week so maybe they got it out of their system tonight before their road trip. Boyd pitched well but the bullpen and defense let him down big time. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 15-10, 1.5 behind the Indians for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night as they hit the road against the Seattle Mariners. Al Nipper (2-3) gets the start for the Sox against Milt Wilcox of Seattle. The game begins at 10:00 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

Brewers 5 run Second Sinks Sox (9/13/85)

In another ho-hum loss in a season full of them, the Boston Red Sox dropped to 3 games under .500 after being dropped by the equally mediocre Milwaukee Brewers. Tim Lollar (7-10, 4.49 ERA) got lit up for 5 runs in the second inning and the Sox could not recover. A home run by Mike Easler and rbis by Tony Armas and Wade Boggs were the only runs the Sox could push across and the Brewers took the game 6-3 at County Stadium.

                                                Dr. Gogol hates the Red Sox pitching woes

The Sox did strike first against Brewers starter Tim Leary in the top of the first inning. Dwight Evans drew a walk and Wade Boggs doubled him home but was thrown out at third trying to stretch. Bill Buckner back to the mound but Rich Gedman walked. Tony Armas struck out to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          YERRRRRR OUT!

Lollar got out of the bottom of the first okay as Mike Felder grounded out to second to start. Paul Molitor flied out to center but Billy Jo Robidoux walked. Cecil Cooper popped up to short to end the inning.

Mike Easler flied out to left to start the top of the second before Marty Barrett struck out. Rookie Mike Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning. The Brewers pounded the Sox in the bottom of the second as Randy Ready flied out to center to start. Ernie Riles struck out but Paul Householder doubled to left. Jim Gantner singled home Householder and took second on the throw. Charlie Moore singled home Gantner and Felder singled him to third. Molitor doubled home Moore and Robidoux walked to load the bases. Cooper singled home Molitor and Felder to chase the ineffective Lollar. Tim lasted just 1 2/3 innings and allowed 5 runs. Rookie Rob Woodward came in and got Ready to fly out to right to end the inning but it was 5-0 Brewers.

                                                     Terrible effort by Lollar

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Glenn Hoffman beat out an infield single to start. Evans flied out to right but Boggs singled. Buckner flied out to left and Gedman grounded out to short to end the inning. Woodward cruised in the bottom of the third as Riles grounded out to second to begin. Householder popped up to short but Gantner tripled. Moore grounded out to third to end the inning.

Armas tried to start a rally with a scintillating triple to open the top of the fourth but was stranded when Easler grounded out to third. Barrett popped up to second and Greenwell struck out to end the inning. Felder grounded out to short to open the bottom of the fourth but Molitor singled. Robidoux flied out to right before Molitor swiped second. Cooper flied out to left to end the inning.

Hoffman grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Evans flied out to center. Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. The Brewers struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Ready walked to start. Riles singled to right and Householder doubled home Ready. Woodward recovered to strike out Gantner and get Moore to pop up to second. Felder walked to load the bases but Molitor grounded out to short to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 6-1.

                                             "This pitching blows"

Boston failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Buckner popped up to short to start. Gedman popped up to third and Armas struck out to end the inning. Woodward got Robidoux to strike out to open the bottom of the sixth before Cooper flied out to left. Ready walked but Riles grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox finally got a run in the top of the seventh when Easler launched his 15th home run of the year to cut the deficit. Barrett flied out to center, Greenwell struck out and Hoffman grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 6-2 Brewers.

                                                         Home run for Easler

Householder walked to start the bottom of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Gantner. Moore flied out to center and Felder flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth although Evans struck out to start. Boggs grounded out to short but Buckner walked. Gedman got a base hit and Armas singled home Buckner to cut the lead in half and bring the tying run to the plate. Ray Searage came in to pitch with Steve Lyons coming in to run for Armas. With a chance to extend the rally....Easler struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 6-3.

                                                          Armas cuts the lead in half

Woodward finished up in the bottom of the eighth as Molitor lined out to right to begin. Robidoux flied out to left but Cooper walked. Ready grounded out to short to end the inning. Hell of an effort by Woodward to limit the Brewers to just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings of relief.

                                                    Double A in April, Boston in September

The Sox had one last chance in the top of the ninth with Ed Romero now in left field. Barrett led off with a double to right and Ed Jurak pinch hit for the rookie Greenwell. Jurak struck out as Jim Rice pinch hit for Hoffman, drawing a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Jackie Gutierrez ran for Rice as Danny Darwin came in to close out the game. Evans hit one up the elevator shaft and Boggs flied out to left to end the game. The Brewers held on to win the game 6-3.

Jackass of the Night is Tim Lollar. He got lit up for 5 runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

                                                      Lollar the Jackass



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.

Jim Rice walked as a pinch hitter.

Rob Woodward allowed just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings of relief.



The Bad:

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Ed Jurak struck out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Bill Buckner was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Mike Easler was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4.



Honorable Mention:

Steve Lyons played center in the bottom of the eighth.

Jackie Gutierrez pinch ran for Jim Rice.




Final Thoughts:

How sad is it the only positive from this game was a relief effort by the rookie Rob Woodward? The Sox went nowhere this season and are going to have to make some changes if they hope to contend next season. The offense is as good as anyone but good lord do they need pitching help. Woodward could be the key next year if he can be the pitcher they thought the Sox were getting when they drafted him. The Sox have some talent with Roger Clemens, Bruce Hurst, Al Nipper, Bob Ojeda and Oil Can Boyd but someone has to step up. The Sox really missed John Tudor this year but who would have thought he'd pitch as well as he did for the St. Louis Cardinals when the Sox sent him packing to the Pittsburgh Pirates? As for this game? Meh...who cares. Tomorrow night these two teams have another snooze when Bill Wegman goes for the Brewers against Bruce Hurst of the Red Sox at 8:00 PM Eastern Time at County Stadium.

Twins Four Run 7th Sink Sox (8/23/85)

For 6 innings it looked like Tim Lollar (5-8, 4.81 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox were about to best Frank Viola and the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Instead the Twins scored 4 runs in the top of the seventh inning and Viola went the distance to defeat the Sox 5-2.

                                  "That damn Frank Viola" - Sonny Crockett

Lollar took the mound in the top of the first inning and got Kirby Puckett to strike out. Mickey Hatcher grounded out to short and Kent Hrbek popped up to short to end the inning. Boston wasted no time scoring as Dwight Evans led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run off Viola to give the Sox the quick lead. Wade Boggs walked but Bill Buckner banged into a double play. Jim Rice struck out to end the inning but it was 1-0 Boston.

                                            Dewey says "Take that Viola!"

Lollar stayed tough in the top of the second by getting Tom Brunansky to ground out to third. Dave Engle flied out to right but Tim Laudner singled. Gary Gaetti grounded into a force to end the inning. Viola blanked the Sox in the bottom of the second by getting both Mike Easler and Marty Barrett to ground out to short. Jackie Gutierrez struck out to end the inning.

The Twins struck back in the top of the third inning. Tim Teufel doubled to start and moved to third on the Alvaro Espinoza bunt single. Puckett beat out a double play ball to score Teufel with the tying run then stole second base himself. Hatcher grounded to third and Hrbek grounded to second to end the inning but it was 1-1.

                                           "Damn you Teufel...and you too Puckett!" - Pierce

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third inning as Steve Lyons popped up to third, Marc Sullivan struck out and Evans popped to second to end the inning.

Lollar recovered to get Brunansky to ground out o open the top of the fourth inning. Engle flied out to center but Laudner walked. Gaetti lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Boggs singled and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Buckner. Rice walked but was foolishly picked off. That lost run loomed large as Easler doubled home Boggs to give the Sox the lead. Barrett grounded out to end the inning but a 2-1 lead should have been 3-1.

                                                Easler says "Come on Rice, I had it!"

Lollar cruised in the top of the fifth as he got Teufel to fly out to right to begin. Espinoza grounded out to third and Puckett grounded out to short to end the inning. Viola matched Lollar in the bottom of the fifth as he got Gutierrez to ground out to second to start. Lyons struck out and Sullivan lined out to center to end the inning.

Lollar returned for the top of the sixth inning and got Hatcher to ground to second to begin. Hrbek singled but Brunansky struck out. Engle grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox accomplished nothing in the bottom of the sixth inning as Evans grounded meekly to third, but Boggs singled. Buckner flied out but Boggs was distracted by a rodeo clown falling down the steps in the stands, getting doubled off first to end the inning.

Somehow the Twins exploded in the top of the seventh inning. Laudner doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Gaetti walked but Teufel struck out. Espinoza singled home Laudner tied the game. Puckett iced the game with a scintillating triple to send the fans home angry. That was it for Lollar and Steve Crawford came in, only to give up an rbi single by Hatcher to score Puckett. Hrbek singled but Brunansky struck out. Ron Smalley pinch hit for Engle and popped to second to end the inning but it was now 5-2 Twins.

                              "I can't believe Lollar can't get Puckett out" - Ms Fletcher

Viola put it on cruise control in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Rice flied out and Easler grounded out but Barrett doubled. Gutierrez ended the rally with a 360 strikeout, falling over in the process to end the inning.

Crawford returned for the top of the eighth and Laudner singled AGAIN, but Gaetti struck out. Teufel flied out and Espinoza struck out to end the inning. Viola would not be denied in the bottom of the eighth in a near empty Fenway Park as Lyons flied out to right to start. Sullivan and Evans both whiffed to end the inning.

Crawford returned for the top of the ninth and was greeted by a Puckett single. Hatcher banged into a double play and Hrbek lined out to center to end the inning. Viola came back to finish his work in the botom of the ninth. Boggs flied out to left, Buckner grounded out to second and Rice flied out to left to end the game. The Twins had won it 5-2.

Jackass of the Night is Tim Lollar. He had a 2-1 lead to protect and he let the team down by getting pounded in the 7th, giving up 5 total runs.

                                                    Lollar is the Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Easler was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Marty Barrett was 1 for 3.

Steve Crawford tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.




The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 3.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Steve Lyons was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Marc Sullivan was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.




The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked..




Final Thoughts:

Another pitiful loss for a team going absolutely nowhere. I know Tim Lollar isn't exactly Jack Morris but with Roger Clemens got, SOMEBODY has to step up and win some games down the stretch, if nothing else but for personal pride. Frank Viola going the distance hurt plus he's lost 10 games this year, the offense should have smacked him around. This year can't end fast enough and Clemens get healthy quick enough. The loss dropped the Sox to 58-62, 17 games behind Toronto for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow Bruce Hurst matches up against Mike Smithson for the Twins. Isn't this year over yet? Ugh.

Yankees Down Sox Late (8/18/85)

As 1985 continues to be a mediocre season for the Boston Red Sox, one thing is for sure and that's the New York Yankees catch every lucky break in the world. A day after being held to a single run, this time the Sox could barely score two against Phil Neikro and Bob Shirley. Meanwhile Roger Clemens had to be scratched from his start due to shoulder stiffness and Tim Lollar (5-7, 4.68 ERA) continued to struggle, getting lit up by the Yankees for 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings. The Sox and Yankees battled to a 2-2 tie after the top half of the seventh inning but the Yankees rallied for two runs against Lollar before Sox manager John McNamara yanked him. The Sox did manage to load the bases against Dave Righetti in the top of the ninth but Brian Fisher got Dwight Evans to fly out to end the game. Clemens may have been able to make a difference but the Yankees still made it two in a row over the Sox as they took the game 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                      Sox fans are not happy

Niekro got the ball in the top of the first inning and Marty Barrett dumped a base hit to left on the first pitch of the game. Bob Meacham threw a double play ball by Wade Boggs away to allow Wade to take second and Boggs moved to third on the warning track fly ball to center by Dwight Evans. Bill Buckner struck out swinging to end the inning. Lollar got the emergency start in the bottom of the first and Willie Randolph flied out to right to start. Don Mattingly walked on four pitches but Dave Winfield banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second although Mike Easler flied out to center to start. Jim Rice clobbered his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top but Rich Gedman flied out to Billy Sample. Jackie Gutierrez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                 Number 20 for Rice

The Yankees answered in the bottom of the second as Don Baylor walked to start. Ken Griffey got a line drive base hit to left to put runners at the corners and Baylor scored on the grounder to third by Sample. Andre Robertson grounded out to short and Butch Wynegar grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                       Yankees tie it up

Steve Lyons walked to start the top of the third but Barrett grounded into a double play. Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. Meacham struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Randolph worked a walk. Mattingly forced Randolph at second and Winfield popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Evans grounded out to third to start. Buckner grounded out to first and Easler flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. The Yankees struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Red Sox broadcaster Bob Montgomery said Roger Clemens "couldn't get it up today." Baylor walked but Griffey flied out to left and Sample grounded back to Lollar. Baylor moved to second on the play and scored on the base hit to center by Robertson. The fans cost the Yankees a run as Wynegar hit a ball past the diving Boggs that should have scored Robertson but a fan reached over and snatched the ball. It was ruled a ground rule double and Meacham popped up to Lyons to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-1.

                                                         Yankees take the lead

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Rice walked to start. Gedman walked and Gutierrez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Unfortunately Lyons struck out swinging and Barrett grounded out to short to end the inning. Randolph popped up to Evans to start the bottom of the fifth and Mattingly grounded out to second. Winfield struck out swinging to end the inning.

Boggs popped up to Griffey to start the top of the sixth before Buckner flied out to left. Easler struck out swinging to end the inning. Baylor flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Griffey grounded out to first. Sample walked but Robertson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Mike Pagliarulo took over at third to begin. Rice and Gedman worked back to back walks but Gutierrez popped up a bunt to Wynegar. Lyons came through with a base hit to right to load the bases. Rich Bordi came in to pitch to Barrett and Sample made a great diving catch to rob Barrett of a bases clearing double. Yankees manager Billy Martin brought in Bob Shirley to pitch to Boggs but Wade got a base hit to shallow left. Rice scored easy but Gedman was foolishly sent home only to get thrown out at the plate to end the inning. That proved costly as the Sox only tied the game 2-2.

                                                              Yerrrr out!

Things fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as the ball four pitch to Wynegar got away and Gedman panicked, throwing the ball completely out of Yankee Stadium to move Butch to second. Buckner fell down trying to catch a pop up from Meacham that dropped in for a "single" but Randolph flied out to center. Mattingly slapped a double down the right field line and both runs scored, Don taking third on the throw. That was it for Lollar who was let down by his defense but still allowed 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Bob Stanley came in to pitch and Winfield popped up to Boggs in foul territory. Baylor popped up to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-2.

                                                          Mattingly puts the Yankees on top

Dave Righetti came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Evans struck out swinging to start. Buckner popped up to short but Easler lined a base hit to center. Old pal and Yankees pitching coach Bill Monbouquette came out to chat with Righetti and Rice struck out swinging to end the inning. Griffey grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth before Dan Pasqua pinch hit for Sample. Pasqua took strike three and Pagliarulo grounded out to first to end the inning.

Gedman popped up to center to start the top of the ninth inning and Gutierrez also flied out to center. Tony Armas pinch hit for Lyons and drilled a base hit up the middle. Ed Jurak pinch ran for Tony and Barrett drew a walk. Boggs walked to load the bases and chase Righetti. Brian Fisher came in to pitch to Evans and Dwight popped up to Winfield to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-2.

                                                       Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Tim Lollar. He allowed the go-ahead double by Mattingly to put the Yankees up for good in the seventh.

                                                     Lollar The Jackass

\

The Good:

Jim Rice was 1 for 2 with a home run, 2 walks and 2 total runs scored.

Steve Lyons was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Tony Armas singled as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4 but walked.

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

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Easler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 2 with an error but walked twice.

Honorable Mention:

Ed Jurak pinch ran for Armas in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Forget the loss, the true bad news is the injury to Clemens. Remember he was shut down at the end of last season with a bad shoulder and apparently it never healed. The Sox can't afford to lose a pitcher the caliber of Clemens with a month left in the season but shutting him down and getting proper surgery might be the right thing to do to keep him healthy for next year. Nothing has gone right this season for the Sox and today was a microcosm of that. The Sox couldn't field at all in the seventh inning which allowed the Yankees to take the lead and Gedman geting thrown out at the plate shouldn't have happened. Evans failing in the ninth inning just put a damper on what could have been a nice comeback. Lollar did the best he could on short notice but even he tired in the seventh. Want the ultimate kick in the pants? Mike Easler is hitting .263 so far this year while John Tudor is on pace to win 20 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. Why am I not surprised? The loss dropped the Sox to 57-58, good for 5th place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when they send Bruce Hurst to the mound against Marty Bystrom of New York. The game begins at 1:00 PM at Yankee Stadium.