Sox Win Opening Day (4/4/00)

After the disappointing end to the 1999 season for the Boston Red Sox, the 2000 season started off very nicely. Current Cy Young champ Pedro Martinez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was outstanding today against the Seattle Mariners. Pedro fired 7 innings of shut out ball with 11 strikeouts and allowed 2 measly hits. Mariners counterpart Jamie Moyer (0-1 2.84 ERA) was game but received no offensive help. Troy O'Leary and Jose Offerman supplied the offense  as the Sox took Opening Day 2-0 at Safeco Field.

                                                      Patricia Arquette approves of the win

 The Sox came to bat in the top of the first and Jose Offerman led the game off with a groundout back to Moyer. John Valentin smacked a double down the left field line and Carl Everett made his Red Sox debut by drawing a walk. All-Star Nomar Garciaparra failed to advance runners with a fly out to left and Mike Stanley hit into a force to end the inning. Pedro got the ball in the bottom of the first and picked up where he left off last year by striking out Mike Cameron swinging. Mark McLemore swung and missed at strike three in the dirt but Alex Rodriguez walked. John Olerud flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning.

Moyer cruised through the top of the second. Troy O'Leary grounded out to first and Gary Gaetti made his Red Sox debut by grounding out to third. Jason Varitek looked at a fastball at the knees for strike three to end the inning. Pedro cruised in the bottom of the second as Edgar Martinez popped up to right to start. John Mabry and David Bell both went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the third as Darren Lewis hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Offerman struck out swinging and Valentin grounded out to short to end the inning. Pedro struck out Dan Wilson  swinging to open the bottom of the third but Carlos Guillen blooped a single to center. Pedro struck out Cameron swinging again and got McLemore to fly out to left to end the frame.

Everett took a fastball on the outside corner for strike three to open the top of the fourth. Nomar followed by pulling a ball on the outside corner into a grounder to short. Stanley doubled to left center but O'Leary weakly swung at strike three on the outside corner to end the inning. Pedro blew away A-Rod to begin the bottom of the fourth but Olerud sliced a single past Nomar. A passed ball moved Olerud to second but Pedro froze Martinez with a change up down the middle for strike three. Mabry was rung up for strike three to end the inning.

                                                            Pedro mows them down

Gaetti nearly put the Sox on top in the top of the fifth but Mabry robbed him at the right field wall. Varitek grounded back to the mound and Lewis grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                           Mabry robs Gaetti

Pedro cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Bell grounded out to short to start. Wilson whiffed and Guillen took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox finally broke through in the top of the sixth although Offerman flied out to center to start. Valentin and Everett hit back to back singles but Nomar popped up to right Stanley walked to load the bases and O'Leary got the first rbi of the season with an infield single to second that scored Valentin. Gary Gaietti had hit grand slams in the past but not this time as he flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                         O'Leary puts the Sox ahead

Pedro got Cameron to fly out to center  begin the bottom of the sixth then induced a groundout back to the mound from McLemore. Rodriguez walked and moved to second on a passed ball but Stanley snared a line drive off the bat of Olerud to end it. Olerud would be the only Mariner not to strike out against Pedro.

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the seventh as Varitek walked to start. Lewis sac bunted him over to second and Offerman got his first rbi of the year with a double down the left field line that chased Moyer from the game. Seattle manager Lou Pinella brought Paul Abbot to pitch to Valentin who popped up to right in foul territory. Everett grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                     Varitek scores the insurance run

Pedro came out for the bottom of the seventh and got Martinez to fly out on the first pitch to center. Mabry grounded out to first and on the 108th pitch of the day from Pedro, Bell flied out to right to end the inning. Pedro was outstanding, allowing 2 hits and no runs in 7 innings of work.

                                                               Way to go Pedro

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Nomar whiffed to start. Stanley popped up to center and O'Leary popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. Derek Lowe took the mound in the bottom of the eighth as the new closer (replacing the injured Tom Gordon) and immediately got Wilson to ground out to short to start. Guillen grounded out to second and Cameron took strike three to end the inning.

Gaetti flied out to left to start the top of the ninth before Varitek grounded out to second. Lewis got his first hit of the year with a bloop single to center but Mabry made a great diving catch to rob Offerman of a hit to end the inning.. Lowe came back for the bottom of the ninth and got McLemore to ground out to first to start. Rodriguez flied out to left and Olerud grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had taken Opening Day 2-0.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of the Night is Pedro Martinez.  He struck out 11 allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks in 7 innings of work.

                                                            Pedro Hero

The Good:

John Valentin was 2 for 4 with a run scored. 

Carl Everett was 1 for 3 with a walk. 

Mike Stanley was 1 for 3 with a walk. 

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3. 

Derek Lowe finished off his first save with 2 perfect innings.

The Bad:

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. 

Gary Gaetti was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 1 for 5 with an rbi.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run

Final Thoughts:

The Sox offense didn't do much but with Pedro Martinez on the mound, it usually doesn't matter. Winning on Opening Day to start the season on the right foot is never a bad thing. Pedro was almost unhittable against a very potent Seattle lineup even without Ken Griffey Jr. The Sox offense will be there this season and Moyer is pretty tough, its a shame the Sox traded him 4 years ago. Lowe looked impressive in his 2 innings of work and the Sox are gonna need him with Tom Gordon on the sideline this year. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum the rest of the series. Pedro's older brother Ramon Martinez makes his season debut tomorrow night against Freddy Garcia of the Mariners. The game begins at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Safeco Field.

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

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

                                                          Olivia Hussey approves of the win

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

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

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

                                                      Home run Garciaparra

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

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

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

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

                                               Dammit Nomar

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

                                                    Rose stares down the Indians

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

                                                        Stanley drives in a run

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

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

                                                                   Sox win

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

                                                         Nomar Garcia-Hero

The Good:

John Valentin was 2 for 4 with a walk.

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

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

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

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

Mark Guthrie tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Jim Corsi got the first out of the eighth inning.

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

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

The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

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

Reggie Jefferson was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Rally Past Indians (5/29/99)

For seven innings it looked like the Cleveland Indians had the Boston Red Sox licked. Bartolo Colon had outpitched Pedro Martinez (10-1, 2.01 ERA) and a Roberto Alomar sac fly had given the Indians a 1-0 lead. Then the Sox took advantage of the Indians one weakness, their bullpen. In the top of the eighth, a Jose Offerman rbi off Colon tied the game and a three run blast by Nomar Garciaparra off Paul Shuey gave the Sox a commanding lead. Pedro was chased in the ninth inning and Tom Gordon damn near blew it. Still, Gordon eventually slammed the door and the Sox had stole one from the Indians 4-1 at Jacobs Field.

                                                   Tishara Lee Cousino approves of the win

Colon got the ball in the top of the first and Jose Offerman flied out to left to start. John Valentin grounded out to short but Brian Daubach walked. Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to third to end the inning. The Indians got to Martinez right away in the bottom of the first as Kenny Lofton got a base hit to center to start. Omar Vizquel got a base hit in the hole at short to move Lofton to third and Kenny scored on the sac fly to left by Alomar. Manny Ramirez flied out to right and Jim Thome hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

                                                          Indians strike first

Troy O'Leary grounded out to short to begin the top of the second and Mike Stanley struck out swinging. Jason Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. Travis Fryman flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and David Justice lined out to short. Richie Sexson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Darren Lewis grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Trot Nixon walked. Offerman forced Trot at second and Valentin flied out to right to end the inning. Einar Diaz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Lofton got a base hit to right. Vizquel popped up to third and Alomar grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Daubach struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Nomar grounded out to third. Sexson tried to field a ball by O'Leary that should have been for Vizquel and Troy beat out the throw for a "single". Stanley forced Troy at second to end the inning. Ramirez took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and Thome grounded out to first. Fryman struck out swinging to end the inning.

Varitek grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth and Lewis ate up Vizquel on a grounder for a "single". Nixon flied out to the centerfield wall and Offerman's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Colon to end the inning. Justice grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth and Sexson struck out swinging. Diaz flied out to left to end the inning.

Valentin grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth but Daubach got a base hit to center. Garciaparra grounded into a double play to end the inning. Lofton grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth but Vizquel got a base hit to center. Vizquel was thrown out at second trying to steal and Alomar flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                       Yerrrr out!

O'Leary grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Stanley struck out swinging. Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. Pedro turned up the heat in the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez struck out swinging to start. Thome and Fryman both went down hacking to end the inning. 

Somehow the Sox exploded in the top of the eighth as Lewis ripped a base hit to right to start. Nixon doubled to right and Offerman grounded out to second to score Lewis. Valentin was intentionally walked to set up a double play with Nixon at third and Indians manager Mike Hargrove pulled Colon. Ricardo Rincon came in to face Daubach and Brian popped up to third. Paul Shuey was brought in to face Nomar and Garciaparra jacked a three run home run to put the Sox on top. O'Leary singled to right and Stanley walked, but Varitek took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      Nomah with the homah

Martinez returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Justice grounded out to second to start. Sexson took strike three and Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning. Pedro was brilliant, tossing 8 innings of 1 run ball allowing 5 hits while striking out 9 so far.

                                                             Martinez was dominant

Dave Stevens came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Lewis got a base hit to left to begin. Lewis swiped second but Nixon took strike three. Offerman flied out to left but Valentin walked. Paul Assenmacher was brought in to face Daubach and Brian grounded out to third to end the inning. Pedro returned to finish off the bottom of the ninth but was chased after a Lofton base hit to center. Tom Gordon came in to close out the game and Vizquel walked. Both runners pulled off a double steal and Alomar walked to load the bases with nobody out. Somehow Ramirez grounded into a double play, scoring Lofton but there were now two outs. Thome walked and Jolbert Cabrera ran for him. Alomar stole third but Fryman watched strike three go by to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

Hero of The Night is Nomar Garciaparra his 3 run bomb in the eighth inning put the Sox up for good.

                                                           Sox salute the Hero

The Good:

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 4.

Darren Lewis was 3 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Trot Nixon wa 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Pedro Martinez held the Indians to 2 runs off 5 hits while striking out 9 in 8 innings.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drew a walk

Mike Stanley was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Tom Gordon allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own as he locked up his 9th save.

Final Thoughts:

That was snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, turning a 1-0 game into a 4-1 lead only for the tying runs to be on in the ninth. Martinez and Colon had a great duel but the Sox exposed the Indians one weakness, the bullpen. The Sox bullpen with Derek Lowe, Tom Gordon and Rheal Cormier might be better than Cleveland if these two were to meet come October. Nomar was 0 for 3 before that home run but great hitters find a way to get it done. Kudos to Gordon for having a bases loaded situation and settling things down to get the victory. The New York Yankees are breathing down the necks of the Red Sox and this win holds them off for now. Who would have thought THIS Red Sox team would still be in first place as the calendar heads toward June? Hopefully they can keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 29-19, 0.5 games in front of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Indians tomorrow afternoon when Brian Rose (2-0) takes on Dwight Gooden of Cleveland. The game begins at 2:05 PM eastern time at Jacobs Field.

Sox Outlast Royals On Opening Day (4/5/99)

The boys are back in town. The Boston Red Sox 1999 season is off to a rollicking start as they outlasted the Kansas City Royals in frozen Kansas City. Pedro Martinez pitched well, the offense was timely and the Sox notched their first win of the season with a 5-3 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                                    Sox win Opening Day

Kevin Appier got the start for Kansas City and Jose Offerman made his Red Sox debut by lining a double to start the top of the first. Darren Lewis popped up to center, John Valentin flied out to left and Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to third to end the inning. The Royals wasted no time scoring off Pedro in the bottom of the first. Carlos Beltran watched strike three go by but Joe Randa smashed a 900 foot home run to give KC the lead. Johnny Damon singled and stole second but Jeff King whiffed. Larry Sutton doubled home Damon and Jermaine Dye was robbed by Troy O'Leary on a fly ball to end the inning with the Royals up 2-0 early.

The Sox looked to get something going in the top of the second inning when Troy O'Leary walked and Mike Stanley singled. Scott Hatteberg banged into a double play to kill the rally before Jeff Frye grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro got Chad Kreuter to pop up to second to open the bottom of the second but Rey Sanchez doubled to right. Carlos Febles flied out to left and Beltran hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the third inning although Trot Nixon whiffed to start. Offerman singled and stole second before moving to third on the Lewis ground out. Valentin swatted his first home run of the year to tie the game. Nomar grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

Pedro kept the game tied in the bottom of the third as Randa lined out to center to start. Damon looked at strike three before King walked. King swiped second but Sutton whiffed to end the inning.

O'Leary singled to open the top of the fourth but Stanley banged into a double play. Hatteberg walked but Frye grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Dye singled to start the bottom of the fourth but Kreuter grounded into a double play. Sanchez whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Nixon grounded out to first, Offerman flied out to right and Lewis popped up to second to end the inning. Pedro got Febles to pop up to right to begin the bottom of the fifth before Beltran singled. Beltran swiped second but Pedro blew away Randa and Damon to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth although Valentin flied out to left to begin. Nomar walked, O'Leary doubled and Stanley singled home Garciaparra to give the Sox the lead. Hatteberg singled home O'Leary to chase Appier. Don Wengert came in and got Frye to ground out and Nixon to fly out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

Pedro came back for one more inning in the bottom of the sixth. King flied out to left before Sutton and Dye whiffed to end the inning. It was scary at first but Pedro ended up tossing 6 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 9.

                                                           Martinez was solid today

Offerman singled to left to open the top of the seventh but Lewis grounded out to second. Valentin and Nomar both grounded out to short to end the inning. Derek Lowe took over for the bottom of the seventh and walked Kreuter to begin. Sanchez reached on a Valentin error before a sacrifice bunt by Febles put the tying runs in scoring position. Beltran grounded out to third but Kreuter scored to cut the lead. Randa flied out to left to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

Matt Whisenant came in to pitch the top of the eighth and got O'Leary to ground out to first to begin. Stanley was plunked and Hatteberg walked to chase Whisenant. Scott Service came in and Frye singled to load the bases, but Nixon banged into a double play to end the inning. Lowe returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Damon to ground back to the mound to begin. King looked at strike three before Sutton grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as Offerman triped to start. Lewis whiffed but Valentin doubled to left to score Offerman with the kill shot. Nomar singled Valentin to third but O'Leary banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

Sox closer Tom Gordon came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and struck out Dye to start. Kreuter flied out to right before Sanchez whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won Opening Day with a 5-3 score over the Royals.

Hero of the Night is John Valentin. He tied the game with a home run in the third and knocked in the insurance run in the 9th to propel the team to victory.

                                                         Valentin the Hero


The Good:

Jose Offerman was 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Mike Stanley was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch and an rbi.

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Scott Hatteberg was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Pedro Martinez pitched well with 6 innings of 2 run ball allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out 9.

Derek Lowe allowed an unearned run in 2 innings.

Tom Gordon earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Now that's called getting the season started on the right foot. The Sox are looking to bounce back from their ignominious defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Indians last year and its going to take better pitching to do that. Jose Offerman will never replace Mo Vaughn but that was a pretty good debut as a leadoff hitter. Pedro wasn't that dominant but that could be first game rust more than it was ineffectiveness. Still, a win is a win and hopefully many more are on the way. After an off-day the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Royals when Bret Saberhagen makes his season debut against Jose Rosado at 8:05 PM Eastern Time at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Pull Away Late, Down A's (4/2/98)

So far so good for the new look 1998 Boston Red Sox. Pedro Martinez was impressive in his debut last night and today the offense responded by getting to the Oakland A's bullpen. Sox starter Tim Wakefield and Oakland starter Kenny Rogers fought to a 3-3 stalemate with both out of the game by the end of the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, Mo Vaughn put the Sox ahead with an rbi single and Jim Leyritz added an rbi hit of his own to put the Sox on top. The Sox bullpen responded with 3 scoreless innings including Tom Gordon slamming the door in the bottom of the ninth. The Sox beat the A's 6-3 in Oakland Coliseum.

                                                     Sting approves of the win

Rogers got the ball in the top of the first inning and Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to short to start. John Valentin grounded out to short but Mo Vaughn walked. Jim Leyritz grounded out to second to end the inning. Wakefield got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rickey Henderson popped up to short to start. Jason McDonald singled to center and Ben Grieve popped up to short. McDonald stole second but Matt Stairs struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rookie Jason Varitek made his season debut in the top of the second with a pop up to first in foul territory. Damon Buford made his Sox debut with a fly out to right but Troy O'Leary drew a walk. Darren Lewis grounded out to first to end the inning. The A's struck first in the bottom of the second as Jason Giambi singled in the hole at second to short. Mike Blowers was hit with a pitch and Giambi took third on the Scott Spiezio fly ball to right. AJ Hinch scored Giambi with a sac fly to give the A's the lead then Rafael Bournigal flied out to left to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                              Giambi scores a run

Donnie Sadler lined out to first to start the top of the third and Garciaparra lined out to right. Valentin also lined out to right to end the inning. Henderson popped up to left to start the bottom of the third before McDonald grounded out to first. Grieve lined out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth although Vaughn grounded out to first to start. Leyritz walked, Varitek singled to center and Buford walked to load the bases. O'Leary singled to center to score Leyritz to tie the game and Lewis was hit with a pitch to score Varitek. Sadler hit a sac fly to center to score Buford and increase the lead. Garciaparra lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                               First rbi for Sadler

The A's answered in the bottom of the fourth as Stairs singled to right and Giambi doubled him home to cut the lead. Blowers grounded out to third, Spiezio popped up to left and Hinch struck out swinging to end the inning with the A's down 3-2.

                                                        Stairs scores a run

Valentin grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Vaughn struck out swinging. Leyritz flied out to right to end the inning. Bournigal grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fifth before Henderson also grounded out to short. McDonald took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the sixth as Varitek grounded out to third to start. Buford doubled to left, O'Leary walked and Lewis singled to right to load the bases. Billy Taylor came in to pitch and Sox manager Jimy Williams countered by sending Reggie Jefferson in to pinch hit for Sadler. Giambi made a diving catch on a pop up but Buford tried to come home. Giambi fired home and Buford was out by a mile to end the inning, what a waste.

                                                            Yerrrr out!

Mike Benjamin came in to play second in the bottom of the sixth and Grieve walked to start. Stairs singled to left but was forced at second by Giambi. Blowers singled to left to score Grieve and tie the game, but Spiezio moved Giambi to third with a fly ball to center. That was it for Wakefield as John Wasdin made his season debut by plunking Hinch to load the bases. Bournigal lined out to left to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                            Wakefield almost goes six

The Sox went up for good in the top of the seventh as Nomar singled in the hole at short to start before moving to third on the single in the hole at second by Valentin. Lefty Buddy Groom came in to pitch to Vaughn and Mo singled home Garciaparra with a base hit to left. Leyritz singled to center to score Valentin but Varitek flied out to center. Buford took strike three and O'Leary lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                          Vaughn drives in a run

Henderson flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh but McDonald singled to center. McDonald stole second but Grieve watched strike three go by. Steve Avery was brought in to pitch but old buddy Kevin Mitchell came in to pinch hit for Stairs. Mitchell popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the eighth as Lewis grounded out to short to start. Aaron Small came in to pitch and Benjamin doubled to left. Benjamin took third on a wild pitch and Garciaparra scored him with a base hit to left. Nomar was thrown out trying to steal and Valentin flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                           Benjamin scores a run

Jim Corsi came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Giambi walked to start. Blowers struck out swinging but Nomar booted a grounder by Spiezio to put runners at the corners. Dave Magadan pinch hit for Hinch and banged into a double play to end the inning.

Izzy Molina took over behind the plate with former Milwaukee Brewers closer Mike Fetters now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Vaughn struck out swinging but Leyritz singled to left. Midre Cummings made his Red Sox debut by pinch running for Leyritz but Varitek struck out swinging. Cummings stole second but Buford struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                              First steal for Cummings

Tom Gordon came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with old pal Shane Mack pinch hitting for Bournigal to start. Mack lined out to right, Henderson took strike three and McDonald lined out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-3.

Hero of the Night is Mo Vaughn. He drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning.

                                                                 Hero Mo

The Good:

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jim Leyritz was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Midre Cummings stole a base as a pinch runner.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and an rbi.

Mike Benjamin was 1 for 1 at the plate with a run scored.

John Wasdin got the win with a full scoreless inning.

Steve Avery retired the only man he faced.

Jim Corsi tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Tom Gordon earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Reggie Jefferson was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

John Valentin was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Damon Buford was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Donnie Sadler was 0 for 1 but drove in a run.

Tim Wakefield lasted just 5 2/3 innings and allowed 3 runs for a no-decision.

Final Thoughts:

Never a bad thing to win the first two games of the season. The bullpen saved the day today after Wakefield was gone in the sixth inning, they didn't give an inch. The offense was pretty good and Vaughn is looking for a new contract after the season. If he has a great year, how can you not re-sign him? Garciaparra continues to be the best leadoff hitter in the game and hopefully that can keep up through the season. The advantage of Gordon in the bullpen has already shown as he's looked very good so far. Getting him out of the rotation could be the best decision made by Sox manager Jimy Williams. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can keep the momentum going as they now travel to Seattle for a three game set with the reigning AL West champion Mariners. Derek Lowe gets the start against his former team against Ken Cloude of the Mariners. The game begins tomorrow night at 10:05 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

Martinez Dazzles on Opening Day (4/1/98)

So that's what an ace is like? After the Boston Red Sox let Roger Clemens walk at the end of 1996, they didn't get an ace pitcher for the 1997 season. Their 78-84 record on the season last year showed how well that went. After Sox GM traded for the National League's best pitcher in Pedro Martinez (1-0, 0.00 ERA), the Sox now have a legitimate ace again. Martinez was outstanding, tossing 7 shutout innings while striking out 11 Oakand A's. The Sox bats were silenced by Oakland starter Tom Candiotti but they managed to scratch out two runs. A sac fly by Darren Bragg put the Sox on top and a sac fly by John Valentin were all the runs the Sox would score. Dennis Eckersley made his return to Boston after 14 years with a scoreless eighth and new closer Tom Gordon slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth. The 1998 Red Sox started the season on the right foot with a 2-0 win over the A's at the Oakland Coliseum.

                                              Marliece Andrada approves of the win

Candiotti got the ball in the top of the first and AL Rookie of the Year Nomar Garciaparra led off by lining back to the mound. John Valentin struck out swinging on a knuckleball down and away but Mo Vaughn lined a single to right for the season's first hit. Reggie Jefferson flied out to deep center to end the inning. Martinez made his Red Sox debut in the bottom of the first and Rickey Henderson led off with a fly out to left. Dave Magadan struck out looking and shook his head walking back to the dugout before Ben Grieve grounded out to second to end the inning.

Troy O'Leary opened the top of the second inning by trying to pull the ball, ending up grounding out to second. Scott Hatteberg popped up to second and Darren Lewis made his Red Sox debut by popping up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Old pal Matt Stairs struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second before Jason Giambi also went down hacking. Scott Spiezio lined out to right to end the inning.

Darren Bragg went down hacking to begin the top of the third and 22 year old rookie Donnie Sadler made his major league debut by grounding out to third. Nomar flied out to center to end the inning. AJ Hinch grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the third before Jason McDonald struck out swinging. Rafael Bournigal flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth as Valentin flied out to center to start. Vaughn and Jefferson stroked back to back singles and Mo moved to third on the O'Leary liner to right. Jefferson took second on a passed ball but Hatteberg grounded out to first to end the inning. Henderson grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Magadan also grounded out to second. Grieve singled to right and Stairs walked, but Giambi whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fifth as Lewis reached on an error by Spiezio to begin. A wild pitch moved Lewis to third and he scored on the Bragg sac fly. Sadler flied out to center and Nomar grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                         Bragg drives in a run

More than enough cushion for Martinez as he turned up the heat to freeze Spiezio to start the bottom of the fifth. Hinch and McDonald both went down swinging to end the inning.

Boston threatened again in the top of the sixth as Valentin singled to left to begin. Vaughn took strike three but Jefferson flied out to left. O'Leary singled Valentin to third but Hatteberg grounded out to second to end the inning. Bournigal flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth but Henderson walked. Magadan flied out to center and Grieve struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Lewis beat out an infield single to short and Bragg doubled him to third. Sadler was plunked to load the bases but Lewis was thrown out at home on a force by Nomar. Valentin scored Bragg with a sac fly to increase the lead but Vaughn grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Valentin drives in a run

The A's mounted a threat in the bottom of the seventh as Stairs and Giambi stroked back to back singles to start. Spiezio dropped down a bunt to move both runners over but Martinez struck out Hinch swinging on a nasty curveball. McDonald took strike three to end the inning. That was it for Martinez who was great in his first start, tossing 7 shutout innings while striking out 11 batters.

                                                       Amazing debut for Martinez

Mike Mohler came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Jim Leyritz pinch hit for Jefferson to start. Leyritz struck out swinging and O'Leary went down hacking as well. Hatteberg grounded out to short to end the inning. Dennis Eckersley made his first appearance for the Sox in 14 years in the bottom of the eighth and old buddy Shane Mack pinch hit for Bournigal. Mack flied out to left but Henderson singled to left. Henderson stole second and moved to third on the grounder by Magadan. Sox manager Jimy Williams took no chances and brought in new closer Tom Gordon for the four out save. Grieve grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                   Welcome back Eck

Jason Wood took over at short with TJ Mathews now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Lewis flied out to center, Bragg struck out swinging and Sadler flied out to center to end the inning. Gordon got Stairs to ground out to short to start the bottom of the ninth and Giambi grounded out to third. Spiezio whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won Opening Day 2-0.

                                                     Sox win

Hero of the Night is Pedro Martinez. He earned his first win of the season by tossing 7 shutout innings while striking out 11 batters.

                                                             Martinez is the Hero

The Good:

John Valentin was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 4.

Reggie Jefferson was 1 for 3.

Darren Bragg was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Dennis Eckersley tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Tom Gordon earned his first save of the season with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 4.

Jim Leyritz struck out as a pinch hitter.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

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

Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Donnie Sadler was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch in his ML debut.

Final Thoughts:

I think the Sox have found their new ace. After losing Roger Clemens in 1996, the Sox were desperate for a new ace and they may have found one in Martinez. Pedro was outstanding today and this is the guy they need if they hope to be good again. The offense was nothing to write home about on Opening Day but with Pedro on the mound, the little that they did was just enough. It was good to see Donnie Sadler make his ML debut and get on base even if it wasn't conventionally. Gordon didn't look good as a starter last year but he looked great in relief today. If he can turn into a dependable relief pitcher, that's a big shot in the arm for this team. Its always good to win on Opening Day to start the season off on a positive note and the Sox look to continue their winning ways tomorrow afternoon against the A's. Tim Wakefield makes his season debut for the Sox up against A's ace Kenny Rogers at 3:15 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sox Rally Past Angels on Opening Day (4/2/97)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were about to drop their first Opening Day without Roger Clemens in 13 years. The Angels pounced on Sox starter Tom Gordon for 2 runs before knocking him out in the fifth inning. Vaughn Eshelman and Butch Henry also got tagged as the Angels led 5-2 going into the ninth inning. All of a sudden the Sox sprang to life with two outs and used two walks and a hit batsmen to tie the game. Troy O'Leary beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and Sox closer Heathcliff Slocumb slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth. It was an epic come from behind 6-5 win on Opening Day for the Sox at Anaheim Stadium.

                                               Kimber West approves of the win

Mark Langston got the start for the Angels and rookie Nomar Garciaparra led off with a fly out to right. John Valentin doubled and Mo Vaughn walked, but Valentin could only advance to third on the fly out to center by Mike Stanley. Tim Naehring grounded out to short to end the inning. The Angels wasted no time getting to Gordon in the bottom of the first although Darin Erstad led off with a swinging strikeout. Old friend Luis Alicea also went down swinging but Jim Edmonds hit a home run all the way to San Diego to put the Angels on top. Tim Salmon took strike three but the Sox were down 1-0.

                                                       Edmonds puts Anaheim on top

Wil Cordero struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Rudy Pemberton popped up to third, sending his bat flying. Bill Haselman walked and Shane Mack made his Red Sox debut by hitting a bullet to Alicea to end the inning. Dave Hollins popped up to short to start the bottom of the second but Garret Anderson beat out a chopper to third. 41 year old Eddie Murray hit a grounder to Gordon who threw wide of second for an error. Jim Leyrtiz flied out to the centerfield wall which moved Anderson to third. Gary DiSarcina forced Murray at second to end the inning.

                                                  Bad throw by Gordon

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Garciaparra flied out to Salmon in right to start. Valentin walked and Langston tried to pick him off, but the throw hit him and the ball got away. Valentin scampered to second and moved to third on the grounder by Vaughn. Stanley walked but Naehring struck out swinging to end the inning. The Angels struck again in the bottom of the third although Erstad grounded out to second to start. Alicea walked, Edmonds singled Luis to third with a base hit to left and Salmon walked to load the bases. Red Sox pitching coach Joe Kerrigan came out to tell Tom that he sucks and Hollins hit a grounder to second for the force but Valentin's throw was off, scoring Alicea when Dave was safe. Anderson grounded out to first to end the inning with the Angels ahead 2-0.

                                                 Another bad throw leads to a run

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Cordero struck out swinging to start. Pemberton grounded out to short and Haselman struck out swinging. Murray lined out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Leyritz went down hacking. DiSarcina singled to center and stole second, but Erstad struck out swinging to end the inning.

Langston cruised in the top of the fifth as Mack struck out swinging to start. Garciaparra flied out to left and Valentin grounded out to short to end the inning. The Angels chased Gordon in the bottom of the fifth as Alicea singled to left to start. Alicea stole second and moved to third on the grounder by Edmonds. Salmon struck out swinging but Hollins walked. Sox manager Jimy Williams pulled Gordon after 4 2/3 innings and 2 runs allowed. Anderson popped up to first to end the inning.

                                                  Not the best outing for Gordon

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Vaughn struck out swinging to start. Stanley was retired on a ground ball to third but Naehring hit the first home run for Boston this season to cut the lead. Cordero singled to center but Pemberton popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                  Naehring hits a home run

The Angels roared back in the bottom of the sixth as Murray and Leyritz stroked back to back singles to start. DiSarcina lined a base hit to center to load the bases but Erstad forced Murray at home on a grounder back to the mound. Alicea blooped a base hit to right to score Leyritz and DiSarcina to increase the lead. That was it for Eshelman as Butch Henry made his Red Sox debut by getting Edmonds to hit a bullet to Valentin, doubling off Alicea at first to end the inning with Anaheim ahead 4-1.

                                                        Eshelman is NOT happy

The Sox fought back in the top of the seventh with Mike James now pitching for Anaheim. Haselman struck out swinging but Darren Bragg pinch hit for Mack. Bragg walked and moved to second on the Garciaparra grounder. Valentin lined a base hit to center to score Bragg and cut the lead. Vaughn beat out a chopper up the middle to chase James. Chuck McElroy came in to pitch and Sox manager Jimy Williams had Reggie Jefferson pinch hit for Stanley. Jefferson struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                            Valentin drives in a run

Just when the Sox clawed back in the game, the Angels struck again in the bottom of the seventh although Salmon popped up to second to start. Hollins singled to center and Anderson dropped a base hit to right to move Hollins to third. Murray scored Hollins with a sac fly to increase the lead but Leyritz grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                      Murray drives in a run

Naehring tried to start a rally in the top of the eighth with a base hit to right but Cordero lined out to left. Pemberton Struck out swinging and Haselman struck out swinging to end the inning. Pat Mahomes came in for the bottom of the eighth and DiSarcina popped up to first to start. Erstad flied out to center and Alicea struck out swinging to end the inning. Good work Mahomes!

                                                Mahomes shuts them down

All of a sudden the Sox exploded in the top of the ninth with Jorge Fabregas behind the plate and Troy Percival now on the mound. Bragg and Garciaparra both struck out swinging and down to their final out, Valentin doubled to left. Down to their last strike....Vaughn drew a walk and Jefferson beat out a chopper to third to load the bases. Jeff Frye pinch ran for Jefferson and Naehring drew a walk to score Valentin. Down to HIS last strike, Cordero walked to score Vaughn and re-load the bases. Pemberton was plunked to tie the game and chase Percival from the game. Pep Harris was brought in to pitch and Troy O'Leary pinch hit for Haselman. O'Leary beat out a chopper to third to score Naehring and give the Sox the lead. Bragg hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                 Pemberton takes one for the team

Heathcliff Slocumb came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Scott Hatteberg now behind the plate. Edmonds grounded out to second to start and Tim Salmon grounded out to short. Hollin walked, Anderson singled in the hole at second and Murray walked to load the bases. Orlando Palmeiro pinch ran for Murray but on a 3-2 count Fabregas popped up to left to end the game. The Sox had pulled a miracle and won it 6-5.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of the Night is Troy O'Leary. He came off the bench to drive in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth.

                                                 Troy O'Hero

The Good:

John Valentin was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Reggie Jefferson was 1 for 2 as a pinch hitter.

Jeff Frye scored a run as a pinch runner.

Pat Mahomes got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Heathcliff Slocumb got the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Shane Mack was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Vaughn Eshelman allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Butch Henry allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wil Cordero was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Rudy Pemberton was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but his HBP drove in the tying run.

Bill Haselman was 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts but walked.

Darren Bragg was 0 for 2 but walked and scored a run

Tom Gordon only lasted 4 2/3 innings but allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks.

Honorable Mention:

Scott Hatteberg caught the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

What a game! Prognosticators had the Red Sox dead in the water this season after Roger Clemens left but for one day at least, they can all eat crow. The Sox were down to their final strike four times in the top of the ninth and each batter delivered. It took brass balls from Vaughn, Jefferson, Naehring and Cordero to fight off Percival when down to their last strike. Pemberton taking one for the team was great and O'Leary coming off the bench ice cold to drive in the winning run takes a lot of heart. The Sox may not be good this season but for one night they stuck a big middle finger to the haters. The pitching was nothing special but kudos to Pat Mahomes and Heathcliff Slocumb for keeping the Angels off the board. The offense showed a lot of toughness but that's tough to maintain over 162 games. Its only one game but a win is a win, they all count. Tomorrow night Tim Wakefield makes his season debut against Jason Dickson of the Angels. The game begins at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.