Sox Edge Rangers (5/9/82)

In a game a little too close for comfort, the Boston Red Sox still found a way to win a non-conventional pitcher's duel against the Texas Rangers. John Tudor, Bob Stanley (3-1, 3.18 ERA) and Mark Clear combined on a 9 hit shutout of the Rangers. Tony Perez drove in the game's only run off old friend Frank Tanana and the Sox continued their winning ways by edging the Rangers 1-0 at Arlington Park.

                                                Officer Fish approves of the win

Tanana greeted Jerry Remy in the top of the first inning by getting him to fly out to left to start. Dwight Evans looked at strike three but Jim Rice singled to left. Tony Perez popped up to second to end the inning. Tudor took the mound in the bottom of the first and struck out George Wright to start. Bill Stein and Buddy Bell stroked back to back singles but Lamar Johnson hit one up the elevator shaft. Jim Sundberg walked to load the bases. Leon Roberts lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Carney Lansford grounded out to short to begin. Dave Stapleton grounded out to third and Glenn Hoffman whiffed to end the inning. Bob Johnson walked to start the bottom of the second but Larry Parrish struck out. The alert Tudor picked off Johnson before Mark Wagner popped up to first to end the inning.

Gary Allenson singled to open the top of the third and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Rick Miller. Remy lined out to second and Evans grounded out to short to end the inning. Tudor cruised in the bottom of the third as Wright flied out to left to begin. Stein grounded out to first and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning.

Tanana cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Rice struck out to start. Perez flied out to center and Lansford grounded out to third to end the inning. Johnson lined out to short to begin the bottom of the fourth but Sundberg singled to center. Sundberg was forced at second by Roberts before Johnson flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth inning as Stapleton lined out to third to begin. Hoffman flied out to center and Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning. Tudor got in trouble in the bottom of the fifth as Parrish singled to left to begin. Wagner forced Parrish at seond but Wright doubled. Stein struck out but Bell was intentionally walked to load the bases. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough and pulled Tudor. Bob Stanley came in and got Johnson to ground out to short to end the inning. Tudor wouldn't get credit for the win but did manage to pitch 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball.

                                                             Not great but it'll do

The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth inning although Miller grounded out to second to begin.  Remy popped up to third but Evans walked and Rice singled. Perez doubled home Evans for the only run of the game. Lansford walked before Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                         Perez drives a run in

Sundberg singled to center to open the bottom of the sixth inning before being sacrificed to second by Roberts. Pat Putnam pinch hit for Johnson only to ground out to second. Johnny Grubb pinch hit for Parrish only to ground out to second to end the inning.

Grubb took over in left with Roberts moving to right to begin the top of the seventh inning. Hoffman flied out to left, Allenson grounded out to second and Miller flied out to right to end the inning. Stanley cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Wagner grounded out to third to begin. Wright looked at strike three before Stein flied out to right to end the inning.

Tanana came out for the top of the eighth inning and got Remy to fly out to center to end his outing. Tanana pitched well but didn't get any run support. Danny Darwin came in and walked Evans but Rice watched strike three go by. Perez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Bell singled to  center to begin the bottom of the eighth but was erased at second on a failed bunt by Johnson. Billy Sample pinch ran for Johnson and was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Allenson. The pain in the ass Sundberg beat out an infield single to third but Roberts flied out to left to end the inning. Good work by Stanley to pick up where Tudor left off.

                                                          Stanley gets it done

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth as Lansford flied out to center to start. Stapleton grounded out to second and Hoffman grounded out to first to end the inning. Stanley returned for the bottom of the ninth and got Putnam to ground out to second to begin. Grubb doubled to left to chase Stanley and put the tying run at second. Houk took no chances and brought in Mark Clear to get the save. Lee Mazzilli pinch hit for Wagner and watched strike three go by. Wright struck out to end the game with the Sox holding on to win 1-0.

Hero of the Night is Tony Perez. His rbi double was the difference in the game.

                                                            Tony The Hero


The Good:

Dwight Evans walked twice in four plate appearances and scored the only run.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3.

John Tudor piched 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Bob Stanley pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Mark Clear got his 5th save with 2/3 of a scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 2.



The Ugly:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

That was too close for comfort but a win is a win. As great as the Sox pitching was to hold the Rangers scoreless, the offense mustered just 4 hits and a single run. 9 times out of 10 that's not good enough to win but today was the tenth time. Houk made the right move by lifting Tudor as Stanley got the job done in relief. Hopefully the Sox get more runs tomorrow because they are going to need it. The win improved the Sox to 20-9, 2.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox head to Minnesota for a set with the Twins. Mike Torrez goes for the Sox up against Roger Erickson at 8:00 PM Eastern Time at the Metrodome.

Basebawful Report of The Month

Gary Allenson - 5 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Luis Aponte - 6 Good, 1 Bad

Wade Boggs - 3 Good, 3 Bad

Tom Burgmeier - 3 Good, 2 Bad

Mark Clear - 4 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Dennis Eckersley - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Dwight Evans - 6 Good, 2 Bad, 11 Ugly, 1 Hero

Rich Gedman - 4 Good, 3 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Hero

Glenn Hoffman - 7 Good, 4 Bad, 5 Ugly, 4 Hero

Bruce Hurst - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Carney Lansford - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 6 Ugly

Rick Miller - 6 Good, 2 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Honorable Mention

Reid Nichols - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Honorable Mention

Bob Ojeda - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Tony Perez - 2 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly

Chuck Rainey - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Hero

Jerry Remy - 7 Good, 3 Bad, 7 Ugly

Jim Rice - 7 Good, 1 Bad, 11 Ugly, 1 Hero

Bob Stanley - 1 Bad, 1 Hero, 2 Jackass

Dave Stapleton - 8 Good, 7 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Mike Torrez - 1 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

John Tudor - 2 Good, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Julio Valdez - 1 Good, 1 Honorable Mention

Carl Yastrzemski - 10 Good, 2 Bad, 6 Ugly

Most Valuable Player of the Month is Carl Yastrzemski with 10 Good

Least Valuable Player of the Month is Dave Stapleton with 7 Bad

The Co-Ugliest Players of the Month are Jim Rice and Dwight Evans with 11 Ugly

Hero of the Month is Glenn Hoffman with 4 Hero

Jackass of the Month is Bob Stanley with 2 Jackass

Most Honorable Player of the Month is Reid Nichols with 2 Honorable Mention

Torrez, Sox Down Rangers (4/30/82)

The Boston Red Sox are rolling right now. They've won 9 out of 10 and 11 out of 13 games including tonight's game. Mike Torrez (2-1, 3.33 ERA) turned back the clock 5 years to pitch arguably one of his best games in a Red Sox uniform. Mike held the Texas Rangers to just 1 run as he tossed a complete game four hitter. The offense was once again a balanced attack with all nine men in the lineup reaching base at least once. Dave Stapleton and Rich Gedman both had three hits while the whole team had 8 walks. The Sox scored 7 runs in all different ways as Torrez mastered the Rangers. The Sox completed their month with a 7-1 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park.

                                                   Corporal Chesty approves of the win

Torrez got the ball in the top of the first inning and George Wright hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Lee Mazzilli doubled to right and Buddy Bell was hit with a pitch, but Lamar Johnson grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Rangers starter Charlie Hough in the bottom of the first inning as Jerry Remy singled to left to start. Remy stole second and Evans walked before Remy moved to third on the fly out to right by Jim Rice. Carl Yastrzemski ripped a base hit to right to score Remy to put the Sox on top. A wild pitch moved Yaz to second and Glenn Hoffman was intentionally walked to load the bases. The gamble worked as Dave Stapleton struck out swinging and Rick Miller popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                Yaz drives in a run

Jim Sundberg grounded out to third to begin the top of the second but Johnny Grubb walked. Larry Parrish popped up to second and Mark Wagner grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Rich Gedman pounded a ground rule double to right to start. Wade Boggs hit a routine grounder to Lamar Johnson who threw the ball away allowing Gedman to score. Johnson then booted a grounder by Remy for another error but Evans banged into a double play. Rice flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                Gedman scores a run

Doug Flynn singled to center to start the top of the third and moved to second when Wright grounded out to second. Flynn moved to third on the grounder to second by Mazzilli and Bell walked. Bell stole second but Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning. Yaz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Hoffman flied out to left. Stapleton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Sundberg singled to center to open the top of the fourth but Grubb hit into a double play. Parrish grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fourth as Miller and Gedman stroked back to back singled to left to begin. Boggs doubled to right and Parrish booted the ball for an error to clear the bases. Boggs moved to third on the error and he scored on the sac fly to left by Remy to increase the lead. Evans struck out swinging but Rice and Yaz both walked to chase Hough, Dave Schmidt got Hoffman to pop up to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-0.

                                                                  Boggs drives in a pair

Wagner walked to start the top of the fifth but Flynn forced him at second. Wright hit into a double play to end the inning. Stapleton singled to right to open the bottom of the fifth but Miller flied out to center. Gedman singled to right to move Stapleton to third but Evans flied out to left. Remy forced Gedman at second to end the inning.

The Rangers struck back in the top of the sixth as Mazzilli walked to start. Bell forced Lee at second and Johnson forced Bell at second as well. Sundberg walked and Grubb singled to right to score Mazzilli. Parrish forced Grubb at second to end the inning with Texas down 5-1.

                                                       Grubb drives in a run

The Sox answered right back in the bottom of the sixth as Evans took strike three to start. Rice walked but Yaz flied out to left. Hoffman singled to center and Stapleton scored Rice with a base hit to center to increase the lead. That was it for Schmidt as Paul Mirabella came in to get Miller to ground into a force at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                           Stapleton drives in a run

Wagner grounded back to the mound to start the top of the seventh inning before Flynn lined out to third. Wright lined out to left to end the inning. Boston wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Gedman grounded out to short to begin. Boggs walked and Remy was hit with a pitch, but Evans flied out to center. Rice lined a base hit to left to score Boggs and Yaz walked. Hoffman flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                              Rice drives in a run

Torrez returned for the top of the eighth and Mazzilli flied out to left to begin. Bell struck out looking and Johnson grounded out to short to end the inning. Stapleton singled to left to start the bottom of the eighth before Miller took strike three. Gedman flied out to center but Boggs drew a walk. Remy forced Wade at second to end the inning.

Torrez came back to complete his work in the top of the ninth and Sundberg popped up to second to start. Grubb walked but Parrish flied out to center. Wargner grounded out to third to end the game. Torrez went the distance and the Red Sox had defeated the Rangers 7-1.

Hero of the Night is Mike Torrez. He tossed a complete game 4 hitter allowing just one run to earn the win.

                                                                Hero Torrez

The Good:

Jim Rice was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Dave Stapleton was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4 but stole a base, was hit with a pitch, drove in a run and scored a run.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Now that's the way to end the month. The Sox have ripped off 11 of 13 wins to vault them into first place in the AL East. After they missed the playoffs by an eyelash last season, maybe a full season with this roster will be enough to guide them to their first division title in 7 years. The only drawback to the month was the injury to Carney Lansford but if Wade Boggs can fill in for him consistently, the Sox may have a deadly lineup when Lansford comes back. The bullpen has been their strength but if guys like Torrez and Dennis Eckersley can turn in seasons like they had in 1978, this could be a fun season for the Red Sox. The win improved the Sox to 13-7,  0.5 games in front of the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Rangers with Bob Ojeda getting the start for Boston against Rick Honeycutt of the Rangers. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (4/29/82)

On This Day In Boston Red Sox Basebawful History:

1915 - Yankees beat Red Sox

1970 - Sox beat A's amidst beanball war

1972 - Rangers Walkoff Red Sox

1981 - Rangers shut out Red Sox

The Red Sox return to action tomorrow night against the Texas Rangers. Mike Torrez (1-1) takes the hill against Charlie Hough of Texas. The game begins at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park. 

Royals Pound Tudor, Snap Streak (4/28/82)

It was bad news all around as the Washington Bullets defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their second round NBA playoff series and the Kansas City Royals snapped the Boston Red Sox 8 game winning streak. John Tudor (3-1, 4.18 ERA) got shelled in the first two innings, allowing eight runs and not making it out of the second. The Sox bats tried to fight back with 5 early runs against Royals starter Dennis Leonard. Thanks to the pitching of Tom Burgmeier, Luis Aponte and Mark Clear, the Royals didn't score another run. Unfortunately Leonard also settled down to toss a complete game without allowing another run himself. It all added up to an 8-5 Royals win at Fenway Park.

                                                        Sox fans aren't taking the loss too well

Tudor crapped his pants immediately in the top of the first as UL Washington singled to center to start. Washington got picked off and John Wathan lined out to right. Suddenly George Brett doubled to right, Amos Otis walked and Hal McRae hit a home run all the way to Billings, Montana to put the Royals on top. Jerry Martin singled to center, Frank White singled to right and Dennis Werth singled to right to score Martin. Greg Pryor singled to right to score White but Washington flied out to center to end the inning. The Royals scored five runs with two outs and led 5-0.

                                                         Pryor helps the Royals

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the first against Leonard as Jerry Remy walked to start. Dwight Evans singled to left and Jim Rice singled to right to score Remy. Evans moved to third on the hit and he scored on the Glenn Hoffman force at second. Dave Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                               Hoffman drives in  run

The Royals finished off Tudor in the top of the second as Wathan grounded out to short to start. The floodgates opened as Remy booted a routine grounder by Brett and Otis singled to left. McRae doubled home Brett but Martin flied out to right. White singled to left to score McRae and FINALLY Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled Tudor. John didn't have it today as he allowed 8 runs in just 1 2/3 innings. Tom Burgmeier came in and Werth flied out to right to end the inning with the Royals up 8-2.

                                                                Tudor gets shelled

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez singled to left to start. Wade Boggs popped up to second but a wild pitch moved Perez to second. Rick Miller doubled to center to score Perez and Gary Allenson doubled to left to score Miller. Remy grounded out to third and Evans  took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

                                                         Miller drives in a run

Burgmeier settled things down in the top of the third although Pryor singled to center to start. Washington popped up to second but Wathan banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Rice singled to left to start. Hoffman singled to right to move Jim to third and Rice scored on the sac fly by Stapleton to cut the lead. Perez struck out swinging and Boggs grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 8-5.

                                                       Stapleton drives in a run

Brett singled to right to start the top of the fourth but Otis forced him at second. McRae banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox offense was done for the day in the bottom of the fourth as Miller flied out to left to start. Allenson struck out swinging and Remy grounded out to short to end the inning.

Martin doubled to left to start the top of the fifth and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by White. Both Werth and Pryor grounded out to short to end the inning. Evans struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Rice doubled to left. Hoffman grounded out to third and Stapleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Washington singled to center to start the top of the sixth but Wathan hit into a double play. Brett grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Perez grounded out to second to start. Boggs flied out to left and Miller grounded out to first to end the inning.

Otis grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and McRae grounded out to third as well. Marti doubled to left and White singled him to third. Werth forced White at second to end the inning. Allenson grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Remy was called out on interference for dropping down a bunt. Evans grounded out to third to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Pryor grounded out to short to start. Washington flied out to left but Wathan beat out a roller to third. Brett popped up to second to end the inning. Rice singled to left to start the bottom of the eighth but Hoffman banged into a double play. Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning.

Luis Aponte came in to pitch the top of the ninth as Otis flied out to left. McRae grounded out to third and Martin struck out swinging to end the inning. Leonard returned for the bottom of the ninth and Perez struck out swinging to start. Boggs grounded out to first and Miller flied out to left to end the game. The Royals had won it 8-5.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 8 runs.

                                                                  Jackass Tudor

The Good:

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

Tom Burgmeier tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings.

Mark Clear tossed a scoreless innings.

Luis Aponte pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3 and drove in a run.

The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.'

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to and end and the winning streak was snapped. Tudor had absolutely nothing and got shelled for the first time all season. The bullpen was outstanding to not allow a run the rest of the game but the Sox couldn't crack Leonard after the third inning. They got to him for five runs then nothing the rest of the way. Its a shame because they had him on the ropes but couldn't finish him off. They had chances to score but couldn't cash in. One thing is for sure if the bullpen can pitch this good the rest of the season, all they need is good starting pitching and they'll be right there in the pennant race as the season progresses. Unfortunately that's two bad starts in a row first by Dennis Eckersley and now by John Tudor. They need to bounce back next time because the Sox are on a roll and this kind of game could stop the momentum. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night at home against the Texas Rangers. Mike Torrez (1-1) gets the start for the Sox against Charlie Hough of the Rangers. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Stanley, Sox Beat Royals For 8th In a Row (4/27/82)

Make it eight wins in a row for the red hot Boston Red Sox. This time their victims were the Kansas City Royals. Dennis Eckersley was hammered for 5 runs in just 4 innings as Boston's starter but Bob Stanley (1-1, 6.94 ERA) was nearly flawless in the next five innings to keep the Royals off the board. The Sox took advantage of bad defense and a second inning rally to put themselves up in the early innings. The Sox scored a run in the fifth and Rich Gedman drove in another in the bottom of the eighth for the insurance run. It all added up for the Sox eighth win in a row and it came in the form of a 7-5 victory over the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                   "8 in a row....ah ah ah!"

The Royals wasted no time getting to Eckersley in the top of the first inning as Tom Poquette grounded back to the mound to start. John Wathan singled to right, stole second and moved to third when Eckersley threw the pickoff throw away. George Brett grounded out to second but Wathan scored to give Kansas City the lead. Amos Otis grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                         Wathan scores a run

The Sox answered in the bottom of the first against Royals starter David Frost. Jerry Remy singled to left and Dwight Evans lined a base hit to right to move Remy to third. A wild pitch scored Remy to tie the game and Rice was plunked. Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second to move the runners over but Glenn Hoffman popped up to third in foul territory. Dave Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Remy scored a run

Hal McRae hit a home run to Madagascar to put the Royals up instantly in the top of the second. Lee May popped up to short, Jerry Martin took strike three and Frank White lined out to third to end the inning with the Royals up 2-1.

                                                                McRae hits one out

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the second as Wade Boggs walked to start. Wade moved to the second on the grounder to the mound by Rich Gedman and scored on the Rick Miller base hit to right. Remy singled to center to move Miller to third and Evans lined a base hit to left. Poquette bobbled the ball allowing Miller to score and the runners to move up. Rice grounded out to third but Yaz stroked a base hit to right to score Remy and Evans. Hoffman lined out to left to end the inning but the Sox now led 5-1.

                                                                 Boggs starts the rally

UL Washington struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Poquette popped up to third in foul territory. Wathan struck out swinging to end the inning. Stapleton flied out to center to start the bottom of the third but Boggs singled to left. Gedman banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Royals pounced in the top of the fourth as Brett hit a home run all the way to the outer reaches of Mongolia to start. Otis doubled to center and and McRae smacked a triple to right to score Otis. May and Martin worked back to back walks to load the bases but White forced McRae at home. Washington grounded out to short to score May and tie the game. Poquette grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                               Brett starts the rally

Miller grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Remy popped up a bunt to first. Evans grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Royals knocked out Eckersley in the top of the fifth as Wathan singled to left to start. Brett singled to right and Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled Eck before it could get worse. He allowed 5 runs in just 4 plus innings. Bob Stanley relieved him and got Otis to bang into a double play. McRae flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                               Eckersley gets hammered

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Rice walked to start. Yaz singled to right to move Rice to third and Jim scored on the double play by Hoffman. Stapleton singled to center and took second on a wild pitch but Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                               Rice scores a run

May singled to left to start the top of the sixth but Dennis Werth pinch ran for him. Martin singled to left but White grounded into a double play. Washington grounded out to third to end the inning. Jim Wright came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Gedman lined out to right to start. Miller lined out to center but Remy caught the Royals asleep with a bunt down the first base line. Remy was picked off to end the inning.

Poquette grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh and Wathan's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Stanley. Brett grounded out to first to end the inning. Evans flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh before Rice walked. Yaz lined out to center but Rice took second on a balk. Hoffman lined out to right to end the inning.

Stanley returned for the top of the eighth and Otis grounded out to short to start. McRae grounded out to short and Jamie Quirk pinch hit for Werth only to fly out to left to end the inning. The Sox added a big run in the bottom of the eighth as Stapleton doubled to left to begin. Boggs popped up a bunt back to the mound but Gedman dropped a base hit to right to score Dave. Miller flied out to center and Remy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-5.

                                                           Gedman drives in a run

Stanley came back to close out the top of the ninth and the Royals beat the ball in the dirt. Martin grounded out to second, White grounded out to short and Washington grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-5 for their eighth win in a row.

Hero of the Night is Bob Stanley. He tossed 5 shutout innings in relief to earn the win allowing just 2 hits.

                                                            Stanley The Hero

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jim Rice walked twice, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

The Bad:

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4.

Dennis Eckersley was lit up for 5 runs (4 earned) in 4 innings of work.

The Ugly:

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The surging Sox are on a roll and they've done it in every facet possible. The starting pitching has been solid but today it wasn't. Bob Stanley stepped up big and the offense took advantage of bad defense to put up 7 runs. The normally hot Hoffman went 0-fer but the others stepped up including Remy, Evans and Yaz. The Royals are a good team and for the Sox to beat them is not a small feat. Its a shame Eck couldn't get it done but the Sox were able to pick up their teammate. The Sox are going to have a good kind of problem if Wade Boggs is the real deal. They already have Tony Perez on the bench, it would be a waste to have him or Carney Lansford sitting on it too. Maybe they can trade someone for a starting pitcher if someone gets hurt or is ineffective. Its better to have too much depth than not enough, that's for sure. All in all it was a good win and if only the Sox can keep this momentum for the whole season. The Sox look to make it nine in a row tomorrow night when they send John Tudor (3-0) to the mound against Dennis Leonard of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Rainey, BoSox Blank ChiSox in Game 2 (4/26/82)

Make that seven wins in a row for the Boston Red Sox. In the second game of today's doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, it was the Chuck Rainey show here in Chicago. Rainey earned his first win of the season by tossing a complete game 5 hit shutout against the White Sox. Offensively it was a balanced attack as everyone in the lineup but one got hits with a rally in the sixth inning being the difference maker. Chico Escarrega held the Red Sox to just 1 run in 5 innings but Boston rallied for four runs against Jerry Koosman to put the game away. Rainey kept Chicago out of sorts all game and it all led to an easy 5-0 victory over the White Sox in Game 2 at Comiskey Park.

                                              Jeannine Taylor approves of the win

Escarrega got the ball in the top of the first and Jerry Remy grounded out to second to start. Dwight Evans walked and took off for second, advancing to third when Carlton Fisk threw the ball away. Jim Rice struck out swinging and Carl Yastrzemski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Rainey began his dominance in the bottom of the first when Rudy Law flied out to left to start. Tony Bernazard grounded out to second and Steve Kemp grounded out to first to end the inning.

Carney Lansford grounded out to second to open the top of the second before Dave Stapleton grounded back to the mound. Glenn Hoffman popped up to second to end the inning. Greg Luzinski ripped a base hit to left to start the bottom of the second and Rice decided to kick the ball into the bleachers for an error. A wild pitch moved Greg to third but Tom Paciorek grounded out to third. Harold Baines grounded back to the mound but Marv Foley walked. Jim Morrison grounded out to second to end the inning.

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the third as Rick Miller singled to right to start. Gary Allenson singled to center but Remy flied out to right. Evans flied out to left and Rice forced Allenson at second to end the inning. Rainey got Vance Law to ground out to short to start the bottom of the third and Rudy Law struck out swinging. Bernazard singled to right but was caught in a rundown on an infield single to third to end the inning.

Yaz flied out to center to start the top of the fourth before Lansford grounded out to second. Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning. Luzinski took strike three to begin the bottom of the fourth and Paciorek grounded back to the mound. Baines singled to center but Foley lined out to short to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the fifth as Hoffman doubled to left to start. Miller dumped a base hit to right and Glenn scored to put Boston on top. Allenson singled to center to move Miller to third but Gary was doubled off first on a line drive to second by Remy. Evans popped up to second to end the inning with the Red Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Miller drives in a run

Rainey kept Chicago from answering in the bottom of the fifth as Morrison flied out to left to begin. Vance Law struck out swinging and Rudy Law flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the sixth against Jerry Koosman as Rice singled in the hole at second to start. Yaz singled to left and Lansford walked to load the bases. Stapleton came through with a base hit to left to score Rice and Hoffman walked home Yaz to increase the lead. Miller hit a grounder to the mound to force Lansford at home but Allenson beat out a double play ball to score Stapleton. Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning with Boston now head 4-0.

                                                             Big hit by Stapleton

Bernazard walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Kemp flied out to left. Both Luzinski and Paciorek flied out to right to end the inning.

Aurelio Rodriguez took over at third for the top of the seventh and Evans singled to right to start. Rice walked but Yaz grounded into a double play. Lansford flied out to right to end the inning. Rainey got Baines to ground out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Foley also grounded out to second. Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                         Rainey was pitching great

Both Stapleton and Hoffman flied out to center to start the top of the eighth but Miller grounded a base hit up the middle. Allenson singled to left but Remy flied out to left to end the inning. Vance Law singled to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Rudy Law flied out to left. Bernazard hit a bullet to Hoffman who doubled off Vance at first to end the inning.

The BoSox put the nail in the coffin in the top of the ninth as Evans singled to left to begin. Rice popped up to second but Evans swiped second. Evans moved to third on a grounder to first by Yaz and Lansford scored Dwight with a base hit to center. Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                               Lansford drives in a run

Rainey returned to finish the game in the bottom of the ninth and Kemp flied out to center to start. Luzinski grounded out to short and Paciorek took strike three to end the game. The BoSox had won it 5-0.

Hero of the Night is Chuck Rainey. He tossed a complete game 5 hit shutout to earn the win.

                                                           Chuck The Hero

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 stolen bases and a run scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Rick Miller was 3 for 4 with an rbi.

Gary Allenson was 3 for 4 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 5.

The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error, but walked and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Carney Lansford was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox are positively rolling right now and a doubleheader sweep of the White Sox is what the doctor ordered. It wasn't just that they won it was how they won. Bruce Hurst and Chuck Rainey both had great starts and only Luis Aponte was used out of the bullpen saving the others for tomorrow and beyond. The offense wasn't spectacular but the rally in the sixth inning really put the game away the way Rainey was pitching. Hoffman has been a wrecking crew this month and hopefully he can keep this up all season even if that sounds unrealistic. Also hope Rainey keeps this up even though that's most likely realistic as well. With the world champion Boston Celtics returning to the playoffs this Wednesday all the focus will shift to them. It would be nice if the Red Sox could provide entertainment and win a bunch of games to have a good spring now that the Boston Bruins are out. More games like this one will definitely help. The Sox now travel back to Boston to play the Kansas City Royals for a set looking for their eighth win in a row. Dennis Eckersley gets the start for Boston against Dave Frost of the Royals. The game begins at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.