Sox Drop 4th in a Row (4/12/83)

Nothing went right for the Boston Red Sox in this one. One day after being shut down by the Kansas City Royals the Sox got shut down again. Riding the hot pitching of old friend Steve Renko and some late heroics, the Royals defeated the Sox 5-1 at Royals Stadium to send Boston to their fourth straight loss.

Somehow it was the Red Sox who scored first in the top of the first inning against Renko. Wade Boggs singled but Dwight Evans grounded into a double play. Jim Rice walked before Tony Armas singled. Carl Yastrzemski singled home Rice but Armas got greedy and tried for home, getting thrown out by a mile to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. Ironically it would be the last time the Sox would score today.

                                                       Nice baserunning Armas

John Tudor got the ball in the bottom of the first and Willie Wilson whiffed to begin. UL Washington and George Brett both flied out to right to end the inning.

Renko settled down in the top of the second inning and Dave Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Rich Gedman struck out before Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Amos Otis began the bottom of the second by striking out before Hal McRae lined out to center. Frank White hit a routine grounder to Hoffman who decided to wrestle with it for an error. Willie Aikens struck out to end the inning.

Julio Valdez flied out to center to begin the top of the third inning before Boggs grounded out to short. Evans reached on an error by Washington but Rice lined out to left to end the inning. Tudor stayed tough in the bottom of the third although Jerry Martin singled to start. John Wathan bunted Martin to second and Martin moved to third on the grounder by Wilson. Washington walked but Tudor struck out Brett to end the inning.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the fourth inning as Armas flied out to center to start. Yaz singled but was erased on the Stapleton force. Gedman singled but Hoffman popped up to second to end the inning. The Royals tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as Otis and McRae hit back to back singles to start. White banged into a double play but Otis moved to third, scoring on a wild pitch by Tudor. Aikens struck out to end the inning and Tudor was kicking himself for that one.

                                                 A wild pitch? Seriously Tudor?

The Sox blew their chance to do some damage in the top of the fifth inning. Valdez walked and Boggs singled but Evans erased Boggs at second. Rice walked to load the bases but Armas banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor tried to keep it tied in the bottom of the fifth as Martin flied out to left to begin. Wathan popped up to first and Wilson hit a routine grounder to second....for some reason Valdez dove on the ball and dryland swam with it for an error. Washington lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox blew another chance in the top of the sixth although Yaz grounded to first to start. Stapleton popped up to first but Gedman walked. Hoffman singled and Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough of Valdez after that puzzling error. Rick Miller pinch hit for Valdez only to ground out to second to end the inning. Marty Barrett took over at second in the bottom of the sixth and Brett started it with a single. Otis popped up to second before McRae flied out to right. White singled before Aikens popped up to second to end the inning.

Mike Armstrong took over for Renko in the top of the seventh and Boggs greeted him with a base hit. He was stranded as Evans flied out to center but Rice walked. Once again Armas banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor came back for the bottom of the seventh and Martin grounded out to short to begin. Wathan flied out to left but Wilson singled and stole second. Washington grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Yaz flied out to center, Stapleton popped up to short and Gedman grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Royals put the game away in the bottom of the eighth when Brett doubled to begin. Otis popped up to first but McRae was intentionally walked. White made the Sox pay with a single to score Brett. Don Slaught pinch hit for Aikens and walked to load the bases, chasing Tudor from the game. Luis Aponte came in and poured gas on the fire. Martin singled home McRae and white before Wathan singled to reload the bases. Wilson walked to score another run before Washington struck out. Martin was picked off third to end the inning but it was 5-1 Royals.

                                         "What the hell is wrong with Aponte!!!???"

Dan Quisenberry had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Hoffman flied out to center. Reid Nichols pinch hit for Barrett and grounded out to short. Boggs grounded back to the mound to end it. The Royals had won 5-1 and sent the Sox to their fourth straight loss.

Jackass of the Night is Luis Aponte. He turned a 2-1 deficit into an out of reach 5-1 defeat.

                                                 Nice relief, Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 5

Jim Rice walked 3 times and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk.



The Bad:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4.

Glen Hoffman was just 1 for 4.

Julio Valdez was 0 for 1 with an error but walked.

John Tudor took the loss but pitched great until running out of gas in the 8th inning. He went 7 1/3 and was charged for all 5 runs even though Aponte allowed the last three.



Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett played second base from the 6th inning on.




Final Thoughts:

Wow, what happened to the offense? The Sox have arguably one of the best lineups in baseball with sluggers such as Rice and Armas with contact hitters Evans, Boggs and Yaz. I understand once in a while but the offense has been anemic most of the season already. Granted its only April and they have plenty of time to bounce back but they have lost 5 of their first 7 games, that's not good. Tudor running out of gas didn't help but Aponte blowing it was worse. Who knows what would have happened if it was a one run game in the 8th or 9th. Tomorrow the Sox turn to Mike Brown to take on Paul Splittorff at 8:30 Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

Punchless Sox Fall To Royals (4/11/83)

Well so much for the dominance of Bruce Hurst (0-1, 3.86 ERA). After looking great so far this season he was finally proven mortal by the Kansas City Royals. George Brett's crew pounced on Hurst for 4 runs in less than 6 innings, getting some great pitching by Dennis Leonard to shut down the Sox offense. When it was over, the Royals had prevailed 6-2 in front of a paltry crowd of 18,857 people at Royals Stadium.

                              "Hey you, Hurst! Pitch better....Im lookin at you!"

Dennis Leonard got the start for Kansas City and the Sox wasted no time scoring. Wade Boggs grounded out to short to start but Dwight Evans tripled into the gap. Jim Rice hit a sac fly to score Evans to give the Sox the quick lead. Tony Armas walked and Carl Yastrzemski singled but Dave Stapleton ended the rally with a groundout, but the Sox were ahead 1-0.

                                                       A herculean sac fly by Rice

Hurst came out throwing darts in the bottom of the first inning. Willie Nelson grounded out to first but U L Washington walked. George Brett singled but Amos Otis flied out to left. Washington was gunned down at second by Rich Gedman trying to steal to end the inning.

Gedman followed his caught stealing with a single to start the top of the second. Rich was erased on the fielder's choice by Glenn Hoffman. Julio Valdez flied out to left and Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. Hurst stayed tough in the bottom of the second inning by getting Hal McRae to ground out to short to start. Frank White flied out to left and Willie Aikens grounded out to second to end the inning.

Leonard turned up the heat in the top of the third by striking out Evans, Rice and Armas in short order to end the inning. Jerry Martin singled to open the bottom of the third but John Wathan grounded into a double play. Nelson flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth although Yaz whiffed to start. Stapleton flied out to left but Gedman belted a solo home run to increase the lead. Hoffman struck out to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                            Gedman makes it 2-0

The Royals struck back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Washington singled to center but was erased on the Brett force. Otis and McRae stroked back to back singles to score Washington. White popped up to second and Aikens lined out to first to end the inning with the Royals back in it 6-2.

The Sox wasted a golden chance for more runs in the top of the fifth inning after Valdez singled to start the frame. Boggs walked but Evans hit into a double play. Rice popped up to first to end the inning. The Royals made the Sox pay dearly for their missed chance in the bottom of the fifth inning. Martin struck out but Wathan singled. Wilson lined a gap shot into the right field corner that scored Wathan but Wilson was thrown out at third trying to stretch. Washington then made Rice fall on his ass trying to make a diving catch in left field, motoring all the way around for an inside the park home run to give the Royals the lead. Brett popped up to short to end the inning but it was now 3-2 Royals.

The Sox offense was done for the night in the top of the sixth inning as Armas struck out to start. Yaz flied out to center and Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning. The Royals struck again in the bottom of the sixth inning. Otis doubled and McRae singled him to third. White doubled home Otis and send McRae to third. Hurst did manage to strike out Aikens but Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough. Hurst was lifted after giving up 4 runs in just 5 1/3 innings.

                                            "I sucked tonight!" - Hurst

Mark Clear came in and McRae was thrown out at home after a grounder hit to Boggs off the bat of Martin. Wathan lined out to left to end the inning but it was 4-2 Royals.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Gedman singled to start but was forced at second on the grounder by Hoffman. Rick Miller pinch hit for Valdez and flied out to right and Boggs grounded into a force to end the inning. The Royals struck again in the bottom of the seventh with Marty Barrett taking over at second. Nelson singled and stole second before Washington struck out. Brett walked but Otis lined out to third. McRae singled to score Wilson to increase the lead before White struck out to end the inning with the Royals up 5-2.

Dan Quisenberry took over in the top of the eighth and the Sox rolled over and died. Evans singled but Rice banged into a double play. Armas grounded out to short to end the inning. Clear returned for the bottom of the eighth and Aikens greeted him with a solo home run to increase the lead. Martin and Wathan both grounded out to third before Wilson doubled to left. Washington walked but Brett flied out to center to end the inning with the Royals up 6-2.

                                               Way to hold the fort.....not

The misery ended in the top of the ninth as the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Yaz grounded out to second, Stapleton grounded out to the pitcher and Gedman grounded out to second to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-2.

Jackass of the Night is Bruce Hurst. He lasted just 5 1/3 innings while giving up 4 runs, taking the loss.

                                               Hurst is the Jackass



The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rich Gedman was 3 for 4 including his first home run of the year.

Julio Valdez was 1 for 2.



The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mark Clear gave up 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.



Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett played second base in the bottom of the eighth.




Final Thoughts:

Well that was abysmal. Hurst looked mortal and the offense looked inept. The Royals aren't exactly the Milwaukee Brewers so the Sox shouldn't be having this much trouble with them. Evans has been hitting well but Rice, Armas and Stapleton have barely done anything so far this year. Maybe things will improve when the weather warms up but for right now they look as dull as ever. Not only are they dull on the field, but they're as dull off of it as well. The Sox return to action tomorrow night with John Tudor getting the start for the Sox opposite Mike Armstrong. The game starts at 7:30 PM at Royals Stadium.

Rangers Outslug Sox (4/10/83)

Its always fun to watch a slugfest between two baseball teams, not so much when your team ends up on the wrong side of it. The good news was the Boston Bruins eliminated the Quebec Nordiques in Game 4 of their NHL first round playoff series, but the bad news was Texas Rangers outslugged the Boston Red Sox. The Sox pounded out 7 runs but the Rangers got the last laugh in the end. Dennis Eckersley and Bob Stanley (1-1, 3.86 ERA) got lit up and the Rangers walked away with a 9-7 victory at Arlington Park.

                                                 "Mmph mpph hmpph mpph!"

John Matlack got the start for Texas and Wade Boggs greeted him by walking to begin the top of the first inning. Dwight Evans quickly grounded into a double play and Jim Rice lined out to center to end the inning. Dennis Eckersley looked good in the bottom of the first, getting Mickey Rivers to ground out to first to start. Mike Richardt grounded out to third and Billy Sample flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox laid waste to Matlack in the top of the second inning. Tony Armas and Reid Nichols stroked back to back singles then Glenn Hoffman was plunked to load the bases. Ed Jurak got a base hit that scored both Armas and Nichols to give the Sox the lead. Gary Allenson struck out and Julio Valdez reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases. Boggs struck out but Evans cleared the bases with a big double. Rice flied out to center but it was 5-0 Sox.

                                                            Jurak puts the Sox on top

Eck kept the lead intact in the bottom of the second when Larry Biittner grounded back to the mound to start. Buddy Bell also grounded back to the mound but Pete O'Brien singled. Jim Sundberg lined out to first to end the inning.

The Sox once again rallied in the top of the third as Armas, Nichols and Hoffman all singled to load the bases and chase Matlack from the game. Danny Darwin relieved Matlack and Jurak beat out a double play to score Armas with another run. Allenson hit a sac fly to score Nichols but Valdez was plunked. Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning but it was now 7-0.

                                                    Nichols joins in on the fun

The lead quickly evaporated when Eckersley vomited up his intestines in the bottom of the third. George Wright singled before Wayne Tolleson hit a routine ground ball to Valdez. Rather than field it, Julio threw his glove at the ball and cartwheeled over it for a bizarre error. Rivers popped up to short but Richardt tripled home both runners. Sample scored Richardt with a sac fly but Biittner singled. Bell then crushed a 5,000 foot home run to cut the lead to two before O'Brien popped up to first to end the inning. Somehow Eck turned a 7-0 lead into a 7-5 nailbiter, nice going.

                                                "I sucked again" - Eckersley

Things settled down in the top of the fourth as Evans popped up to third to start. Rice grounded out to short but Armas beat out an infield single to third. Nichols watched strike three go by to end the inning. Eckersley settled down in the bottom of the fourth as Sundberg was caught looking to start. Wright and Tolleson both flied out to left to end the inning.

Darwin remained tough in the top of the fifth as Hoffman grounded out to second to start. Jurak reached on an error but the third baseman but Allenson struck out. Valdez struck out as well to end the inning. Rivers began the bottom of the fifth with a single but the alert Allenson gunned him down trying to steal. Richardt flied out to right and Sample struck out to end the inning.

Charlie Hough came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Boggs flied out to center to start. Evans singled but Rice popped up to first. Evans stole second and took third on a passed ball but Armas struck out to end the inning. Eckersley returned for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth. Biittner singled but Bell flied out to center. Biittner moved to second on a ground out by O'Brien. Sundberg grounded out to third to end the inning. Eck gave up 5 runs but was only charged with 1 in 6 innings.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the seventh inning as Nichols grounded back to the mound to start. Hoffman popped up to second but Jurak walked and stole second. Allenson walked but the incompetent Valdez struck out to end the inning. Bob Stanley replaced Eck and promptly crapped his pants. Wright singled and advanced to second on the ground out by Tolleson. Rivers popped up to short as Richardt hit a routine grounder to short. Hoffman dove on top of the ball and started punching it for a bizarre error that allowed Richardt to advance to second, scoring Wright. Richardt stole second and scored the tying run on a Sample single. Biittner flied out to left to end the inning but it was tied 7-7.

                                                         Nice going Bob

The Sox offense was done for the night in the top of the eighth with Bucky Dent now in the game for Texas. Boggs grounded out to short before Evans struck out. Rice singled to center but Armas grounded into a force to end the inning. The Rangers took command in the bottom of the eighth inning. Bell singled to right but O'Brien flied out to center. Sundberg grounded out to short but Bell moved to second. Wright was intentionally walked to create a force but Bill Stein pinch hit for Tolleson....and singled home Bell to give the Rangers the lead. Rivers singled home Wright for the insurance run but Dent popped up to second to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 9-7.

Hough returned to close out the top of the ninth and Nichols popped up to third to start. Hoffman grounded out to short and Jurak flied out to right to end the game. The Rangers had taken the game 9-7.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Stanley. He came in with a 7-5 lead and coughed up four runs to take the loss.

                                                      Stanley the Jackass


The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with 3 rbi's and a stolen base.

Tony Armas was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Reid Nichols was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.



The Bad:

Dennis Eckersley was lit up for 5 runs in 6 innings although only one of the runs was earned. He gave up 7 hits and a home run.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4 but walked.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 with an error but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Ed Jurak was just 1 for 4 but drove in 3 runs, scored one and stole a base.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run.

Julio Valdez was 0 for 3 with an error but was hit with a pitch and scored.




Final Thoughts:

How did Dennis Eckersley go from a bonafide ace in 1978 to Ooga Booga these days? In his starts this year he's been batting practice and it doesn't look like he can turn it around. The offense produces but if the pitching can't hold up, it won't matter. Stanley sucked hard in this one but once the Rangers rallied the offense went dead. Its only been 5 games but Armas and Rice haven't hit well, I'm sure that will change. Tomorrow night the Sox begin a 3 game set in Kansas City against the Royals. Bruce Hurst goes for the Sox up against Dennis Leonard at 7:35 PM at Royals Stadium.

Rangers Pound Ojeda, Sox (4/9/83)

Not a great day for Boston sports as it turned out. The Boston Bruins dropped Game 3 of their NHL playoff first round series against the Quebec Nordqiues and the Texas Rangers took out their frustrations of their previous loss to the Boston Red Sox by tagging Bob Ojeda (0-1) in Bob's season debut for 5 runs on 4 hits and SIX walks. The Rangers knocked around the Boston bullpen before eventually running away with the game 10-3 at Arlington Park.

                                                 "Damn Rangers!"

Mike Smithson got the ball for the Rangers in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs flied out to left to start. Dwight Evans grounded out to first and Jim Rice struck out in short order. The Rangers pounced on Ojeda right from the start. Billy Sample walked and Mike Richardt singled. Buddy Bell took strike three but Dave Hostetler tripled home both runners to give Texas the lead. Larry Parrish walked and Bob Johnson singled in Hostetler. Jim Sundberg doubled home Parrish to increase the lead before George Wright grounded out to short. Bucky Dent also grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 4-0.

                                                     Ojeda says "I sucked tonight!"

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second inning although Tony Armas was plunked to start the inning. Carl Yastrzemski flied out to left but Dave Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning. Ojeda settled down in the bottom of the second by getting Sample to ground out to short to start. Richardt flied out to right and Bell took strike three again to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the third inning. Rich Gedman flied out to right, Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound and the only reason Julio Valdez reached first was due to an error by Johnson. Somehow Boggs singled but Evans struck out to end the inning. The Rangers struck again in the bottom of the fourth inning after Hostetler and Parrish worked back to back walks. Johnson beat out a double play ball and Sundberg scored Hostetler with a sac fly to center. Wright flied out to center to end the inning but it was now 5-0 Texas.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth inning when Rice led off with a double. Armas struck out and Yaz flied out, but Stapleton doubled home Rice to put the Sox on the board. Gedman grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 5-1 Rangers.

                                                    Stapleton makes it 5-1

Ojeda was done after just three innings and Doug Bird made his season debut to pour gas on the fire in the bottom of the fourth. Dent doubled to begin before Sample moved him to third on a groundout. Richardt doubled in Dent and Bell grounded out to short. Hollister doubled in Richardt and Parrish flied out to left to end the inning with the Rangers up 7-1.

                                                        "I sucked too" - Bird

The Sox threatened in the top of the fifth but accomplished nothing. Hoffman grounded out to second but Valdez got his first hit of the season. Boggs watched strike three go by but Evans singled. Rice struck out to end the inning. Bird came back for the bottom of the fifth and Johnson flied out to center to begin. Sundberg grounded out to third and Wright struck out to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the sixth as Armas flied out to center, Yaz flied out to left and Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning. The relentless Rangers struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Dent flied out to center to start. Sample tripled but Richardt popped up to center, failing to advance Sample. Bell promptly singled in Sample and Hostetler walked. Parrish hit a routine ground ball to Boggs who picked the ball up and threw it to a puzzled Jim Rice in left field for an error to load the bases. Johnson grounded out to end the inning but it was 8-1 Texas.

The Sox looked to get something going when Gedman singled and Hoffman walked to start the top of the seventh but Valdez flied out to right. Boggs singled to load the bases but Evans banged into a double play to end the inning. Somehow the Rangers did NOT score in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sundberg grounded out to short, Wright looked at strike three and Dent grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dave Tobik replaced Smithson in the top of the eighth and the Sox finally rallied. Rice hit a routine grounder to Dent who threw wide of first, allowing Jim to reach. It didn't matter as Armas banged into a double play. Yaz doubled and Stapleton walked before Gedman doubled in both runners. Hoffman walked and Rick Miller made his season debut to pinch hit for Valdez, only to ground-out to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                        Gedman doubles in two runs

John Henry Johnson took the mound in the top of the ninth with Marty Barrett now at second base. Sample popped up to second to begin before Richardt singled. A wild pitch moved Richardt to second but Bell flied out to right. Hostetler walked before Parrish lofted a routine fly to Armas. Tony inexplicably threw his glove at the ball and drove on it, scoring Richardt and Hostetler on the play. Johnson struck out to end the inning but it was 10-3 Rangers.

                                                   Nice going Tony

The carnage finally ended in the bottom of the ninth as Boggs grounded out to short to begin. Evans grounded out to third but Rice singled to prolong the agony. Armas flied out to center to end the game. The Rangers had won 10-3.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Ojeda. He lasted just 3 plus innings and gave up 5 runs, putting the Sox in a hole they couldn't dig out of.

                                                        Ojeda the Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5.

Jim Rice was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 with a walk, run scored and an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's.

Glenn Hoffman walked twice in four plate appearances.

Julio Valdez was 1 for 3.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Doug Bird gave up 4 runs in 3 innings.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

John Henry Johnson allowed 2 runs in the 9th inning but due to an Armas error.



Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett played second in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That was a disaster but those are going to happen this season if the Sox continue to have mediocre pitching. Sox ownership are going to ride with young, homegrown pitchers such as Ojeda, John Tudor and Bruce Hurst and they're going to have growing pains. If Eckersley can't regain 1978 form then they are in big trouble. The Rangers couldn't miss today and unfortunately if Sox pitching can't do better, its going to be a LONG season. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox travel to Arlington Texas to play the Rangers with Dennis Eckersley going for the Sox opposite Jon Matlack.

9th Inning Rally Guides Sox Over Rangers (4/8/83)

For 8 innings it looked like this game between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers was going to be deadlocked for a long time but Glenn Hoffman had other ideas. His 9th inning 2 run single led the charge as the Sox rallied for a 9th inning victory over the Rangers. In front of a paltry crowd of just under 7,800 people, the Sox won the game 8-5 at Arlington Park.

                                                      Conan The Barbarian approves of the win

Rangers starter John Butcher took the mound in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs grounded out to short to begin. Dwight Evans singled to right and Jim Rice walked to put some pressure on. The rally ended as Tony Armas struck out and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to left to end the inning. Mike Brown got the start for the Sox and Billy Sample popped up to short to start. Mike Richardt singled but the alert Rich Gedman gunned him down trying to steal. Buddy Bell flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning when Dave Stapleton and Gedman stroked back to back singles. Hoffman dropped down a bunt to move both runners into scoring position but Julio Valdez popped up to third. Boggs came through with a double to score both runners to give the Sox the lead. Evans grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.

                                                "Hey Julio, this is how you do it" - Boggs

The Rangers wasted no time getting back in the game in the bottom of the second inning when Dave Hostetler and Larry Parrish worked back to back walks. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position but Brown manage to freeze Pete O'Brien for strike three. Jim Sundberg grounded out to short but Hostetler scored. George Wright singled to score Parrish to tie the game. Bucky Dent grounded out to third to end the inning but the Rangers had tied it 2-2.

Butcher settled down in the top of the third inning as Rice grounded out to second to start. Armas beat out an infield single but Yaz grounded into a double play to end the inning. Brown matched Butcher in the bottom of the third as Sample popped up to second to start. Richardt grounded out to short and Bell struck out to end the inning.

The Sox missed a golden chance to take the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Stapleton and Gedman stroked back to back singles and Hoffman sacrifice bunted both men into scoring position. Unfortunately Valdez grounded sharply to first, unable to advance anyone. Boggs walked to load the bases but Evans grounded into a force to end the inning, what a waste. The good news was Brown stayed hot in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hostetler whiffed, Parrish looked at strike three and O'Brien flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth inning as Rice grounded out to third, Armas flied out to left and Yaz flied out to right to end the inning. Brown almost has a clean bottom of the fifth when he struck out Sundberg to start. Wright grounded out to first but Dent doubled. Sample grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox finally scored in the top of the sixth after Stapleton doubled to begin. Gedman popped up to second but Hoffman singled Dave to third. Rick Miller was sent to pinch hit for Valdez but Texas manager Bobby Cox countered by bringing in Mike Mason to pitch to him. Sox manager Ralph Houk countered by pulling back Miller in favor of Reid Nichols. The move worked as Nichols was plunked to load the bases. Boggs doubled home Stapleton and Gedman to give the Sox the lead. Evans walked to re-load the bases and Rice drew a walk to score Boggs with another run. Armas had a chance to break it open but struck out again. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning but it was 5-2 Sox.

                              Nichols after getting hit says "OWOWOWOWOWOWOWW!!!!!!"

Rookie Marty Barrett took over at second in the bottom of the sixth and Richardt doubled to left to start. Brown struck out both Bell and Hostetler but Parrish walked. O'Brien flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Brown who tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball, good enough to put the team in position to win.

                                                       Good effort by Brown in this one

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the seventh inning as Stapleton flied out to left, Gedman whiffed and Hoffman also struck out to end the inning. Mark Clear was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and he got Sundberg to fly out to left to start. Wright singled and stole second but Dent flied out to left. Sample walked but Richardt also flied out to left to end the inning,

Barrett flied out to center to start the top of the eighth and Boggs watched strike three go by. Evans doubled but Rice grounded out to second to end the inning. Clear fell apart in the bottom of the eighth although he struck out Bell to start. Hostetler singled but moved to second on the Parrish ground-out. One out away from getting out of it, Clear allowed a single to O'Brien to score Hostetler. Sundberg doubled home O'Brien and Wright singled in Sundberg before moving to second on the throw. That was it for Clear as Houk replaced him with Luis Aponte. Larry Biittner pinch hit for Dent and Aponte intentionally walked him. Wayne Tolleson pinch ran for Biitner but Aponte got out of it by getting Sample to pop up to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                        "I sucked tonight" - Clear

The Sox got pissed off at the blown save and struck back big time in the top of the ninth. Armas grounded out to third but Yaz singled. Ed Jurak pinch ran for Yaz and Stapleton singled Ed to third. Odell Jones came in to pitch and Gedman walked to load the bases. Hoffman came through with a 2 run single to give the Sox the lead. Barrett beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Boggs singled in Gedman for another insurance run. Evans flied out to right but it was 8-5 Red Sox.

                                                          Hoffman puts the Sox ahead

Aponte returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and got Richardt to ground out to short to start. Bell also grounded out to short and Hostetler grounded back to the mound to end it. The Sox had stolen one 8-5.

Hero of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. His 2 run single in the night put the Sox up for good.

                                                                    Hero Hoffman


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 5 with a walk and FIVE rbi's.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with a walk.

Ed Jurak scored a run as a pinch runner.

Dave Stapleton was 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Reid Nichols was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Mike Brown tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 7.

Luis Aponte got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Julio Valdez was 0 for 2.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 2.

Mark Clear coughed up the lead by giving up 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked twice and drove in a run.

Tony Armas was just 1 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5.





Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller was supposed to pinch hit for Julio Valdez




Final Thoughts:

After the opening day disaster the Sox have been able to string together two good back to back wins. Fans wondered how the Sox would replace Tony Perez and his rbi bat at first and so far Dave Stapleton has been stellar. Granted its only been 3 games but its better than no production at all. The Sox still need an ace if Dennis Eckersley will never return to 1978 form, hopefully John Tudor or Bob Ojeda can be that guy because it won't be Brown or Eck. Speaking of Ojeda, tomorrow night he makes his season debut opposite Mike Smithson at Arlington Park.

Sox Win First With Five Run First (4/7/83)

After the Boston Red Sox laid an egg on Opening Day, they came out of the gate firing in this one. The Toronto Blue Jays got blitzed by a 5 run first inning by the Sox and they held on for their first win of the season. Dave Stapleton provided most of the offense with Bob Stanley (1-0, 1.80 ERA) getting the big relief win. On the same night the Boston Bruins defeated the Quebec Nordiques in Game 2 of their NHL playoff first round series, the Red Sox defeated the Jays 7-4 in front of a paltry 9,000 fans at Fenway Park.

                                                      Barry Pederson approves of the win

John Tudor got the start for the Sox and he immediately crapped his pants. Damaso Garcia grounded out to short to begin the top of the first but Dave Collins singled. The alert Rich Gedman gunned down Collins trying to steal but Barry Bonnell walked. Cliff Johnson then blasted a 2 run bomb halfway to Nashua to give the Jays the quick lead. Jesse Barfield struck out to end the inning but the Jays had struck first.

                                                 "Dad gummit I gave up a homer" - JT

The Sox responded by beating the daylights out of Jays starter Luis Leal in the bottom of the first inning. Wade Boggs and Dwight Evans stroked back to back singles before Jim Rice walked to load the bases. Tony Armas struck out but Carl Yastrzemski singled home Boggs and Evans to tie the game. Stapleton smashed a 3 run bomb to give the Sox a shocking lead just like that. Gedman lined out to center but Glenn Hoffman doubled. Julio Valdez hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 5-2.

                                                Dave on pace for 162 homers this year

Tudor ran into trouble in the top of the second inning when Garth Iorg singled to start the frame. Iorg was erased on the force by Willie Upshaw before Buck Martinez lined one off the Monster. Iorg made it to third but Martinez was gunned down by the alert Rice trying to stretch a double. Alfredo Griffin bunted his way on as the Sox defense held Upshaw at third, then he swiped second. Garcia walked to load the bases but Collins popped up to short to end the inning. Tudor looked like crap so far. Boggs singled to open the bottom of the second but Evans whiffed. Rice grounded out back to the mound but Boggs made it to second. Armas hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Jays struck back in the top of the third inning although Bonnell grounded out to second to begin. Johnson flied out to right but Barfield crushed a 700,000 foot home run halfway to Montreal to cut the lead. Iorg grounded out to end the inning but it was now 5-3 Sox.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Yaz flied out to left to begin. Stapleton grounded out to short but Gedman and Hoffman struck back to back singles. Valdez grounded into a force to end the inning.

Tudor finally settled down in the top of the fourth as Upshaw grounded out to second to start. Martinez grounded out to third but Griffin doubled. Garcia flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fourth as Boggs doubled not only to start the inning, but chase Leal as well. Jays manager Bobby Cox brought in Mike Morgan and immediately regretted his decision when Evans crushed a 2 run home run to increase the lead. Rice grounded out to third but Armas flied out to right. Yaz walked but Stapleton grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                   Evans gives the Sox a 4 run lead

Sox manager Ralph Houk decided that was enough out of Tudor and brought in Bob Stanley for the big 5 inning save in the top of the fifth. Collins struck out but Bonnell grounded out to third. Johnson lined out to third to end the inning. The Sox offense was done for the day in the bottom of the fifth as Gedman grounded out to second to start. Hoffman flied out to right and Valdez flied out to center to end the inning.

Cox decided to empty the bench in the top of the sixth inning after Barfield singled to start. Rance Mulliniks pinch hit for Iorg and singled. Upshaw singled to load the bases with nobody out and Ernie Whitt pinch hit for Martinez. He singled to score Barfield and re-load the bases to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Lloyd Moseby pinch hit for Griffin and popped up to center with Mulliniks holding at third. Stanley got the biggest out of the game when he got Garcia to bang into a double play to end the inning. What could have been a huge inning for Toronto ended with the Sox holding a 7-4 lead with 9 outs to go.

Mickey Klutts took over at third for the bottom of the sixth and Boggs walked to chase Morgan. Jim Acker replaced him and got Evans to fly out to right. Rice bounced into a double play to end the inning.

Stanley got Collins to fly out to right to begin the top of the seventh inning. Hosken Powell pinch hit for Bonnell only to ground out to first. Johnson froze for strike three to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh inning. Armas grounded out to short, Yaz grounded out back to the mound and Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning.

Stanley was unhittable in the top of the eighth inning as Barfield flied out to center, Mulliniks grounded out to short and Upshaw struck out in short order. Joey McLaughlin replaced Acker for the bottom of the eighth inning and got Gedman to fly out to right to start. Hoffman grounded out to short and Valdez flied out to right to end the inning.

Stanley came back out to finish the job in the top of the ninth inning. Whitt struck out but Klutts singled. Klutts was forced at second on a force by Garcia and Collins grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had posted their first win 7-4.

Hero of the Night is Dave Stapleton. His 3 run home proved to be the difference in the game.

                                                      Stapleton the Hero

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with 2 total runs scored and a two run home run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 2 for 4.

Bob Stanley earned the win with 5 innings of relief while allowing just 1 earned run.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Julio Valdez was 0 for 4.

John Tudor lasted just 4 innings and gave up 3 runs before being pulled.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Guess the Sox are gonna have to bop their way to victory this year if the pitching is going to be this bad moving forward. If Dennis Eckersley is never going to be the ace he was in 1978 then they're going to have to rely on John Tudor, Bob Ojeda or Bruce Hurst to step up....not good. Still, the team does have the offensive firepower to bash their way through most teams but they're going to have to do it consistently to make up for the average at best starting pitching. Tudor's effort isn't going to cut it going forward but then again, it was his first start of the year. Tomorrow the Sox hit the road and visit the Texas Rangers for a set down in Arlington Park. John Butcher goes for the Rangers while the Sox counter with rookie Mike Brown, who made 3 relief appearances at the end of last year.

Jays Rout Sox on Opening Day (4/5/83)

Another season begins with complete misery as the 1983 Boston Red Sox laid an egg on Opening Day and manage to clear the benches against the Toronto Blue Jays. Dennis Eckersley (0-1, 15.75 ERA) got hammered, Jim Rice got pissed and the Jays rocked the Sox 7-1 at Fenway Park.

Eckersley got the ball in the top of the first inning and Damaso Garcia popped up to shallow center to begin the game. Dave Collins was rung up for strike three and Willie Upshaw flied out to right to end the inning. Stieb got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Wade Boggs grounded out to second to start. Dwight Evans got the first hit of the season with a base hit past the diving Upshaw but Jim Rice whiffed. Tony Armas watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Jays exploded in the top of the second inning as Cliff Johnson singled off the Monster to start. Jesse Barfield doubled to left and Ernie Whitt cleared the bases with a base hit to left. Eckersley recovered to strike out Lloyd Moseby but Rance Mulliniks homered into the Red Sox bullpen to give the Jays a commanding 4-0 lead. Alfredo Griffin hit a rocket but Evans made a leaping catch at the bullpen wall. Garcia popped up to third to end the inning but it was 4-0 Jays.

                                                          "Damn you Eckersley!!!!"

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second inning as Carl Yastrzemski and Dave Stapleton worked back to back walks. Rich Gedman struck out but Glenn Hoffman poked a single over the head of Griffin to load the bases. The rally died as Julio Valdez whiffed and Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the third inning as Collins lined out but Upshaw hit a rocket just over the outstretched glove of Evans into the Jays bullpen for a home run. Johnson flied out to right and Barfield whiffed to end the inning but it was 5-0 Jays.

                                                         Eck doesn't have it today

The Sox once again tried to fight back when Evans walked to open the bottom of the third inning but Rice was out on a bang-bang play at first. The rally ended as Arms popped up to third and Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning.

Eckersley got heated in the top of the fourth inning when Eckersley brushed back Whitt before getting him out on a comebacker. Moseby struck out but Eck intentionally plunked Mullinks. Home plate umpire Larry Barrnett warned Eck and both dugouts to cut the crap. Garcia started barking at Gedman and Gedman got in his face and the Jays started pouring out of their dugout. Things calmed down but Garcia popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox responded by doing nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Stapleton popped up to shallow center to start. Gedman grounded out to second and Hoffman whiffed to end the inning.

The end came quickly for Eck in the top of the fifth inning. Garcia singled and stole second then broke for home on the single to left by Collins. Rice gunned it home and Garcia retreated to third but Collins moved to second. Red Sox manager Ralph Houk came out to pull Eckerseley from the game. Bruce Hurst relieved him and immediately gave up a 2 run single to Upshaw to ice the game. Hurst recovered to get Johnson to ground out, moving Upshaw to second. Barfield grounded out to third and Whitt grounded out to short to end the inning but it was all but over 7-0.

                                     Wish the Sox had John Rambo to say Nothing Is Over....but they didn't.

Valdez hit one up the elevator shaft to open the bottom of the fifth inning but Boggs walked. Evans watched strike three go by as the benches emptied again when Rice was plunked and almost got into it with Whitt. When things settled down Boggs beat out a fielder's choice ball hit by Armas to load the bases. With their one last chance to get back in the game....Yaz popped to short to end the inning. What a waste...but the benches clearing was fun.

                                                       Mayhem at Fenway

Hurst returned for the top of the sixth and Moseby greeted him with a single past the diving Valdez. Mulliniks banged into a double play and Hoffman made a great play to rob Griffin of a hit on a bang bang play at first to end the inning. The Sox finally got on the board when Stapleton led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run into the screen in left. That was it for offense as Gedman struck out, Hoffman grounded out to first and Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning but it was now 7-1 Jays.

                                             Stapleton goes yard

Hurst returned for the top of the seventh and got Garcia on a tapper in front of the plate. Collins watched strike three go by and Upshaw grounded out to second to end the inning. Roy Lee Jackson replaced Stieb for the bottom of the seventh and got Boggs to fly out to left. Evans popped up to short and Rice struck out to end the inning.

Hurst came back for the top of the eighth and got Johnson to pop up to center to start. Barfield grounded to short and Whitt was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Hurst had tossed 4 scoreless innings, not bad for a guy coming off elbow surgery.

                                                             Way to go Hurst

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the eighth as Armas hit a comebacker, Yaz popped up to center and Stapleton flied out to left to end the inning.

John Henry Johnson got the call to pitch the top of the ninth and nearly got cleaned out on a liner by Moseby but Hoffman was there to field it and throw to first for the out. Mulliniks and Griffin both grounded out to second to end the inning. Jackson returned for the bottom of the ninth but the Sox offense was asleep as Gedman flied out to right to start. Hoffman watched strike three go by but not before 2 kids ran out on the field to chase a foul ball. Sox manager Ralph Houk sent in Reid Nichols to pinch hit for Valdez and struck out on a check swing to end the game. The Sox had 3 hits as a team and lost 7-1, What a lousy Opening Day.

Jackass of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He was knocked out in the fifth inning after getting tagged for 7 runs on 7 hits. Brutal.....

                                           Opening Day Jackass: Dennis Eckersley


The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.

Bruce Hurst pitched 4 scoreless innings.

John Henry Johnson pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Julio Valdez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout

Reid Nichols was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

It sucks Jerry Remy is on the disabled list to start the year but there has to be a way to generate some offense. The Sox loaded the bases two innings in a row and did nothing. Yes Eckersley stunk the joint out but they had their chances to claw back into the game early. By the time Stapleton homered it was too late. The Sox better hope they get better starting pitching because the top of their order besides Boggs strikes out A LOT. The Sox as a team only had THREE hits on the afternoon. Tomorrow afternoon John Tudor makes his season debut for the Sox opposite Luis Leal of the Blue Jays. The game starts at high noon at Fenway Park.