Holy mother of God that was downright torture for anybody that watched tonight's game between the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. The Sox broke out to a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning but couldn't hold it. Sox starter Joe Hesketh lasted just 5 innings and allowed 3 runs to keep the game close. The Indians tied the game off Tom Bolton and Greg Harris in the bottom of the seventh then played an 11 inning game of futility with the Red Sox. Tony Fossas, Danny Darwin, Jeff Reardon and Mike Gardiner held the fort for the Red Sox long enough to get to the 19th inning. Tim Naehring hit a 2 run shot off Eric Bell and Gardner slammed the door in the bottom of the 19th to win the marathon 7-5 in 19 innings at Cleveland Stadium.
Boston Billy Rodgers approves of the win
Indians starter Dennis Cook got the ball in the top of the first and the Sox wasted no time getting to him. Wade Boggs led off with a double to left then took third on the Jody Reed base hit to right. Mike Greenwell popped up to short and Ellis Burks struck out swinging. As Burks struck out, Reed took off for second and stopped. As the Indians were chasing him, Boggs ran home to score a run before Reed was tagged out to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Boggs with a heads up play
Hesketh got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kenny Lofton grounded out to second to start. Glenallen Hill flied out to right but Carlos Baerga singled to center. Albert Belle grounded into a force to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Jack Clark struck out swinging to start. Tom Brunansky flied out to right but Mo Vaughn crushed his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Tony Pena struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
Vaughn goes yard
Mark Whiten flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Paul Sorrento took strike three. Sandy Alomar Jr doubled to left but Brook Jacoby struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Luis Rivera doubled to left to start. Boggs singled in the hole at first to score Rivera but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. That mistake proved costly as Reed cracked his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Greenwell grounded out to first and that was it for Dennis Cook. Rod "Not Reid" Nichols came in and Burks grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.
Reed hits one out
Mark Lewis grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third but Lofton beat out a bunt down the third base line. Hill banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Clark and Brunansky stroked back to back singles to start. Vaughn struck out swinging but Vaughn hit a double play ball to short. Lewis threw to Baerga but Carlos threw the ball away to allow Clark to score. Rivera singled Pena to third but Boggs flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.
Clark scores a run
The Indians began their comeback in the bottom of the fourth as Baerga singled in the hole at short to start. Belle doubled Baerga over to third and Carlos scored on the grounder by Whiten to put the Indians on the board. Sorrento flied out to right and Alomar flied out to left to end the inning with the Indians down 4-1.
Ted Power came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Reed flied out to center to start. Greenwell grounded back to the mound and Burks popped up to first to end the inning. The Indians roared back in the bottom of the fifth although Jacoby flied out to left to start. Lewis doubled to center and Lofton drove him in with a base hit. Hill doubled home Lofton but Baerga grounded out to third. Belle was intentionally walked but Whiten struck out swinging to end the inning with the Indians down 5-3. That was it for Hesketh who lasted 5 innings but left with the lead by allowing 3 runs.
Hesketh leaves with the lead
Clark lined out to center to start the top of the sixth but Brunansky walked. Vaughn popped up to third and Pena grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 25 year old rookie Peter Hoy made his Major League debut in the bottom of the sixth and Sorrento flied out to center to start. Alomar and Jacoby stroked back to back singles but Lewis banged into a double play to end the inning. Welcome to Boston, Hoy.
Good debut
Rivera walked to start the top of the seventh but Boggs took strike three. Reed flied out to left and Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning. Tom Bolton came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the seventh as Lofton walked to start. Hill singled to left and Baerga beat out an infield single to third to load the bases with nobody out. Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out of the dugout and went to take the ball from Tony Pena before he had to be pointed in the direction of the mound. Greg Harris came in and Belle hit a sac fly to center to score Lofton. Whiten walked to reload the bases and Sorrento grounded out to first to score Hill with the tying run. Alomar lined out to second to end the inning but the game was tied 5-5.
Nice going Bolton
Brad Arnsberg came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Burks walked to start. Clark banged into a double play and Brunansky struck out swinging to end the inning. Harris returned for the bottom of the eighth and Alex Cole pinch hit for Jacoby, only to strike out swinging. Lewis grounded out to short and Lofton flied out to right to end the inning.
Tony Perezchica took over for Cole at third to begin the top of the ninth and Vaughn walked to start. Vaughn was doubled off first on a bullet hit by Pena to Sorrento, but Rivera singled in the hole at short. Herm Winningham came in to pinch run for Rivera and Derek Lilliquist came in to pitch to Boggs. Winningham then got thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning. Tim Naehring took over at short for the bottom of the ninth and Harris froze Hill for strike three to start. Baerga singled to right but was thrown out trying to steal second. Belle struck out looking to end the inning to send the game to extras.
Boggs took strike three to begin the top of the tenth inning and Reed grounded out to third. Mike Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning. Harris came back briefly in the bottom of the tenth but Whiten chased him with a base hit to left. Tony Fossas came in to pitch to Sorrento who dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Whiten to second. Danny Darwin was brought in to pitch and Alomar struck out swinging. Dave Rohde pinch hit for Perezchica and flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eleventh inning as Burks walked to chase Lilliquist. Steve Olin came in to pitch and Clark struck out swinging. Phil Plantier pinch hit for Brunansky and popped up to third. Vaughn lined a base hit to center but Pena popped up to center to end the inning. Darwin cruised in the bottom of the eleventh as Lewis took strike three to start. Lofton popped up to Darwin and Hill took strike three to end the inning.
The Sox blew another rally in the top of the 12th inning as Naehring lashed a base hit to left to start. Boggs forced Tim at second and Reed forced Boggs at second after. Greenwell blooped a single to right to move Reed to third but Burks struck out swinging to end the inning. Baerga flied out to left to begin the bottom of the 12th and Belle struck out swinging. Whiten also went down hacking to end the inning.
Clark grounded out to short to start the top of the 13th inning but Plantier was plunked. Vaughn banged into a double play to end the inning. Sorrento lined out to left to start the bottom of the 13th but Alomar doubled to center. Rohde was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Darwin snared a line drive by Lewis and doubled off Sorrento to end the inning.
Pena flied out to left to begin the top of the 14th inning and Naehring grounded out to third. Eric Bell came in to pitch and Boggs flied out to center to end the inning. Lofton flied out to left to begin the bottom of the 14th and Hill struck out looking, but Baerga singled to left and Belle hit a roller past Naehring for a base hit. That was it for Darwin as Sox closer Jeff Reardon came in to get Whiten to fly out to left to end the inning. Darwin had tossed nearly 5 shutout innings.
Darwin keeps the Sox in it
Reed popped up to third to start the top of the 15th but Greenwell walked. Burks banged into a double play to end the inning. The Indians threatened in the bottom of the 15th as Sorrento walked to start. Alomar flied out to center and Rohde popped up to left, but Lewis blooped a single to left to send Sorrento to third. With the winning run 90 feet away, Lofton popped up to first to end the inning.
Bell cruised in the top of the 16th inning as Clark struck out swinging to start. Plantier and Vaughn both grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Reardon plunked Hill to start the bottom of the 16th but Baerga popped up to first. Belle banged into a double play to end the inning.
Pena grounded out to third to start the top of the 17th and Naehring took strike three. Boggs grounded out to first to end the inning. Mike Gardiner came in to pitch the bottom of the 17th and Whiten took strike three to start. Sorrento grounded out to short and Alomar took strike three to end the inning.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the 18th as Reed walked to start. Greenwell flied out to left and Burks struck out swinging, but Clark walked. Plantier grounded out to second to end the inning. The Indians almost won it in the bottom of the eighth as Rohde walked to start. Lewis popped up to third but Lofton walked. Hill struck out swinging but Baerga singled in the hole at short to load the bases. With the winning run 90 feet away, Belle struck out swinging to end the inning.
Way to go Gardiner
The Sox finally broke the deadlock in the top of the 19th inning as Vaughn walked to start. Pena dropped down a bunt to move Vaughn to second and Naehring blasted his first home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Boggs lined out to third and Reed flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-5.
Naehring gives Boston the lead
Gardiner came back to finish the bottom of the 19th and Whiten struck out swinging to start. Sorrento doubled to left but Alomar lined out to left. Rodhe grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had survived the marathon 7-5 in 19 innings.
Hero of the Night is Tim Naehring. His 2 run homer in the 19th inning helped the Sox win
Hero Naehring
The Good:
Jody Reed was 2 for 8 with a walk and a home run.
Luis Rivera was 3 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Tom Brunansky was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Mo Vaughn was 2 for 6 with 2 walks, a home run and 2 runs scored.
Joe Hesketh went 5 innings and allowed just 3 runs.
Peter Hoy made his ML debut with a scoreless sixth inning.
Tony Fossas retired the only man he faced.
Danny Darwin tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
Jeff Reardon tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Mike Gardiner got the win with 3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Tony Pena was 0 for 7 with a strikeout.
Herm Winningham was caught stealing as a pinch runner.
Tom Bolton was charged with 2 runs without retiring a batter.
The Ugly:
Wade Boggs was just 2 for 9 but drove in a run and scored a run.
Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 7 but walked.
Ellis Burks was 0 for 6 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked twice.
Jack Clark was just 1 for 7 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Phil Plantier was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.
Greg Harris tossed 3 scoreless innings but allowed 2 inherited runners to score.
Final Thoughts:
That was a chore to sit through but at least the Sox won. They may not be right for a week but a W is a W. Its hard to imagine two teams not scoring for 12 consecutive innings but it happened. Kudos to the Sox pitching to keep the Indians down just long enough for them to take the lead. The trio of Darwin, Reardon and Gardiner tossed 9 2/3 scoreless innings with Gardiner picking up the win. Offensively the Sox were cruising but tip your caps to the Indians bullpen for holding the Sox down from the 5th inning all the way to the 18th. It was a long, drawn out war but the Sox prevailed. Unfortunately a game like this depletes the bullpen and tires anyone that played it so don't expect much tomorrow. Here's the worst part for both teams, tomorrow is a doubleheader! Not only did they play essentially two games tonight, they're playing two games tomorrow. Matt Young makes his season debut tomorrow afternoon against Charles Nagy of the Indians at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Cleveland Stadium.
