Pena, Sox Blank Jays (5/14/99)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins lost Game 4 of their second round NHL playoff series to the Buffalo Sabres but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. Juan Pena (2-0, 0.69 ERA) once again dazzled in his second ML start, shutting out the Jays for 7 strong innings. Meanwhile the Boston bats scratched out four runs against David Wells, 3 of which coming courtesy of Jason Varitek. John Valentin drove in two runs while Derek Lowe and Rheal Cormier slammed the door. It all added up to a 5-0 victory over the Jays at the Skydome.'

                                                      Tiffany Towers approves of the win

Wells got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Offerman grounded out to third to start. John Valentin took strike three and Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to end the inning. Pena got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Shannon Stewart grounded out to short to start. Craig Grebeck singled to right but Shawn Green struck out swinging. Carlos Delgado got a base hit to left but Tony Fernandez lined out to center to end the inning.

Mike Stanley grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Troy O'Leary struck out swinging. Damon Buford walked but Jeff Frye grounded out to third to end the inning. Willie Greene struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second and Jose Cruz took strike three. Pat Kelly grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jason Varitek led off the top of the third with a liner to short, but Darren Lewis drew a walk. Offerman grounded into a double play to end the inning. Mike Matheny grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third but Stewart singled in the hole at second. Stewart was thrown out at second trying to steal but Grebeck walked. Green flied out to right to end the inning.

Valentin flied out to center to open the top of the fourth and Nomar did the same. Stanley grounded out to third to end the inning. Delgado struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Fernandez got a base hit to right. Greene struck out looking but Fernandez swiped second. Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                          Almost had him

The Sox broke through in the top of the fifth as O'Leary singled in the hole at short to start. Buford grounded back to the mound to move Troy to second and Frye flied out to right to move O'Leary to third. Varitek doubled to left to score O'Leary and Lewis tripled into the centerfield gap to score Jason. Offerman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                              Varitek drives in a run

Kelly caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the third base line to start the bottom of the fifth and Matheny beat out a roller to short. Stewart hit a bullet.....right to Frye who doubled off Kelly at second. Grebeck forced Matheny at second to end the inning.

Valentin got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth and and Nomar followed with a single to center. Stanley struck out swinging, O'Leary flied out to center and Buford popped up to first to end the inning. Green grounded out to first to start the bottom of the sixth but Delgado walked. Fernandez grounded back to the mound to move Carlos to second but Greene lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Frye beat out a roller to third to start. Varitek launched his first home run of the year to ice the game but Lewis struck out swinging. Offerman doubled to center but Valentin flied out to center. Nomar took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Varitek with his first of 99

Cruz grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Kelly popped up to first in foul territory. Matheny struck out swinging to end the inning and that was it for Pena. He was masterful, tossing 7 shutout innings allowing just 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7.

                                                          Great effort by Pena

Stanley got a base hit to left to start the top of the eighth but O'Leary forced him at second. Buford took strike three and Frye popped up to first to end the inning. Derek Lowe came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Stewart grounded out to third to start. Grebeck walked and that was it for Lowe just like that. Green forced Grebeck at second and Delgado lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth with Tom Davey now on the mound. Varitek beat out a roller to second and took second on a wild pitch. Lewis walked and Varitek was thrown out at third trying to steal on the swinging strikeout by Offerman. Valentin doubled to center to score Lewis and took third on a wild pitch. Garciaparra flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                           Valentin drives in a run

Cormier returned for the bottom of the ninth and Fernandez flied out to center to start. Jacob Brumfield pinch hit for Greene and grounded out to third. Cruz flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won the game 5-0.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Juan Pena. He tossed 7 shutout innings allowing just 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7

                                                             Juan The Hero

The Good:

John Valentin was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Jason Varitek was 3 for 4 with a 2 run home run, 3 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Derek Lowe got the first out of the eighth inning

Rheal Cormier tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Stanley was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

Damon Buford was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like the Sox might have something with Pena. The 21 year old as looked unhittable in both starts this season and the sky is the limit for sure. The Sox desperately need young pitching to compliment Pedro Martinez and Juan might be the guy to do it. It would be unfair to expect this kind of dominance every game but the Sox also need arms to match the New York Yankees. A 1-2 punch of Pedro and Pena might be enough to take out Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte....but that's just wishful thinking. As for this game, good work by Varitek to drive in 3 runs and Valentin for driving in another. Don't know why Jimy Williams yanked Lowe so quickly but Cormier got the job done. Between Pena and Martinez going deep into games, the bullpen can save their bullets for games that matter. Hopefully the momentum continues moving forward. The win improved the Sox to 19-15, 1 game behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Toronto and three wins in a row total tomorrow afternoon when Mark Portugal of the Sox takes on Roy Halliday of the Blue Jays. The game begins at 4:05 PM at the Skydome.

Martinez Dazzles, Blanks Angels (5/7/99)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rheal Cormier decided to serve his three game suspension for beating the crap out of Jim Thome. Rookie Juan Pena might be called up to get the start in Game 2 of the upcoming series against the Anaheim Angels.

                                                            Pena to the rescue

As for the game, how bout that Pedro Martinez (6-1, 1.74 ERA). He was absolutely dominant in tonight's win over the Anaheim Angels and old friend Mo Vaughn. Pedro shut out the Angels for eight innings and struck out a career high 15 batters, surrendering just 6 hits. Meanwhile put 4 runs on the board against Anaheim starter Omar Olivares and another two against relief pitcher Mike Magnante. Mike Stanley drove in 3 runs with John Valentin getting two more. Tim Wakefield slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox had won the game 6-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Racquel Darrian approves of the win

Martinez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Darrin Erstad doubled down the right field line to start. Matt Walbeck grounded out to third and old pal Mo Vaughn got a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful in his first game back. Vaughn struck out swinging and Garret Anderson took strike three on the outside corner to end the inning.

                                                                 Mo salutes the fans

Omar Olivares got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jose Offerman flied out to center to start. John Valentin flied out to left and Reggie Jefferson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Troy Glaus led off the top of the second by striking out swinging and Todd Greene did the same. Orlando Palmeiro grounded out to first to end the inning. Nomar Garciaparra got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second but Troy O'Leary flied out to center. Mike Stanley got a base hit to left but Jason Varitek grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Andy Sheets struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Jeff Huson lined a ball off Pedro that Offerman gobbled up to make the out. Sox manager Jimy Williams and pitching coach Joe Kerrigan sprinted to the mound to check on Pedro but he told them he was alright. Erstad popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Damon Buford singled to center to start. Trot Nixon singled off the glove of Olivares & the hand of Huson for a "single" and Offerman walked to load the bases. Valentin hit a sac fly to right to score Buford and move Nixon to third. Offerman got picked off first but Nixon managed to score to increase the lead. Jefferson got a base hit to center but Nomar forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                    Offerman's gaffe turns into a run

Walbeck got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth with Buford cutting off the ball and Stanley threw wide at second on a grounder by Vaughn for an error. Anderson struck out swinging but Glaus got a base hit to center. Walbeck came around to score....but wait! Walbeck beat the throw but apparently he missed the plate, getting tagged out by Varitek. Greene struck out swinging to end the inning. Good defense in that inning.

                                                     You're out you dummy!

O'Leary popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Stanley popped up to right. Varitek walked but Buford flied out to center to end the inning.

Palmeiro got a base hit to center to open the top of the fifth but Sheets struck out swinging. Huson got a base hit to right and both runners moved over on the Erstad grounder to first. Walbeck grounded out to first to end the inning. Nixon grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth as Sox analyst Sean McDonough joked that he and Jerry Remy bought the Boston Bruins. Jerry "Oh we did?" Offerman walked but Valentin struck out swinging. Jefferson forced Offerman at second to end the inning.

Vaughn struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth and Anderson did the same. Glaus went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox broke it open in the bottom of the sixth as Nomar reached on an error by Glaus to start. O'Leary got a base hit to center and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Stanley ripped a base hit to the Monster to score both runners. That was it for Olivares as Mike Magnante came in to pitch and Varitek flied out to center. A wild pitch moved Stanley to second but Buford flied out to right. Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                             Good work Stanley

Greene doubled off the ladder of the Green Monster to start the top of the seventh but Palmeiro popped up to right. Sheets and Huson both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Offerman doubled to center to start. Valentin doubled to right to score Offerman but Jefferson struck out swinging. Al Levine came in to face Nomar and Garciaparra flied out to center. O'Leary walked but Stanley doubled to left. Valentin scored easily but O'Leary was thrown out at home after crashing into Walbeck to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                      Hell of a play by Walbeck

Erstad struck out swinging to begin the top of the eighth and Charlie O'Brien pinch hit for the dazed Walbeck. O'Brien struck out swinging and Vaughn flied out to center to end the inning. Martinez was outstanding, striking out 15 batters in 8 shutout innings while allowing just 6 hits.

                                                           Great performance by Pedro

Varitek struck out swinging to open the bottom of the eighth and Buford grounded out to short. Nixon also grounded out to short to end the inning.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Anderson flied out to center to start. Nomar booted a grounder by Glaus for an error but Greene struck out swinging. Palmeiro struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-0.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Pedro Martinez. He tossed eight shutout innings allowing just 6 hits while striking out 15 batters.

                                                              Hero Pedro

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

John Valentin was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

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

Mike Stanley was 3 for 4 with 3 rbis.

Tim Wakefield tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Reggie Jefferson was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.

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

Damon Buford was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox may be mediocre but Pedro Martinez is anything but. He was once again outstanding by setting a career high in strikeouts. The Sox bats have been sputtering lately but this time they delivered by pushing six runs across the plate. Pedro threw 126 pitches and you have to wonder if that was too many this early in the season but Sox manager Jimy Williams made the right decision to take him out after eight. Don't want him blowing his arm out just for a complete game with the game already in hand. It was good to see Mo Vaughn again and he got a well deserved ovation from the crowd. Sox analyst Sean McDonough pointed out the Sox may be a .500 team right now but so is everyone that's not the New York Yankees. Now's a perfect time to go on a run to nab the wild card spot early. The win improved the Sox to 14-14, 5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three wins in a row and their second straight against Anaheim when Juan Pena makes his Major League debut for the Sox against Tim Belcher of the Angels tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

                                                                    Sox win Opening Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                           Martinez was solid today

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

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

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

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

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

                                                         Valentin the Hero


The Good:

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

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

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

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

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

Derek Lowe allowed an unearned run in 2 innings.

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



The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

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

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

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

Red Sox Pound Indians in Game 1 (9/29/98)

Talk about a turnaround from the last 10 years. The Boston Red Sox won their first post-season game since Game 5 of the 1986 World Series by bashing the AL Central champion Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Sox ace Pedro Martinez lived up to his billing by allowing just 3 runs to the high powered Indians in 7 strong innings. Meanwhile the Sox bombed Cleveland for 11 runs off three home runs, two of which from Mo Vaughn who shedded his post-season choker image. Nomar Garciaparra also went deep in his first playoff game as the Sox opened the salvo in the ALDS with an 11-3 Game 1 win at Jacobs Field.

                                                               That's one!

The Sox wasted no time getting to Indians starter Jaret Wright in the top of the first inning. Darren Lewis dumped a base hit into left field before John Valentin also ripped a base hit to left. Mo Vaughn broke his post-season slump with an opposite field home run just over the fence to put the Sox on top. Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to third, Mike Stanley was rung up for strike three on a curveball on the outside corner and Troy O'Leary struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                       Vaughn puts the Sox on top

Pedro Martinez took the ball in the bottom of the first and Kenny Lofton grounded out to short to start. Joey Cora flied out to right and David Justice was rung up for strike three on the inside corner to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Darren Bragg struck out swinging to start. Scott Hatteberg flied out to the centerfield warning track and Mike Benjamin flied out to the right field wall to end the inning. Manny Ramirez led off the bottom of the second with a line drive off the right field wall but somehow ended up with a single because he lollygagged to first thinking the ball was gone. That would prove to be fatal as Jim Thome flied out to left and Manny would get doubled off first on a bullet to Valentin off the bat of Travis Fryman to end the inning.

Lewis began the top of the third with a check swing single off the chest of Wright to start. Lewis moved to second on the grounder to third by Valentin but Vaughn popped up to left. Garciaparra popped up to third to end the inning. Pedro dominated the bottom of the third as Brian Giles struck out swinging to start. Sandy Alomar Jr also struck out swinging and Omar Vizquel popped up to Benjamin to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Stanley walked to start. O'Leary and Bragg both struck out swinging but Hatteberg singled off the glove of Wright. Benjamin grounded out to third to end the inning. Lofton singled in the hole at short to start the bottom of the fourth before Cora popped up to left. Justice popped up to Vaughn on the infield and Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox blew the game open in the top of the fifth although things got scary as Lewis got hit in the head with a fastball. Valentin walked but Vaughn struck out swinging. Garciaparra then iced the game with a 3 run bomb to left field. Stanley singled to left to chase Wright from the game. Doug Jones came in to pitch and O'Leary popped up to left in foul territory. Bragg singled to center and Hatteberg walked to load the bases but Benjamin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                          Nomar hits a big home run

Pedro dominated the bottom of the fifth as Thome went down hacking to start. Fryman struck out swinging and Giles also swung at air to end the inning.

The Sox poured it on in the top of the sixth as Buford grounded out to short to start. Valentin dumped a base hit to left and Vaughn clobbered his second home run of the day to increase the lead. Garciaparra grounded out to second and Stanley struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.

                                                               Vaughn hits another one

The Indians rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Alomar Jr singled to center to start. Vizquel flied out to center but Lofton hit a home run into Lake Michigan to cut the lead. Cora popped up to right and Justice hit a bullet to Benjamin to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 8-2.

                                                          Indians strike back

O'Leary flied out to center to start the top of the seventh and Lofton ran down a line drive by Bragg. Hatteberg flied out to right to end the inning. Martinez came back for one last inning in the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez took strike three to start. Thome launched a home run all the way to Neptune to cut the lead but Hatteberg allowed strike three from Fryman to get away, allowing Travis to reached first. Giles doubled to right but Martinez got a big out when Alomar popped up to Vaughn in foul territory. Vizquel looped a ball to Garciaparra to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3. That was it for Pedro who tossed a good game, allowing just 3 runs in 7 innings to keep the Sox ahead.

                                                                 Good work Pedro

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the eighth with Steve Reed taking over on the mound. Benjamin walked, Buford was plunked and Valentin dumped a base hit to left to load the bases. Indians manager Mike Hargrove brought in Jim Poole to pitch to Vaughn and Mo responded with smacking a double down the right field line to bring in both Benjamin and Buford. Paul Shuey was brought in to face Garciaparra and Nomar hit a sac fly to the left field wall to bring in Valentin. Stanley took strike three and O'Leary grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-3.

                                                       Vaughn does it again

Jim Corsi came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Lofton grounded out to second to start. Cora grounded out to second but Justice doubled down the first base line. Ramirez took strike three and Corsi sprinted off the mound to end the inning.

Paul Assenmacher came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bragg flied out to left to start. Hatteberg and Benjamin both struck out swinging to end the inning. Corsi returned for the bottom of the ninth and Thome grounded out to first to start. Fryman took strike three and Giles grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had taken Game 1 by an 11-3 score.

                                                            Red Sox win!

Hero of The Night is Mo Vaughn. He out-hit the Indians by himself with two home runs and seven total rbis.

                                                            Hero Vaughn

The Good:

Darren Lewis was 2 for 2 with a hit by pitch and a run scored before leaving due to injury.

Damon Buford scored two runs and was hit with a pitch.

John Valentin was 3 for 4 with a walk and 4 runs scored.

Pedro Martinez got the win by allowing 3 runs in 7 innings of work. He allowed 6 hits and struck out eight.

Jim Corsi tossed two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Troy O'Leary was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but drove in 4 runs including a 3 run home run.

Mike Stanley was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drew a walk.

Darren Bragg was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Scott Hatteberg was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Mike Benjamin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Now that's the way to break a 13 game post-season losing streak. Not only did they win, they left no doubt and the big guns delivered in Vaughn and Garciaparra. Pedro Martinez also looked great and this set the Sox up big time. Lewis getting hit in the head sucked but otherwise not much went wrong in this game. The Indians one weakness is pitching and the Sox bats need to take advantage of that. Vaughn led the charge but the bottom of the order need to step it up at least once in the next three games. All the Sox need to do is win once in the next three games to get Pedro back on the mound for Game 5. Mike Hargrove is going with Dwight Gooden tomorrow, the Sox have a chance to exorcize the demon from 1986 and take one step closer to their first ALCS since 1990. Hopefully they can get it done. The Sox look to put the Indians on the brink tomorrow afternoon when Tim Wakefield goes up against Gooden. The game begins at 2:05 PM Eastern Time at Jacobs Field.

Twins Walkoff on Sox (8/22/98)

Well that was a kick in the balls. The Boston Red Sox dropped the second game of this three game set against the Minnesota Twins in heartbreaking fashion. Spot starter John Wasdin held the Twins to two runs in 5 innings as the Sox scored 3 of their own to take the lead. Then Greg Swindell and Derek Lowe coughed it up leading to the 41 year old Paul Molitor winning it in the bottom of the ninth against Dennis Eckersley with a bunt single. Eckersley didn't like it, Sox fans didn't like it but Twins fans loved it as the Twins walked off with the 4-3 win at the Metrodome.

                                             "I can't believe it, we lost to a bunt!"

LaTroy Hawkins got the start for the Twins in the top of the first inning and Darren Bragg led off by striking out swinging. John Valentin walked but Mo Vaughn whiffed. Nomar Garciaparra hit a pop up that nobody called for that dropped in for a base hit but Troy O'Leary flied out to left to end the inning. Wasdin got Otis Nixon to ground out to short to start the bottom of the first but Matt Lawton beat out an infield single to second. Paul Molitor banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as Mike Stanley flied out to right to start. Damon Buford walked and Scott Hatteberg bashed his 11th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Mike Benjamin lined one off of Hawkins but Todd Walker threw him out. Bragg grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                        Hatteberg hits one out

David Ortiz flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Ron Coomer grounded out to second. Walker flied out to left to end the inning.

Pat Meares booted a Valentin grounder to open the top of the third before John moved to second on the Vaughn grounder. Nomar grounded out to third and O'Leary flied out to center to end the inning. Marty Cordova struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Javier Valentin grounded out to short. Meares grounded out to third to end the inning.

Stanley singled to left to begin the top of the fourth but Buford banged into a double play. Hatteberg flied out to center to end the inning. The Twins fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Nixon singled to center to start before he scored on the Lawton double. Molitor grounded out to short and Ortiz flied out to center but Coomer singled home Lawton to tie the game. Walker drew a walk but Cordova lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                            Coomer ties it up

The Sox surged ahead in the top of the fifth although Benjamin flied out to left to begin. Bragg grounded out to first but Valentin pounded his 15th home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Vaughn popped up to first to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 3-2.

                                                             Valentin hits a bomb

Wasdin finished his day in the bottom of the fifth as Valentin grounded back to him to start. Meares doubled to left but Nixon took strike three. Lawton walked but Molitor flied out to right to end the inning. Wasdin did the best he could, holding the Twins to two runs in 5 innings of work.

                                                    Not great but it'll do

The Sox failed to get some insurance in the top of the sixth as Nomar grounded out to short to start. O'Leary doubled to right and moved to third on the Stanley fly out. Buford popped up to right to end the inning. Derek Lowe came in to cough up the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Ortiz singled to center and took third on the base hit by Coomer. Walker grounded out to first to score Ortiz with the tying run and Coomer took third on the grounder by Cordova. Valentin grounded out to second to end the inning but the Twins tied it 3-3.

                                                        Lowe gives up the lead

Hatteberg singled to left to start the top of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Benjamin. Bragg flied out to left and that was it for Hawkins. Mike Trombley came in and got Valentin to fly out to right to end the inning. Meares flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh and Sox manager Jimy Williams felt that was enough for Lowe. Greg Swindell came in and got Nixon to fly out to right although Lawton walked. Molitor flied out to right to end the inning.

Trombley cruised in the top of the eighth as Vaughn whiffed to start. Nomar and O'Leary both flied out to center to end the inning. Swindell returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Ortiz to pop up to left to start. Coomer flied out to center but Walker singled in the hole at first. Cordova popped up to second to end the inning.

Stanley walked to start the top of the ninth and Darren Lewis was sent in to pinch run for him. Buford whiffed but Lewis swiped second on the throw. Hatteberg was intentionally walked to set up the double play and Jimy Williams refused to pinch hit for Benjamin. Williams looked foolish as Benjamin banged into a double play to end the inning. The Twins ended it in the bottom of the ninth as Swindell struck out Valentin swinging to start. Meares singled and Nixon walked before Meares moved to third on the Lawton grounder. Dennis Eckersley was brought in to get Molitor but the crafty veteran safety squeezed Meares home with a perfect bunt to win the game for the Twins. Eckersley was disgusted but the Twins had walked it off 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Greg Swindell. Yes Eck gave up the winning hit but Swindell put the two men on that led to it.

                                                     Swindell the Jackass



The Good:

John Valentin was 1 for 3 with a walk and the hit was a home run.

Darren Lewis stole second as a pinch runner.

Mike Stanley was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Scott Hatteberg was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run homer.



The Bad:

Darren Bragg was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Benjamin was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4.

Damon Buford was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Nothing is worse than getting the most out of a spot starter only to lose the game anyway. Wasdin tossed 5 much needed innings but the bullpen couldn't hold it. I don't know what Williams was thinking by not pinch hitting for Benjamin with 2 men on in the ninth. Maybe he figured someone would keep the game tied in the bottom of the ninth but that didn't happen either. With the way the New York Yankees are playing, every loss puts the Sox further and further behind. Thank heavens for the wild card or the Sox would have nothing to play for in the month of September. The loss drops the Sox to 75-52, an incredible 19.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the rubber game tomorrow afternoon when they send their ace Pedro Martinez (16-4) up against Brad Radke of the Twins at 2:05 PM Eastern time at the Metrodrome.

Jones, Mets Blank Sox (6/6/98)

So much for revenge of the 1986 World Series. After the Mets emphatically beat down Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez, today they took the offense out of the game and blanked the home town team. Bobby Jones tossed a 3 hit shutout through 8 innings while the Sox bats did absolutely nothing. Meanwhile Tim Wakefield (6-3, 4.27 ERA) tossed one of his best games of the season allowing one run on just 1 hit and a walk.....and lost. Butch Huskey scored the only run of the game on a damn balk to put the Mets up in the sixth inning. The Sox got the tying run on base in the eighth and ninth innings but couldn't deliver the punch they needed. The Mets had beaten the Sox 1-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first and Brian McRae grounded out to second to start. Bernard Gilkey popped up to Darren Lewis and John Olerud flied out to left to end the inning. Jones got the ball in the bottom of the first as Darren Lewis dumped a base hit to left to start. Reggie Jefferson got a seeing eye single into right but Nomar Garciaparra hit into a 5-3 double play to put Jefferson at second. Mo Vaughn popped up to center to end the inning.

Butch Huskey led off the top of the second by flying out to the centerfield warning track before Carlos Baerga grounded out to second. Edgardo Alfonso singled to left but Matt Franco struck out swinging to end the inning. Troy O'Leary led off the bottom of the second with a single off the leg of Rey Ordonez but John Valentin just missed a home run off Pesky's Pole by 5 feet. John popped up to second, Scott Hatteberg forced O'Leary at second and Mike Benjamin grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ordonez flied out to center to begin the top of the third before Alberto Castillo flied out to center. McRae popped up to short to end the inning. Darren Bragg led off the bottom of the third by grounding out to second and Lewis lined out to left. Jefferson grounded out to first to end the inning.

Gilkey flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Vaughn went OLE! on a grounder by Olerud for an error. Huskey flied out to the left field warning track and Baerga popped up to third to end the inning. Garciaparra grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Vaughn drew a walk. O'Leary grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Alfonso grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Franco popped up to Vaughn. Benjamin booted a ball from Ordonez for an error but Castillo forced Rey at second to end the inning. Valentin took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Hatteberg grounded out to second. Benjamin walked but Bragg struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Mets struck first in the top of the sixth as McRae walked to start. Gilkey struck out swinging but McRae swiped second. Olerud grounded out to second to move McRae to third and he scored on a balk of all things. Sox manager Jimy Williams ran out of the dugout for an explanation to no avail. Huskey grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mets up 1-0.

                                                  "That's a balk and you know it!"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Lewis flied out to center to start. Jefferson grounded out to first and Garciaparra lined out to right to end the inning.

Baerga popped up to Vaughn in foul territory to start the top of the seventh before Alfonso grounded back to the mound. Franco popped up to short to end the inning. Vaughn lined out to left to start the bottom of the seventh before O'Leary grounded out to second. Valentin grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ordonez flied out to center to begin the top of the eighth and Benjamin made a great play to rob Castillo of a hit. Franco popped up to short to end the inning. That was it for Wakefield who allowed just 1 hit and a walk in 8 strong innings, allowing just the balked in run. 

                                                     Wakefield deserved better

Hatteberg led off the bottom of the eighth by striking out swinging and Midre Cummings pinch hit for Benjamin. Cummings struck out swinging but Bragg walked to put the tying run on. Lewis forced Bragg at second to end the inning.

Lou Merloni came in to play second in the top of the ninth with Tom Gordon now on the mound. Gilkey grounded out to short to start but Olerud singled off the Monster. Huskey grounded into a double play to end the inning. John Franco came in to close out the bottom of the ninth as Damon Buford pinch hit for Jefferson to start. Buford grounded out to third and Garciaparra took a full count strike three on the inside corner for strike three. Vaughn ripped a base hit to center and Jimy Williams sent Steve Avery the pitcher to run for Vaughn. O'Leary struck out swinging to end the game. The Mets had won it 1-0.

                                                                 Mets win

Jackass of the Night is Nomar Garciaparra. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout while hitting into a huge double play in the first, plus taking strike three in the ninth.

                                                         Nomar the Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Jefferson was 1 for 3.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3 with a walk.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Tim Wakefield pitched his best game of the season, allowing just 1 run on 1 hit and a walk in 8 innings of work.

The Bad:

Damon Buford was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4.

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

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Benjamin was 0 for 1 with an error but walked.

Midre Cummings struck out as a pinch hitter.

Darren Bragg was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Lou Merloni played second base in the final two innings.

Steve Avery pinch ran for Vaughn in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

You can't lose a game worse than that, especially after Wakefield utterly dominated that game. John Valentin missed what would have been the game winning home run by five feet and the Sox bats just couldn't get a clutch hit when it counted. Wakefield allowed 1 hit in 8 innings and still lost, that's absolutely disgusting. The Sox quite frankly are a light hitting team after Mo Vaughn and losing a game like this is disheartening. The New York Yankees continue to win and losing two straight to the New York Mets at home is a recipe for disaster. The loss dropped the Sox to 34-25, 10.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid the sweep tomorrow when today's pinch runner Steve Avery (2-1) takes on Masato Yoshii of the Mets. The game begins at 8:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Walkoff Sox in 12, Streak At Four (5/14/98)

Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for the Boston Red Sox. For eight innings it looked like Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez was going to beat the Minnesota Twins. He held them to just 1 run in 8 innings while striking out 11 batters. Unfortunately the Boston bats went silent in this one as Mike Morgan of Minnesota held the Sox to 1 run in 7 innings as well. The key to the game was the Minnesota bullpen who tossed 5 shutout innings against the inept Sox offense. Finally in the bottom of the 12th inning, Pat Meares hit a two out rbi single off John Wasdin to win the game for the Twins 2-1 at the Metrodome in 12 innings.

                                                                   Not the best game

Morgan got the ball in the top of the first inning and Darren Lewis' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Matt to start. Reggie Jefferson doubled to left but Mo Vaughn flied out to center. Scott Hatteberg flied out to left to end the inning. Martinez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Todd Walker took strike three to start. Brent Gates flied out to left but Paul Molitor doubled to center. Orlando Merced flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Troy O'Leary mashed his 11th home run of the season to start the frame. Midre Cummings took strike three, John Valentin struck out swinging and Mike Benjamin watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Another home run for Troy

Ron Coomer struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Matt Lawton grounded out to short. Alex Ochoa caught the Sox asleep with a bunt down the third base line but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Mark Lemke got a base hit to left to start the top of the third but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Lewis flied out to center but Jefferson and Vaughn both struck out swinging to end the inning. Javier Valentin struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Pat Meares drew a walk. Meares stole second but Walker struck out swinging. Gates grounded out to short to end the inning.

Hatteberg grounded back to the mound to open the top of the fourth but O'Leary got a base hit to right. Cummings grounded into a double play to end the inning. Suddenly John Valentin keeled over in the dugout, was carried out on a stretcher and rushed to the local ICU. Lou Merloni came in for him for the bottom of the fourth. Molitor struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fourth but Merced got a base hit to left. Coomer flied out to right and Lawton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Merloni grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Benjamin grounded out to short. Lemke also grounded out to short to end the inning. The Twins struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Ochoa took strike three to start. Valentin flied out to center but Meares doubled to left. Walker got a base hit to center to score Meares with the tying run but Gates flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Walker ties it up

Lewis took strike three to start the top of the sixth but Jefferson walked. Vaughn got a base hit to right....but Hatteberg grounded into a double play to end the inning. Molitor doubled to left to start the bottom of the sixth and moved to third on the Merced fly ball to center. Coomer struck out swinging and Lawton took strike three to end the inning.

                                                              Sit down Lawton

O'Leary grounded out to first to start the top of the seventh and Cummings grounded back to the mound. Merloni got a base hit to left and Benjamin beat out a roller to third but Lemke grounded out to first to end the inning. Ochoa flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and both Valentin and Meares struck out swinging to end the inning.

Eddie Guardado came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Lewis walked to start. Jim Leyritz pinch hit for Jefferson and took strike three. Vaughn struck out swinging and Jason Varitek pinch hit for Hatteberg. Lewis stole second and Varitek was intentionally walked to get to O'Leary. Troy lined out to second to end the inning. Pedro returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth as Walker grounded out to second to start. Gates popped up to third in foul territory and Molitor grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Pedro who was masterful, tossing 8 innings and allowing just 1 run while striking out 11. Too bad the offense fell asleep.

                                                           Great outing by Pedro

Dan Naulty came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Damon Buford pinch hit for Cummings. Ochoa fell down trying to make a catch and Buford motored around for a triple. Naturally Valentin and Benjamin struck out swinging. Lemke took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. What a waste.

                                                   "I don't got it" - Ochoa

Tom Gordon came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Merced struck out swinging to start. Coomer flied out to center and Lawton grounded out to first to end the inning.

Lewis grounded out to short to start the top of the tenth and Leyritz grounded out to third. Vaughn flied out to right to end the inning. Ochoa grounded out to third to start the bottom of the tenth and Valentin grounded out to short. Meares flied out to center to end the inning.

Varitek popped up to short to start the top of the 11th and O'Leary struck out swinging. Buford flied out to left to end the inning. Walker grounded out to short to start the bottom of the 11th and Gates did the same. Molitor grounded out to third to end the inning.

Mike Trombley came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th and Merloni grounded out to short to start. Benjamin also grounded out to short and Lemke grounded out to third to end the inning. If Ochoa didn't fall down, the last Sox hit would have been Benjamin's in the seventh. John Wasdin came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th and Merced got a base hit to center. Denny Hocking came in to run for him and Wasdin threw the pickoff throw away to move Hocking to second. Coomer singled to right to move Hocking to third and Lawton was intentionally walked to load the bases. Somehow Ochoa struck out swinging and Terry Steinbach pinch hit for Valentin. Somehow Steinbach took strike three but Meares singled over the head of Benjamin to score Hocking with the winning run. The Twins had won it 2-1 in 12 innings.

                                                                Twins win

Jackass of The Night is John Wasdin. He allowed the walkoff single in the bottom of the 12th after nearly pulling off the Houdini.

                                                  One strike from the Houdini, Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Jefferson was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Jason Varitek walked in two plate appearances

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 5 with a home run.

Damon Buford was 1 for 2.

Pedro Martinez was impeccable, allowing 1 run in 8 innings off 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

Tom Gordon tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jim Leyritz was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 3.

Midre Cummings was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

John Valentin struck out in his only at bat.

The Ugly:

Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and stole a base.

Mo Vaughn was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Lou Merloni was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mark Benjamin was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Mark Lemke was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Give credit to the Twins pitching staff. They survived not only Pedro Martinez for eight innings but 3 innings of Tom Gordon as well. It helped that Nomar Garciaparra didn't play but the Twins earned this one. Its a shame the Sox not only wasted Pedro's start but Gordon won't be able to go tomorrow as well. The Twins had to use 3 guns out of the bullpen as well but they'll worry about tomorrow when it comes. If you wanted a grinding, low scoring pitchers duel then this was for you. If you wanted some offense, this game would have put you to sleep. Another shame was Wasdin caused the bases loaded situation but was one strike away from escaping it. Not that the Sox would have guaranteed to score in the 13th inning but it would have been a hell of a story. Just have to tip your cap and move on. The loss dropped the Sox to 24-15, 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. The Sox now travel home for a three game set with the Kansas City Royals beginning tomorrow night. Tim Wakefield (4-1) takes on Jose Rosado of Kanas City. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.