Things went bad right from the start as Jerry Remy tripled to open the game, but Randolph made a great diving catch to rob Rick Burelson of a hit. Remy broke for home and collided with catcher Jerry Narron. Remy was hurt and had to be carried out on a stretcher as a sign of what was to come. Fred Lynn popped to short to end the inning but losing Remy was not good.
The Yankees pounced on the shaken up Sox and starter Eckerseley in the bottom of the first inning with Jack Brohamer moving to second with Butch Hobson taking Remy's spot in the order while playing third. Roy White flied out but Randolph pounded a home run to give the Yankees the lead. Graig Nettles flied out to center and Reggie Jackson grounded out to second to end the inning, although it was 1-0 Yankees.
The Sox struck back in the top of the second inning as Rice was hit with a pitch and he scored on the double by Carl Yastrzemski. Bob Watson walked but was stranded as Brohamer flied out to right. Evans whiffed and Bob Montgomery popped up to second to end the inning, but it was tied 1-1.
Eckersley ran into some trouble in the bottom of the second inning as Chris Chambliss singled to start the inning. Jim Spencer whiffed but Bobby Murcer singled. Narron struck out and Bucky Dent grounded to short to end the inning.
The Sox threatened in the top of the third inning but could not score. Hobson flied out to right but Burelson doubled. Lynn flied out to center but Rice walked. Yaz struck out to end the inning, what a waste. White grounded out to open the bottom of the third but Randolph singled. The alert Eck picked off Randolph and got Nettles to ground out to first to end the inning.
The Sox surged ahead in the top of the fourth inning although Watson struck out to begin. Brohamer clobbered a solo home run off Yankees starter Catfish Hunter to give the Sox the lead. Evans grounded out to short and Montgomery lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.
The Yankees immediately tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Jackson grounded out to first and Chambliss struck out, but Spencer blasted a solo home run to tie the game. Murcer popped up to left but it was now 2-2.
The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth inning although Hobson flied out to center to start. Burelson grounded out to second but Lynn belted a solo home run to give the Sox the lead back. Rice flied out to left to end the inning but it was now 3-2 Sox.
The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fifth inning as Narron worked a leadoff walk. Dent flied out to right but White clobbered a 2 run home run to put the Yankees back on top. Randolph flied out to left and Nettles struck out but it was now 4-3 Yankees.
Once again the Sox battled back in the top of the sixth inning although Yaz flied out to start. Watson singled but Brohamer lined out to second. Evans walked to chase Hunter as Ron Davis was brought in only for Montgomery to single home Watson to tie the game. Hobson singled in Evans to give the Sox the lead back. Burelson struck out but it was 5-4 Sox.
As usual Eckersley coughed up the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Jackson pounded a home run, New York's fourth, to tie the game immediately. Eck recovered to get Chambliss to ground out to second, Spencer to fly out to left and Murcer to strike out to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
This time the Sox failed to answer in the top of the seventh as Lynn popped to short to start. Rice struck out and Yaz lined out to second to end the inning. Eckersley returned for the bottom of the seventh and guess what Narron did....he homered to give the Yankees the lead. Dent popped up to short but Red Sox manager Don Zimmer stumbled out of the dugout, beer cans falling out of his pocket to make the pitching change. Tom Burgmeier replaced Eck and got White to fly out. Randolph watched strike three go by to end the inning but the Yankees led 6-5, nice going Eck.
The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the eighth inning when Watson singled to put the tying run on. Jim Dwyer pinch ran for Watson but Brohamer flied out. Evans walked to chase Davis and put the go-ahead run on first. Tom Poquette was going to pinch hit for Montgomery, but when the Yankees brought in Jim Kaat, Sox manager Don Zimmer sat Poquette in favor of Carlton Fisk. Both Fisk and Hobson popped up to first to end the inning. Nice going fellas. Gary Allenson took over behind the plate with Dwyer now at first to open the bottom of the eighth. Nettles hit a routine grounder to Dwyer who tossed his glove away and tried to catch it bare handed, instead the ball went off his hands and rolled away for an error. Jackson singled and Chambliss sacrificed them into scoring position. Lou Pinella pinch hit for Spencer and was intentionally walked to load the bases. Rookie Chuck Rainey was brought in to pitch to pinch hitter Thurman Munson and somehow got him to bang into a double play to end the inning.
Kaat remained in the game to close it out in the top of the ninth. Burelson hit a comebacker to the mound but Lynn walked. Lynn was erased on the force by Rice and with the tying run on....Yaz grounded out to end the game. The Yankees held on to win it 6-5.
Jackass of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He allowed not one, not two, not three, not four but FIVE home runs in this game. I'm sure Catfish Hunter would have taken him deep as well if there was no DH. The Sox put runs on the board so shame on Eck for being flat as a pancake today.
The Good:
Jerry Remy was 1 for 1 before leaving the game.
Bob Watson was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Dwight Evans walked twice in 4 plate appearances and scored a run.
Bob Montgomery was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
Tom Burgmeier pitched a full scoreless inning.
Chuck Rainey got the final two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
The Bad:
Jim Dwyer committed an error in the 9th inning.
Carlton Fisk was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Butch Hobson was 1 for 4 with an rbi after coming in for Remy.
Rick Burelson was just 1 for 5.
Fred Lynn was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored.
Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Carl Yastzremski was just 1 for 5 but walked and drove in a run.
Jack Brohamer was just 1 for 4 but scored a run and drove one in.
Honorable Mention:
Tom Poquette was penciled in to pinch hit for Montgomery before he was replaced by Fisk.
Gary Allenson caught the ninth inning.
Final Thoughts:
Maybe Eckersley should stay in his hotel room and watch Barnaby Jones instead of going out and doing the boogie woogie before a huge game against the Yankees. The team is reeling with a serious world series hangover and the Sox NEED to win these games to get closer to Baltimore in the division standings. Hopefully the Sox can come back tomorrow. The loss dropped the Red Sox to 47-28, 5.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow Joel Finch of the Red Sox takes on Tommy John of the Yankees.
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