Friday, August 23, 1985

Twins Four Run 7th Sink Sox (8/23/85)

For 6 innings it looked like Tim Lollar (5-8, 4.81 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox were about to best Frank Viola and the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Instead the Twins scored 4 runs in the top of the seventh inning and Viola went the distance to defeat the Sox 5-2.
                                  "That damn Frank Viola" - Sonny Crockett

Lollar took the mound in the top of the first inning and got Kirby Puckett to strike out. Mickey Hatcher grounded out to short and Kent Hrbek popped up to short to end the inning. Boston wasted no time scoring as Dwight Evans led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run off Viola to give the Sox the quick lead. Wade Boggs walked but Bill Buckner banged into a double play. Jim Rice struck out to end the inning but it was 1-0 Boston.
                                            Dewey says "Take that Viola!"

Lollar stayed tough in the top of the second by getting Tom Brunansky to ground out to third. Dave Engle flied out to right but Tim Laudner singled. Gary Gaetti grounded into a force to end the inning. Viola blanked the Sox in the bottom of the second by getting both Mike Easler and Marty Barrett to ground out to short. Jackie Gutierrez struck out to end the inning.

The Twins struck back in the top of the third inning. Tim Teufel doubled to start and moved to third on the Alvaro Espinoza bunt single. Puckett beat out a double play ball to score Teufel with the tying run then stole second base himself. Hatcher grounded to third and Hrbek grounded to second to end the inning but it was 1-1.
                                           "Damn you Teufel...and you too Puckett!" - Pierce

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third inning as Steve Lyons popped up to third, Marc Sullivan struck out and Evans popped to second to end the inning.

Lollar recovered to get Brunansky to ground out o open the top of the fourth inning. Engle flied out to center but Laudner walked. Gaetti lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Boggs singled and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Buckner. Rice walked but was foolishly picked off. That lost run loomed large as Easler doubled home Boggs to give the Sox the lead. Barrett grounded out to end the inning but a 2-1 lead should have been 3-1.
                                                Easler says "Come on Rice, I had it!"

Lollar cruised in the top of the fifth as he got Teufel to fly out to right to begin. Espinoza grounded out to third and Puckett grounded out to short to end the inning. Viola matched Lollar in the bottom of the fifth as he got Gutierrez to ground out to second to start. Lyons struck out and Sullivan lined out to center to end the inning.

Lollar returned for the top of the sixth inning and got Hatcher to ground to second to begin. Hrbek singled but Brunansky struck out. Engle grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox accomplished nothing in the bottom of the sixth inning as Evans grounded meekly to third, but Boggs singled. Buckner flied out but Boggs was distracted by a rodeo clown falling down the steps in the stands, getting doubled off first to end the inning.

Somehow the Twins exploded in the top of the seventh inning. Laudner doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Gaetti walked but Teufel struck out. Espinoza singled home Laudner tied the game. Puckett iced the game with a scintillating triple to send the fans home angry. That was it for Lollar and Steve Crawford came in, only to give up an rbi single by Hatcher to score Puckett. Hrbek singled but Brunansky struck out. Ron Smalley pinch hit for Engle and popped to second to end the inning but it was now 5-2 Twins.
                              "I can't believe Lollar can't get Puckett out" - Ms Fletcher

Viola put it on cruise control in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Rice flied out and Easler grounded out but Barrett doubled. Gutierrez ended the rally with a 360 strikeout, falling over in the process to end the inning.

Crawford returned for the top of the eighth and Laudner singled AGAIN, but Gaetti struck out. Teufel flied out and Espinoza struck out to end the inning. Viola would not be denied in the bottom of the eighth in a near empty Fenway Park as Lyons flied out to right to start. Sullivan and Evans both whiffed to end the inning.

Crawford returned for the top of the ninth and was greeted by a Puckett single. Hatcher banged into a double play and Hrbek lined out to center to end the inning. Viola came back to finish his work in the botom of the ninth. Boggs flied out to left, Buckner grounded out to second and Rice flied out to left to end the game. The Twins had won it 5-2.


Jackass of the Night is Tim Lollar. He had a 2-1 lead to protect and he let the team down by getting pounded in the 7th, giving up 5 total runs.
                                                    Lollar is the Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Easler was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Marty Barrett was 1 for 3.

Steve Crawford tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.




The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 3.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Steve Lyons was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Marc Sullivan was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.




The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked..




Final Thoughts:

Another pitiful loss for a team going absolutely nowhere. I know Tim Lollar isn't exactly Jack Morris but with Roger Clemens got, SOMEBODY has to step up and win some games down the stretch, if nothing else but for personal pride. Frank Viola going the distance hurt plus he's lost 10 games this year, the offense should have smacked him around. This year can't end fast enough and Clemens get healthy quick enough. The loss dropped the Sox to 58-62, 17 games behind Toronto for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow Bruce Hurst matches up against Mike Smithson for the Twins. Isn't this year over yet? Ugh.

Sunday, August 18, 1985

Yankees Down Sox Late (8/18/85)

As 1985 continues to be a mediocre season for the Boston Red Sox, one thing is for sure and that's the New York Yankees catch every lucky break in the world. A day after being held to a single run, this time the Sox could barely score two against Phil Neikro and Bob Shirley. Meanwhile Roger Clemens had to be scratched from his start due to shoulder stiffness and Tim Lollar (5-7, 4.68 ERA) continued to struggle, getting lit up by the Yankees for 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings. The Sox and Yankees battled to a 2-2 tie after the top half of the seventh inning but the Yankees rallied for two runs against Lollar before Sox manager John McNamara yanked him. The Sox did manage to load the bases against Dave Righetti in the top of the ninth but Brian Fisher got Dwight Evans to fly out to end the game. Clemens may have been able to make a difference but the Yankees still made it two in a row over the Sox as they took the game 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.
                                                      Sox fans are not happy

Niekro got the ball in the top of the first inning and Marty Barrett dumped a base hit to left on the first pitch of the game. Bob Meacham threw a double play ball by Wade Boggs away to allow Wade to take second and Boggs moved to third on the warning track fly ball to center by Dwight Evans. Bill Buckner struck out swinging to end the inning. Lollar got the emergency start in the bottom of the first and Willie Randolph flied out to right to start. Don Mattingly walked on four pitches but Dave Winfield banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second although Mike Easler flied out to center to start. Jim Rice clobbered his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top but Rich Gedman flied out to Billy Sample. Jackie Gutierrez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
                                                 Number 20 for Rice

The Yankees answered in the bottom of the second as Don Baylor walked to start. Ken Griffey got a line drive base hit to left to put runners at the corners and Baylor scored on the grounder to third by Sample. Andre Robertson grounded out to short and Butch Wynegar grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
                                                       Yankees tie it up

Steve Lyons walked to start the top of the third but Barrett grounded into a double play. Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. Meacham struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Randolph worked a walk. Mattingly forced Randolph at second and Winfield popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Evans grounded out to third to start. Buckner grounded out to first and Easler flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. The Yankees struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Red Sox broadcaster Bob Montgomery said Roger Clemens "couldn't get it up today." Baylor walked but Griffey flied out to left and Sample grounded back to Lollar. Baylor moved to second on the play and scored on the base hit to center by Robertson. The fans cost the Yankees a run as Wynegar hit a ball past the diving Boggs that should have scored Robertson but a fan reached over and snatched the ball. It was ruled a ground rule double and Meacham popped up to Lyons to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-1.
                                                         Yankees take the lead

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Rice walked to start. Gedman walked and Gutierrez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Unfortunately Lyons struck out swinging and Barrett grounded out to short to end the inning. Randolph popped up to Evans to start the bottom of the fifth and Mattingly grounded out to second. Winfield struck out swinging to end the inning.

Boggs popped up to Griffey to start the top of the sixth before Buckner flied out to left. Easler struck out swinging to end the inning. Baylor flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Griffey grounded out to first. Sample walked but Robertson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Mike Pagliarulo took over at third to begin. Rice and Gedman worked back to back walks but Gutierrez popped up a bunt to Wynegar. Lyons came through with a base hit to right to load the bases. Rich Bordi came in to pitch to Barrett and Sample made a great diving catch to rob Barrett of a bases clearing double. Yankees manager Billy Martin brought in Bob Shirley to pitch to Boggs but Wade got a base hit to shallow left. Rice scored easy but Gedman was foolishly sent home only to get thrown out at the plate to end the inning. That proved costly as the Sox only tied the game 2-2.
                                                              Yerrrr out!

Things fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as the ball four pitch to Wynegar got away and Gedman panicked, throwing the ball completely out of Yankee Stadium to move Butch to second. Buckner fell down trying to catch a pop up from Meacham that dropped in for a "single" but Randolph flied out to center. Mattingly slapped a double down the right field line and both runs scored, Don taking third on the throw. That was it for Lollar who was let down by his defense but still allowed 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Bob Stanley came in to pitch and Winfield popped up to Boggs in foul territory. Baylor popped up to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-2.
                                                          Mattingly puts the Yankees on top

Dave Righetti came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Evans struck out swinging to start. Buckner popped up to short but Easler lined a base hit to center. Old pal and Yankees pitching coach Bill Monbouquette came out to chat with Righetti and Rice struck out swinging to end the inning. Griffey grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth before Dan Pasqua pinch hit for Sample. Pasqua took strike three and Pagliarulo grounded out to first to end the inning.

Gedman popped up to center to start the top of the ninth inning and Gutierrez also flied out to center. Tony Armas pinch hit for Lyons and drilled a base hit up the middle. Ed Jurak pinch ran for Tony and Barrett drew a walk. Boggs walked to load the bases and chase Righetti. Brian Fisher came in to pitch to Evans and Dwight popped up to Winfield to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-2.
                                                       Yankees win


Jackass of the Night is Tim Lollar. He allowed the go-ahead double by Mattingly to put the Yankees up for good in the seventh.
                                                     Lollar The Jackass

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The Good:

Jim Rice was 1 for 2 with a home run, 2 walks and 2 total runs scored.

Steve Lyons was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Tony Armas singled as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Easler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 2 with an error but walked twice.



Honorable Mention:

Ed Jurak pinch ran for Armas in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Forget the loss, the true bad news is the injury to Clemens. Remember he was shut down at the end of last season with a bad shoulder and apparently it never healed. The Sox can't afford to lose a pitcher the caliber of Clemens with a month left in the season but shutting him down and getting proper surgery might be the right thing to do to keep him healthy for next year. Nothing has gone right this season for the Sox and today was a microcosm of that. The Sox couldn't field at all in the seventh inning which allowed the Yankees to take the lead and Gedman geting thrown out at the plate shouldn't have happened. Evans failing in the ninth inning just put a damper on what could have been a nice comeback. Lollar did the best he could on short notice but even he tired in the seventh. Want the ultimate kick in the pants? Mike Easler is hitting .263 so far this year while John Tudor is on pace to win 20 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. Why am I not surprised? The loss dropped the Sox to 57-58, good for 5th place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when they send Bruce Hurst to the mound against Marty Bystrom of New York. The game begins at 1:00 PM at Yankee Stadium.