Now that was an ass kicking! The Boston Red Sox continued their march to October baseball by snapping a two game losing streak against the Chicago White Sox. Bruce Hurst (7-5, 3.10 ERA) utterly dominated the White Sox tossing a complete game 3 hit shutout. Offensively the Sox used a team wide attack to knock out Chicago starter Floyd Bannister in the first inning. Leading 4-0, Bill Buckner hit a bases clearing 3 run double off Bill Dawley to make the game a laugher the rest of the way. The BoSox did manage to score two more runs against Bobby Thigpen in the eighth inning but the star of the game finished it off in the ninth. Hurst went the distance to blank the White Sox 9-0 at Fenway Park.
Hurst got the ball in the top of the first inning and John Cangelosi flied out to right to start. Reid Nichols popped up to Dwight Evans and Harold Baines flied out to the left field wall to end the inning. The BoSox attacked Bannister to start the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs walked to start. Marty Barrett belted his third home run of the season to put the Sox on top early. Jim Rice ripped a base hit up the middle and took second on a wild pitch. Don Baylor grounded a base hit up the middle to put runners at the corners and Dwight Evans also singled up the middle to to score Rice. Bill Buckner joined the single up the middle parade to score Baylor. White Sox manager Jim Fregosi threw his wad of chew into the fourth row and took Bannister out. Bill Dawley came in and Tony Armas flied out to right. Ed Romero lined out to center and Marc Sullivan hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the BoSox up 4-0.
Carlton Fisk ripped a base hit to left to start the top of the second but Tim Hulett grounded into a double play. Russ Morman struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the second as Boggs walked to start. A passed ball moved Wade to second and Barrett got a base hit to left to move Boggs to third. Rice struck out swinging and Baylor popped up to first, but Evans walked to load the bases. Baines misjudged a ball hit by Buckner and it went past his glove for a bases clearing double. Armas grounded out to short to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-0.
Ivan Calderon struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Ozzie Guillen grounded out to second. Julio Cruz took strike three to end the inning. Romero got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third before Sullivan struck out swinging. Boggs got a base hit to left to move Romero to third but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Barrett flied out to center to end the inning.
Cangelosi led off the top of the fourth by lining out to third to start. Nichols grounded out to second and Baines popped up to second to end the inning. Rice popped up to first to begin the bottom of the third before Baylor grounded out to short. Evans grounded out to short as well to end the inning.
Fisk flied out to left to open the top of the fifth before Hulett flied out to center. Morman took strike three to end the inning. Buckner doubled to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Armas popped up to short. Romero popped up to center and Buckner was caught sleeping, getting doubled off second to end the inning.
Calderon popped up to a running Buckner to start the top of the sixth before Guillen popped up to third. Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning. Bobby Thigpen came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Sullivan lined out to center to start. Boggs and Barrett got back to back base hits to center and Rice moved both runners over with a fly ball to the centerfield warning track. Baylor popped up to first to end the inning.
Cangelosi flied out to right to start the top of the seventh but Nichols doubled high off the Monster. Baines flied out to center to move Nichols to third but Fisk grounded out to second to end the inning.
Evans struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and Buckner flied out to right. Armas singled to right but Romero popped up to short to end the inning.
Dave Stapleton took over at first for Buckner with Mike Greenwell in for Rice to start the top of the eighth. Hulett flied out to left to start before Morman also flied out to left. Calderon flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Sullivan struck out swinging to start. Boggs and Barrett drew back to back walks and Greenwell got a base hit to right to score Boggs. Baylor fooled Baines with a pop up down the left field line for a base hit to score Barrett. Evans grounded into a double play to end the inning with the BoSox up 9-0.
Kevin Romine took over in center for the top of the ninth and Brian Giles pinch hit for Guillen to start. Giles popped up to second and Cruz grounded out to short, but Cangelosi dumped a base hit to left. Nichols popped up to second to end the game. The BoSox had won it 9-0.
Great win by the Sox
The Sox salute our Hero
Hero of The Night is Bruce Hurst. He tossed a complete game 3 hit shutout, allowing no walks and striking out 4 batters.
The Good:
Wade Boggs was 2 for 3 with 3 walks and 3 runs scored.
Marty Barrett was 3 for 4 with a walk, a 2 run homer and 3 runs scored.
Mike Greenwell singled and drove in a run in his only at-bat.
Don Baylor was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Bill Buckner was 3 for 4 with 4 rbis.
The Bad:
Marc Sullivan was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Tony Armas was just 1 for 4.
Ed Romero was just 1 for 4.
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Romine played centerfield in the top of the ninth.
Dave Stapleton played first base in the final two innings.
Final Thoughts:
Big win by the Red Sox and a masterful game pitched by Hurst. Dropping the first two games of the series made this one a must win and they delivered big time. Marc Sullivan reeked at the plate but he called a good game to hold the White Sox to just 3 hits. Going 3-3 on the homestand still has them in first place but a nice long winning streak could get them closer to October baseball sooner rather than later. Good for Barrett to go deep for just the third time this year and Buckner was an rbi machine tonight. The Sox have eight straight road games coming up and the time to strike is now. The win improved the Sox to 62-44, still 3.5 games in front of the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Detroit for a four game set with the Tigers after an off day tomorrow. Tom Seaver (4-10) goes for Boston against Randy O'Neal of the Tigers. The game begins Friday night at 8:00 PM at Tiger Stadium.
