Clemens took the mound in the top of the first inning and Luis Polonia grounded out to short to start. Dave Henderson popped up to right before Jose Canseco also popped up to right to end the inning. Storm Davis got the start for the A's and Wade Boggs greeted him with a walk. Marty Barrett flied out to the left field warning track before Dwight Evans popped up to right. Mike Greenwell popped up to center to end the inning.
Clemens stayed strong in the top of the second as Dave Parker grounded out to short to start. Carney Lansford whiffed on a high fastball before Ron Hassey looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Jim Rice flied out to left before Ellis Burks hit a bullet but right at Lansford. Todd Benzinger drew a walk but Jody Reed popped up to center in to end the inning.
Mark McGwire led off the top of the third inning by striking out swinging before Tony Phillips whiffed as well. Walt Weiss grounded out to first to end the inning.
Rich Gedman led off the bottom of the third by looking at strike three to start. Boggs also took strike three before Barrett grounded out to third to end the inning.
Clemens made a boo-boo when he threw a ground ball by Polonia into the right field bleachers for an error to allow Luis to reach second to open the top of the fourth. Clemens recovered to blow away Henderson before Gedman gunned down Polonia at third trying to steal. Canseco flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Evans popped up to second to begin. Greenwell walked but Rice popped up to third. Henderson made a great jumping catch to rob Burks of a sure triple to end the inning.
Boggs ran down a pop up by Parker to open the top of the fifth inning before Greenwell made a sliding catch on a Lansford liner. Hassey grounded out to second to end the inning. Benzinger reached by lining a single off Davis to open the bottom of the fifth. Reed dropped down a bunt to advance Todd to second but he was doubled off second on a scorching liner to short by Gedman to end the inning.
Clemens returned for the top of the sixth inning and froze McGwire to start. Phillips doubled into the gap in center but Weiss looked at strike three on the inside corner. Polonia was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Clemens had thrown 6 shutout innings and allowed just two hits, he deserved better.
The Sox struck first in the bottom of the sixth although Boggs grounded back to the mound to start. Barrett lined out to a running Canseco but Evans and Greenwell drew back to back walks. Rice hit a routine line drive to Henderson...AND HE DROPPED IT! Evans came all the way around to score as Greenwell scampered to third on the error. Fenway exploded when Burks singled down the right field line to score Greenwell to increase the lead, also moving Rice to third. Davis uncorked a wild pitch that moved Burks to second but for some reason Rice didn't try to score. That proved costly when Benzinger whiffed to end the inning but the Sox led 2-0
The lead lasted 30 seconds into the top of the seventh when Henderson (as usual) atoned for his error with a base hit to center before Canseco smashed a 60,000,000 foot home run out of the earth's atmosphere to tie the game. The floodgates opened as Parker blooped a single to left but was erased on a bang bang play at second off a ground ball to short by Lansford. A balk was called to advance Lansford to second as Sox manager Joe Morgan bolted out of the dugout demanding an explanation. Clemens himself came over to listen and ABC announcer Joe Morgan started whining that the other Morgan should be ejected for arguing a balk call. When Morgan left, A's manager Tony LaRussa stormed out of the dugout and demanded Morgan be ejected but to no avail. When action resumed Hassey hit a dead duck liner to third before a wild pitch moved Lansford to third. McGwire slammed a single to left to score Lansford with the go-ahead run. Phillips grounded out to second to end the inning but the A's had taken the lead 3-2.
Davis returned for one more batter in the bottom of the seventh and whiffed Reed to end this day. Greg Cadaret came in to pitch and Gedman greeted him with a solo blast to right to tie the game. Boggs grounded out to third and that was it for Cadaret. Gene Nelson took over and got Barrett to ground out to third to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 3-3.
Bob Stanley came on to pitch the top of the eighth and Weiss tried to bunt his way on but Boggs sniffed it out for the first out. Polonia tried to bunt his way on as well but he was successful, reaching first. Henderson walked and that was it for Stanley. Sox manager Joe Morgan took no chances and brought in closer Lee Smith to pitch to Canseco. A passed ball moved Polonia to third but Canseco flied out to right, Polonia refusing to test Evans' arm. Parker flied out to right to end the inning, good work Smith. Nelson returned for the bottom of the eighth and Evans popped up to the catcher in foul territory to start. Greenwell popped up to third but Rice singled to right. Kevin Romine pinch ran for Jim but Burks grounded into a force to end the inning.
The A's took the lead in the top of the ninth although Lansford popped up to right to begin. Hassey singled to left-center but McGwire lined out to a running Burks. All Smith needed was one more out to get out of the inning but he didn't get it as Phillips fought back from an 0-2 count to not only single to right, but advance Hassey to third. Weiss lined a shot to center that a sliding Burks couldn't come up with, scoring Hassey with the go ahead run. Polonia whiffed to end the inning with the A's ahead 4-3.
Mike Gallego took over at second in Polonia's batting spot with Phillips moving to left with Dennis Eckersley on the mound to close out the game. Benzinger grounded out to short before Larry Parrish pinch hot for Reed only to pop up to second. Gedman flied out to left to end the game, the A's had won it 4-3 going back to Oakland up two games to none.
Jackass of the Night is Lee Smith. He gave up the go-ahead run in the 9th inning.
The Good:
Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Mike Greenwell walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.
Todd Benzinger was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Roger Clemens held the powerful A's offense to 6 hits and 3 runs in 7 innings of work while striking out 8.
The Bad:
Marty Barrett was 0 for 4.
Jody Reed was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Larry Parrish was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked.
Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.
Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was a solo home run.
Bob Stanley retired only one of the three men he faced.
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Romine pinch ran for Rice in the 8th.
Final Thoughts:
As if Game 1 wasn't a big enough kick in the balls, this game topped that. Just when the Sox looked like they would cruise, the A's jumped ahead. When the Sox tied it and had the A's on the run, they went ahead again. It was if the A's answered everything the Sox did in the first two games of this series. Bruce Hurst and Roger Clemens pitched their asses off but the bullpen blew it each time. If the A's are World Series bound they certainly earned it for their clutch hitting and pitching alone. They seemed to make the plays the Red Sox didn't hence why they are up 2-0 going home. If the Sox have any hope of having a realistic chance of winning the pennant they need to respond Saturday night. Mike Boddicker goes for the Sox opposite Bob Welch at 8:05 PM Eastern time at the Oakland Coliseum.
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