Henderson's Single Guides A's Past Sox in Game 1 (10/5/88)

Uh oh....It looks like the AL West champion Oakland A's are for real. Boston Red Sox fans were concerned when they lost 6 of their last 7 games and it certainly carried over into the American League Championship Series. The offense was non-existent against the Oakland A's pitching and old friend Dave Henderson was the difference maker in today's game. The game was tied when Henderson drove in the winning run and the A's bullpen held on to beat the Red Sox 2-1 to take Game 1 of the ALCS at Fenway Park.

"DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!"

Bruce Hurst took the mound in the top of the first inning and old pal Carney Lansford took strike three on the outside corner to begin the game. Another old friend Dave Henderson singled in the hole at short but Jose Canseco flied out a running Dwight Evans in right. Mark McGwire hit a squibber back to Hurt to end the inning. Stewart got the ball in the bottom of the first and Wade Boggs lashed a single to center to begin. Marty Barrett popped up to short before a passed ball moved Boggs to second. Dwight Evans whiffed on a forkball before Mike Greenwell hit a bullet but right to Canseco in right to end the inning.

Hurst was wild in the top of the second as Terry Steinbach led off with a four pitch walk before another old friend, Don Baylor looked at strike three after Hurst was in a 3-0 hole. Tony Phillips whiffed and his bat went into the crowd to boot, causing two fans to rumble over the bat. A mediator had to flip a coin to decide the winner. Mike Gallego popped up to third to end the inning. Todd Benzinger led off the bottom of the second by striking out before Ellis Burks grounded back to the mound. Jim Rice poked a single into right before Jody Reed walked. Walt Weiss made a great stab on a Rich Gedman ground ball but Rice slid into second safely to load the bases. Boggs whiffed to end the inning, what a huge squander.

Weiss led off the top of the third by lining out to a running Evans in right before Lansford grounded out to short. Henderson whiffed badly to end the inning. The Sox failed to crack Stewart in the bottom of the third as Barrett popped up to right to begin. Evans whiffed before Greenwell lined out to a running Phillips in left to end the inning.

The A's struck first in the top of the fourth when Canseco smashed a towering blast completely out of Fenway on a 3-2 pitch to give the A's the lead. McGwire grounded out to second before Steinbach singled on a roller up the middle but Baylor hit a pop up a mile high to first. Phillips walked before Gallego check swinged a pop up to first to end the inning with the A's ahead 1-0

                                            Canseco makes it 1-0

The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fourth when Lansford made a great diving catch in foul territory off a pop up from Benzinger to begin. Burks was rung up for strike three before Rice whiffed to end the inning.

Hurst tried to keep pace in the top of the fifth inning but Weiss led off with a double off the Monster. Lansford grounded out to the mound to advance Weiss to third but Hurst got a huge out when Henderson grounded out to third, failing to score Weiss. Hurst got his revenge on Canseco by striking him out on some high heat to end the inning. Stewart cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Reed popped up to short to start before Gedman hit one up the elevator shaft. Boggs flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning.

Hurst returned for the top of the sixth inning and McGwire flied out to left field warning track to begin before Steinbach grounded out to third. Baylor popped up to center to end the inning. Still nothing for the Sox offense in the bottom of the sixth as Barrett lined out to a running Phillips to start. Evans smacked a ground rule double into the bullpen and Greenwell walked, but Benzinger banged into a double play to end the inning.

Hurst came back for the top of the seventh and Burks helped with a great diving catch to rob Phillips to start. Gallego grounded back to the mound and Weiss flied out to right to end the inning. Finally the Sox rallied against Stewart in the bottom of the seventh inning. Burks popped up to center on a 3-1 count before Rice walked. Kevin Romine pinch ran for Rice as commentators Joe Morgan and Reggie Jackson said this was a bad move with Rice due up potentially in the ninth. Reed was plunked and the Sox caught a break when Henderson slipped and fell on a sinking liner by Gedman to load the bases. That was it for Stewart as the lefty Rick Honeycutt was summoned to pitch to Boggs All Boggs had to do was bloop a single and the Sox would have had the lead but all he could do was hit a sac fly to score Romine. Barrett grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 1-1.

Hurst failed to keep the game tied in the top of the eighth as Lansford began the top of the second with a double to begin. 2 years ago Henderson dropped a home run over the fence in Game 5 of the ALCS before hitting the big home run to keep the Sox season alive. Sure enough, after his miscue allowed the tying run to score, his base hit scored Lansford with the go-ahead run. Canseco banged into a double play and Weiss struck out to end the inning but the damage was done, 2-1 A's.

                                             Should have known Henderson would be clutch

Ron Hassey took over behind the plate with old friend Dennis Eckersley coming in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Evans whiffed on 3 pitches before Greenwell popped up to left. Benzinger grounded out to first to end the inning.

Hurst returned for the top of the ninth and Hassey flied out to left to begin. Baylor walked and Luis Polonia pinch ran for him only for Phillips to watch strike three go by. Gallego flied out to center to end the inning. Hurst tossed a complete game 6 hitter while allowing just 2 runs while striking out 7. 9 times out of 10 this should win the game, what a shame.

                                                      Hurst deserved better

Down to their final three outs, Burks popped up to right to start. Larry Parrish pinch hit for Romine and looked at strike three. I have a feeling both Romine or Rice would have at least swung the bat. The Sox weren't dead yet as Reed doubled and Gedman walked. Ed Romero pinch ran for Gedman as Boggs stepped in to face Eckersley. Eckersley's first pitch was a meatball right down the middle but Boggs took it for a strike. Sox manager Joe Morgan ran out of the dugout to make sure Eck wasn't balking on every pitch, he wasn't. Boggs whiffed to end the game. The A's had taken Game 1 by a 2-1 score.

                                                 Eck sticks it to the Sox with the save


Jackass of the Night is Wade Boggs. Sure he drove in the only run but on a sac fly, not a base hit. He also made two key outs during the course of the game.

                                                 Boggs the Game 1 Jackass



The Good:

Jim Rice was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Jody Reed was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Kevin Romine scored a run as a pinch runner.

Bruce Hurst was the hard luck loser but hardly pitched like one. He pitched a complete game, 9 inning effort striking out 7 guys while allowing just 2 runs.



The Bad:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 4.

Todd Benzinger was 0 for 4.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 4.

Larry Parrish struck out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Ed Romero pinch ran for Gedman in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!!! This is the kind of game the Sox were able to win during the regular season but October is a different animal. The Sox played well but the A's were just simply better. They had the guys like Henderson to get the clutch hit and Eckersley to get the clutch outs which were good enough for the A's to win this. Boggs cost them big time twice which ruined a spectacular start by Hurst. Hurst pitched his ass off and deserved better. Losing Game 1 sucks but the Sox are far from dead. Tomorrow night the Sox look to bounce back in Game 2 when their ace Roger Clemens meets Storm Davis at 8:00 PM at Fenway Park.