Eric King got the start for the White Sox and Jody Reed greeted him with a soft liner to third to start. Dwight Evans drew a walk before Wade Boggs flied out to the left field wall. Ellis Burks grounded into a force to end the inning. Kiecker got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ivan Calderon grounded out to short to start. Lance Johnson grounded out to second before Tom Brunansky made a running catch to rob Frank Thomas of extra bases to end the inning.
Mike Greenwell led off the top of the second inning by lining out to center to start. Tom Brunansky flied out to center but Mike Marshall was robbed of a home run by Johnson who deflected the ball back onto the field for a triple. Tony Pena grounded out to short to end the inning. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the second as Dan Pasqua blooped a double down the left field line to start. Pasqua moved to third on the grounder by Robin Ventura and Rob Karkovice scored Pasqua with a base hit to center. Sammy Sosa hit a blooper into right and Karkovice motored all the way around to score, Sammy taking second on the double. Scott Fletcher grounded out to short before Ozzie Guillen lined out to a running Greenwell to end the inning with Chicago up 2-0.
The BoSox fought back in the top of the third inning as Randy Kutcher singled to right to start. Reed flied out to center but Kutcher swiped second base. ChiSox broadcaster and old friend Ken "Hawk" Harrelson brought up the big Notre Dame/Michigan college football game (featuring Elvis Grbac of Michigan and Rick Mirer of Notre Dame) the night before as Evans blooped a single to center. Kutcher made a mad dash for home to cut the lead and Boggs singled to left. Burks hit a grounder to third but Ventura bobbled it to load the bases. With a chance to do some damage....Greenwell banged into a double play to end the inning as Boston trailed 2-1.
Kiecker cruised in the bottom of the third as Calderon popped up to Boggs on the infield to start. Kiecker snuffed out a bunt by Johnson and Thomas grounded out to short to end the inning.
Bruno led off the top of the fourth by popping up to Guillen in shallow left. Marshall hit a bullet but right to the centerfielder for an out before Pena drew a walk. Kutcher flied out to right to end the inning but the comedy was Pena going back to first despite there being two outs. Oops! Pasqua singled up the middle to open the bottom of the fourth but Ventura banged into a double play. Karkovice struck out swinging to end the inning.
King cruised in the top of the fifth as Reed flied out to left to begin. Evans grounded out to third and Boggs flied out to left to end the inning. Sosa led off the bottom of the fifth by striking out swinging before Fletcher lined out to right. Guillen singled to center but was thrown out by Pena trying to steal to end the inning.
The Sox failed to score in the top of the sixth as Burks' bunt attempt was snuffed out to start. Greenwell flied out to left and Brunansky lined out to a running Sosa to end the inning. The White Sox finished off Kiecker in the bottom of the sixth as Calderon doubled down the left field line to start. Johnson blooped a single to left to score Calderon as Red Sox pitching coach Bill Fischer came out to tell Kiecker that Pee Wee's Playhouse reruns were on in the clubhouse and Kiecker was so excited that Thomas walked to chase him from the game. Kiecker got nailed for 4 runs in just 5 plus innings, not good.
Rob Murphy sprinted from the bullpen as Phil Bradley pinch hit for Pasqua only to force Thomas at second on a grounder. Bradley took off for second and Pena threw down to chase Bradley back to first. The alert Reed then spotted Johnson taking off for home and fired home...OUT! Unfortunately the BoSox couldn't put the ChiSox away as Ventura drew a walk. Murphy made a mad dash to the dugout and Larry Andersen strutted in from the bullpen. Karkovice lashed a base hit to right to score Bradley with the kill shot. Sosa whiffed to end the inning but the ChiSox were up 4-1.
Mashall tried to start a rally in the top of the seventh with a base hit to right but Pena flied out to left. Phil Plantier pinch hit for Kutcher and banged into a double play to end the inning. Jim Pankovits made his Sox debut taking over at second for the bottom of the seventh and Fletcher whiffed to start. Guillen took a slider on the outside corner for strike three before Calderon whiffed to end the inning.
Barry Jones relieved King in the top of the eighth and Reed popped up to short to start. Evans grounded out to third and Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning in just 5 pitches. Jeff Gray came on for the bottom of the eighth and got Johnson to pop up to center to start. Thomas was rung up on strike 3 on the inside corner before Bradley whiffed to end the inning.
Bobby Thigpen came in to close out the top of the ninth and Burks grounded out to short to start. Greenwell blooped a single to left but Bruno whiffed. Down to their last out, Marshall blooped a single to center. Rookie Scott Cooper pinch ran for Marshall as Pena dumped a base hit to right. Greenwell went for home and the throw came in...SAFE! Cooper made it to third and Pena took second representing the tying run. Jeff Stone came in to run for Pena with Danny Heep pinch hitting for Pankovits. Heep was almost rung up for strike three and ending up drawing a walk to load the bases. Kevin Romine pinch ran for Heep and with a chance to tie the game....Reed lined out to Thigpen to end the game. The ChiSox had swept the BoSox with a 4-2 win.
Jackass of the Night is Jody Reed. he was 0 for 5 and left several men on base, including the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.
The Good:
Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Mike Marshall was 3 for 4.
Tony Pena was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Randy Kutcher was 1 for 2 with a stolen base and a run scored.
Danny Heep walked as a pinch hitter
Rob Murphy got 2 outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Jeff Gray pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
The Bad:
Ellis Burks was 0 for 4.
Tom Brunansky was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Dana Kiecker took the loss with going just 5 plus innings and allowing 4 runs.
The Ugly:
Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4.
Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Phil Plantier was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Larry Andersen allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Honorable Mention:
Scott Cooper pinch ran for Marshall in the top of the ninth
Jeff Stone ran for Tony Pena in the top of the ninth.
Kevin Romine pinch ran for Danny Heep in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Well this loss was a kick in the balls. The BoSox had their chances to win this one but couldn't get the clutch hit when it counted. Kiecker only going 5 plus didn't help and Andersen giving up the kill shot could have been avoided but the BoSox couldn't crack King. The White Sox are the second best team in the American League and third best in all of baseball for a reason and the reason there's talk about bringing in a "wild card" system is because the White Sox have almost no chance to make the playoffs because the Oakland A's are in their way. The BoSox are in big trouble because they have the Toronto Blue Jays breathing down their necks and losses to good teams doesn't look good for potential October baseball. The loss dropped the Sox to 80-67, just 1 game ahead of the Blue Jays for 1st place in the AL East with 15 games left. The Sox look to right the ship in Baltimore with a set against the Orioles. Mike Boddicker (15-8) takes on Ben McDonald at 7:30 PM at Memorial Stadium.
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