Sox Defeat Yankees (9/16/93)

As the disappointing season comes to a close, its still always a good thing for the Boston Red Sox to defeat the New York Yankees. Given the chance to play spoilers, the Sox delivered by delivering a crucial loss to the Yankees who trail the Toronto Blue Jays by 3 games now in the AL East race. The scored 3 quick runs in the top of the first against Scott Kamieniecki while Frank Viola (11-8, 3.14 ERA) tossed 5 gutty innings. A host of Sox bats chipped in as the Sox took the game 6-3 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                  Yor approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Kamieniecki in the top of the first as Scott Fletcher doubled to left to start. Mike Greenwell tried to sacrifice Fletcher to third with a bunt but ended up on first with a hit. Tim Naehring singled home Fletcher, advanced Greenwell to third and stole second on the Mo Vaughn strikeout. Rob Deer took strike three but Scott Cooper singled home both Greenwell and Naehring to increase the lead. Billy Hatcher flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                      Way to go Naehring

Viola cruised in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs lined out to right to start. Jim Leyritz popped up to second and Don Mattingly flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the second as John Valentin walked to start. Tony Pena sacrificed John to second with a bunt before Fletcher walked. Greenwell singled to load the bases and a wild pitch scored Valentin, moving the other runners into scoring position. Naehring popped up to first and Vaughn was intentionally walked to load the bases. Deer whiffed to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Valentin scores a run

Danny Tartabull grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second but Mike Stanley lined out to left. Bernie Williams waked but Paul O'Neill grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cooper beat out an infield single to open the top of the third before he was sacrificed to second by Hatcher. Valentin singled Cooper to third before Pena was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Fletcher banged into a double play to end the game. The Yankees fought back in the bottom of the third as Mike Gallego crushed a 6,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Randy Velarde flied out to left before Boggs whiffed. Leyritz singled to center but Mattingly grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-1.

Greenwell popped up to short to begin the top of the fourth but Naehring doubled to right. Vaughn was intentionally walked but Deer banged into a double play to end the inning. Viola cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Tartabull lined out to right to begin. Stanley also lined out to right and Williams whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox knocked Kamieniecki out in the top of the fifth although Cooper flied out to center to begin. Hatcher singled and Valentin dropped down a bunt, but Boggs threw the ball away allowing Hatcher to reach third. Pena popped up to second but Fletcher singled home Hatcher to increase the lead and chase Kamieniecki. Steve Howe came in and Greenwell grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                          Good hit by Fletcher

Viola got the Yankees to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as O'Neill grounded out to second to begin. Gallego grounded out to short and Velarde grounded back to the mound to end the inning. That was it for Viola who didn't last long but tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball to earn the win.

                                                        Short and sweet for Viola

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth although Naehring grounded out to second to begin. Vaughn doubled to left and Deer doubled him home to add to the lead. Deer moved to third on the grounder by Cooper before Hatcher whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                           Deer drives in a run

Scott Bankhead came in for the bottom of the sixth and Boggs lined out to center to start. Dion James pinch hit for Leyritz and hit one up the elevator shaft before Mattingly doubled to center. Tartabull whiffed to end the inning.

James took over in left with O'Neill moving to right for the top of the seventh as Valentin flied out to center to start. Pena lined out to center and Fletcher lined out to right to end the inning. The Yankees struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Stanley walked to start. Williams flied out to left but O'Neill forced Stanley at second. Gallego singled O'Neill to third and Velarde singled home Stanley to cut the lead. Sox manager Butch Hobson did the Bushwhacker march out of the dugout and tried to take the ball from Valentin before the puzzled John showed him where the mound was. Tony Fossas was summoned to face Boggs and he punched him out to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 6-2.

Paul Assenmacher took over for the top of the eighth and Bob Zupcic pinch hit for Greenwell. Zupcic flied out to left before Naehring grounded out to third. Vaughn was hit by a pitch but Deer earned a hat trick with his 3rd strikeout of the game to end the inning. The Yankees came roaring back in the bottom of the eighth as James singled and Mattingly walked to start. Hobson moonwalked out of the dugout and brought in Ken Ryan to pitch. Tartabull walked to load the bases with nobody out before Stanley scored James with a sac fly. Hobson then sprinted out of the dugout because he realized he brought in the wrong reliever, pulling Ryan for Greg Harris. Williams popped up to second but Matt Nokes pinch hit for O'Neill, getting a base hit to score Mattingly. Gerald Williams pinch ran for
Nokes but Gallego grounded into a force to end the inning with the Yankees down 6-4.

                                                            Harris slams the door

Cooper singled to right to open the top of the ninth and chase Assenmacher. Steve Farr came in and Hatcher walked before Valentin dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Ernie Riles pinch hit for Pena and was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jeff McNeely ran for Riles but Fletcher banged into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees rallied in the bottom of the ninth with Bob Melvin now behind the plate for the Sox. Velarde took strike three and Boggs flied out to left, but James singled to left. Mattingly doubled to put the tying run at second and Andy Stankiewicz pinch ran for Mattingly. Tartabull walked to load the bases but Stanley whiffed to end the game. The Sox survived by the skin of their teeth to win 6-4.

Hero of the Night is Greg Harris. The Yankees were charging and Harris slammed the door in their faces.

                                                            Hero Harris




The Good:

Scott Fletcher was 2 for 5 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 5 with an rbi, run scored and stolen base.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, a hit by pitch and he scored a run.

Scott Cooper was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Billy Hatcher was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

John Valentin was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Ernie Riles walked as a pinch hitter.

Frank Viola earned his 11th win with 5 innings of 1 run ball.



The Bad:

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Tony Fossas was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Rob Deer was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Tony Pena was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch.

Scott Bankhead allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

Ken Ryan allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.



Honorable Mention:

Jeff McNeely pinch ran for Riles in the top of the ninth.

Bob Melvin caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Zippadee doo dah the Sox beat the Yankees. Too bad the Sox didn't fall apart at the end of August or else this game would have been a lot more meaningful. Still, if this win helps keep the Yankees out of the post-season, at least there's something positive about this win. The bullpen was horrible and some of the guys in the lineup were a snooze, but the Sox still found a way to win. The win improved the Sox to 76-70, nowhere near first place in the AL East race. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it 2 in a row against the Yankees when they send Aaron Sele to the mound up against Sterling Hitchcock at 7:30 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Outlast Angels in 11, Win 5th Straight (7/5/93)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are red hot. They have won 11 out of 12 and just won their 5th straight game. Rookie Sox starter Aaron Sele and California Angels starter Russ Springer battled to a 1-1 tie through 8 innings. The Sox jumped on Springer for 2 runs in the top of the 9th but the Angels rallied off Sox closer Jeff Russell to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. A single by Bob Melvin and an rbi grounder by Billy Hatcher put the Sox ahead in the top of the 11th and Ken Ryan slammed the door in the bottom half of the frame to give the Sox their 5th straight win 4-3 over the Angels at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                      Ice Cube approves of the win

Springer got the ball in the top of the first and Scott Fletcher walked to start the game. Billy Hatcher singled to right but Mike Greenwell banged into a double play to kill the rally. Andre Dawson grounded out to third to end the inning. Sele got the ball in the bottom of the first and Luis Polonia grounded out to second to start. Chad Curtis grounded out to first but Tim Salmon drew a walk. Chili Davis flied out to left to end the inning.

Mo Vaughn walked to start the top of the second and Bob Zupcic singled to left before both runners moved over on the grounder by Scott Cooper. Once again the rally ended as John Valentin grounded out to third and Tony Pena whiffed to end the inning. Sele whiffed Torey Lovullo to begin the bottom of the second but Greg Myers singled to left. JT Snow struck out swinging and Damion Easley grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third although Fletcher popped up to second to start. Hatcher singled to left and moved to second on the grounder by Greenwell. Hatcher moved to third on the wild pitch by Springer and Dawson singled him home to put Boston on top. Vaaughn went down hacking to end the inning but the Sox were in front 1-0.

                                                    Dawson puts the Sox on top

Sele kept pace in the bottom of the third as Gary Disarcina lined out to second to start. Polonia grounded out to short and Curtis grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a big rally in the top of the fourth although Zupcic popped up to third to start. Cooper and Valentin stroked back to back singles before Pena walked to load the bases. The rally ended as Fletcher popped up to center and Hatcher grounded into a force to end the inning. Sele struck out Salmon swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Davis grounded out to short. Lovullo blooped a single over the head of Cooper before Myers whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Dawson grounded out to short and Vaughn whiffed to end the inning. Snow walked to begin the bottom of the fifth before swiping second. Easley grounded out to short, Disarcina popped up to third and Polonia grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Zupcic flied out to left to open the top of the sixth but Cooper singled to center. Valentin hit into a double play to end the inning. The Angels clawed back in the bottom of the sixth as Curtis walked to start. Curtis moved to second on the grounder by Salmon and to third on the grounder by Davis. Lovullo tied the game up with a base hit to right but Myers grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                  Thanks a lot Lovullo

The Sox blew ANOTHER rally in the top of the seventh as Pena walked to start only for Fletcher to hit into a double play. Hatcher doubled to left and Greenwell was intentionally walked leading to Dawson to fly out to right to end the inning. Sele cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Snow whiffed to start. Easley grounded out to short and Disarcina grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Vaughn flied out to left to start. Zupcic grounded out to short and Cooper popped up to short to end the inning. Sele had one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Polonia flied out to left to start. Curtis grounded out to short and Salmon struck out swinging to end the inning. The rookie in just his third big league start tossed 8 innings of 1 run ball. Too bad the offense couldn't cash in on their numerous attempts with men on base.

                                                      Outstanding start by Sele

Determined to win the game for Sele, the Sox sprang to life in the top of the ninth inning. Valentin doubled to start and Ernie Riles pinch hit for Pena. Not only did Valentin get thrown out at third on the force by Riles, Ernie was thrown out trying to steal to boot. Fletcher walked and stole second only for Hatcher of all people to clobber his 6th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Greenwell singled in the hole at short but Dawson popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                       Hatcher puts Boston ahead

Sox manager Butch Hobson wasted no time and brought in Jeff Russell to close out the game with Bob Melvin behind the plate. Davis led off with a double but Lovullo flied out to left. Suddenly Myers singled to right to score Davis to cut the lead. Rod Correia pinch ran for Myers and made it to third on a single by Snow. Easley then hit a shot to Cooper to fired it to second for the out and over to first....SAFE! Easiley beat out the throw, Correia scored and the game was tied. That was Russell's first blown save all year to this point. The alert Melvin threw out Easley trying to steal to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                       1st blown save for Russell

Steve Frey came in to pitch with Ron Tingley coming in to catch the top of the tenth inning. Vaughn flied out to center and Zupcic popped up to first, but Cooper drew a walk. Valentin flied out to center to end the inning. Tony Fossas came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th and Disarcina grounded out to second to start. Stan Javier pinch hit for Poloinia and grounded out to third. Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out of the dugout and tried to take the ball from Scott Fletcher before being directed to the mound. Ken Ryan (2-0, 3.24 ERA) came in to pitch to Curtis and got him to line out to center to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eleventh with Gene Nelson now on the mound. Melvin got the rally started with a base hit to right before being sacrificed to third by Fletcher. Hatcher hit a fly ball to right but Melvin made a mad dash home to give the Sox the lead. Greenwell walked but Dawson flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                     Melvin puts the Sox ahead with his run scored

Ryan returned for the bottom of the eleventh to close the game out. Salmon grounded out to short before Davis whiffed. Lovullo popped up to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3 in 11 innings.

Hero of the Night is Bob Melvin. He scored the winning run in the top of the eleventh inning and threw out Easley in the bottom of the ninth.

                                                           Melvin the Hero


The Good:

Billy Hatcher was 4 for 5 with a home run, 3 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 4 with a walk.

John Valentin was 2 for 5.

Tony Pena walked twice in 3 plate appearances.

Aaron Sele was outstanding. He allowed just 1 run on 3 hits in 8 innings of work.

Tony Fossas got the first two outs of the bottom of the 10th.

Ken Ryan earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Ernie Riles was 0 for 1 at the plate and was thrown out trying to steal.

Jeff Russell blew his first save of the year by allowing 2 runs in the ninth inning.



The Ugly:

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 3 but walked twice, stole a base and scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but walked twice.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 4 but walked.

Bob Zupcic was just 1 for 5.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox looked dead in their graves two weeks ago but have clawed their way back to respectability in the last two weeks. The 7 game win streak was fun but this 5 game win streak has to have them thinking about possible playoffs. Aaron Sele is having a 1981 Fernando Valenzuela start to his career and its impossible for him to keep this pace up, but if he were to pitch halfway decent, playoffs isn't a dirty word. The Sox are only 5 games back of the Blue Jays with 2 months left of baseball left to be played. If the Sox can keep up this momentum they very well could be standing tall at the end of September. The win improved the Sox to 42-39, 5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it 6 in a row when they send the rejuvenated Danny Darwin (7-7, 3.24 ERA) to the mound opposite Angels ace Chuck Finley at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Basebawful Report of The Month

Scott Bankhead - 1 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly

Ivan Calderon - 4 Good, 8 Bad, 5 Ugly

Roger Clemens - 5 Good

Scott Cooper - 11 Good, 5 Bad, 6 Ugly

Danny Darwin - 1 Good, 3 Jackass

Andre Dawson - 8 Good, 6 Bad, 7 Ugly

John Dopson - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Scott Fletcher - 5 Good, 4 Bad, 5 Ugly

Tony Fossas - 4 Good, 1 Bad

Mike Greenwell - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Greg Harris - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Billy Hatcher - 3 Good, 4 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Joe Hesketh - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Hero

Bob Melvin - 3 Good, 3 Bad, 2 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Tony Pena - 3 Good, 7 Bad, 4 Ugly

Paul Quantrill - 3 Good, 1 Bad, 3 Ugly

Carlos Quintana - 7 Good, 3 Bad, 6 Ugly, 1 Hero

Jeff Richardson - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Honorable Mention

Ernie Riles - 2 Good, 6 Bad, 3 Ugly, 3 Honorable Mention.

Luis Rivera - 5 Good, 8 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Jeff Russell - 6 Good, 1 Ugly

Ken Ryan - 6 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Mo Vaughn - 12 Good, 1 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

John Valentin - 4 Bad, 2 Ugly, 2 Hero, 1 Jackass

Frank Viola - 4 Hero, 1 Jackass

Bob Zupcic - 6 Good, 4 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero, 6 Honorable Mention



Most Valuable Player is Mo Vaughn with 12 Good

Least Valuable Players of the Month are Ivan Calderon and Luis Rivera with 8 Bad apiece

Ugliest Players of The Month are Mike Greenwell and Billy Hatcher with 9 Ugly apiece

Hero of the Month is Frank Viola with 4 Hero

Jackass of the Month is Danny Darwin with 3 Jackass

Honorable Player of the Month is Bob Zupcic with 6 Honorable Mention

Dopson Dazzles Angels (4/30/93)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Scott Fletcher was removed from the Disabled List and nobody has a damn clue who got put on it. Fletcher gives the Sox some speed and on base percentage to an offense that's struggled in his absence.

                                                                 IN

As for the game, this has been an up and down month for not only the Boston Red Sox but for John Dopson (2-1, 3.26 ERA) as well. After pitching one of the best games of his life on Patriots Day, he looked awful in his next start. In tonight's game against the California Angels, Dopson recaptured the magic of Patriots day to shut down the Angels for over 7 innings. He allowed just 1 run before Paul Quantrill slammed the door. John Valentin broke out of his slump with two big home runs and 5 total rbis as the Sox ended the month of April on a positive note with a 6-1 win at Fenway Park.

                                                  Detective John Munch approves of the win

Dopson began his outing by getting Luis Polonia to ground out to second to begin the top of the first. Chad Curtis drew a walk but JT Snow flied out to center. Chili Davis grounded back to the mound to end the inning. John Farrell got the start for California and Fletcher grounded out to third to start. Billy Hatcher popped up to first but Mike Greenwell drew a walk. Andre Dawson popped up to short to end the inning.

Dopson got the Angels to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning and Tim Salmon grounded out to third to start. Rene Gonzales grounded out to second and Damion Easley grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Mo Vaughn led off with a double. Mo moved to third on the Carlos Quintana grounder and scored on the Scott Cooper single. Bob Melvin flied out to center and John Valentin iced the game with a 2 run bomb into the screen in left. Fletcher grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                              Cooper knocks in a run

Dopson cruised in the top of the third inning as Greg Myers grounded back to the mound to begin. Gary DiSarcina flied out to right and Polonia singled but was thrown out at second trying to stretch to end the inning. Farrell matched Dopson in the bottom of the third as Hatcher popped up to first to start. Greenwell flied out to center and Dawson grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Curtis flied out to center to open the top of the fourth before Snow flied out to right. Davis took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Vaughn took strike three to start. Quintana and Cooper took back to back walks but Melvin flied out to center. Suddenly Valentin crushed another home run into the screen, this time a 3 run dinger to light the crowd up. Fletcher grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                       Breaking out of his slump

More than enough cushion for Dopson who cruised in the top of the fifth inning. Salmon took strike three, Gonzales grounded out to third and Easley also grounded out to third to end the inning. Ken Patterson took over for Farrell in the bottom of the fifth and Hatcher grounded out to first to begin. Greenwell lashed a base hit to left but Dawson whiffed. Vaughn doubled Greenwell to third but Quintana grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dopson dominated the top of the sixth as Myers grounded out to second to start. DiSarcina took strike three and Polonia flied out to right to end the inning. Chuck Crim came in for the bottom of the sixth and Cooper lined out to second to begin. Melvin took strike three but Valentin walked...only to get picked off to end the inning.

Dopson continued to pitch well in the top of the seventh as Curtis grounded out to third to start. Snow grounded out to first and Davis flied out to right to end the inning. Fletcher singled to open the bottom of the seventh and Luis Rivera pinch ran for him. Hatcher banged into a double play and Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning.

The Angels finally got on the board against a tiring Dopson in the top of the eighth although Salmon popped up to second to start. Dopson had retired 13 in a row before Gonzales singled to left. Easley doubled home Gonzales to break up the shutout and Myers walked to chase Dopson. John ran out of gas but pitched well for 7 1/3 innings, allowing just the 1 run. Paul Quantrill replaced him and Gary Gaetti pinch hit for DiSarcina. Gaetti flied out to center to move Easley to third but Cooper swiped a line drive off the bat of Polonia to end the inning with the Angels down 6-1.

                                                     Excellent effort by Dopson

Gene Nelson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Dawson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Vaughn walked but Quintana lined out to center. Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.

Quantrill stayed in to finish the job in the top of the ninth inning with Bob Zupcic taking over in right field for Dawson. Curtis popped up to short before Snow went down swinging. Davis and Salmon drew back to back walks but Gonzales grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

Hero of the Night is John Valentin. His two home runs outscored the Angels entire offense, driving in 5 runs by himself.

                                                           Valentin the Hero



The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

John Dopson earned the win with 7 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 3.

Paul Quantrill tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bob Melvin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 4.

Carlos Quintana was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Luis Rivera pinch ran for Scott Fletcher and played second base.

Bob Zupcic played right field in the top of the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

The month has been a doozy but the Sox are heading into May on a high note. Being over .500 is better than being under .500 and hopefully the Sox can keep up the momentum moving forward. Frank Viola had a heck of a month and Dopson appears to be healthy. John pitched almost as well tonight as he did Patriots Day and if it wasn't for Danny Darwin, the Sox would be in first place now. Getting Fletcher back helps and if Valentin can break out of his slump, good things are coming in the future. The win improved the Sox to 13-9 as the month ends. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Angels with Roger Clemens (3-1) going up against Scott Sanderson in a rematch of last week. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (4/29/93)

On this day in Red Sox Basebawful History:

1915 - Yankees drop Red Sox

1970 - Sox beat A's in beanball war

1981 - Rangers shutout Sox in third consecutive game

1983 - Sox rally past Angels in ninth inning

1984 - White Sox pound Nipper, Sox

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night against the California Angels. John Dopson goes for the Sox against John Farrell of the Angels. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Viola Dazzles A's, Sox Win (4/28/93)

One of the biggest criticisms of Roger Clemens over the years was he was never able to beat the aces of  the Oakland A's such as Dave Stewart or Bob Welch. Say hello to Frank Viola (4-1, 1.47 ERA) Boston Red Sox fans. Bob was tough, allowing 3 runs in nearly 8 innings of work but Viola was able to outpitch him. Frank tossed 7 1/3 innings of 1 run ball before Jeff Russell slammed the door for the Sox. A home run by Mo Vaughn and rbis from Mike Greenwell and Bob Melvin were all Viola needed as the Sox downed the A's 3-1 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                        Adam Oates approves of the win

Welch cruised in the top of the first inning as Billy Hatcher popped up to second to start. Carlos Quintana grounded out to short and Mike Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning. Rickey Henderson flied out to left to open the bottom of the first before Lance Blankenship flied out to right. Ruben Sierra drew a walk but Kevin Seitzer grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning although Andre Dawson flied out to left to start. Mo Vaughn cracked his fourth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Bob Melvin and Scott Cooper stroked back to back singles but the struggling John Valentin banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Vaughn hits one out

Viola struck out Mark McGwire to open the bottom of the second before Dave Henderson whiffed. Terry Steinbach walked but Mike Bordick popped up to third to end the inning.

Luis Rivera popped up to first to begin the top of the third before Hatcher grounded out to third. Quintana flied out to center to end the inning. Eric Fox walked to begin the bottom of the third but Rickey Henderson took strike three. Blankenship was rung up for strike three and the alert Melvin gunned down Fox trying to steal to end the inning.

Welch cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Greenwell grounded out to third to start. Dawson grounded out to short and Vaughn flied out to left to end the inning. Sierra grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Seitzer popped up to second. McGwire popped up to second as well to end the inning.

Melvin grounded out to second to begin the top of the fifth but Cooper and Valentin stroked back to back singles. Rivera hit into a double play to end the inning. Dave Henderson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the fifth before Steinbach grounded out to third. Bordick doubled to left to break up the no-hitter but Fox lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the sixth inning as Hatcher grounded out to second to start. Quintana and Greenwell stroked back to back base hits and Dawson was plunked to load the bases. The rally ended as Vaughn whiffed and Melvin grounded into a force to end the inning. Viola kept up the pace in the bottom of the sixth inning as Rickey Henderson flied out to left to start. Blankenship flied out to center but Sierra singled to left. Seitzer walked but McGwire lined out to third to end the inning.

Welch cruised in the top of the seventh inning as Cooper watched strike three go by to begin. Valentin grounded out to short and Rivera flied out to center to end the inning. Viola got the A's to air mail everything in the bottom of the seventh. Dave Henderson flied out to right, Steinbach flied out to center and Bordick flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the eighth as Hatcher got a base hit to left to start. Quintana singled Hatcher to third and Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Quintana. Greenwell beat out a double play ball to score Hatcher with another run. Dawson flied out to right but Vaughn drew a walk. Melvin knocked in a big run with a base hit to left to score Greenwell. That was it for Welch as Mike Mohler came in to strike out Cooper to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                Melvin drives in a run

It was the A's turn to come back in the bottom of the eighth although Fox flied out to center to begin. Rickey Henderson singled to right and all of a sudden Sox manager Butch Hobson sprinted out of the dugout to take out Viola. Frank outpitched Bob Welch by going 7 1/3 innings while being charged with a run. Even though Jeff Russell was warming up, Hobson brought in Greg Harris out of nowhere to face pinch hitter Dale Sveum (for Blankenship). Naturally Sveum singled Henderson to third and Hobson tripped coming out of the dugout to finally bring in Russell. Sierra scored Henderson with a sac fly to break up the shutout but Seitzer grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                        Tremendous effort by Viola

Ed Nunez came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Valentin popped up to second to start. Rivera drew a walk but was thrown out trying to steal second. Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning. Russell came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and McGwire popped up to first to start. Dave Henderon lined out to second and Steinbach whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-1.

Hero of the Night is Frank Viola. He earned his 4th win of the month by tossing 7 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He walked 4 but allowed just three hits.

                                                   Viola is the Hero



The Good:

Carlos Quintana was 2 for 4.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3 with a walk including a solo home run.

Bob Melvin was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 4.

Jeff Russell earned his 4th save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Greg Harris gave up a hit to the only guy he faced.



The Ugly:

Billy Hatcher was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Andre Dawson was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

John Valentin was just 1 for 4.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 3 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Quintana and played right the final two innings.




Final Thoughts:

Big win by the Sox who historically couldn't match the A's pitching when they were at their best. Even in the last few years its been tough to beat the A's in pitchers duels but Viola stepped up big time. If Viola can keep up this pace, he could be up there with Roger Clemens in terms of wins this season. Viola didn't pitch bad last year and all the Sox need are a few bats in key spots. Valentin is going to be a stud someday, he just needs time to figure it out. The guy the Sox are missing the most is Phil Plantier, they could have kept him instead of signing Ivan Calderon or Andre Dawson. Tony Pena appears heading to the end of the line and the Sox would be wise to draft and develop a catcher. Still, this is all future stuff and for now the Sox were able to outpitch the Oakland A's. After another off day, the Sox are back in action Friday night at home against the California Angels. John Dopson (1-1) looks to recapture the magic he had on Patriots day when he takes on John Farrell at 7:40 PM at Fenway Park.

A's Beat Sox For 6th Straight Loss (4/27/93)

So THIS was the Boston Red Sox team that was expected this season. The offensive woes that plagued them last year manifested itself two weeks late. After starting the season 11-3, the Sox have now lost 6 in a row due to their latest stinker in Oakland. Danny Darwin (0-4, 8.20) continues to be a colossal waste of money as he lost his fourth straight game, failing to last 5 innings. The Oakland offense pounded Darwin and other relievers for 12 hits and 7 runs as Bobby Witt almost effortlessly shut down the Boston attack. This led to a 7-2 victory for the A's at Oakland Coliseum.

                                      Joel shouting at Lou Gorman for signing Darwin

Witt began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Bob Zupcic popped up to second to start. John Valentin lined out to right but Mike Greenwell got a base hit to center. Andre Dawson whiffed to end the inning. Darwin trudged to the mound in the bottom of the first and Rickey Henderson hit a 300 foot out to right to start. Kevin Seitzer grounded out to first but Ruben Sierra effortlessly singled to right. Zupcic had to climb the wall in center to rob Troy Neel of a home run to end the inning.

Somehow Mo Vaughn walked to begin the top of the second inning but naturally Carlos Quintana banged into a double play. Scott Cooper watched strike three go by to end the inning. The A's got to Darwin in the bottom of the second as Mark McGwire pounded a home run all the way to China to give the A's the lead. Terry Steinbach laughed as he singled and took second on a wild pitch. Old pal Dave Henderson flipped off Darwin as he singled to left to move Terry to third. Mike Bordick banged into a double play but Steinbach scored to increase the lead. Lance Blankenship grounded out to short to end the inning but the A's were up 2-0.

                                                           Home run McGwire

Witt laughed at Tony Pena as Pena grounded out to short to start the top of the third. Luis Rivera hit a weak liner to center but somehow Zupcic drew a walk. Valentin lined out to right to end the inning. The A's struck again in the bottom of the third as Henderson singled and took second on the Seitzer grounder. Sierra then blasted a home run halfway to Oregon to ice the game. Neel grounded out to second and Zupcic had to climb the wall in center to rob McGwire of a home run to end the inning with the A's ahead 3-0.

                                                          Effortless

Somehow the Sox countered in the top of the fourth inning as Greenwell doubled to center to start. Dawson's pop up dropped in for a hit and Greenwell moved to third. Vaughn scored Mike with a sac fly to put the Sox on the board and Quintana singled to right to put the tying run on. The rally ended as Cooper struck out swinging and Pena grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                             RBI for Quintana

Somehow Darwin got through the bottom of the fourth as Steinbach grounded out to third to start. Dave Henderson grounded out to second and Bordick flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the fifth as Rivera grounded out to third to start. Zupcic took strike three and Valentin flied out to left to end the inning. The end came quickly for Darwin in the bottom of the fifth as Blankenship of all people hit a home run to New Zealand. Darwin got pissed off and threw at Henderson and started ripping his clothes off. Sox manager Butch Hobson woke up from his nap to get Darwin out of there. Danny once again failed to go 5 as he was pulled after 4 plus innings and 5 runs allowed. Paul Quantrill came in and immediately picked off Henderson before Seitzer singled to right. Sierra popped up to third but Neel walked. Once again Zupcic had to climb the wall to rob McGwire of a home run to end the inning with the A's ahead 5-1.

                                                              Terrible outing for Darwin

Greenwell popped up to third to start the top of the sixth and Dawson grounded out to third. Somehow Vaughn walked but Quintana grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The A's got to Quantrill too in the bottom of the sixth as Steinbach doubled to right to begin. Somehow Dave Henderson struck out swinging but Bordick singled up the middle. Somehow Vaughn ended up with the ball and threw it away allowing Steinbach to score and Bordick to go to second. Blankenship whiffed and Rickey Henderson took strike three to end the inning with the A's up 6-1.

                                                           Nice relief Quantrill

The Sox managed to chase Witt in the top of the seventh as Cooper and Pena stroked back to back singles to start. Goose Gossage came in and Ernie Riles pinch hit for Rivera, lining a base hit to right to load the bases. With a chance to do some damage...Zupcic could only score Cooper with a sac fly. The slumping Valentin killed the rally with a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                           Riles stepping up with a base hit

Quantrill cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Seitzer grounded out to second to begin. Sierra struck out swinging and Neel whiffed as well to end the inning.

The Sox failed to come back in the top of the eighth as Greenwell lined out to right to start. Dawson grounded out to third but Vaughn walked. Quintana flied out to left to end the inning. Ken Ryan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and McGwire greeted him by clobbering a home run into the Rocky Mountains to wrap up the scoring. Steinbach doubled to left but Dave Henderson flied out to center. Bordick grounded back to the mound but Blankenship walked. Eric Fox pinch hit for Rickey Henderson and grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's ahead 7-2.

                                                         Nice going Ryan

Gossage came back to close out the top of the ninth and Cooper whiffed to start. Billy Hatcher pinch hit for Pena and hit one up the elevator shaft. Riles grounded out to first to end the game, the A's had won it 7-2.

Jackass of the Night is Danny Darwin. He got hammered again for 5 runs in just 4 plus innings to take his fourth loss of the year.

                                                           Jackass Darwin


The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Mo Vaughn walked 3 times and drove in a run.

Tony Pena was 1 for 3.

Ernie Riles was 1 for 2 as a pinch hitter.



The Bad:

John Valentin was 0 for 4.

Billy Hatcher popped up as a pinch hitter.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 2.

Ken Ryan allowed a run in the ninth inning.



The Ugly:

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4.

Carlos Quintana was just 1 for 4 and committed an error.

Scott Cooper was ust 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Paul Quantrill allowed an unearned run in 3 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

The feel good sensation of the first two weeks is certainly gone now. Its back to reality for a team who just doesn't have great starting pitching besides Roger Clemens or a semblance of an offense. Once again Sox general manager Lou Gorman decided to go with aging veterans such as Andre Dawson and Ivan Calderon rather than rebuild with younger guys. At least Dawson has driven in some runs but Calderon hasn't done much. Its all coming to a head now and Gorman needs to correct his mistake before it gets too late. Scott Fletcher being out doesn't help but he isn't THAT important. The Sox try to salvage the road trip when they send Frank Viola (3-1) to the mound up against Bob Welch of the A's tomorrow afternoon at 3:15 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Angels Sweep Sox, Sanderson Beats Clemens (4/25/93)

It took almost a month but the horrendous Boston Red Sox offense that plagued the team last season has joined us in 1993. The Sox have dropped their 5th game in a row, four of which they have scored one run or less. Tonight it was the immortal Scott Sanderon of the California Angels that stymied the punchless offense. Roger Clemens (3-1, 1.64) went the distance and allowed just 2 runs, but the impotent Boston bats managed just one run as the Angels completed the sweep 2-1 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                               "Clemens LOST?"

Sanderson began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Billy Hatcher struck out swinging on a big slow curve to start. Ernie Riles stuck out swinging on a high fastball before Mike Greenwell popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first and Luis Polonia grounded out to second to start. Chad Curtis singled up the middle but was picked off by the alert Clemens. Clemens blew away JT Snow to end the inning.

                                                     YERRRRRR OUT!

Andre Dawson led off the top of the second by grounding out to first to begin. Mo Vaughn hit a home run last night for a young boy in Boston fighting cancer and lined a base hit off the glove of Torey Lovullo here. Ivan Calderon just missed bunting for a hit before he popped up to center. Scott Cooper took a curveball for strike three to end the inning. Chili Davis led off the bottom of the second by grounding out to second to begin before Tim Salmon was rung up for strike three on a check swing. Rene Gonzalez' mother is fighting cancer and Rene doubled down the right field line in a nice tribute. Torey Lovullo popped up to left to end the inning.

John Valentin led off the top of the third inning by grounding out to short to start. Tony Pena as rung up for strike three and Billy Hatcher went down swinging to end the inning. Malden's own Gary DiSarcina changed his number to 33 in the off-season after Larry Bird retired and he started the bottom of the third by grounding out to second. ESPN showed the last time Roger Clemens lost to the Angels was four years earlier as John Orton took strike three. Polonia hit a bullet but right to Cooper to en the inning.

Riles led off the top of the fourth by popping up to Salmon in foul territory to begin. ESPN said Greenwell has lost 17 pounds since last year now that his ankle has healed for the first time since 1989 and he popped up to Polonia in foul territory. Greenwell had a few expletives to say to Scott in the dugout as Dawson foul tipped into the glove for strike three to end the inning.

                            "F(censored) middle of the plate ya f(censored) pu(censored)!!"

Clemens stayed tough in the bottom of the fourth as he blew away Curtis on a high fastball to start. Snow blooped a liner to Valentin and Hatcher ran down a Davis liner to center to end the inning.

Vaughn lined out to left to start the top of the fifth before Calderon grounded out to short. Cooper was rung up for strike three to end the inning and he couldn't believe it.

                                                   "That wasn't a (expletive) strike!" - Cooper

The Angels struck first in the bottom of the fifth although Salmon led off by hitting one up the elevator shaft. Calderon ran down a Gonzalez liner but Lovullo pounded a home run just out of reach of Hatcher in center to give the Angels the lead. That was Lovullo's first home run since 1989 and DiSarcina watched strike three go by to end the inning but the Angels were up 1-0.

                                               Lovullo goes yard

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Valentin flied out to right to start before Pena was rung up for strike three. Hatcher stretched a base hit to left into a double to put the tying run at second but Riles popped up to first to end the inning. Orton led off the bottom of the sixth by grounding out to short to start. Polonia lined a foul ball off his face but heroically stayed in the game. Polonia whiffed and Curtis flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Greenwell got his revenge on Sanderson by ripping a base hit to center to start. Dawson poked a curveball down and away into left for a single and Vaughn lashed a double past Snow to score Greenwell to tie the game. The Sox blew the rally and the game really as Calderon grounded right back to the mound and Cooper was intentionally walked to load the bases but bring up the 1 for 16 Valentin. Naturally Valentin popped up to right. Carlos Quintana pinch hit for Pena begging the question why he  didn't pinch hit for Valentin? Salmon made a great diving catch to rob Quintana of a hit to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 1-1.

                                             Vaughn doubles in the only run the Sox scored

Bob Melvin took over behind the plate as the Angels took command in the bottom of the seventh. Snow flied out to left and Clemens got Davis on a split fingered fastball. Salmon then decided the game when he blasted a home run just over the left field wall to give the Angels the lead. Clemens recovered to punch out Gonzalez to end the inning but the Angels were up 2-1.

                                                          Salmon goes yard

Joe Grahe came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hatcher grounded out to third to start. Riles whiffed and Greenwell grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Clemens came back to finish his game in the bottom of the eighth as Lovullo whiffed to start. DiSarcina popped up to right and Orton lined out to short to end the inning. Clemens ended up pitching a complete game allowing just the 2 runs while striking out 9.

                                              A rare occasion when Clemens loses a duel

The Sox tried to rally in the top of the ninth although Dawson waived at a pitch in the dirt to start. Vaughn lined a base hit to right before Calderon inside outed a base hit to right. Cooper then blooped a single to left and Vaughn gunned it for home.....OUT! Can't blame third base coach Rick Burleson for sending Vaughn with Valentin slumping and Orton made a hell of a tag after a heck of a throw by Polonia. The over-zealous Valentin grounded into a force on the first pitch to end the game. The Angels squeaked by the Red Sox with a damn near flawless defensive game to win 2-1.

                                                    Dammit


Jackass of The Night is John Valentin. He failed with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh and with two men on in the top of the ninth.

                                                     Johnny The Jackass


The Good:

Mo Vaughn was 3 for 4 with an rbi.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Roger Clemens was the hard luck loser but hardly pitched like one. He tossed a complete game allowing just the two home runs while striking out 9.



The Bad:

Ernie Riles was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Tony Pena was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Quintana lined out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Billy Hatcher was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but scored the only run.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Ivan Calderon was just 1 for 4.



Honorable Mention:

Bob Melvin caught the last two innings.




Final Thoughts:

Well that game was a kick in the ass. Clemens made just two mistakes all game and it ended up being the difference in the game. Valentin failing with the bases loaded, Vaughn getting thrown out at home in the ninth and Valentin failing again with two men on. The offensive woes that plagued the Sox last year reared its ugly head this week. This is Boston's 5th loss in a row and they only scored 1 run or less in four of the games. They can't get Scott Fletcher back fast enough the way this team is hitting lately. As if losing Fletcher wasn't bad enough, Andre Dawson had his knee drained directly after the game. Its been bothering him since he hobbled around the bases in Kansas City and he may miss time because of it. Things aren't looking good after they got swept by the Angels and now the Sox travel to Oakland to face the A's Tuesday night. Danny Darwin (0-3) goes for the Sox up against Bobby Witt at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Oakland County Coliseum.