Things went bad right from the start as Jose Offerman led off with a base hit up the middle but was promptly thrown out at second trying to steal. The Sox would have just five hits the rest of the game as John Valentin watched strike three go by. Jason Varitek flied out to the left field wall to end the inning. Saberhagen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kenny Lofton was rung up for strike three to start. Omar Vizquel grounded out to short but Roberto Alomar doubled off the left field wall. Manny Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning.
Nomar Garciaparra led off the top of the second by grounding out to short but Troy O'Leary ripped a base hit to center. Mike Stanley banged into a double play to end the inning. Jim Thome popped up to Garciaparra to start the bottom of the second but Harold Baines shot a base hit to right. David Justice banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the third although Butch Huskey lined out to second to start. Trot Nixon doubled to right on a 3-0 count but Damon Buford struck out swinging. Offerman ripped a base hit to right but got caught in a rundown to end the inning, but not before Nixon scored to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.
The Indians finally exploded in the bottom of the third as Travis Fryman walked to start. Sandy Alomar Jr forced Fryman at second but Lofton walked. Vizquel tripled just out of the reach of Nixon to clear the bases and give the Indians the lead. Roberto Alomar doubled to right and moved to third on the fly out to center by Ramirez. Thome walked and Baines put the game on ice with a three run bomb into the Baltic Sea. That was it for Saberhagen who fell apart in the third inning, allowing 6 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. John Wasdin came in to get Justice to fly out to right to end the inning with the Indians up 6-1.
The Sox failed to respond against Nagy in the top of the fourth as Valentin flied out to center to start. Varitek flied out to right and Garciaparra struck out swinging to end the inning. The Indians struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Fryman walked to start. Sandy Alomar struck out swinging as Fryman stole second. Lofton walked but Vizquel dumped a base hit to left to load the bases. Roberto Alomar hit a sac fly to score Fryman and Ramirez walked to reload the bases. Thome did the honors with a grand slam into Lake Eerie to wrap up the scoring. Baines flied out to left to end the inning with the Indians up 11-1.
O'Leary grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth but Stanley doubled to left. Huskey grounded out to short and Nixon lined out to Thome to end the inning. Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Justice struck out swinging to start. Fryman walked but Sandy Alomar popped up to second. Lofton swung and missed for strike three but a passed ball by Varitek allowed Lofton to reach first. Vizquel struck out swinging to end the inning.
Buford flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Offerman grounded out to first. Valentin struck out swinging to end the inning. Wakefield returned for the bottom of the sixth and Roberto Alomar dumped a base hit to center to begin. Ramirez struck out swinging and Thome flied out to center, but Baines walked. Justice popped up to third to end the inning.
Nagy returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh and Varitek grounded out to first to start. Garciaparra grounded out to third and O'Leary flied out to center to end the inning. Nagy was almost unhittable in this one. Tom Gordon came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and hit Fryman to start. Sandy Alomar and Lofton struck out swinging but Vizquel walked. Roberto Alomar flied out to left to end the inning.
Steve Karsay came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Richie Sexson now playing first for Thome. Stanley greeted Karsay with a base hit to right but Huskey struck out swinging. Nixon walked but Buford flied out to left. Offerman flied out to center to end the inning. Rod Beck came in for the bottom of the eighth with Lou Merloni now at short. Ramirez struck out swinging before Sexson flied out to center. Baines grounded out to first to end the inning.
Michael Jackson came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Einar Diaz behind the plate and Enrique Wilson now at second. Valentin flied out to left, Varitek popped up to second and Merloni also popped up to second to end the game. The Indians had won it 11-1.
Jackass of the Night is Bret Saberhagen. He got hammered for 6 runs in just 2 2/3 innings allowing 5 hits and 3 walks.
The Good:
Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3.
Mike Stanley was 2 for 3.
Trot Nixon was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.
Tim Wakefield tossed two scoreless innings.
Tom Gordon pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Rod Beck pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
John Valentin was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.
Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Lou Merloni was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Butch Huskey was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Damon Buford was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
John Wasdin allowed 5 runs in just 1 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
None
Final Thoughts:
What a shame the year is about to end like this. After Pedro Martinez strong armed the Sox to the post-season, it all crashed and burned. The Cleveland Indians offense is one of the best in the game and apart from Pedro and Nomar Garciaparra, the rest of the team is painfully average. Guys like Stanley, Valentin and O'Leary had good seasons but when it comes to October, they aren't getting it done. Jim Thome has more home runs by himself than the Sox have hit as a team. This has a similar feeling to 1995 where the Red Sox are trying to counter Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and Roberto Alomar with Butch Huskey, Troy O'Leary and Jose Offerman. It seems like the injury to Pedro Martinez sucked the life out of the team and they can't wait for the season to end. After an off-day tomorrow the season might just end this Saturday afternoon in Game 3. The only man standing between the Red Sox and winter is Ramon Martinez and he goes against Dave Burba of the Indians at 4:00 PM at Fenway Park.
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