Sele, Sox Clip Angels (4/29/94)

It was good news all around tonight in Boston sports as the Boston Bruins eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox knocked off the California Angels. Aaron Sele (3-0, 2.56 ERA) continued his strong start to the season by holding the Angels to just one run in six solid innings. Meanwhile the Sox pounced on Phil Leftwich for four early runs, three of them off a Mo Vaughn home run. Scott Cooper hit a two run home run in the top of the eighth but the Angels rallied for three runs off Scott Bankhead in the bottom of the eighth. Greg Harris and Ken Ryan managed to slam the door as the Sox won the game 6-4 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                     Ray Bourque approves of the win

Leftwich got the ball in the top of the first inning and Otis Nixon walked to start. Mike Greenwell singled to center and Tim Naehring got a base hit to left to score Nixon. Mo Vaughn pounded a three run home run to put the Sox up big early. Andre Dawson flied out to right, Scott Cooper struck out swinging and Billy Hatcher popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                                Home run Vaughn

Sele got the ball in the bottom of the first and Damion Easley grounded back to the mound to start. Dwight Smith took strike three and Tim Salmon grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Dave Valle took strike three to begin the top of the second and Scott Fletcher grounded out to short. Nixon beat out a bunt single down the third base line then stole second. Greenwell was hit with a pitch but Naehring forced him at second to end the inning. Chili Davis took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Eduardo Perez grounded out to second. Chad Curtis took strike three to end the inning.

Vaughn grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Dawson flied out to center. Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. Jorge Fabregas singled to center to open the bottom of the third before Harold Reynolds flied out to right. Gary Disarcina grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Hatcher grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth and Valle flied out to right. Fletcher singled to left but Nixon's bunt attempt to third was snuffed out to end the inning. Easley grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Smith struck out swinging. Salmon took strike three to end the inning.

Greenwell grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Naehring struck out swinging. Vaughn singled to center but took second when Leftwich's pickoff throw went wide for an error. Dawson struck out swinging to end the inning. Davis grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Perez singled to right. Curtis took strike three but Fabregas got a base hit to left. Reynolds forced Perez at third to end the inning.

Cooper grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Hatcher flied out to left. Valle singled to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Disarcina grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Easley singled to left. Smith popped up to short and Salmon took strike three to end the inning.

Fletcher lined out to right to begin the top of the seventh but Nixon grounded out to short. Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning. Sele ran out of gas in the bottom of the seventh as Davis hit a home run to Pluto to start and Perez walked to chase Sele. Aaron allowed just one run in six innings of work and Scott Bankhead came in to pitch. Curtis flied out to center and Fabregas popped up to short, but Perez stole second. Reynolds popped up to third to end the inning with the Angels down 4-1.

                                                                 Good work by Sele

The Sox finished off the Leftwich in the top of the eighth as Naehring singled to center to start. Vaughn walked by Dawson grounded into a double play. Angels manager Buck Rodgers decided to bring in Bob Patterson to face Cooper and the gamble backfired as Cooper launched his seventh home run of the season to ice the game. Hatcher grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                             Big home run by Cooper

Those extra runs were needed as the Angels rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Disarcina singled to right and Easley hit a home run all the way into the Atlantic Ocean to cut the lead. Smith got a base hit in the hole at second and Sox manager Butch Hobson had seen enough. Greg Harris came in and Cooper booted a grounder by Salmon for an error. Davis walked to load the bases and Rex Hudler came in to run for Chili. Perez grounded into a double play to score Smith but Curtis grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Angels down 6-4.

                                                              Home run for Easley

Valle grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth and Fletcher flied out to center. Nixon struck out swinging to end the inning. Ken Ryan came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Fabregas singled in the hole at second to begin. Reynolds hit a routine grounder to Cooper who threw the ball over the catcher's head for no reason for an error. Disarcina dropped down a bunt to move both runners over but Easley took strike three. Smith grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-4.

Hero of The Night is Scott Cooper. His two run homer proved to be the difference in the game.

                                                            Scott The Hero

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch, a walk and a three run home run.

Aaron Sele allowed 1 run in 6 innings of work off 5 hits and a walk.

Ken Ryan got his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 4.

Scott Bankhead got lit up for 3 runs in a full inning.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

Dave Valle was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 4.

Greg Harris allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was too close for comfort at the end but a win is a win. The trio of Mo Vaughn, Aaron Sele and Scott Cooper with the deciding factor in the game with a nod to Ken Ryan as well. All four of those guys are 26 or younger and could help win a lot of games this season. Hopefully they all stay healthy because the Sox are red hot as the month of April comes to a close. The Sox combination of speed and power has been working to perfection so far this season and they've been getting good starting pitching as well. Sele has the potential to win 15-18 games this year and hopefully he can pitch as well as Bruce Hurst did behind Roger Clemens all those years. Speaking of Roger, the Sox look for a series sweep tomorrow night against the Angels with Clemens on the mound. He takes on Al Leiter and the Angels at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Sele, Sox Sweep Angels (4/24/94)

Former Boston Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman took a lot of heat for having an "old" starting rotation which included Frank Viola (34), Danny Darwin (38), Joe Hesketh (35) and even Roger Clemens (31). However Gorman did make one good move before he left, he drafted a potential future ace in 23 year old Aaron Sele (2-0, 2.81 ERA). Sele won his second consecutive game despite giving up 4 runs in the third inning. The red hot Boston bats picked him up as they scored three first inning runs against Phil Leftwich then Scott Cooper hit a home run to tie the game in the fourth. Cooper hit another homer in the bottom of the sixth and Sele finally left in the seventh inning. Greg Harris and Jeff Russell held the fort and the Sox had swept the California Angels 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                                Angels get swept

Sele got the ball in the top of the first and Damion Easley grounded back to the mound to start. Dwight Smith flied out to left and Tim Salmon grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Leftwich in the bottom of the first as Otis Nixon walked to start. Billy Hatcher doubled off the Monster to score Nixon and Mike Greenwell walked. Tim Naehring was hit with a pitch but Mo Vaughn struck out swinging. John Valentin got a base hit up the middle to score Hatcher and Greenwell. Scott Cooper and Dave Valle both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Red Sox up 3-0.

 

                                                             Valentin drives in a pair

Chili Davis flied out to left to start the top of the second but Eduardo Perez flied out to center. Jim Edmonds singled to left but Chris Turner forced him at second to end the inning. Scott Fletcher lined out to second to start the bottom of the second but Nixon dropped down a bunt to second for a single. Greenwell grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Angels exploded in the top of the third as Harold Reynolds walked to start. Gary Disarcina singled to center but Easley doubled off the Monster to score Reynolds. Smith got a base hit to right to score both runners to tie the game. Salmon took strike three but Smith stole second. Davis doubled to center to score Smith and put California on top. Perez grounded out to third and Edmonds struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 4-3.

                                                             Davis puts the Angels on top

Greenwell flied out to left to start the bottom of the third before Naehring grounded out to short. Vaughn doubled to right but Valentin flied out to center to end the inning.

Turner was hit with a pitch to start the top of the fourth and Reynolds drew a walk. Disarcina grounded into a double play and Easley lined out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Cooper smacked his fourth home run of the season to tie the game instantly. Valle flied out to center and Fletcher singled to right, but Nixon grounded back to the mound to move Scott to second. A wild pitch moved Fletcher to third but Hatcher flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                            Home run Cooper

Smith walked to start the top of the fifth before moving to second on the grounder to third by Salmon. Davis was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Perez banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Greenwell popped up to second to start. Naehring struck out swinging but Vaughn walked. Valentin forced Vaughn to end the inning.

Edmonds struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth before Turner also went down hacking. Reynolds flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Cooper hit his second home run of the game to put the Sox on top. Valle doubled to left and Fletcher dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Dave to third, but Nixon lined out to first. Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4

                                                             Cooper puts Boston on top

Disarcina grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh but Easley walked to chase Sele. Aaron went 6 1/3 innings allowing 4 runs, all in one inning to put the Sox in line for the win. Greg Harris came in and Easley moved to second on a grounder back to the mound by Smith. Salmon grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                               Not great but it'll do

Ken Patterson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Greenwell popped up to third to start. Naehring struck out swinging and that was it for Ken Patterson. Bob Patterson got Vaughn to fly out to center to end the inning.

The Angels threatened in the top of the eighth as David popped up to third to start. Perez singled to left and Reynolds walked before Bo Jackson pinch hit for Turner. A wild pitch moved both runners over but Jackson struck out swinging. Reynolds flied out to right to end the inning. Jorge Fabregas came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Valentin hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Cooper struck out swinging and Valle also hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Jeff Russell came in to close out the top of the ninth and Disarcina popped up to second to start. Easley lined out to second and Smith took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

Hero of The Night is Scott Cooper. He hit two home runs, one tying the game and the other to put the Sox up for good.

                                                                 Hero Cooper

The Good:

Otis Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Scott Fletcher was 1 for 2.

Greg Harris tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Jeff Russell earned his sixth save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Billy Hatcher was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

John Valentin was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Dave Valle was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Aaron Sele got the win by allowing 4 runs in just 6 1/3 innings off 5 hits and 5 walks.

Final Thoughts:

Sele might not have pitched great but considering how he's supposed to be the ace of the future, a good win is a good win. Cooper was an All-Star last year and he's definitely trying to make the team this year as well with those big home runs. The Sox did well to not let the game slip away after the four run inning Sele allowed and Cooper tying the game then putting the Sox on top with home runs was just what the doctor ordered. The rest of the offense contributed at least something in this one, whether it was a walk, a sacrifice or a hit. This kind of balanced attack is going to be tough to beat as well as everyone stays healthy. The Sox have now won 6 in a row and now start their west coast trip against the AL West. Tomorrow night the Sox start a two game tilt with the Seattle Mariners with a monster match between Mariners ace Randy Johnson and Sox ace Roger Clemens (2-0) the game begins at 10:00 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

Boston Bats Bash A's (4/19/94)

Welcome back the Boston Red Sox offense. After being held to one run by the Chicago White Sox in the previous game, the bats exploded against the Oakland Athletics in today's tilt. Aaron Sele (1-0, 1.86 ERA) pitched well, holding the A's to 3 runs in seven strong innings before giving way to Greg Harris. Meanwhile the bats pounded out 16 hits and 13 runs against Bob Welch and the Oakland bullpen. Scott Cooper went 4 for 5 with 4 runs batted in and a grand slam while both Tim Naehring and Mo Vaughn each clubbed two home runs. Mike Greenwell also went yard as the Sox pounded the A's 13-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Bret Hart approves of the win

Sele got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rickey Henderson flied out to center to start. Stan Javier grounded out to first and Ruben Sierra grounded out to second to end the inning. Welch got the ball in the bottom of the first and Otis Nixon's bunt attempt was snuffed out at first to start. Billy Hatcher grounded back to the mound and Mike Greenwell flied out to right to end the inning.

Mark McGwire walked to start the top of the second and Troy Neel took strike three. Terry Steinbach struck out swinging and old pal Mike Brumley flied out to left to end the inning. Mo Vaughn led off the bottom of the second with a towering home run to put Boston on top then Tim Naehring went yard for back to back jacks. Damon Berryhill singled to right and John Valentin looked to have hit a double play balll....if Brumley didn't throw the relay throw away for an error. Scott Cooper singled to center and Dave Valle walked to load the bases, but Cooper was doubled off second on a bullet hit to short by Nixon to end the inning. The Sox now led 2-0.

                                                                  Back to back jacks

Scott Brosius hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the third and Mike Bordick flied out to center. Henderson grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the third as Hatcher singled to left to start. Greenwell walked but Vaughn struck out swinging. Naehring walked and Berryhill walked with the bases loaded to score Hatcher. Valentin popped up to third but Cooper slugged a grand slam to ice the game early. That was it for Welch as Carlos Reyes came in to pitch to Valle. Dave grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-0.

                                                          Grand slam Cooper

Sele's only bad inning was the top of the fourth as Javier's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Aaron to start. Sierra hit a home run all the way to Pluto to cut the lead and McGwire singled to center. Neel also singled to center and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Steinbach struck out swinging but Brumley got a base hit to right to score both runners. Brosius got a base hit to left but Bordick flied out to left to end the inning with the A's down 7-3.

                                                                Home run by Sierra

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth although Nixon flied out to left to start. Hatcher lined out to left but McGwire muffed a ball by Greenwell for an error. Vaughn singled to center and Naehring singled to left to score Greenwell. Berryhill grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                               Rbi by Naehring

Henderson flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Javier singled in the hole at second. Sierra struck out swinging and McGwire forced Sierra at second to end the inning. Valentin grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Cooper singled to right. Valle struck out swinging but Nixon doubled to center. Hatcher took strike three to end the inning.

Neel struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Steinbach grounded out to second. Brumley blooped a base hit over Valentin's head but Brosius took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Once again Vaughn and Naehring struck back to back home runs to increase the lead. That was it for Reyes as Ed Nunez came in to pitch to Berryhill and Damon flied out to right. Valentin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

                                                            Back to back jacks....again

Sele returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Bordick lined out to right to start. Henderson walked but Javier and Sierra both struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Sele who allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks.

                                                           Good work by Sele

Cooper grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Valle struck out swinging. Nixon lined out to left to end the inning.

Greg Harris came in to pitch the top of the eighth and McGwire walked to start. Neel then hit a home run all the way to Norway to cut the lead. Steinbach struck out swinging, Brumley took strike three and Brosius flied out to left to end the inning.

                                                             Home run Neel

Old foe Dave Righetti came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Hatcher singled to right to start. Greenwell then clubbed his fourth home run of the year to increase the lead. Vaughn walked and Naehring singled to left before Berryhill's fly ball to right moved Mo to third. Valentin hit a sac fly to center to score Vaughn and Cooper got a base hit to right to move Tim to third. Valle grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 13-5.

                                                            Home run Greenwell

Harris returned to mop up the top of the ninth and Mike Aldrete pinch hit for Bordick. Aldrete lined out to left and Geronimo Berroa pinch hit for Henderson. Berroa struck out swinging and Junior Noboa pinch hit for Javier. Noboa popped up to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 13-5.

Hero of The Night is Scott Cooper. His grand slam was essentially the difference in the game.

                                                                     Hero Cooper

The Good:

Billy Hatcher was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Mo Vaughn was 3 for 4 with 2 home runs, a walk and 3 total runs scored.

Tim Naehring was 4 for 4 with 2 home runs, a walk and 3 total runs scored.

Aaron Sele got the win with 7 strong innings allowing just 3 runs off 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 batters.

The Bad:

Greg Harris allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 5.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but hit a 2 run homer, walked and scored three runs.

Damon Berryhill was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Dave Valle was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was a great team win and the Boston offense is really gelling. The veterans Nixon, Greenwell and Hatcher are mixing with the youth movement of Cooper, Vaughn, Naehring and Valentin big time. Andre Dawson didn't play but add him to the veteran's list as eight players out of nine have been producing in different ways day in and out. Cooper's grand slam pretty much ended the game early but Naehring and Vaughn have been on fire to start the season. The quartet of Cooper, Vaughn, Valentin and Naehring might be Lou Gorman's finest work when all is said and done even if Lou is no longer here. Add Sele to the list as well who pitched well today. Not much to complain about in this one apart from Greg Harris being ineffective again. Oh well, he'll figure it out. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the A's tomorrow evening when Roger Clemens (1-0) takes on Steve Karsay of the A's. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Royals Walkoff Red Sox (4/13/94)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed for their seventh victory in nine games and a three game sweep of the Kansas City Royals. Aaron Sele had tossed a seven inning gem allowing no runs while an Andre Dawson sac fly scored Mike Greenwell. The Sox blew a chance for another run in the top of the ninth and then came the fateful bottom of the ninth. Jeff Russell (0-1, 10.80 ERA) got the first out but John Valentin threw a grounder by Dave Henderson away and Bob Hamelin hit a backbreaking two run home run to win the game. The Royals stole one 2-1 at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                       Barnaby hates blown saves

Tom Gordon got the start for Kansas City in the top of the first and Otis Nixon grounded out to short to start. Billy Hatcher grounded out to short and Mike Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning. Sele got the ball in the bottom of the first and Vince Coleman grounded out to second to start. Brian McRae grounded out to third and Wally Joyner singled to center. Dave Henderson forced Joyner at second to end the inning.

Mo Vaughn grounded out to first to start the top of the second but Andre Dawson drew a walk. Tim Naehring flied out to right but Dawson stole second. Scott Cooper took strike three to end the inning. Bob Hamelin grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Cooper threw a ball by Gary Gaetti away for an error. Brent Mayne grounded into a double play to end the inning.

John Valentin struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Dave Valle grounded out to third. Nixon singled to left but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Jose Lind grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before David Howard caught Vaughn asleep with a bunt single. Coleman forced Howard at second but McRae grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth as Hatcher grounded out to second to start. Greenwell doubled to center then Vaughn swung and missed for strike three....only for the ball to get away, allowing Mo to reach first. Greenwell took third on the passed ball and scored on the Dawson sac fly to put the Sox on top. Naehring flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                Dawson drives in a run

Joyner walked to begin the bottom of the fourth before Henderson flied out to right. Joyner was thrown out trying to steal second and Hamelin grounded out to second to end the inning.

Cooper took strike three to start the top of the fifth before Valentin lined out to short. Valle grounded out to third to end the inning. Gaetti struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Mayne singled to left. Lind forced Mayne at second and Howard flied out to center to end the inning.

Nixon grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the sixth before Hatcher walked. Greenwell took strike three but Hatcher stole second. Vaughn struck out swinging to end the inning. Coleman grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the sixth but McRae walked. Joyner flied out to right and Henderson popped up to second to end the inning.

Dawson flied out to left to start the top of the seventh but Naehring singled to center. Naehring moved to second on a grounder to first by Cooper and Valentin grounded out to third to end the inning. Hamelin walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Gaetti grounded into a double play. Mayne struck out swinging to end the inning.

Valle walked to open the top of the eighth but Nixon struck out swinging. Hatcher forced Valle at second and that was it for Gordon. Billy Brewer came in to face Greenwell and Mike grounded out to second to end the inning. Hubie Brooks pinch hit for Lind to start the bottom of the eighth and struck out swinging to start. Mike Macfarlane pinch hit for Howard and got a base hit to left. Greg Gagne pinch ran for Macfarlane and that was it for Sele. He pitched a gem, allowing no runs in 7 1/3 innings. Greg Harris came in to pitch and Coleman popped up to second. McRae struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                               Good work Sele

Terry Shumpert took over at second for the top of the ninth and Vaughn walked to start. Dawson flied out to right and two straight wild pitches moved Vaughn to third. With a chance for an insurance run....Naehring lined out to short and Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning. Sox manager Butch Hobson started the bottom of the ninth with lefty Tony Fossas in to face Joyner. Wally grounded out to second and Hobson then went to the closer Jeff Russell. Henderson hit a routine grounder to Valentin....who threw the ball away for an error. Naturally Hamelin hit a home run all the way to Neptune to win the game. The Royals had walked off the Sox 2-1.

                                                                  Royals win

Jackass of the Night is Jeff Russell. The error didn't help but Jeff allowed the two run home run to lose the game.

                                                                Jackass Russell

The Good:

Aaron Sele pitched great, tossing 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball allowing four hits and 3 walks while striking out three.

Greg Harris got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Tony Fossas got the first out of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Scott Cooper was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 3 but walked and stole a base.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Andre Dawson was 0 for 2 but walked, stole a base and drove in a run.

Tim Naehring was just 1 for 4.

Dave Valle was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Hopefully by the end of the season this game doesn't come back to haunt the Red Sox. They have been playing well to start the season and were two outs away from a sweep of Kansas City and then this happens. Valentin's error was big but Russell can't give up a big fly in that situation. Still, the problem all game was the offense failing to score runs apart from the one they scratched out against Gordon. Cooper and Valentin had bad games but they'll bounce back another day, its a shame things ended the way they did. Hats off to Aaron Sele who pitched a gem, just deserved a win for his effort. Harris and Fossas did his job but Russell didn't. Oh well, hopefully the Sox can shake this one off and not turn it into a losing streak. After an off day, the Sox now come home to take on the Chicago White Sox with Roger Clemens looking for his first win of the season. Roger is set to take on Alex Fernandez of the White Sox on Friday night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Naehring, Sox Rally Past Chicago (4/8/94)

Everything's coming up Boston Red Sox so far this season. The Sox have won their fourth straight game to start the season and their latest victims were the Chicago White Sox. BoSox starter Aaron Sele only lasted 5 innings but allowed just 1 run. The BoSox bolted out to a 4-0 lead before the White Sox rallied for 6 unanswered runs including a 3 run homer by Julio Franco. Down 6-4 with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Tim Naehring cleared the bases and scored on an error for a little league home run to give the BoSox the lead. Tony Fossas, Scott Bankhead and Jeff Russell slammed the door in the later innings and the BoSox stunned the White Sox 8-6 at Commiskey Park.

                                                        Ron McGovney approves of the win

The BoSox wasted no time getting to Chicago starter Jason Bere in the top of the first inning. Otis Nixon walked and immediately stole second. Billy Hatcher hit a routine grounder to short and Ozzie Guillen airmailed Frank Thomas at first to score Nixon on the error, Hatcher taking third. Mike Greenwell grounded out to second to score Hatcher and Mo Vaughn singled to center. Andre Dawson forced Vaughn at second and Tim Naehring flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                Nixon scores a run

Sele got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tim Raines singled to center to start. Joey Cora popped up to short and Frank Thomas forced Raines at second. Julio Franco grounded out to short to end the inning.

Scott Cooper grounded out to second to start the top of the second and John Valentin doubled to center. Dave Valle lined out to third and Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning. Robin Ventura struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second before Darrin Jackson singled to center. Lance Johnson popped up to third but Ron Karkovice singled to left. Guillen grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hatcher flied out to left to start the top of the third before Greenwell walked. Vaughn banged into a double play to end the inning. Raines took strike three to start the bottom of the third but Cora walked. Thomas walked but Franco struck out swinging. Ventura took strike three to end the inning.

Dawson lined out to short to open the top of the fourth but Naehring drew a walk. Naehring was thrown out at second trying to steal and Cooper took strike three to end the inning. Sele got Jackson to ground out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Johnson popped up to left in foul territory. Karkovice walked but Guillen lined out to left to end the inning/

The BoSox struck again in the top of the fifth as Vallentin and Valle dropped back to back base hits to start. Nixon dropped down a bunt to move the runners over and Hatcher scored Valentin with a sac fly. Greenwell blooped a single to right to score Valle and increase the lead, but Vaughn watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                      Greenwell drives in a run

The White Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Raines hit a home run all the way to Wrigley Field to start. Cora singled to left but Thomas struck out swinging. Franco hit into a double play to end the inning with the White Sox down 4-1. Sox manager Butch Hobson felt at 97 pitches, Sele had done enough and Aaron did well, allowing just 1 run in 5 innings.

                                                        Good work Sele

Jose DeLeon came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Dawson popped up to first to start. Naehring struck out swinging and Cooper took strike three to end the inning. Hobson brought in Paul Quantrill to pitch the bottom of the sixth and he immediately served up a home run to Mercury by Ventura to cut the lead. Jackson flied out to center, Johnson popped up to short and Karkovice flied out to center to end the inning but the White Sox were down 4-2.

                                                            Ventura goes yard

Valentin flied out to left to start the top of the seventh before Valle grounded out to third. Nixon took strike three to end the inning. The wheels fell off in the bottom of the seventh although Guillen grounded out to short to start. Raines then smashed his second home run of the game to chase Quantrill. Ricky Trilicek came in and Cora singled to right. Thomas walked but Franco hit a home run all the way to Montreal, Canada to give the White Sox the lead. Ventura singled to left and Jackson flied out to center to chase Trilicek. Tony Fossas got Johnson to hit a routine grounder to Cooper....booted for an error. Karkovice grounded into a force to end the inning as the White Sox went from down 4-2 to up 6-4.

                                                           Franco puts Chicago on top

The BoSox rallied in the top of the eighth as Hatcher singled to right to chase DeLeon to start. Paul Assenmacher came in and Greenwell singled to center. Vaughn singled to right to load the bases and chase Assenmacher. Kirk McCaskill came in and got Dawson to pop up to second. Naehring then hit a bullet into the gap to right. Hatcher and Greenwell scored easily and the ball got away from Karkovice. Vaughn scored and Naehring scored on the error for a little league home run to put the BoSox back on top. Cooper flied out to center and Valentin took strike three to end the inning with Boston ahead 8-6.

                                                      Naehring comes up big

Guillen singled to right to start the bottom of the eighth but Raines popped up to short. Cora flied out to center and that was it for Fossas. Scott Bankhead came in to pitch to Thomas and Frank grounded into a force to end the inning.

Valle took strike three to start the top of the ninth but Cora threw a grounder by Nixon away for an error. Nixon was thrown out trying to steal and Hatcher struck out swinging to end the inning. Jeff Russell came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Franco grounded out to second to start. Ventura flied out to center and Jackson popped up to second to end the game. The BoSox had won it 8-6.

Hero of the Night is Tim Naehring. He ripped the game winning 3 run double to put Boston up for good.

                                                                Naehring the Hero

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

John Valentin was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Aaron Sele tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball.

Tony Fossas tossed a full scoreless innings to get the win.

Scott Bankhead retired the only man he faced.

Jeff Russell earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4.

Scott Cooper was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Paul Quantrill was charged with 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Ricky Trilicek allowed the 3 run homer to Franco.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

Billy Hatcher was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored two runs.

Dave Valle was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was another good come from behind win but there are warts starting to develop. The offense has been fine but the pitching hasn't been there so far. Aaron Sele looked good but could go only 5 innings which led to the White Sox making their comeback. Jeff Russell is as good as any closer in the league but getting to him is going to be tricky this season. The Sox starters should be able to get on track as the season progresses so any time the BoSox can steal a win, it'll be beneficial down the road. Winning four straight games to start the season is fun and its almost the opposite of last year. Last April the Sox got some outstanding starting pitching but not much offense, this year its the other way around. Still a win is a win whether its 3-0 or 9-8 and this was four in a row. Boston looks to make it five in a row and two straight over Chicago tomorrow when Roger Clemens looks to rebound from his Opening Day dud against Jack McDowell of the ChiSox. The game begins at 3:30 PM at Commiskey Park.

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.