Sox Rout Angels in Nightcap (8/29/89)

Watch out for those Boston Red Sox. For the second straight game the Sox demolished the California Angels. In the afternoon game it was the Dwight Evans show but in the nightcap everyone on offense pitched in. Eric Hetzel didn't make it out of the fifth inning but Bob Stanley (5-2, 4.64 ERA) was there to quell the uprising. The Sox pounded out 16 hits and 13 runs to crush the Angels 13-5 at Fenway Park for their ninth straight win.

                                                        Ira Flagstead approves of the win

The Angels struck first in the top of the first inning against Hetzel as Claudell Washington led off with with a walk. Washington stole second but Bobby Rose struck out swinging. Washington stole third and scored on the Chili Davis sac fly. Wally Joyner walked but Brian Downing grounded out to short to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

The Sox attacked the Angels in the bottom of the first for the second straight game. Angels starter Dan Petry allowed a leadoff single to Wade Boggs but Jody Reed lined out to left. Ellis Burks got a base hit and Mike Greenwell doubled home both men to give the Sox the lead. Greenwell moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on the Nick Esasky single. Danny Heep flied out to center but Evans doubled Nick to third. Luis Rivera whiffed to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 3-1.

                                                       Greenwell drives in two

Old pal Tony Armas led off the top of the second by flying out to center before Bill Schroeder flied out to left. Jack Howell singled to right and old friend Glenn Hoffman lined out to center to end the inning.

                                                     Welcome back Tony

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second inning as Rick Cerone grounded out to second to start. Wade Boggs grounded out to short before Reed grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Angels came back in the top of the third inning as Washington singled to right to start. Rose whiffed but Washington took second on a balk. Davis flied out to center but Joyner singled home Washington. A wild pitch moved Joyner to second before Downing walk. ANOTHER wild pitch moved the runners over but Armas flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 3-2.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Burks lined out to center to start. Greenwell singled to right but Esasky popped up to second. Greenwell swiped second before Heep lined out to second to end the inning.

Schroeder singled to left to start the top of the fourth but Howell struck out swinging. Reed booted a ball to allow Hoffman to reach but Washington whiffed. Rose popped up to first to end the inning.

                                                      Welcome back Glenn

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth inning as Evans walked to start. Rivera flied out to right but Cerone walked. Boggs singled to left to load the bases and Willie Fraser poured gas on the fire for the Angels. Reed singled home Evans and reload the bases then Burks singled home Cerone and Boggs. Greenwell was intentionally walked and Esasky walked in a run to reload the bases. A wild pitch scored Burks and moved everyone up and Heep got a base hit to drive home Greenwell and Esasky. Greenwell took second on a wild pitch as Evans singled to center to bat around. Rivera singled home Heep and move Evans to third and Dwight scored on the Cerone ground out. Boggs beat out an infield single to second and Reed was plunked to load the bases again. Burks lined out to right to end the inning but the Sox scored 9 runs to take a 12-2 lead.

                                                         Evans gets the party started

The Angels refused to go quietly in the top of the fifth and Davis singled to center to start. Joyner whiffed but Downing walked. Armas gave his former club the bird when he swatted a three run home run to chase the ineffective Hetzel, Eric failed to last 5 innings and gave up 5 runs. Bob Stanley came in and Schroeder grounded out to third to begin. Howell lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-5.

                                                       A flop by Eric

Bob McClure came in for the bottom of the fifth and Greenwell whiffed to start. Esasky singled and Heep singled him to third before Nick scored on the Evans sac fly. Rivera grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 13-5.

                                                           Esasky scores a run

Stanley cruised in the top of the sixth inning as Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Washington grounded back to the mound before Rose took strike three to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the sixth with Greg Minton on the mound and Kent Anderson coming in for Washington. Cerone and Boggs grounded back to the mound and Reed was retired on a squibber up the first base line to end the inning.

Davis looked at strike three to start the top of the seventh before Joyner lined out to right. Downing and Armas stroked back to back singles before Schroeder grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Burks grounded out to second to start. Greenwell grounded out to short and Esasky singled to left. Heep grounded out to first to end the inning.

Stanley returned for the top of the eighth and Howell grounded out to second before Hoffman grounded out to short. Anderson flied out to center to end the inning. All of a sudden the rains game to delay the game. The umpires got together with the managers and mercifully called the game. The Sox had won it 13-5.

Hero of the Night is Mike Greenwell. He put the Sox on top in the first inning and they never looked back.

                                                         Greenwell is the Hero


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Ellis Burks was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Nick Esasky was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Danny Heep was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 2 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Bob Stanley got the win with 3 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Eric Hetzel allowed 5 runs in just 4 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jody Reed was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Luis Rivera was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Rick Cerone was 0 for 3 but walked, drove in a run and scored.




Final Thoughts:

Could Morgan Magic be striking twice? The Sox have won 9 straight game to get them back in earshot of the AL East lead. This year would be even more impressive than last year since Bruce Hurst is gone. If the Sox can do it with Roger Clemens, Mike Boddicker and pray....this would be the most improbable season since 1967. There's a long way to go but the Sox seem to have found their rhythm. Hetzel sucked but Stanley saved the day and the offense produced big time. The win improved the Sox to 67-65, 4 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox look to make it ten straight games when they send John Dopson (9-5) to the mound to take on Jim Abbott at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Brewers Pound Sox, Drop Third Straight (6/28/89)

Nothing is going right for the Boston Red Sox these days. The Sox continued to drop further under .500 with today's drubbing at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. Mike Smithson (4-6, 5.02 ERA) took the beating as he allowed 6 runs in just over 6 innings of work. Bob Stanley and Mike Rochford also got knocked around by the Brewers in this all around embarrassment. The Sox scratched out 5 runs but it wasn't enough as the Brewers laid waste to the Red Sox 12-5 at County Stadium.

                                                Sox fans wondering how bad 89 can get

The Sox did manage to strike first in the top of the first inning against Milwaukee starter Teddy Higuera. Jody Reed led off with a walk but Luis Rivera and Wade Boggs both took strike three but Reed stole second. Mike Greenwell singled home Reed to put the Sox up early. Dwight Evans drew a walk but Nick Esasky struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Greenwell drives in a run

Smithson initially pitched well in the bottom of the first as Paul Molitor grounded out to short to start. Robin Yount drew a walk but Gary Sheffield flied out to right. Greg Brock popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Jim Gantner booted a routine grounder by Rick Cerone to begin the top of the second. Cerone was erased on the force by Randy Kutcher and Randy stole second. Kevin Romine lined out to short but Reed singled home Kutcher to increase the lead. Rivera popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                Reed knocks in a run

The Brewers pounced in the bottom of the second as Glenn Braggs doubled to left to start. Rob Deer then smacked a 5,000,000 foot home run into Lake Eerie to tie the game. BJ Surhoff walked and Terry Francona singled to left. Both runners moved over on the grounder by Gantner and Molitor scored Surhoff with a sac fly to give the Brewers the lead. Yount singled to center to score Francona with another run. Sheffield lined out to short to end the inning but it was 4-2 Brewers.

                                                 Some guy named Francona scores a run

The Sox tried to rally in the top of the third as Boggs got a base hit to center to start. Boggs moved to second on a deep fly out to right by Greenwell and Evans drew a walk. Esasky got a base hit to left but Cerone killed the rally with a pop up to short. Kutcher took strike three to end the inning. Smithson recovered in the bottom of the third as Brock flied out to left to start. Braggs and Deer both whiffed to end the inning.

Higuera cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Romine grounded out to third to start. Reed flied out to center and Rivera whiffed to end the inning. Surhoff flied out to center to open the bottom of the fourth before Francona also flied out to center. Gantner singled and stole second before Molitor walked. Yount popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth inning as Boggs grounded out to short to start. Greenwell and Evans both grounded out to short to end the inning. Sheffield grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Brock singled to center. Brock moved to second on the grounder by Braggs but Deer took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox inched closer when Esasky mauled his 12th home run of the year to start the top of the sixth. Rick Cerone walked to chase Higuera from the game. Chuck Crim came in and Kutcher banged into a double play. Romine flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                        Esasky hits one out

Smithson kept pace in the bottom of the sixth as Surhoff grounded out to short to start. Francona lined out to left and Gantner grounded out to first to end the inning.

Crim cruised in the top of the seventh as Reed popped up to first to start. Rivera grounded out to third and Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. The wheels fell off in the bottom of the seventh as Molitor singled to center to begin. Yount flied out to center but Molitor stole second and Sheffield walked. That was it for Smithson who left trailing 4-3 and eventually was charged with 6 runs in 6 1/3 innings.

                                                       Not his best stuff

Bob Stanley poured gas on the fire when he came in as Brock singled home Molitor with the insurance run. Braggs beat out a double play ball and Deer walked to load the bases. Surhoff then cleared the bases with a double to put the game out of reach. Francona grounded out to third to end the inning but the Brewers were up 8-3.

Tony Fossas made the Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the eighth inning as Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Evans grounded out to third and Esasky also grounded out to third to end the inning. Rookie Mike Rochford came in to take a beating in the bottom of the eighth although Gantner popped up to third to start. Molitor flied out to center but Yount walked. Sheffield beat out an infield single to short before Brock walked to load the bases. Braggs hit a routine grounder to second but Reed threw the ball away allowing Yount and Sheffield to score. Deer was intentionally walked to reload the bases and Surhoff singled home Brock and Bragggs. Francona flied out to left to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 12-3.

                                                         Bad defense leads to bad pitching

Dave Engle came in for Surhoff behind the plate with Jay Aldrich now on the mound to begin the top of the ninth. Cerone popped up to second and Kutcher lined back to the mound, but Romine beat out an infield single to short. Reed walked and Rivera singled home Romine. Boggs singled home Reed and if Stanley and Rochford didn't crap themselves, this game would have been interesting. As it was, Greenwell grounded out to second to end the game. The Brewers had won it 12-5.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Stanley. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score and 2 of his own to put the game out of reach

                                                Stanley The Jackass

The Good:

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Dwight Evans walked twice in four plate appearances.

Nick Esasky was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

The Bad:

Mike Smithson got lit up for 6 runs in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss. He allowed 7 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3.

Mike Rochford allowed 4 runs in an inning although none were earned.

The Ugly:

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Luis Rivera was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Rick Cerone was 0 for 3 but walked.

Randy Kutcher was 0 for 4 but stole a base and scored a run.

Kevin Romine was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Can this season end already? Its only June but it appears Morgan Magic has definitely worn off. Not that Sox manager Joe Morgan himself is the problem, but he's just not getting through to these guys like he did last year. It could be a clubhouse issue which means some of these guys won't be back next year. The loss of Bruce Hurst hurt the most as the Sox are getting almost nothing beyond Roger Clemens and Mike Boddicker pitching wise. Smithson took another beating and Stanley looks to have lost it as well. All in all it added up to another piece of crap loss in a season full of them. The loss dropped the Sox to 34-39, 8.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to snap their 3 game losing streak in the series finale with the Brewers tomorrow when they send John Dopson (7-5) to the mound up against Chris Bosio at 2:30 PM at County Stadium.

Finley Tosses 1 Hitter, Angels Shut Out Sox (5/26/89)

Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to pitchers that have a career day against your team. Tonight was one of those nights as Chuck Finley of the California Angels damn near no-hit the Boston Red Sox. Roger Clemens (5-4, 3.14 ERA) could only watch Finley tossed a complete game 1 hit shutout while walking just 4 batters. Finley has been one of the best pitchers in the AL this season and he showed why tonight. The Angels scored 5 runs in the later innings to knock off the Sox 5-0 at Fenway Park. How many hits did the Sox get Mr. Uecker?

Clemens did what he could in the top of the first inning as Brian Downing led off with a base hit to left. Claudell Washington followed with a base hit to center but was doubled off on the liner by Johnny Ray to Clemens. Devon White flied out to right to end the inning. Finley began his dominance in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs struck out swinging to start. Marty Barrett drew a walk but Ellis Burks banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Angels beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning as Wally Joyner grounded out to second, Chili Davis also grounded out to second and Lance Parrish grounded out to third to end the inning. Mike Greenwell grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second before Dwight Evans walked. Jim Rice popped up to first as Evans was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning.

Jack Howell took strike three to open the top of the third before Dick Schofield flied out to right. Downing grounded out to short to end the inning. Nick Esasky grounded out to second to open the bottom of the third before Jody Reed flied out to left. Rick Cerone whiffed to end the inning.

Washington walked to start the top of the fourth but Ray banged into a double play. White popped up to Clemens himself to end the inning. Boggs whiffed to begin the bottom of the fourth before Barrett flied out to center. Burks flied out to left to end the inning.

Joyner lined out to center to start the top of the fifth before Davis flied out to left. Parrish popped up to short to end the inning. Finley remained perfect in the bottom of the fifth as Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Evans and Rice both whiffed to end the inning.

The Angels struck first in the top of the sixth inning as Howell flied out to right to start. Schofield singled to center but Downing lined out to center. Washington doubled home Howell to give the Angels the lead and Ray doubled home Claudell. White popped up to second to end the inning but it was 2-0 Angels.

                                                                 2-0 Angels

Esasky grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the sixth before Reed flied out to center. Cerone broke up the perfect game with a walk but was erased on the Boggs force to end the inning.

The Angels poured it on in the top of the seventh although Joyner flied out to left to start. Davis lined out to center but Parrish crushed a 230,000 foot home run to increase the lead. Howell took strike three to end the inning but the Angels were up 3-0.

                                                              Parrish hits one out

The Sox failed to get a hit in the bottom of the seventh as Barrett lined out to center to start. Burks grounded out to third and Greenwell lined out to center to end the inning.

Clemens cruised in the top of the eighth as Schofield popped up to third to begin. Downing whiffed and Washington grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox had their only chance in the bottom of the eighth although Evans popped up to third to begin. Rice walked but Esasky popped up to right. Reed broke up the no-no with a base hit to center to bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately it was Cerone and he grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                              The Sox lone hit of the game

The Angels iced it in the top of the ninth as Ray hit a routine grounder to first. Esasky pulled out a bazooka and blew the ball to smithereens for an error. Kent Anderson ran for Ray as White popped up to third. Joyner then lashed a base hit to right to chase Clemens. Roger got no run support but he ended up being charged with 5 runs in 8 1/3 innings.

                                                             Just wasn't Roger's day.

Rob Murphy sprinted from the bullpen to get Davis to force Joyner at second before making a mad dash to the dugout. Bob Stanley came in and he poured gas on the fire as Parrish singled home Anderson. Howell singled home Davis before Schofield whiffed to end the inning with the Angels up 5-0.

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the ninth as Boggs lined out to right to start. Barrett grounded out to third before Burks flied out to center to end the game. Finley had tossed a complete game 1 hit shutout to beat the Sox 5-0.

                                                           Great game by Finley


Jackass of the Night is Roger Clemens. Not that the Sox were going to score any runs but he was charged with 5 runs in 8 1/3 innings.

                                                                Rocket Jackass


The Good:

Jody Reed was 1 for 3.

Rob Murphy got the only out he faced.



The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 4.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3.

Nick Esasky was 0 for 3.

Bob Stanley allowed 2 inherited runners to score in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 3 but walked.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Jim Rice was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Rick Cerone was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.





Final Thoughts:

The Sox are back to .500 after this one but gotta give credit to Finley for the game he pitched. The Sox mustered just 1 hit and 4 walks in this one against Finley, not even Cy Young could have survived that. Clemens was game but things fell apart in the ninth inning. Esasky's error and Stanley allowing the final 2 runs weren't Roger's fault but once again, the offense was asleep in this one. Not much to crow about and tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow the forecast calls for heavy rain but if the Sox play, John Dopson (5-2) goes up against Kirk McCaskill at 7:05 PM at Feway Park.

Rangers Walkoff Sox in 12 Innings (4/28/89)

For 5 innings the Boston Red Sox were in complete control of this game against the Texas Rangers. Mike Boddicker had held the Rangers to just 2 runs at that point while the Sox were ahead 6-2. Then the wheels fell off as the Rangers chased Boddicker in the sixth and tied the game off Bob Stanley in the bottom of the eighth. With the game well past midnight and no end in sight, the game was suspended until the following morning. When action resumed, Julio Franco hit a walkoff home run against Rob Murphy (0-2, 3.95 ERA) to end the game once and for all. The Rangers needed 12 innings to beat the Red Sox 7-6 at Arlington Stadium.

                                                     Doc Brown can't believe it

The Sox exploded against Rangers starter Kevin Brown in the bottom of the first inning as Wade Boggs walked to start. Ed Romero doubled to left and Ellis Burks walked to load the bases. Mike Greenwell whiffed but Jim Rice scored Boggs with a ground out. Dwight Evans walked to reload the bases and Nick Esasky pounded a grand slam to put the Sox up big early. Jody Reed beat out an infield single to third but Rick Cerone took strike three to end the inning. Things looked good with the Sox ahead 5-0 already.

                                                              Esasky with the grand slam

The Rangers wasted no time getting back in the game against Boddicker in the bottom of the first as Cecil Espy struck out looking to start. Scott Fletcher walked and Rafael Palmeiro doubled him to third. Ruben Sierra scored Fletcher with a sac fly and Julio Franco singled home Palmeiro. Franco swiped second but Geno Petralli flied out to center to end the inning with the Rangers down 5-2.

                                                      Why can't the Sox have guys like this?

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Boggs grounded back to the mound to start. Romero grounded out to third but Steve Buechele booted a grounder by Burks for an error. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Pete Incaviglia was plunked to start the bottom of the second but Rick Leach flied out to left. Incaviglia stole second but Buechele took strike three. Espy grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third when Rice got a base hit to left to start and took second on the Evans strikeout. Esasky walked and that was it for Brown. Brad Arnsberg came in and Reed walked to load the bases. Cerone beat out a double play ball to score Rice and Boggs walked to re-load the bases. Naturally Romero grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                                  Rice scores a run

Boddicker cruised in the bottom of the third as Fletcher grounded out to second to start. Palmeiro lined out to first and Sierra popped up to center to end the inning.

Burks walked to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on the Greenwell grounder. Rice struck out swinging and Evans flied out to right to end the inning. Franco grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the second but Petralli and Incaviglia stroked back to back singles. Leach flied out to right and Buechele grounded out to short to end the inning.

Esasky flied out to right to start the top of the fifth then Reed flied out to left. Cerone walked to chase Arnsberg and Drew Hall got Boggs to strike out swinging to end the inning. Espy dropped down a bunt but then tackled Cerone trying to make the play, forcing the umpire to call him out on interference. Fletcher lined out to first but Palmeiro walked. Sierra flied out to right to end the inning.

Romero walked to start the top of the sixth but was thrown out trying to steal. Burks walked but Greenwell flied out to left and Rice flied out to center to end the inning. The Rangers fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Franco walked to start. Petralli flied out to right but Incaviglia singled to left to chase Boddicker. Bob Stanley came in and Leach singled home Franco to cut the lead. Buechele struck out swinging but both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Espy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Evans flied out to center to start. Esasky grounded out to third and Reed grounded out to second to end the inning. Fletcher walked to begin the bottom of the seventh but Palmeiro flied out to center. Sierra flied out to right and Franco grounded out to third to end the inning.

Kenny Rogers came in to pitch the top of the eighth and the Sox blew their best chance to ice the game. Cerone walked and Boggs singled to left to put two men on and nobody out. Marty Barrett pinch ran for Cerone and Romero moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Burks was intentionally walked to set up the double play...and naturally Greenwell hit into one to end the inning. Dammit!

                                                           Good going Mike.

Rich Gedman took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth and things looked good when Petralli whiffed to start. Incaviglia walked and Leach doubled him home to cut the lead, but Buechele struck out swinging. One out away from escaping the jam....Espy singled home Leach to chase Stanley. Lee Smith came in and Espy stole second before scoring on the Fletcher base hit to left to tie the game. Fletcher was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning but the Rangers tied it 6-6.

                                                        Nice going Stanley

Cecillo Guante came in to pitch the top of the ninth and struck out the side. Rice, Evans and Esasky all went down hacking in short order to end the inning. Palmeiro singled to center to put the winning run on in the bottom of the ninth but Sierrs flied out to right. Franco banged into a double play to end the inning.

Reed grounded back to the mound to start the top of the tenth and Gedman watched strike three go by. Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning. With the game heading toward 3 AM in Boston and well past midnight in Texas, the game was suspended until the following day. When action resumed in the bottom of the tenth, Rob Murphy was on the mound and Mike Stanley pinch hit for Petralli, getting a base hit to second. Jeff Stone pinch ran for Stanley and Incaviglia singled to center. Jeff Kunkel pinch hit for Leach and bunted both runners over. Murphy got a big out by striking out Buechele and Buddy Bell pinch hit for Espy and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jim Sundberg took over behind the plate for the top of the eleventh and Romero struck out swinging to start. Burks whiffed but Greenwell walked. Rice went down hacking to end the inning. Fletcher grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eleventh and Palmeiro flied out to left. Sierra lined out to left to end the inning.

Evans grounded out to third to open the top of the 12th inning then Esasky flied out to right. Reed popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. The game finally ended quickly in the bottom of the 12th inning. Franco hit a home run to South America to win the game. After all of that, the Rangers had won it 7-6.

                                                                  Damn it

Jackass of the Night is Rob Murphy. He allowed the home run to Franco to end the game.

                                                                     Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Ellis Burks walked 4 times and scored a run.

Rick Cerone walked twice and drove in a run.

Mike Boddicker was solid for 5 1/3 innings getting charged with 3 runs while striking out 2.

The Bad:

Rich Gedman struck out in his only plate appearance.

Bob Stanley allowed 3 runs of his own and let an inherited runner to score in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but walked twice and scored a run.

Ed Romero was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 5 but walked.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run and scored.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 5 but walked and scored a run.

Nick Esasky was just 1 for 5 with a walk but the one hit was a grand slam.

Jody Reed was just 1 for 5 but walked.

Lee Smith allowed the tying run to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett pinch ran for Cerone in the top of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox had a 6-2 lead and the Rangers starter out in the third inning yet still found a way to lose. The Rangers bullpen essentially tossed 9 2/3 scoreless innings. The Sox would have only needed 4 to have won the game. Hats off to the Rangers for pulling that off but that's terrible offense by the Sox to not score a single run after Kevin Brown was out of the game. Its not like the Rangers are known for their bullpen like the Oakland A's or New York Mets. Its been a bad month for the Sox as the Texas Rangers have been finding ways to win and the Sox finding ways to lose. Once again, give credit to the Rangers for not quitting when they lost their starter in the third inning. The Sox look to bounce back later tonight as it turns out when Wes Gardner (0-1) takes on Charlie Hough of the Rangers at 10:35 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Dopson, Sox Beat Orioles (4/14/89)

When the Boston Red Sox lost an angry Bruce Hurst to free agency, they needed to replace him big time. The Sox took a chance by trading for power-armed yet often injured John Dopson (2-0. 2.09 ERA). So far that trade has worked out. Dopson almost pitched 8 innings, allowing just 2 earned runs to earn his second win of the season. The Boston bats came alive to knock around Baltimore Orioles starter Dave Schmidt, led by Dwight Evans with 3 rbis. Dopson tired in the eighth inning and Bob Stanley came in to slam the door the rest of the way. The Sox had beaten the Orioles 7-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Laurie Wood approves of the win

The O's wasted no time getting to Dopson in the top of the first inning as old pal Brady Anderson lined out to right to start. Phil Bradley hit a home run all the way to Aruba to put Baltimore on top but Joe Orsulak grounded out to second. Cal Ripken Jr walked but Larry Sheets struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's ahead 1-0.

                                                          Bradley hits one out

Schmidt cruised in the top of the first as Wade Boggs led off with a lineout to right. Marty Barrett grounded out to short and Ellis Burks flied out to center to end the inning.

Dopson cruised in the top of the second as Mickey Tettleton struck out swinging to start. Jim Traber grounded back to the mound and Craig Worthington struck out swinging to end the inning. Mike Greenwell flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Jim Rice took first on a throwing error by Worthington. Dwight Evans lined out to left and Nick Esasky flied out to center to end the inning.

Rene Gonzales took strike three to begin the top of the third before Anderson grounded out to first. Bradley flied out to center to end the inning. Rich Gedman grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Jody Reed flied out to left. Boggs walked but Barrett forced him at second to end the inning.

Orsulak took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Ripken Jr grounded out to third. Sheets grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Burks beat a roller to third to start. Greenwell blooped a single to center but Rice popped up to shallow center. Evans hit a grounder in the hole at short to score Burks and Dwight was credited with a "double". Esasky grounded out to short to score Greenwell but Gedman popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                          Evans puts the Sox on top

The O's fought back in the top of the fifth as Tettleton popped up to third to start. Traber walked and Worthington doubled him home to tie the game. Gonzales popped up to shallow left and Anderson struck out swinging to end the inning. Reed popped up to third to begin the bottom of the fifth but Boggs doubled to left. Barrett and Burks both flied out to left to end the inning.

Bradley struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth before Orsulak grounded out to second. Ripken Jr walked but Sheets took strike three to end the inning. The Sox broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth as Greenwell and Rice stroked back to back base hits to start. Evans singled home Greenwell and took second on the Esasky grounder to the mound. Gedman scored Rice with a sac fly and Reed walked to chase Schmidt. Mark Thurmond came in and got Boggs to ground out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Evans drives in another run

Dopson cruised in the top of the seventh as Tettleton flied out to right to begin. Traber struck out swinging and Worthington flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Barrett and Burks both singled to right to start. Greenwell singled to center to score Barrett and Rice singled to right to score Burks although Jim got thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Evans ripped a base hit to right to score Greenwell but Esasky grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                              Rice drives in a run

Mike Devereaux pinch hit for Gonzales to start the top of the eighth and grounded out to third to start. Anderson grounded out to second but the wheels fell off for Dopson. Bradley walked, Orsulak hit a ground rule double to right and Bradley scored on a passed ball by Gedman. Ripken Jr hit a routine grounder to first and Esasky did a cannonball on the ball for an error to score Orsulak. That was it for Dopson as Bob Stanley came in to pitch. Sheets grounded out to second to end the inning. Dopson was victimized by bad defense but went 7 2/3 gutty innings, allowing 4 runs.

                                                          Dopson gets it done

Billy Ripken took over for Devereaux to begin the bottom of the eighth and Gedman popped up to third in foul territory to start. Reed and Boggs both flied out to center to end the inning. Stanley came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Tettleton grounded out to first to start. Traber lined out to left and Worthington grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-4.

Hero of the Night is Dwight Evans. He went 3 for 4 and drove in 3 big runs.

                                                           Dwight Hero

The Good:

Ellis Burks was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Mike Greenwell was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 3 runs scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

John Dopson earned the win by allowing 2 earned runs (4 total) in 7 2/3 innings.

Bob Stanley earned the save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Nick Esasky was 0 for 4 with an error but drove in a run.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Jody Reed was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

It would be unfair to expect Dopson to be as good as Bruce Hurst was but the Sox are going to need him to be if they hope to repeat as AL East champions. The Sox offense was bolstered with Nick Esasky in the off-season but they need Dopson big time with Hurst gone. The offense was rolling today and hopefully they can ride this momentum to have a good month. The Sox stumbled out of the gate but hopefully a win like this could be the start of something good. Stanley slammed the door in tonight's game and the addition of Rob Murphy can only help Stanley as he turns 35 this coming November. All in all it was a good win and the Sox will look for another one tomorrow afternoon against Baltimore. Mike Boddicker (1-0) takes on Jeff Ballard of the O's at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

O's Walkoff on Sox in 11 on Opening Day (4/3/89)

Well that sucked. The defending American League East champion Boston Red Sox got off on the wrong foot to begin the 1989 season. After rallying in the 7th inning, the Sox pushed the Baltimore Orioles to 11 innings. Closer Lee Smith got hurt warming up and Sox manager Joe Morgan put out a 5 man infield in the bottom of the eleventh, but Mike Smithson gave up the winning hit to Craig Worthington on a missed catch by Rice to give the O's the 5-4 victory at Memorial Stadium.

Dave Schmidt got the start for Baltimore and Wade Boggs began the season by grounding back to the mound. Marty Barrett grounded out to third and Dwight Evans popped up to second to end the inning. Sox ace Roger Clemens got the start for the Sox and old friend Brady Anderson grounded out to first to start. Phil Bradley looked at strike three before Steve Finley flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the second as Mike Greenwell popped up to second to start. Ellis Burks whiffed before Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. Clemens matched Schmidt in the bottom of the second as Cal Ripken Jr whiffed to start. Larry Sheets grounded into a shift in right before Mickey Tettleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Nick Esasky made his Sox debut by flying out to right to open the top of the third before Rich Gedman waived at strike three. Jody Reed lined out to short to end the inning. Clemens blew away Jim Traber to start the bottom of the fourth but Craig Worthington singled. The alert Gedman gunned down Craig trying to steal before Rene Gonzales lined out to right to end the inning.

Tragedy struck the Orioles in the top of the fourth when Finley hurt himself on a base hit to right by Boggs. Joe Orsulak replaced him as Boggs was erased on the force by Barrett. Evans and Greenwell both flied out to center to end the inning. The Orioles struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning. Anderson walked but Bradley whiffed. Anderson swiped second and scored on the Orsulak base hit. Ripken Jr banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 1-0 Baltimore.

                                               Comes off the bench to give the O's the lead

The Sox failed to answer in the top of the fifth as Burks grounded out to third to start. Rice beat out an infield single to short and Esasky walked, but Gedman whiffed and Reed lined out to left to end the inning. Clemens held the fort in the bottom of the fifth although Sheets singled to right to begin.  Tettleton walked but Traber popped up to third. Worthington flied out to right before Gonzales grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Boggs doubled to right to start. Barrett dropped down a bunt to move Wade to third and Evans doubled home Boggs to tie the game. Greenwell put the exclamation point on the inning with a 2 run jack to give the Sox the lead. Burks flied out to left and Rice popped up to third but it was 3-1 Red Sox.

                                                            Greenwell puts the Sox on top

The O's roared back in the bottom of the sixth as Anderson doubled to begin the frame. Bradley walked and both runners moved over on the groundout by Orsulak. Ripken Jr then smashed a 3 run bomb to give the O's the lead back. Sheets grounded out to first and Tettleton grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 4-3 O's.

                                                  Ripken goes yard

The Sox refused to go quietly in the top of the seventh inning as Esasky doubled to left to start. Gedman moved Esasky to third with a grounder back to the mound and Reed chased Schmidt with a base hit to score Nick with the tying run. Kevin Hickey came in and a passed ball moved Reed to second before Boggs grounded out to short. Brian Holton came in and got Barrett to ground out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                         Reed ties it up

Clemens came back for the bottom of the seventh and cruised. Traber singled to left but Worthington banged into a double play. Gonzales grounded out to short to end the inning.

Evans whiffed to open the top of the eighth but Greenwell singled and stole second. Burks grounded out to third before Rice flied out to left to end the inning. For some reason Joe Morgan felt he could squeeze one more inning out of Clemens but he was quickly chased with a double by Anderson. Closer Lee Smith limped into the game after pulling a groin while warming up but managed to get Bradley to ground out to second. Orsulak and Ripken Jr both whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to strike in the top of the ninth when Esasky singled but he was thrown out at second trying to steal. Gedman popped up to second and Reed looked at strike three to end the inning. Rob Murphy made a mad dash to the mound from the bullpen to replace the injured Smith in the bottom of the ninth. Sheets whiffed but Tettleton singled to right. Bob Stanley replaced Murphy and Rob sprinted into the dugout with Randy Milligan pinch hitting for Traber. Milligan singled Tettleton to third but Worthington grounded out in front of the plate. Milligan moved into scoring position but Gonzales grounded out to third to end the inning. On to extras we went on Opening Day.

Boggs drew a walk to open the top of the tenth and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Barrett. The bunt backfired as Evans flied out to center. Greenwell was intentionally walked and Burks flied out to right to end the inning. Stanley returned for the bottom of the tenth and allowed a single to Anderson to start. Bradley sacrificed him to second on a bunt but Orsulak flied out to center. Ripken Jr flied out to right to end the inning.

Rice popped up to short to open the top of the eleventh before Esasky flied out to left. Gedman singled to center but Reed grounded into a force to end the inning. The O's finally won it in the bottom of the eleventh although Stanley retired Sheets on a fly ball to center. Tettleton walked and Milligan singled him to third before Mike Smithson was brought in to pitch to Worthington. Sox manager Joe Morgan brought in Greenwell to be a fifth infielder but Worthington blooped one to left. Rice dove.....and missed the ball. Tettleton came around to score and the O's had walked off with the win 5-4.

                                                                   Dammit

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Bob Stanley. He put the winning runs on and took the loss.

                                                       Stanley The Jackass



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a walk, stolen base and a two run home run.

Nick Esasky was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Lee Smith pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Rob Murphy retired one of the two men he faced.



The Bad:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 3.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Smithson gave up the winning single to Worthington



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Jody Reed was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Roger Clemens was as average as it got. He allowed 4 runs in 7 innings of work to take the no-decision. He struck out just 4 and gave up 7 hits.




Final Thoughts:

Well that was a kick in the ass. Losing Smith was bad enough but losing the game like that just adds to the frustration. The Sox had their chances but couldn't get a clutch hit so it was only a matter of time before Baltimore put them away. The Sox rolled the dice by trading Todd Benzinger to get Esasky and Murphy and we'll see if both will help. The one the Sox are going to miss this season will be Bruce Hurst. The dependable lefty was very upset about the Margo Adams scandal which is why he's in San Diego now. John Dopson has huge shoes to fill as his replacement. The Sox look to bounce back Wednesday evening with Mike Boddicker making his season debut opposite Jose Bautista at 7:00 PM at Memorial Stadium.

A's Pound Boddicker, Sox Bullpen To Win Game 3 (10/8/88)

So much for the 1988 Boston Red Sox. Morgan Magic is about to come crashing down at the hands of the seemingly unbeatable Oakland A's. After the A's squeaked out two late inning wins in Boston, the A's broke the Sox in half in their return home to Oakland. The Sox jumped out to a 5-0 lead when they knocked A's starter Bob Welch out in the second inning. The lead didn't last as big trade deadline acquisition Mike Boddicker was shelled for 6 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Wes Gardner and Bob Stanley were both hammered as well as the A's pounded out 15 hits and 10 runs to move one win away from the World Series with a 10-6 victory at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                          Sad Sox

The Sox did manage to strike first against Welch in the top of the first inning. Ellis Burks lined a base hit up the middle to start and moved to second on a balk. Marty Barrett dumped a single to right to put runners at the corners and Wade Boggs dropped a base hit into left to score Burks to give the Sox the lead. Mike Greenwell doubled past the stumbled Stan Javier to score both Barrett and Boggs to increase the lead. Greenwell moved to third on the grounder by Jim Rice before Dwight Evans and Rich Gedman drew back to back walks to load the bases. The Sox had Welch on the ropes but let him off as Jody Reed lined out to shallow left so nobody advanced. Todd Benzinger flied out to the left field wall to end the inning and the Sox led 3-0, but it could have been better.

                                                        Sox go up 3-0 early

Boddicker got in trouble in the bottom of the first as Carney Lansford singled in the hole at short to start. Lansford was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Rich Gedman but Dave Henderson hit a chopper under Jody Reed for a base hit. Jose Canseco drew a walk and Dave Parker hit a grounder to Benzinger who made a great stab for the out. BUT WAIT! Canseco tried to run all the way to third not knowing Benzinger had the ball and Todd chased him to initiate a run-down. Todd fired to Reed and Jody noticed Henderson was coming home so he threw to Gedman. Rich fired to Boggs to tag out Henderson to end the inning.

                                                            YERRR OUT!

The Sox pounded on Welch in the top of the second inning as Burks doubled down the left field line and moved to third on the sacrifice bunt by Barrett. Boggs scored Burks with a sac fly and Greenwell pounded a home run to right to increase the lead. A's manager Tony LaRussa stopped the bleeding by bringing in Gene Nelson to replace the ineffective Welch. Rice flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox led 5-0.

                                                        Happy Sox dugout

The A's roared back in the bottom of the second as Mark McGwire pounded a home run to left to put Oakland on the board. Ron Hassey lined a hanging curve up the middle for a base hit but Barrett dropped a double play ball. He got Hassey at second on the force but Javier made it to first on the force. Javier was forced at second and his takeout slide prevented Barrett from throwing out Mike Gallego at first. Walt Weiss made the Sox pay with a double to center to score Gallego with another run. Lansford put the exclamation point on the rally with a home run to left. Henderson took strike three to end the inning but the A's closed the gap in the hurry with the Sox only ahead 5-4.

                                                       Dammit Boddicker!

Evans led off the top of the third by flying out to the centerfield warning track before Gedman hit a seeing eye single up the middle. Reed got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners but Benzinger banged into a double play to end the inning. The A's finished off Boddicker in the bottom of the third although Canseco popped up to first tostart. Parker took strike three but McGwire hit an infield single to short and Hassey launched a 2 run bomb to give the A's the lead. Sox manager Joe Morgan came out to get Boddicker out of there. Boddicker was a godsend at the trade deadline to get the Sox to October but he was shelled for 6 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Wes Gardner came in and got Javier to ground out to second to end the inning but the A's led 6-5.

                                          Trade deadline hero, October failure

The Sox failed to answer in the top of the fourth as Burks popped up to first to start. Barrett popped up to third but Boggs slapped a single to right. Greenwell lined out to right to end the inning. Gardner did what he could in the bottom of the fourth as Gallego dropped a base hit to right to start. Weiss lined out to a running Greenwell, Lansford popped up to right and Henderson went down swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a chance to get back in the game in the top of the fifth as Rice grounded out to third to start. Evans walked and Gedman singled him to third, but Reed hit a double play ball to short. Gedman slid hard at second and Reed beat out the throw to score Evans to tie the game....but wait! Second base umpire Ken Kaiser felt Gedman slid too hard into second and called Reed out on interference. Sox manager Joe Morgan bolted out of the dugout and screamed at Kaiser but to no avail, the Sox were robbed of a tie game and the inning was over. Bruce Hurst had to be restrained in the dugout from attacking Kaiser and was thrown out of the game. What a mess.

                                "Kaiser I'VE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH YOU!"- Morgan

Naturally the A's capitalized on the break in the bottom of the fifth. Canseco popped up to center to start before Parker took strike three. McGwire lashed a base hit to right and Hassey hit a double off the left field wall to score McGwire. Javier was intentionally walked but Gallego took strike three to end the inning with the A's ahead 7-5.

                                                 The score gets worse

Curt Young came in to pitch the top of the sixth and cruised. Benzinger went down hacking before Burks struck out swinging as well. Barrett grounded out to short to end the inning. Gardner returned for the bottom of the sixth and Weiss grounded out to second to start. Gallego grounded out to third and Henderson went down swinging to end the inning.

The Sox finally came to life in the top of the seventh as Boggs led off with a base hit to left that Henderson ran over from center to field, but he muffed the ball. Boggs dove into second safe on the error but Greenwell flied out to center. Eric Plunk was brought in to face Rice and Jim watched strike three go by. Evans got a base hit to right to score Boggs and cut the lead. How big was that interference double play now? Rick Honeycutt came in and got a big play by McGwire to rob Gedman of a hit to end the inning with the Sox down 7-6.

                                                 Boggs scores a run

Once again when the Sox inched closer, Oakland went further ahead in the bottom of the seventh. Gardner did manage to strike out Canseco swinging. Parker inside outed a double down the left field line but McGwire went down hacking. Hassey was intentionally walked and Javier singled up the middle to score Parker and increase the lead. Gallego whiffed to end the inning but it was 8-6 Oakland.

                                                       A's score another run

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the eighth when Reed walked to start. A's manager Tony La Russa took no chances and brought in closer Dennis Eckersley for the six out save. Larry Parrish pinch hit for Benzinger and swung for the fences, but missed for strike three. Burks forced Reed at second and Barrett flied out to center to end the inning. The A's iced it in the bottom of the eighth as Weiss took strike three to start. Lansford singled to center to chase Gardner. Bob Stanley was brought in and none other than old pal Dave Henderson hit the killshot with a 2 run blast to left. Canseco hit a 400 foot out to dead center and Parker grounded out to first to end the inning but it was now 10-6 Oakland.

                                               Henderson does it again

Eck returned to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Boggs lined out to a jumping Javier in left, McGwire made a great diving stab to rob Greenwell of a hit and Rice whiffed to end the game. The A's were on the verge of a sweep with a 10-6 win in Game 3.

                                                     Final score


Jackass of the Night is Wes Gardner. Had he not surrendered 3 runs, the Sox may have had a chance to win.

                                                    Jackass Gardner


The Good:

Ellis Burks was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Wade Boggs was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis, a run scored and a home run.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 with a walk.



The Bad:

Jim Rice was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Todd Benzinger was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Larry Parrish was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Mike Boddicker got shelled for 6 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.

Bob Stanley allowed a 2 run home run in the eighth inning.



The Ugly:

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

As the season comes crashing down, its not only the way the A's are winning but every break imaginable has gone their way. The interference call on Gedman, what happened at Fenway and so on. You have to be lucky as well as good and that's why the A's are on their way to the World Series. The Sox would have to become the first team in ML history to win four straight, yeah, that's not happening. Now the Sox do have Bruce Hurst going in Game 4 and Roger Clemens in Game 5 if it gets that far so the series is not over yet. Still, if the Sox couldn't get it done so far...how the hell can they come back and win 4 straight? It's even worse then you consider how hard the Sox worked to get to October. They were a game under .500 and John McNamara was sent packing. All of a sudden Joe Morgan came in and the Sox rode the wave to October. Mike Boddicker was the big pick up they needed but he failed big time today. The Sox have one game left to save their season tomorrow afternoon as they send Hurst to the mound opposite Dave Stewart at 3:00 PM Eastern Time at Oakland Coliseum.