Sox Bash Angels For Fifth Straight Win (5/1/94)

It was good news all around as the Boston Bruins won Game 1 of their NHL second round series against the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Red Sox swept the California Angels for their fifth straight win. The Boston bats pounded Brian Anderson and the California bullpen for 16 hits and ten runs, most of the damage coming from a seven run rally in the third inning. Lee Tinsley, Mo Vaughn and Tim Naehring all had 3 hits apiece with Mo scoring three runs as well. On the other side of the ball, Joe Hesketh (1-1, 3.63 ERA) dominated the Angels with seven shutout innings, holding the Angels to just 5 hits. It was a total domination by the red hot Sox as they plastered the Angels 10-1 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                              Ray Bourque and Jon Casey approve of the win

Anderson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Otis Nixon grounded out to first to start. Billy Hatcher flied out to left and Mike Greenwell also flied out to left to end the inning. Hesketh got the ball in the bottom of the first and Damion Easley struck out swinging on a high slider to start. Chad Curtis blooped a base hit to right but Tim Salmon was rung up for strike three by first base umpire Larry Young. Curtis stole second but Chili Davis struck out swinging on a nasty slider to end the inning.

Andre Dawson struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Mo Vaughn grounded a base hit up the middle. Tim Naehring got a base hit to right on a hit and run to move Vaughn to third. Scott Cooper hit a sac fly to right to score Vaughn and Dave Valle blooped a base hit just over the head over Gary DiSarcina. Scott Fletcher struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                            Vaughn scores a run

Apparently Nixon got hurt running to first in the first inning so Lee Tinsley took his place in center for the bottom of the second. Bo Jackson struck out swinging on another slider but Eduardo Perez got a seeing eye single up the middle. Chris Turner forced Perez at second but Rex Hudler also got a base hit to center. ESPN analyst Jon Miller claimed Billerica native Gary DiSarcina took the number 33 in honor of Larry Bird and he struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the third as Tinsley hit a 404 foot double off the wall in center to start. Lee took third on a passed ball and scored on the Hatcher base hit to left. Greenwell got a base hit to center and Hatcher moved to third on the Dawson fly ball to left. Vaughn was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Naehring drilled a base hit to center to score Hatcher but nobody else advanced for some reason. Cooper hit a double play ball to Perez who flipped to DiSarcina, but Gary threw the ball away for an error to score Greenwell and Vaughn. Valle walked and Fletcher dumped a base hit to left to score Cooper. That was it for Brian Anderson as Scott Lewis came in to pitch to Tinsley. Lee got a broken bat single in the hole at short to load the bases and Hatcher got a base hit to center. Valle and Fletcher scored on the hit but Greenwell grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.

                                                               What a massacre

Easley flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Jon Miller started singing "Woomp, down and in! Woomp, down and in!" Tinsley made a sliding catch to rob Curtis of a hit and Salmon flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox got another one in the top of the fourth as Dawson flied out to center to start. Vaughn doubled down the left field line and Naehring drilled a double to the right field wall to score Mo. Cooper got a base hit to right but Tim stopped at third. Valle grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-0.

                                                 Naehring drives in a run

Davis got a broken bat base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Tinsley made another sliding catch to rob Jackson of a base hit. Perez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Fletcher grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Tinsley flied out to left. Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning. Turner hit a routine grounder to Hesketh to start the bottom of the fifth and not only did Joe boot it, he threw it wide for an error. Hudler grounded into a double play and DiSarcina grounded out to third to end the inning.

Old friends Spike Owen came in for Easley and John Dopson came in to pitch the top of the sixth. Greenwell grounded out to first to start before Dawson struck out swinging. Vaughn also went down hacking to end the inning. Bob Zupcic took over for Greenwell for the bottom of the sixth and Owen flied out to center to start. ESPN showed a hilarious interview with Eduardo Perez (Tony's son) saying Joe Morgan's glove was too small for even him when he was six years old. Curtis grounded out to short and Salmon struck out swinging on an 86 mph fastball to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Naehring flied out to center to start. Cooper drilled a base hit to center and Valle walked before Fletcher beat out a double play ball. Tinsley got a base hit up the middle to score Cooper then took second on the throw home. Hatcher grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 10-0.

                                                             Heads up play by Tinsley

Hesketh returned for the bottom of the seventh as Davis doubled over the head of Zupcic to start. Jackson grounded out to third and Jon Miller told a hilarious story of Hesketh getting called for a balk in his ML debut in 1984 before even throwing a pitch. Then in 1985, Hesketh, with the Expos at the time, pitched a complete game shutout against Nolan Ryan and the Houston Astros while the newspaper headline read "Expos Win, Ryan Strikes out 15". Perez walked, Turner popped up to third and Hudler grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Hesketh who tossed 7 innings of shutout ball allowing just 5 hits and a walk.

                                                        Good work by Hesketh

Joe Grahe took over on the mound in the top of the eighth and Zupcic lined out to first. Rich Rowland pinch hit for Dawson and took strike three before Vaughn hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Naehring grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Angels got on the board in the bottom of the eighth against Paul Quantrill as DiSarcina grounded out to short to begin. Owen got a base hit to left then moved to second on a grounder to second by Curtis. Salmon ripped a base hit to left to score Owen. Davis grounded out to second to end the inning with the Angels down 10-1.

                                                            There goes the shutout

Cooper grounded out to second to start the top of the ninth before Valle took strike three. Fletcher grounded out to third to end the inning. Quantrill came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Jackson grounded out to short to start. Perez grounded out to third and Turner flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-1.

                                                                  Sox win

Hero of The Night is Joe Hesketh. He threw 7 shutout innings allowing 5 hits and a walk while striking out six

                                                           Hero Hesketh

The Good:

Mo Vaughn was 3 for 4 with a hit by pitch and 3 runs scored.

Lee Tinsley was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Billy Hatcher was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Dave Valle was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

The Bad:

Otis Nixon was 0 for 1 before leaving the game.

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 1.

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rich Rowland struck out in his only at-bat.

The Ugly:

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

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Paul Quantrill allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

It doesn't get much better if you're a Red Sox fan. The Sox have been red hot on both sides of the ball, mainly the pitching. The last five games Aaron Sele, Roger Clemens, Frank Viola. Joe Hesketh and Danny Darwin all held their opponents to just 1 run. Obviously that hot streak isn't going to last but its the main reason the Sox are in first place right now. Its too bad Otis Nixon had to leave the game but Lee Tinsley filled in admirably. The Sox put this one away early and cruised the rest of the way. What more can be said about the offense other than hope it lasts. Vaughn, Naehring, Greenwell, etc are red hot and could be a contender if this keeps up. The only low point was Bob Zupcic being put in for defense and couldn't make two plays, he might be gone pretty soon if Sox brass want to give Greg Blosser another chance. All in all it was a good win and the Sox are rolling. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox look now travel to Seattle for a two game set with the Mariners, gunning for their sixth straight win. Frank Viola goes for the Sox up against Dave Fleming of the Mariners. The game begins Tuesday night at 10:05 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

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.

Viola Outduels Darling, Sox Win (4/27/94)

It was good news all around as the Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Oakland A's. 13 years ago in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Ron Darling of Yale University tossed 11 no-hit innings but lost in 12 innings to St. John's University. The opposing pitcher? Frank Viola (1-1, 4.45) took the mound for St. John's. 13 years later the two old horses hooked up one more time with a similar final score. Darling pitched a complete game 5 hitter allowing just 1 run in a brilliant start....and lost. Viola stepped up with 6 shutout innings but needed help from the bullpen. Scott Bankhead pitched two scoreless innings and Jeff Russell slammed the door in the ninth inning. Scott Cooper scored the only run of the game for Boston as they defeated the A's 1-0 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                      The Bruins approve of the win

Darling got the ball in the top of the first inning and Otis Nixon flied out to center to start. Billy Hatcher took strike three and Mike Greenwell flied out to right to end the inning. Viola got the ball in the bottom of the first and Stan Javier flied out to right to start. Mike Bordick popped up to right and Geronimo Berroa struck out swinging to end the inning.

Andre Dawson popped up to second to start the top of the second and Mo Vaughn flied out to left. Tim Naehring lined out to left to end the inning. Ruben Sierra walked to start the bottom of the second before Troy Neel grounded into a double play. Terry Steinbach walked but Scott Brosius popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Scott Cooper got a base hit to left to start. John Valentin took strike three but Dave Valle was hit with a pitch. Nixon walked to load the bases and Hatcher grounded out to third, but Cooper scored to put the Sox ahead. Greenwell grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                          Hatcher drives in a run

Junior Noboa grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the third and Scott Hemond flied out to left. Javier walked and Bordick popped up to short to end the inning. 

Dawson grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth but Vaughn drew a walk. Naehring grounded into a double play to end the inning. Berroa walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Sierra popped up to first. Neel doubled to center and Steinbach hit a ball to right, Hatcher throwing out Berroa at the plate to end the inning.

Cooper singled to right to start the top of the fifth before Valentin lined out to center. Valle took strike three but Nixon singled to right. Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning. Brosius grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth before Noboa got a base hit to left. Hemond grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Greenwell popped up to short to open the top of the sixth and Dawson grounded out to short. Vaughn whiffed to end the inning. Viola came back for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and Javier walked to start. Bordick grounded into a double play and Berroa lined out to short to end the inning. Viola tossed six shutout innings allowing 2 hits and 5 walks.

                                                               Good work Frank

Naehring singled to center to start the top of the seventh but Cooper flied out to left. Valentin grounded into a double play to end the inning. Scott Bankhead came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Sierra struck out swinging to begin. Neel flied out to center and Steinbach flied out to right to end the inning.

Valle struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth and Nixon flied out to left. Hatcher grounded out to short to end the inning. Mike Brumley pinch hit for Brosius to start the bottom of the eighth and popped up to short to start. Noboa struck out swinging and Hemond flied out to right to end the inning.

Greenwell beat out a roller to short to start the top of the ninth and promptly stole second. Dawson took strike three and Vaughn was intentionally walked to get to Naehring. Tim grounded into a double play to end the inning. Jeff Russell came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Javier grounded out to third to start. Mike Aldrete pinch hit for Bordick and walked, but Berroa flied out to left. John Briscoe pinch ran for Aldrete but Sierra flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 1-0.

Hero of The Night is Frank Viola. He held the A's scoreless for six innings to earn the win. He allowed 2 hits and 5 walks.

                                                                 Hero Viola

The Good:

Otis Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mo Vaughn walked twice in four plate appearances.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Scott Bankhead tossed two scoreless innings.

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

The Bad:

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in the only run.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.

Tim Naehring was just 1 for 4.

Dave Valle was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Final Thoughts:

The bats didn't really do much in this one but Viola and the bullpen bailed them out this time. That was one of Darling's best games he ever pitched and the Sox survived. The Sox are slumping a bit offensively in the last week but they were on a hot streak for a while. Still, the pitching has held up with a big win by Viola in the rematch of the 81 NCAA playoff game. Scott Bankhead is having a hell of an April and Russell was solid again. Cooper got a couple of hits and that's about it for highlights for this one. The Sox are winning games with offense and pitching this month and hopefully this will continue throughout the season. Relying on aging starters is a big risk but so far it has been working. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Oakland tomorrow afternoon when Danny Darwin (2-1) goes for Boston against Todd Van Poppel of the A's. The game begins at 4:00 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Mariners Walkoff Red Sox in 10 Innings (4/26/94)

What a way to lose a game if you're the Boston Red Sox. The Sox dropped their second straight game to Seattle after they jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Chris Bosio courtesy of an Andre Dawson two run home run. Mike Greenwell added another run but the Mariners mounted their comeback against Joe Hesketh. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Paul Quantrill gave up a game tying two run double to pinch hitter Reggie Jefferson. The Sox bats fell asleep and didn't touch Bosio or Bobby Ayala the rest of the way. The Mariners loaded the bases against Greg Harris (1-2, 4.02 ERA) and Torey Lovullo hit a grounder to Greg, failing to get anyone out to score the winning run. The Mariners had walked off the Sox 4-3 at the Kingdome.

                                                  "That damn Harris blew another one!"

Bosio got the ball in the top of the first and Otis Nixon took strike three to start. Billy Hatcher grounded out to short but Mike Greenwell walked. Andre Dawson pounded his fifth home run of the season to put Boston on top and Mo Vaughn drew a walk. Mo was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                     Home run Dawson

Hesketh got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brian Turang struck out swinging to start. Rich Amaral grounded out to second and Ken Griffey Jr grounded out to first to end the inning.

John Valentin grounded out to third to open the top of the second and Scott Cooper grounded out to short. Damon Berryhill got a base hit to right but Scott Fletcher flied out to center to end the inning. Jay Buhner walked to begin the bottom of the second and Greg Perkl popped up to right in foul territory. Mike Blowers singled to right but Tino Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third although Nixon doubled to left to start. Hatcher dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Nixon to third and Otis scored on the Greenwell grounder to short. Dawson flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                                 RBI for Greenwell

Dan Wilson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the third and Felix Fermin popped up to short. Turang grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Vaughn struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Valentin grounded out to third. Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. The Mariners struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Amaral flied out to center to start. Griffey Jr singled in the hole at short but Buhner flied out to right. Perkl doubled to right to score Griffey but Blowers grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mariners down 2-1.

                                                                Griffey scores a run

Berryhill got a base hit to right to begin the top of the fifth but Fletcher banged into a double play. Nixon grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Martinez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Wilson grounded out to short. Fermin grounded back to Hesketh to end the inning.

Hatcher grounded out to third to open the top of the sixth and Greenwell flied out to center. Dawson also flied out to center to end the inning. The Mariners tied it in the bottom of the sixth as Turang struck out swinging to start. Amaral doubled to center but Junior took strike three. All of a sudden Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out of the dugout and wobbled to the mound to take the ball from Hesketh, only problem was he forgot to tell the bullpen to get Paul Quantrill ready. Hesketh went 5 2/3 innings and would be charged with two runs. Quantrill came in ice cold and walked Buhner before Mariners manager Lou Piniella pinch hit Reggie Jefferson for Perkl. Jefferson doubled to center to score both runners to tie the game. Blowers grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                     "Hobson you idiot!" - Hesketh

Vaughn lined out to left to start the top of the seventh and Valentin grounded out to third. Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. Martinez got a seeing eye single into left to begin the bottom of the seventh then was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Wilson. Fermin grounded back to the mound and that was it for Quantrill. Ken Ryan came in to face pinch hitter Darren Bragg (for Turant) and struck him out swinging to end the inning.

Amaral booted a grounder by Berryhill for an error to start the top of the eighth and Bob Zupcic ran for Damon. Fletcher dropped down a bunt to move Zupcic to third but Nixon struck out swinging. Hatcher grounded out to third to end the inning. Dave Valle took over behind the plate to start the bottom of the eighth and Amaral got a base hit to left. Tony Fossas was brought in to face Griffey Jr and got him to ground out to second to move Amaral over. Greg Harris came in to face Buhner and Jay grounded out to third. Jefferson was intentionally walked and Torey Lovullo pinch hit for Blowers. Lovullo grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bobby Ayala came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Dawson struck out swinging and Vaughn grounded out to short to end the inning. Martinez flied out to center to start the bottom of the ninth but Wilson singled to center. Fermin flied out to center and Eric Anthony pinch hit for Bragg. Wilson stole second but Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning.

Valentin struck out swinging to begin the top of the tenth and Cooper went down hacking as well. Valle flied out to left to end the inning. The end came in the bottom of the tenth as Amaral doubled to left to start. With Fossas gone, Hobson had no choice but to intentionally walk Griffey Jr. Buhner dropped down a bunt to move the runners over and Buhner was intentionally walked to load the bases. Lovullo hit a roller to Harris who fired home......safe! Amaral scored and the Mariners had won it 4-3 in 10 innings.

Jackass of The Night is Greg Harris. He fell apart in the bottom of the tenth to take the loss

                                                            Jackass Harris

The Good:

Damon Berryhill was 2 for 3.

The Bad:

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 3.

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dave Valle was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Joe Hesketh pitched well, allowing just 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 4 hits and a walk while striking out four.

Ken Ryan got the final batter of the seventh inning.

Tony Fossas retired the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

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

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Paul Quantrill allowed a run in a full inning of work.

Honorable Mention:

Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Berryhill.

Final Thoughts:

That loss was a sucker punch to the go-nads. They had the game won but Hobson outsmarted himself. Hesketh had only thrown 75 pitches, had he got one more out the Sox would have had a two run lead with three innings to go. The Nixon strike out with Zupcic at third was also a killer. Had they got that run in, the Sox also could have won. They didn't....and that was a tough loss to take. The Mariners aren't that good this year but the Sox couldn't get it done. Hopefully Hobson learns his lesson and leaves Hesketh in to finish an inning at just 75 pitches next time. The Sox were having a great month but now they've lost two in a row to a bad team. Hopefully this doesn't turn into a losing streak because we all know what happened last year. The Sox continue their road trip tomorrow night when they head out to Oakland to face the struggling A's. In a rematch of their 1981 NCAA Tournament showdown, Ron Darling of the A's goes one on one with Frank Viola (0-1) at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Johnson Outduels Clemens, Sox (4/25/94)

It was bad news all around as the Boston Bruins lost Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Red Sox were beaten by the Seattle Mariners. Randy Johnson spun a beauty, hurling a complete game 5 hitter against the formerly red hot Boston bats. Sox ace Roger Clemens (2-1, 3.63 ERA) was mortal in this one although his defense let him down. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the third on back to back errors by Clemens and Dave Valle but Andre Dawson answered with a home run in the fourth. Ken Griffey Jr hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth but Scott Fletcher of all people took Johnson deep in the sixth. The Mariners got a big insurance run against Tony Fossas in the bottom of the eighth and Johnson slammed the door in the ninth. It all added up to the Mariners beating the Sox 4-2 at the Kingdome.

Johnson got the ball in the top of the first and Scott Fletcher took strike three to start. Billy Hatcher singled to left but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Tim Naehring struck out swinging to end the inning. Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rich Amaral grounded out to short to start. Reggie Jefferson grounded out to first but Ken Griffey Jr got a base hit to left. Jay Buhner flied out to center to end the inning.

Andre Dawson grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Mo Vaughn struck out swinging. John Valentin hit a triple to center and Dave Valle drew a walk.....but Bob Zupcic struck out swinging to end the inning. Eric Anthony singled in the hole at short to begin the bottom of the second but got picked off. Tino Martinez walked and Torey Lovullo doubled to right before Mike Blowers walked to load the bases. Dan Wilson grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Lee Tinsley struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Fletcher lined out back to Johnson. Hatcher grounded out to second to end the inning. Things fell apart in the bottom of the third as Amaral singled to right and promptly stole second. Jefferson walked and Griffey beat out a roller to third to load the bases. Buhner popped up to second and Anthony hit a roller to Clemens who....spiked the ball like a football and did the funky chicken for an error to score Amaral. Martinez hit a squibber in front of the plate fielded by Valle who....also spiked it like a football and did a boogie woogie for an error to score Jefferson. Lovullo grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 2-0.

                                                    Live look at the Red Sox

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth as Naehring struck out swinging to start. Dawson clobbered his fourth home run of the season to cut the lead but Vaughn grounded back to the mound. Valentin lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                              Home run Dawson

Blowers hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the fourth before Wilson took strike three. Amaral grounded out to first to end the inning.

Valle flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Zupcic lined out to center. Tinsley took strike three to end the inning. The Mariners struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Jefferson flied out to left. Griffey Jr then hit a home run through the roof of the Kingdome to ice the game. Buhner and Anthony both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mariners up 3-1.

                                                              Junior does it again

Somehow Fletcher of all people hit his first home run of the season off Johnson to cut the lead to begin the top of the sixth. Hatcher popped up to second but Amaral threw a grounder by Naehring away for an error. Dawson grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                                   Home run Fletcher

Martinez flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Lovullo struck out swinging. Blowers took strike three to end the inning.

Vaughn grounded out to first to start the top of the seventh before Valentin was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Valle flied out to right to end the inning. Clemens returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Wilson popped up to first to start. Amaral grounded out to short and Jefferson took strike three to end the inning. Clemens pitched 7 innings but allowed 3 runs, one of them due to an error on himself.

                                                               Not his best stuff

Zupcic grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Rich Rowland pinch hit for Tinsley. Rowland struck out swinging and Fletcher singled to right. Hatcher grounded out to short to end the inning. Tony Fossas came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Griffey Jr struck out swinging to begin. Buhner doubled to center but Anthony struck out swinging. Martinez ripped a double to left to score Buhner and Lovullo was intentionally walked. Sox manager Butch Hobson ran out of the dugout screaming and chased Fossas into the bullpen while Scot Bankhead took his place on the mound. Darren Bragg pinch hit for Blowers but a wild pitch moved the runners over. Bragg was also intentionally walked and Wilson forced him at second to end the inning with the Mariners up 4-2.

                                                            Martinez adds to the misery

Johnson came back to complete the game in the top of the ninth with Felix Fermin now at short. Naehring earned the hat trick by striking out swinging before Dawson flied out to left. Vaughn grounded out to second to end the game. The Mariners had won it 4-2.

Jackass of The Night is Tony Fossas. He turned a one run game into a two run game by allowing a run in the eighth inning.

                                                                  Jackass Fossas

The Good:

Scott Fletcher was 2 for 4 with a home run.

John Valentin was 1 for 3.

Scott Bankhead got the final out of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Tim Naehring was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Lee Tinsley was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Rich Rowland struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Billy Hatcher was just 1 for 4.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Dave Valle was 0 for 2 with an error but walked.

Roger Clemens took the loss but went 7 strong innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 3 walks. His error led to two runs scoring but struck out six.

Honorable Mention:

Otis Nixon played center in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

I know the conventional thinking is to put as many right handed hitters you can against a lefty but this was ridiculous. The lineup Butch Hobson had for the past few weeks had been tearing the cover off the ball and tonight he benches Mike Greenwell, Scott Cooper and Otis Nixon. If it wasn't for the heroics of Scott Fletcher, this game might have gotten even worse. Clemens got beat by Johnson and that's a bad sign of things to come. Its been a bad sign his whole career of never being able to outpitch great pitchers, especially in October. Tony Fossas didn't get the job done although they had all sorts of lefties coming up. Still, the Sox have had an incredible month so far so hopefully this was just a minor hiccup. Hopefully Hobson learns from this and just goes with his normal guns the next time he has to face Johnson or another lefty ace. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when Joe Hesketh of the Sox takes on Chris Bosio of the Mariners. The Sox are looking to avenge last year's no-hitter at 10:00 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

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.

Darwin, Naehring Drop Angels (4/23/94)

The bad news was the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their first round NHL playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the California Angels. For the first couple weeks of the season Danny Darwin (3-1, 6.20 ERA) has looked every bit of 38 years old but today he turned back the clock for a vintage performance. He dazzled the Angels for 7 innings, allowing 3 runs and putting the Sox in position to win. Tim Naehring was the offensive star, driving in two runs including breaking a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth. Mike Greenwell hit a home run and Mo Vaughn knocked in a run as well and Darwin gave way to the returning Ken Ryan. Jeff Russell closed out the Angels in the ninth and the Sox had won the game 5-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                 The Duke of Paducah approves of the win

Darwin got the ball in the top of the first and old friend Spike Owen flied out to right to start. Dwight Smith grounded out to second and Tim Salmon flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to old pal John Dopson in the bottom of the first as Otis Nixon got a base hit to left to start. Billy Hatcher forced Otis at second but Mike Greenwell grounded out to second to move Billy to second. Tim Naehring ripped a base hit to center to score Hatcher but Mo Vaughn grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Another rbi for Naehring'

Chili Davis singled to left to start the top of the second but was doubled off first on a line drive to Scott Cooper by Eduardo Perez. Chad Curtis took strike three to end the inning. Damon Berryhill grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before John Valentin singled in the hole at short. Scott Cooper got a base hit to left but Valentin was thrown out at third. Dave Valle struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Angels struck back in the top of the third although Greg Myers took strike three to start. Harold Reynolds got a base hit to right but Gary Disarcina flied out to center. Owen doubled to right to score Reynolds and Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                   Look familiar?

The Sox answered in the bottom of the third as Nixon grounded out to short to start but Hatcher doubled to left. Greenwell then struck his fifth home run of the season to increase the lead. Naehring grounded out to third but Vaughn ripped a base hit to right. Berryhill grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                              Home run Greenwell

The Angels got another run in the top of the fourth as Salmon singled to left to start. Davis walked and Perez moved Salmon to third with a fly ball to center. Chad Curtis beat out a double play ball to score Salmon but Myers flied out to left to end the inning with the Angels down 3-2.

                                                         RBI for Curtis

Valentin singled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but took second on an error by the left fielder. Cooper moved Valentin to third with a grounder to second but Valle grounded back to the mound. Nixon took strike three to end the inning.

The Angels tied it in the top of the fifth as Reynolds lined out to second to start. Disarcina singled to right but Hatcher booted the ball for an error to move Gary to second. Owen hit a line drive to center for a hit to score Disarcina but Smith forced Spike at second. Salmon singled to right to move Smith to third but Davis flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                 Another rbi for Owen

The Sox broke the tie in the bottom of the fifth as Hatcher walked to start. Greenwell got a base hit to right and Naehring got a base hit to center to score Billy. That was it for Dopson as Craig Lefferts came in to pitch to Vaughn. Mo hit a fly ball to center and Myers dropped the throw home when Greenwell cleaned him out for another run. Myers had to leave the game and Chris Turner took over behind the plate. Berryhill hit a fly ball to center to move Naehring to third and Valentin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                              This guy's dangerous

Perez popped up to second to start the top of the sixth before Curtis lined out to second. Turner popped up to first to end the inning. Cooper grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Valle doubled to center. Nixon grounded out to second to move Valle to third but Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning.

Darwin returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh as Reynolds grounded out to first to start. Disarcina flied out to center and Owen flied out to left to send the inning. Darwin pitched well, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings off 7 hits and a walk.

                                                                 Good work Darwin

Greenwell flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh before Naehring drew a walk. Vaughn flied out to center and Berryhill took strike three to end the inning.

Ken Ryan made his season debut in the top of the eighth and Smith grounded out to short to start. Salmon and Davis both struck out swinging to end the inning. Joe Grahe came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Valentin took strike three. Cooper struck out swinging and Valle grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jeff Russell came in to close out the top of the ninth and Perez walked to start. Curtis forced Perez at second and Turner struck out swinging. Bo Jackson pinch hit for Reynolds and he too struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

Hero of The Night is Tim Naehring. He knocked in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth and the Sox held on the rest of the way.

                                                       Hero Naehring

The Good:

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

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

John Valentin was 2 for 4.

Danny Darwin tossed 7 innings while allowing just 3 runs off 7 hits and a walk.

Ken Ryan tossed a scoreless inning.

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

The Bad:

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dave Valle was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Another good win for the Sox and Tim Naehring is batting .400. Can he stay healthy for a season just once? This offense is absolutely rolling with the blend of youth and veteran mix and the pitching has held up so far. This was Darwin's best start this season and hopefully he's shaken off the early season jitters. Getting Ken Ryan back was also big as he was one of their best relievers last year for a team destined to go nowhere. To have a trio of Ryan, Russell and Paul Quantrill is going to shorten a lot of games this year. Apart from the catching situation, there's really not much to complain about this season so far. Hopefully health can hold up and the starting pitching improves. The Sox look to sweep California tomorrow afternoon when Aaron Sele (1-0) takes on Phil Leftwich of the Angels. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.