Brewers 5 run Second Sinks Sox (9/13/85)

In another ho-hum loss in a season full of them, the Boston Red Sox dropped to 3 games under .500 after being dropped by the equally mediocre Milwaukee Brewers. Tim Lollar (7-10, 4.49 ERA) got lit up for 5 runs in the second inning and the Sox could not recover. A home run by Mike Easler and rbis by Tony Armas and Wade Boggs were the only runs the Sox could push across and the Brewers took the game 6-3 at County Stadium.

                                                Dr. Gogol hates the Red Sox pitching woes

The Sox did strike first against Brewers starter Tim Leary in the top of the first inning. Dwight Evans drew a walk and Wade Boggs doubled him home but was thrown out at third trying to stretch. Bill Buckner back to the mound but Rich Gedman walked. Tony Armas struck out to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          YERRRRRR OUT!

Lollar got out of the bottom of the first okay as Mike Felder grounded out to second to start. Paul Molitor flied out to center but Billy Jo Robidoux walked. Cecil Cooper popped up to short to end the inning.

Mike Easler flied out to left to start the top of the second before Marty Barrett struck out. Rookie Mike Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning. The Brewers pounded the Sox in the bottom of the second as Randy Ready flied out to center to start. Ernie Riles struck out but Paul Householder doubled to left. Jim Gantner singled home Householder and took second on the throw. Charlie Moore singled home Gantner and Felder singled him to third. Molitor doubled home Moore and Robidoux walked to load the bases. Cooper singled home Molitor and Felder to chase the ineffective Lollar. Tim lasted just 1 2/3 innings and allowed 5 runs. Rookie Rob Woodward came in and got Ready to fly out to right to end the inning but it was 5-0 Brewers.

                                                     Terrible effort by Lollar

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Glenn Hoffman beat out an infield single to start. Evans flied out to right but Boggs singled. Buckner flied out to left and Gedman grounded out to short to end the inning. Woodward cruised in the bottom of the third as Riles grounded out to second to begin. Householder popped up to short but Gantner tripled. Moore grounded out to third to end the inning.

Armas tried to start a rally with a scintillating triple to open the top of the fourth but was stranded when Easler grounded out to third. Barrett popped up to second and Greenwell struck out to end the inning. Felder grounded out to short to open the bottom of the fourth but Molitor singled. Robidoux flied out to right before Molitor swiped second. Cooper flied out to left to end the inning.

Hoffman grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Evans flied out to center. Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. The Brewers struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Ready walked to start. Riles singled to right and Householder doubled home Ready. Woodward recovered to strike out Gantner and get Moore to pop up to second. Felder walked to load the bases but Molitor grounded out to short to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 6-1.

                                             "This pitching blows"

Boston failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Buckner popped up to short to start. Gedman popped up to third and Armas struck out to end the inning. Woodward got Robidoux to strike out to open the bottom of the sixth before Cooper flied out to left. Ready walked but Riles grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox finally got a run in the top of the seventh when Easler launched his 15th home run of the year to cut the deficit. Barrett flied out to center, Greenwell struck out and Hoffman grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 6-2 Brewers.

                                                         Home run for Easler

Householder walked to start the bottom of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Gantner. Moore flied out to center and Felder flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth although Evans struck out to start. Boggs grounded out to short but Buckner walked. Gedman got a base hit and Armas singled home Buckner to cut the lead in half and bring the tying run to the plate. Ray Searage came in to pitch with Steve Lyons coming in to run for Armas. With a chance to extend the rally....Easler struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 6-3.

                                                          Armas cuts the lead in half

Woodward finished up in the bottom of the eighth as Molitor lined out to right to begin. Robidoux flied out to left but Cooper walked. Ready grounded out to short to end the inning. Hell of an effort by Woodward to limit the Brewers to just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings of relief.

                                                    Double A in April, Boston in September

The Sox had one last chance in the top of the ninth with Ed Romero now in left field. Barrett led off with a double to right and Ed Jurak pinch hit for the rookie Greenwell. Jurak struck out as Jim Rice pinch hit for Hoffman, drawing a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Jackie Gutierrez ran for Rice as Danny Darwin came in to close out the game. Evans hit one up the elevator shaft and Boggs flied out to left to end the game. The Brewers held on to win the game 6-3.

Jackass of the Night is Tim Lollar. He got lit up for 5 runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

                                                      Lollar the Jackass



The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.

Jim Rice walked as a pinch hitter.

Rob Woodward allowed just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings of relief.



The Bad:

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Ed Jurak struck out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Bill Buckner was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Mike Easler was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4.



Honorable Mention:

Steve Lyons played center in the bottom of the eighth.

Jackie Gutierrez pinch ran for Jim Rice.




Final Thoughts:

How sad is it the only positive from this game was a relief effort by the rookie Rob Woodward? The Sox went nowhere this season and are going to have to make some changes if they hope to contend next season. The offense is as good as anyone but good lord do they need pitching help. Woodward could be the key next year if he can be the pitcher they thought the Sox were getting when they drafted him. The Sox have some talent with Roger Clemens, Bruce Hurst, Al Nipper, Bob Ojeda and Oil Can Boyd but someone has to step up. The Sox really missed John Tudor this year but who would have thought he'd pitch as well as he did for the St. Louis Cardinals when the Sox sent him packing to the Pittsburgh Pirates? As for this game? Meh...who cares. Tomorrow night these two teams have another snooze when Bill Wegman goes for the Brewers against Bruce Hurst of the Red Sox at 8:00 PM Eastern Time at County Stadium.

Yankees Down Sox Late (8/18/85)

As 1985 continues to be a mediocre season for the Boston Red Sox, one thing is for sure and that's the New York Yankees catch every lucky break in the world. A day after being held to a single run, this time the Sox could barely score two against Phil Neikro and Bob Shirley. Meanwhile Roger Clemens had to be scratched from his start due to shoulder stiffness and Tim Lollar (5-7, 4.68 ERA) continued to struggle, getting lit up by the Yankees for 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings. The Sox and Yankees battled to a 2-2 tie after the top half of the seventh inning but the Yankees rallied for two runs against Lollar before Sox manager John McNamara yanked him. The Sox did manage to load the bases against Dave Righetti in the top of the ninth but Brian Fisher got Dwight Evans to fly out to end the game. Clemens may have been able to make a difference but the Yankees still made it two in a row over the Sox as they took the game 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                      Sox fans are not happy

Niekro got the ball in the top of the first inning and Marty Barrett dumped a base hit to left on the first pitch of the game. Bob Meacham threw a double play ball by Wade Boggs away to allow Wade to take second and Boggs moved to third on the warning track fly ball to center by Dwight Evans. Bill Buckner struck out swinging to end the inning. Lollar got the emergency start in the bottom of the first and Willie Randolph flied out to right to start. Don Mattingly walked on four pitches but Dave Winfield banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second although Mike Easler flied out to center to start. Jim Rice clobbered his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top but Rich Gedman flied out to Billy Sample. Jackie Gutierrez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                 Number 20 for Rice

The Yankees answered in the bottom of the second as Don Baylor walked to start. Ken Griffey got a line drive base hit to left to put runners at the corners and Baylor scored on the grounder to third by Sample. Andre Robertson grounded out to short and Butch Wynegar grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                       Yankees tie it up

Steve Lyons walked to start the top of the third but Barrett grounded into a double play. Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. Meacham struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Randolph worked a walk. Mattingly forced Randolph at second and Winfield popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Evans grounded out to third to start. Buckner grounded out to first and Easler flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. The Yankees struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Red Sox broadcaster Bob Montgomery said Roger Clemens "couldn't get it up today." Baylor walked but Griffey flied out to left and Sample grounded back to Lollar. Baylor moved to second on the play and scored on the base hit to center by Robertson. The fans cost the Yankees a run as Wynegar hit a ball past the diving Boggs that should have scored Robertson but a fan reached over and snatched the ball. It was ruled a ground rule double and Meacham popped up to Lyons to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-1.

                                                         Yankees take the lead

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Rice walked to start. Gedman walked and Gutierrez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Unfortunately Lyons struck out swinging and Barrett grounded out to short to end the inning. Randolph popped up to Evans to start the bottom of the fifth and Mattingly grounded out to second. Winfield struck out swinging to end the inning.

Boggs popped up to Griffey to start the top of the sixth before Buckner flied out to left. Easler struck out swinging to end the inning. Baylor flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Griffey grounded out to first. Sample walked but Robertson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Mike Pagliarulo took over at third to begin. Rice and Gedman worked back to back walks but Gutierrez popped up a bunt to Wynegar. Lyons came through with a base hit to right to load the bases. Rich Bordi came in to pitch to Barrett and Sample made a great diving catch to rob Barrett of a bases clearing double. Yankees manager Billy Martin brought in Bob Shirley to pitch to Boggs but Wade got a base hit to shallow left. Rice scored easy but Gedman was foolishly sent home only to get thrown out at the plate to end the inning. That proved costly as the Sox only tied the game 2-2.

                                                              Yerrrr out!

Things fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as the ball four pitch to Wynegar got away and Gedman panicked, throwing the ball completely out of Yankee Stadium to move Butch to second. Buckner fell down trying to catch a pop up from Meacham that dropped in for a "single" but Randolph flied out to center. Mattingly slapped a double down the right field line and both runs scored, Don taking third on the throw. That was it for Lollar who was let down by his defense but still allowed 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Bob Stanley came in to pitch and Winfield popped up to Boggs in foul territory. Baylor popped up to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-2.

                                                          Mattingly puts the Yankees on top

Dave Righetti came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Evans struck out swinging to start. Buckner popped up to short but Easler lined a base hit to center. Old pal and Yankees pitching coach Bill Monbouquette came out to chat with Righetti and Rice struck out swinging to end the inning. Griffey grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth before Dan Pasqua pinch hit for Sample. Pasqua took strike three and Pagliarulo grounded out to first to end the inning.

Gedman popped up to center to start the top of the ninth inning and Gutierrez also flied out to center. Tony Armas pinch hit for Lyons and drilled a base hit up the middle. Ed Jurak pinch ran for Tony and Barrett drew a walk. Boggs walked to load the bases and chase Righetti. Brian Fisher came in to pitch to Evans and Dwight popped up to Winfield to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-2.

                                                       Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Tim Lollar. He allowed the go-ahead double by Mattingly to put the Yankees up for good in the seventh.

                                                     Lollar The Jackass

\

The Good:

Jim Rice was 1 for 2 with a home run, 2 walks and 2 total runs scored.

Steve Lyons was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Tony Armas singled as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Gutierrez was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Easler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 2 with an error but walked twice.

Honorable Mention:

Ed Jurak pinch ran for Armas in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Forget the loss, the true bad news is the injury to Clemens. Remember he was shut down at the end of last season with a bad shoulder and apparently it never healed. The Sox can't afford to lose a pitcher the caliber of Clemens with a month left in the season but shutting him down and getting proper surgery might be the right thing to do to keep him healthy for next year. Nothing has gone right this season for the Sox and today was a microcosm of that. The Sox couldn't field at all in the seventh inning which allowed the Yankees to take the lead and Gedman geting thrown out at the plate shouldn't have happened. Evans failing in the ninth inning just put a damper on what could have been a nice comeback. Lollar did the best he could on short notice but even he tired in the seventh. Want the ultimate kick in the pants? Mike Easler is hitting .263 so far this year while John Tudor is on pace to win 20 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. Why am I not surprised? The loss dropped the Sox to 57-58, good for 5th place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when they send Bruce Hurst to the mound against Marty Bystrom of New York. The game begins at 1:00 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Basebawful Report of The Month

Gary Allenson - 1 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Tony Armas - 10 Good, 4 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Marty Barrett - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Wade Boggs - 11 Good, 4 Bad, 6 Ugly

Oil Can Boyd - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Mike Brown - 2 Good, 1 Ugly, 2 Jackass

Mark Clear - 3 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Mike Easler - 13 Good, 2 Bad, 5 Ugly, 2 Hero

Dennis Eckersley - 2 Ugly, 1 Hero, 2 Jackass

Dwight Evans - 8 Good, 4 Bad, 10 Ugly

Rich Gedman - 9 Good, 6 Bad, 4 Ugly

Jackie Gutierrez - 3 Good, 7 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass, 4 Honorable Mention

Glenn Hoffman - 5 Good, 6 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Honorable Mention

Bruce Hurst - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Hero

John Henry Johnson - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Ed Jurak - 1 Good, 2 Hero, 1 Jackass, 1 Honorable Mention

Rick Miller - 5 Good, 8 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Jeff Newman - 3 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Reid Nichols - 7 Good, 1 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Al Nipper - 2 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Bob Ojeda - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Jerry Remy - 7 Good, 3 Bad, 10 Ugly

Jim Rice - 5 Good, 6 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Dave Stapleton - 5 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero

Bob Stanley - 6 Good, 2 Ugly, 3 Jackass





Most Valuable Player of the Month is Mike Easler with 13 Good

Least Valuable Player of the Month is Rick Miller with 8 Bad

The Ugliest Players of the Month are Dwight Evans and Jerry Remy with 10 Ugly apiece

Heroes of the Month are Ed Jurak and Bruce Hurst with 2 Hero apiece

Jackass of the Month is Bob Stanley with 3.

The Most Honorable Player of the Month is Jackie Gutierrez was 4 Honorable Mentions

White Sox Pound Nipper, Hold On To Defeat Red Sox (4/29/84)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their second round NBA playoff series. The bad news was the Boston Red Sox lost to the Chicago White Sox. It was an up and down month for the Red Sox but it ended on a down note as the White Sox avoided a sweep by delivering a beating to Al Nipper (0-1, 4.58 ERA). Nipper was game for 7 innings of work but the White Sox beat him up for 6 runs on the day. Ron Kittle blasted two home runs and drove in 5 rbis by himself, Richard Dotson nearly went the distance for Chicago and the White Sox sent the Red Sox into the month of May with a 6-4 loss at Commiskey Park.

                                  Officer Bimbeau says the Red Sox aren't allowed to win

The BoSox struck first in the top of the first inning as Jerry Remy hit a routine grounder to Julio Cruz at second...OLE! The ball went through for an error and Cruz responded by going OLE! on a grounder by Dwight Evans as well. Mike Easler singled home Remy and put runners at the corners, but Jim Rice banged into a double play. Evans did score to increase the lead and Tony Armas drew a walk. Rich Gedman grounded out to third to end the inning but the Red Sox led 2-0.

                                                                 OLE!

The White Sox instantly got the lead back against Nipper in the bottom of the first. Rudy Law popped up to short but Marc Hill doubled. Greg Walker grounded back to the mound but Greg Luzinsky singled home Hill. Ron Kittle then hit a home run all the way into Lake Eerie to give the White Sox the lead. Harold Baines popped up third to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 3-2.

The Red Sox answered in the top of the second inning as Reid Nichols singled to start and Ed Jurak singled him to third. Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound to score Nichols and tie the game. Jurak moved to third on a grounder by Remy before Evans struck out to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                        Nichols scores a run

Vance Law flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Cruz caught the BoSox asleep with a bunt single. Nipper picked off Cruz but Dybzinski walked. Rudy Law singled Dybzinski to third but Hill flied out to center to end the inning.

Dotson cruised in the top of the third as Easler struck out to start. Rice flied out to center and Armas struck out to end the inning. The White Sox wrapped up the scoring in a big way in the bottom of the third as Walker and Luzinsky stroked back to back singles to start. Kittle smashed a home run all the way into Lake Michigan to ice the game. Kittle drove in more runs by himself than the BoSox would as a team. Baines grounded out to second, Vance Law flied out to right and Cruz flied out to center to end the inning with Chicago ahead 6-3.

                                                        One man wrecking crew

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Gedman grounded out to short to start. Nichols grounded out to third but Jurak walked. Hoffman struck out to end the inning. Nipper recovered in the bottom of the fourth as Dybzinski grounded out to short to start. Rudy Law flied out to center but Hill walked and Walker singled. Luzinski flied out to right to end the inning.

Remy grounded out to second to begin the top of the fifth but Evans got a base hit. Easler banged into a double play to end the inning. Kittle flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Baines also flied out to left. Vance Law grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the sixth as Rice popped up to first to start. Armas grounded out to second but Gedman singled. Nichols hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Nipper got Cruz to pop up to second to begin the bottom of the sixth and Dybzinski flied out to left. Rudy Law smacked a triple but Hill popped up to third to end the inning.

Jurak grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh but Hoffman somehow doubled. Remy flied out to left and Evans struck out to end the inning. Nipper returned for the bottom of the seventh and finished strong. Walker grounded out to second, Luzinski flied out to right and Kittle popped up to first to end the inning. Nipper got hammered in the first few innings but was almost unhittable the final four. He finishes with 7 innings and 6 runs allowed, not good enough.

                                                         7 innings but 6 runs run allowed

The BoSox fought back in the top of the eighth with Mike Squires now at first base. Easler singled and moved to second on the Rice grounder. Armas popped up to second but Gedman singled home Easler and bring the tying run to the plate. Nichols grounded into a force to end the inning but the Sox were down 6-4.

                                                      Gedman drives in a run

John Henry Johnson came in for the bottom of the eighth and cruised. Baines flied out to center, Vance Law popped up to first and Cruz flied out to right to end the inning.

Dotson came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth but Jurak walked to chase him. Rick Miller was sent in to pinch hit but Juan Agosto came on in relief. Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled Miller and sent in Marty Barrett instead. Barrett forced Jurak at second and Remy popped up to Agosto. Al Jones came in for the final out and Evans took strike three to end the game. The Red Sox were denied a sweep as they lost 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Al Nipper. He allowed 6 early runs and the Sox couldn't bop their way back into it this time.

                                                      Nipper the Jackass



The Good:

Mike Easler was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Ed Jurak was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

John Henry Johnson pitched a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

Jim Rice was 0 for 4.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 5 but scored a run.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of three strikeouts but scored a run.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller "pinch hit" in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

As the first month of the season comes to a close, its very obvious the weakness of the Red Sox is pitching. They've lost more games than they've won because they have to score 8 runs a game with the bad pitching they've had. Bruce Hurst and Dennis Eckersley didn't look sharp early, Bob Ojeda hasn't looked good, Al Nipper hasn't looked good and Mike Brown hasn't looked good. Mark Clear and Bob Stanley's arms are going to fall off unless the starters can pitch more consistently. Nipper allowed 6 runs and the Red Sox just couldn't fight their way back this time. At least Nipper picked himself up to toss 4 scoreless innings after the third inning. The month can pretty much be summed up as good offense, bad pitching. The loss dropped the Sox to 9-13, 10 games behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox have a chance to get back in the race when they venture to Detroit to take on the red hot Tigers. Bruce Hurst (3-2) takes on Milt Wilcox at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Red Sox Shock White Sox in 8 run Comeback (4/28/84)

In what's been an up and down month, tonight's Boston Red Sox game against the Chicago White Sox featured a month's worth of drama. The White Sox took a 6-0 lead against Bob Ojeda and the Red Sox going into the seventh inning. Suddenly the Red Sox exploded for 3 runs in the 7th, 3 in the eighth and two in the ninth to take the lead. Bob Stanley slammed the door in the ninth inning and the BoSox stunned the ChiSox 8-7 at Commiskey Park.

                                               Flounder loves rallies

Tom Seaver got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy led off with a grounder to short. Dwight Evans also grounded to short but Wade Boggs smacked a double. Jim Rice struck out to end the inning. Ojeda got the ball in the bottom of the first and walked Rudy Law to start. Carlton Fisk flied out to left and Law was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Rich Gedman. Tom Paciorek flied out to right to end the inning.

Mike Easler led off the top of the second inning with a grounder to second but Tony Armas hit a double. Armas moved to third on the Gedman grounder and Nichols grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Greg Luzinsky walked to open the bottom of the second and Ron Kittle followed with a base hit. Dave Stegman flied out to right and Luzinsky was doubled off second on the line drive to third by Vance Law to end the inning.

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third inning as Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Remy also grounded out to short and Evans grounded out to second to end the inning. Scott Fletcher grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third but Julio Cruz singled. Rudy Law flied out to left and Fisk flied out to right to end the inning.

Seaver cruised in the top of the fourth as Boggs grounded out to first to start. Rice grounded out to third and Easler struck out to end the inning. Ojeda kept pace in the bottom of the fourth although Paciorek singled to start. Tom moved to second on the grounder by Luzinsky and Kittle struck out. Stegman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Armas grounded out to short to begin the top of the fifth but Gedman drew a walk. Nichols banged into a double play to end the inning. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Vance Law flied out to right to start. Fletcher singled to center and moved to second on the Cruz grounder. Rudy Law singled home Fletcher and Fisk doubled Rudy home. Paciorek grounded out to second to end the inning with the White Sox leading 2-0.

                                                           Fisk still haunting the Red Sox

The BoSox failed to answer in the top of the sixth as Hoffman popped up to second to start. Remy grounded out to short and Evans watched strike three go by to end the inning. The ChiSox finished off Ojeda in the bottom of the sixth as Luzinsky walked to start. Kittle popped up to third and Stegman took strike three but Vance Law doubled and Fletcher walked to load the bases. Cruz then walloped a 78,000 foot grand slam to seemingly ice the game. Rudy Law singled and that was it for Ojeda. He was good for 5 innings but that grand slam was the killer. Mark Clear came in and got Fisk to fly out to center to end the inning but the game looked over at 6-0 Chicago.

                                                                Not good enough

Suddenly the Red Sox sprang to life in the top of the seventh inning. Boggs doubled and Rice singled him in to put Boston on the board. Easler struck out but Armas clobbered his 6th home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Gedman grounded out to first and Nichols popped up to second but the Red Sox were down 6-3.

                                                         Tony jacks one out

Clear did his part in the bottom of the seventh as Paciorek struck out to start. Luzinsky grounded out to third but Kittle walked. Harold Baines pinch hit for Stegman and struck out to end the inning.

Mike Squires took over in the field for Paciorek to start the top of the eighth. Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman and got a base hit to chase Seaver. Britt Burns came in to allow Remy to get a base hit and Evans to walk to load the bases. Boggs banged into a double play but Miller scored and Remy moved to third. Rice FINALLY crushed his first home run of the season to tie the game. Easler struck out to end the inning but the BoSox had tied it 6-6.

                                                      Rice ties it up

Just as soon as the BoSox tied it, the White Sox took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Ed Jurak took over at third in Miller's spot with Jackie Gutierrez now playing short in Boggs' spot. Jerry Hairston pinch hit for Vance Law and walked to begin. Jerry Dybzinski pinch ran for Hairston and swiped second but Fletcher took strike three. Dybzinski moved to third on the fly out by Cruz and scored on a passed ball. Law popped up to Clear to end the inning but the ChiSox dealt a blow by taking a 7-6 lead.

It didn't look good in the top of the ninth when Armas grounded out to second to start. Dave Stapleton pinch hit for Gedman and struck out but somehow Nichols singled. Ron Reed came in to get the final out but Nichols stole second. Jurak stepped up with a triple to tie the game. Remy hit a routine grounder to Fletcher...UNDER HIS GLOVE! Jurak scored to give the BoSox the lead. Evans was intentionally walked but Gutierrez took strike three to end the inning with Boston ahead 8-7.

                                                          Jurak scores the go-ahead run

Gary Allenson took over behind the plate with Bob Stanley on the mound to close it out in the bottom of the ninth. Fisk grounded out to third, Squires grounded out to third and Luzinsky popped up to third to end the game. The BoSox had stormed back to win 8-7.

Hero of the Night is Ed Jurak. His triple tied the game and he scored the winning run.

                                                        Jurak the Hero


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a 3 run homer.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with a two run homer.

Rick Miller singled and scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.



The Bad:

Jackie Gutierrez struck out in his only at bat.

Mike Easler was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Dave Stapleton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2.

Bob Ojeda got lit up for 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 2 with a passed ball but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Mark Clear allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings of work but it was unearned.



Honorable Mention:

Gary Allenson caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

What a game! The BoSox looked dead in the water down 6-0 with 9 outs to play and they stormed back to win the game. The offense can't do that every night but they got it done in this one. Ed Jurak with the triple was just as instrumental as the three run bomb by Rice and the two run shot by Armas. They pretty much did this without Easler who was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. Ojeda looked awful in the 6th inning but Stanley and Clear was a passed ball away from shutout ball the rest of the way. The BoSox have one game left in the month of April and that poor start put them a mile behind the Detroit Tigers who look invincible right now. If the Red Sox were to get an ace pitcher by hook or crook, then maybe they'd have a prayer of catching them. The Red Sox look to sweep the White Sox and end the month of April in style when they send Al Nipper to the mound up against Richard Dotson at 3:05 PM Eastern Time at Commiskey Park.

Mariners Beat Sox in Ten Innings (4/26/84)

Once again the suspect Boston Red Sox pitching let them down big time in tonight's game against the Seattle Mariners. The Sox clung to a 4-2 lead going into the seventh when Sox manager Ralph Houk let Mike Brown give up a 2 run single to spike Owen. Three innings later Bob Stanley was left in too long and he gave up the backbreaking two run homer to Alvin Davis. The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the tenth but the Mariners held on long enough to win the game 6-5 in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

                                             "DAMMIT STANLEY!!"

Brown actually pitched well to begin the top of the first as Jack Perconte popped up to short to start. Barry Bonnell singled to left but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Alvin Davis grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Seattle starter Matt Young in the bottom of the first inning. Marty Barrett led off with a double but Ed Jurak struck out. Dwight Evans drove home Barrett with a base hit to give the Sox the lead. Tony Armas singled but Mike Easler popped up to short. Dave Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                        Evans drives in a run

Pat Putnam walked to open the top of the second but Gorman Thomas popped up to first. Al Cowens flied out to center but Putnam swiped second. Coles grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second as Reid Nichols grounded out to third to start. Both Jeff Newman and Jackie Gutierrez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Mariners took the lead in the top of the third although Bob Kearney grounded out to short to start. Spike Owen grounded out to second but Perconte singled. Bonnell then struck a home run all the way to the Mississippi River to put the Mariners on top. Davis singled but Putnam struck out to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-1.

Barrett tried to rally the Sox with a base hit to open the bottom of the third but Jurak struck out. Barrett was thrown out at second trying to steal and Evans popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Brown settled down in the top of the fourth as Thomas grounded out to first to start. Cowens grounded out to short and Coles struck out to end the inning. The Sox roared back in the bottom of the fourth as Armas and Easler walked to start the frame. Stapleton struck out but Nichols walked to load the bases. Newman scored Armas with a sacrifice fly to tie the game and Gutierrez put the Sox on top with a base hit. Barrett added the insurance run with a base hit but Jurak grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                           Newman ties it up

Kearney singled to open the top of the fifth but was forced at second by Owen. Perconte flied out to center but a wild pitch moved Owen to second. Bonnell grounded out to second to end the inning. Evans flied out to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Armas struck out. Easler got a base hit but Stapleton flied out to right to end the inning,

Brown got the Mariners to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth inning. Davis and Putnam grounded out to second and Thomas grounded out to short to end the inning, The Sox blew a chance to break it open in the bottom of the sixth as Nichols walked to start Newman dropped down a bunt to move Reid to second but Gutierrez flied out to right. The red hot Barrett was intentionally walked and Jurak grounded into a force to end the inning,

The Mariners took advantage of shoddy defense to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Cowens hit a routine grounder to Jurak who kicked the ball over to first for an error. Coles was hit with a pitch and Kearney dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Owen slapped a base hit to score both runners and tie the game. Owen swiped second but Perconte grounded out to short. That was it for Brown who never should have pitched to Owen. As it was Brown went 6 2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs. Bob Stanley came in and got Bonnell to ground back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                          Brown deserved better

The Sox failed to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Evans flied out to right to start. Armas grounded out to second and Easler flied out to center to end the inning.

Stanley got Davis to fly out to left to start the top of the eighth before Putnam struck out. Thomas grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Stapleton flied out to left to start. Nichols singled but Newman banged into a double play to end the inning.

Stanley struck out Cowens to begin the top of the ninth before Coles also struck out. Kearney grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox had their chance to score in the bottom of the ninth when Young threw a routine grounder by Gutierrez away. Ed Vande Berg replaced Young and Barrett forced Jackie at second....but Jurak banged into a double play to end the inning.

Stanley was brought out for the top of the tenth and ran out of gas. Owen and Perconte both grounded back to the mound but Bonnell singled. Phil Bradley pinch hit for Bonnell and clobbered a 2 run homer to put the Mariners up for good. Putnam flied out to center to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 6-4.

                                                     One bad pitch spelled his doom

Mike Stanton came on to close out the bottom of the tenth and Evans flied out to center to start. Armas stepped up by bashing his 5th homer of the year to cut the lead. Paul Mirabella replaced Stanton and Easler singled to put the tying run on. Wade Boggs pinch hit for Stapleton but struck out. For some reason Bradley moved to left and Dave Henderson came in to play center for Seattle. Nichols got a base hit to put the winning run at first....but Newman grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox fought hard but the Mariners won it 6-5.

Jackass of the Night is Ed Jurak. He was 0 for 4 with 2 stirkeouts, leaving a ton of men on base. His error in the 7th led to the tying runs scoring.

                                                         Jurak the Jackass


The Good:

Marty Barrett was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Mike Easler was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Reid Nichols was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.




The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wade Boggs struck out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

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

Jeff Newman was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Jackie Gutierrez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Mike Brown allowed 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings of work. He was in a few batters too late.

Bob Stanley took the loss by allowing 2 runs in 3 1/3 innings, also left in a few batters too late.




Final Thoughts:

This is one of the few times Ralph Houk didn't manage well in this game. Leaving in Brown and Stanley too long is one thing, but not pinch hitting Jeff Newman with Jim Rice or Jerry Remy with the game on the line is outrageous. Still, you have to make the plays with what you have and Stanley shouldn't be giving up home runs to ice cold pinch hitters. The offense once again did well all things considered but Jurak leaving men on all night and letting Newman bat in the 10th was abysmal. The underlying tones of bad pitching continue to haunt the Red Sox and its going to be a long season if this continues. The Sox look to bounce back as they hit the road in their next series. Tomorrow night the Sox travel to Chicago to face the White Sox. Dennis Eckersley (1-2) goes one on one with LaMarr Hoyt at 8:05 PM Eastern Time at Fenway Park.

Sox Take Down A's, Snap Losing Streak (4/20/84)

ITS A MIRACLE! The Boston Red Sox snapped their 7 game losing streak against the Oakland A's to get back on their winning ways. Bruce Hurst (2-2, 2.31 ERA) tossed 5 2/3 gutty innings while allowing just a single run. Bob Stanley slammed the door with 3 1/3 scoreless innings as the offense scratched out 3 runs. In front of a paltry crowd of 15,523 people the Red Sox beat the A's 3-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Sgt Hulka approve of the win

Hurst got the start in the top of the first and immediately ran into trouble. Rickey Henderson grounded out to short before Bill Almon struck out swinging, but Davey Lopes singled. Lopes swiped second before Carney Lansford flied out to right to end the inning. Tim Conroy got the start for the A's and Jerry Remy walked to start. Dwight Evans struck out and Wade Boggs forced Remy at second. Jim Rice walked but Mike Easler grounded out to second to end the inning.

The A's struck first in the top of the second although Dave Kingman flied out to left to start. Jeff Burroughs blasted a home run into the Charles River to put the A's up first. Dwayne Murphy singled and Mike Heath walked but Donnie Hill popped up in foul territory. Boggs kamikazed himself making the catch and had to be hauled off in an ambulance headed to Mass General's ICU. Ed Jurak replaced Wade and Henderson struck out to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                                 Sox lose Boggs

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the second as Tony Armas grounded out to short to start. Reid Nichols flied out to left and Gary Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Hurst recovered in the top of the third as Almon flied out to center to start. Lopes popped up to first and Lansford flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox mustered nothing in the bottom of the third as Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Remy grounded back to the mound and Evans flied out to right to end the inning.

Hurst got in a jam in the top of the fourth as Kingman walked to start. Burroughs struck out but Murphy and Heath stroked back to back singles to load the bases. Hurst got a big out when Hill popped up to second and Henderson grounded out to short to end the inning. Boston roared back in the bottom of the fourth and Wade's replacement Jurak got the party started with a double. Ed moved to third on the grounder by Rice and Easler motored around with a triple to tie the game. Armas doubled home Easler to give the Sox the lead but Nichols flied out to right. Allenson walked to chase Conroy. Ray Burris came in to pitch and Hoffman doubled home Armas. Allenson gunned it for home but was thrown out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                       Jurak starts the rally

The A's tried to fight back when Almon doubled to open the top of the fifth but Lopes grounded out to short. The alert Hurst picked off Almon but Lansford singled. Kingman swung and missed to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the fifth as Remy grounded out to short to start. Jurak whiffed and Rice grounded out to second to end the inning.

The A's chased Hurst in the top of the sixth although Burroughs whiffed to start. Murphy and Heath stroked back to back singles before Jim Essian pinch hit for Hill. Essian flied out to left and Sox manager Ralph Houk said that was it for Hurst. Bruce got himself out of jams for much of the game and left after allowing just the one run in 5 2/3 innings. Bob Stanley came in and Henderson grounded out to first to end the inning.

                                                       Good work Hurst

Rice popped up to first to begin the bottom of the sixth but Easler singled. Easler was forced at second by Armas and Nichols flied out to center to end the inning.

Almon grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the seventh before Lopes whiffed. Lansford singled again but Kingman flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the seventh as Allenson popped up to third to start. Hoffman singled but Remy flied out to center. Evans walked but Jurak grounded out to short to end the inning.

Joe Morgan pinch hit for Burroughs to open the top of the eighth and he grounded out to first. Murphy and Heath both grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the eighth as Rice flied out to right to begin. Easler whiffed but Armas singled and Nichols walked. Allenson whiffed to end the inning.

Stanley came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth. Old pal Garry Hancock pinch hit for Essian and grounded out to short. Henderson grounded out to third and Bruce Bochte pinch hit for Almon only to fly out to center to end the game. The Sox had broken their losing streak and defeated the A's 3-1.

Hero of the Night is Ed Jurak. He came off the bench to start the rally and score the tying run.

The Good:

Mike Easler was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Tony Armas was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 2 for 3 with an rbi.

Bruce Hurst got the win with 5 2/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 9 hits and struck out 5.

Bob Stanley earned the save with 3 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing just 1 hit.



The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 1 before leaving with injury.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3 but walked.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 3 but walked.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Ding dong the witch is dead! The Red Sox finally won one and ironically it was the pitching that won the game. Bruce Hurst and Bob Stanley combined to allow just 1 run on a night when the Sox offense was limited to one inning of scoring. The Sox need to do something about their offense because their 1-5 is as good as anyone but 6-9 is a bonafide black hole most of the time. Still, a win is a win and this was the first one in a while, may as well enjoy it. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the A's tomorrow afternoon when they send Mike Brown (0-1) to the mound up against Mike Warren at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Beat Sox, Ruin Yaz Day (10/1/83)

In a season where nothing went right for the Boston Red Sox, it was fitting that on Carl Yastrzemski Day they would lose to the Cleveland Indians. In a pregame ceremony, Yaz said goodbye to the fans despite having two more games to play. An hour long tribute to Yaz made everyone feel good about what he had accomplished in the last 22 years. As for the game itself, Oil Can Boyd (4-8, 3.28 ERA) continued to look like a potential ace of the future tossing a complete game against the Indians. The only problem was he allowed 3 runs (1 earned) while his counterpart Larry Sorensen pitched the game of his life. Sorensen held the Sox to just 1 run in a complete game 5 hitter. Yaz himself went 0 for 4 in his second to last game of his career as the Indians put yet another miserable loss in a season full of them on the Sox, 3-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                  "New England, I love you" - CY

Boyd took the mound to start the top of the first and Jack Perconte took a fastball on the outside corner for strike three to start. Toby Harrah dumped a base hit to left but Mike Hargrove struck out swinging and Andre Thornton tapped a grounder to short to end the inning. Sorensen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy led off by popping a bunt back to Larry to start. Wade Boggs lined out to center and Jim Rice struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ron Hassey led off the top of the second by popping up to short to start. Alan Bannister grounded out to third and George Vukovich grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second as Tony Armas grounded out to first to start. Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first and Rick Miller grounded out to short to end the inning.

Kevin Rhomberg grounded back to the mound to start the top of the third before Mike Fischlin got a base hit to center. Fischlin took second but Perconte took strike three. Harrah grounded out to third to end the inning. Dave Stapleton led off the bottom of the third by striking out on a nasty changeup to start. Jeff Newman hit a rocket to Mike Fischlin that was ruled a base hit but was doubled off first on a rocket liner to Sorensen by Jackie Gutierrez to end the inning.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth as Hargrove walked to start before taking second on a wild pitch. Thornton hit a deep fly to right to move Hargrove to third and Mike scored on the grounder to second by Hassey. Bannister grounded out to third to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

                                                  Hargrove scores a run

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as Remy grounded out to second to start. Boggs and Rice also grounded out to second to end the inning.

Marty Barrett took over for Remy to start the top of the fifth and Vukovich singled to left to start...but was thrown out second trying to steal. Rhomberg ripped a base hit up the middle but was forced at second on a comebacker to Boyd by Fischlin. Perconte popped up to short to end the inning.

                                                      Yerrrrrr out!

Armas flied out to right to start the bottom of the fifth and Yaz grounded out to second. Miller also grounded out to second to end the inning.

Chico Walker took over for Rice and Lee Graham came in for Armas to start the top of the sixth and Harrah hit a ground rule double down the left field line to start. Hargrove back to the mound but Harrah moved to third on the fly ball to Miller by Thornton. Hassey flied out to center to end the inning. Stapleton led off the bottom of the sixth by lining back to the mound and but Newman drew a walk. Gutierrez took strike three and Barrett flied out to right to end the inning.

Boyd cruised in the top of the seventh as Bannister took strike three to start. Vukovich flied out to right and Rhomberg struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Boggs grounded out to second to start. Walker tripled off the centerfield wall and scored on the Graham sac fly to tie the game. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                          Walker scores to tie the game

Boyd froze Fischlin for strike three to start the top of the eighth but Perconte doubled to right. Harrah flied out to the left field warning track and Hargrove flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew their best chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Miller grounded out to second to start. Stapleton grounded out to Fischlin but Newman slapped a base hit to center. Ed Jurak pinch ran for Newman and Gutierrez singled off the glove of Perconte. Barrett grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Indians finally broke through in the top of the ninth as Gary Allenson took over behind the plate. Thornton poked a double just over the third base bag to start and Bake McBride pinch ran for him. Hassey grounded out to Stapleton and Broderick Perkins pinch hit for Bannister. Perkins hit a liner to Boggs who booted it for an error to keep the inning going. This proved huge as Carmelo Castillo ran for Perkins and Vukovich lashed a base hit to left. McBride made a mad dash home but Walker's throw was in time for the out. Due to the error to Boggs, instead of being out of the inning there were runners on second and third with two out. Just like everything else that's gone wrong this season, Boyd uncorked a wild pitch that scored Castillo to put the Indians on top. Rhomberg ripped a base hit to center that scored Vukovich but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Indians up 3-1.

                                                    Thanks a lot Boggs

Boggs atoned for his error with a base hit to right to start the bottom of the ninth but Walker flied out to the centerfield warning track. Graham grounded out to third to move Boggs to third and the crowd gave Yaz a standing ovation. Unfortunately Yaz grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Indians spoiled the party by winning the game 3-1.

                                                    Indians win

Jackass of the Night is Carl Yastrzemski. In his own retirement ceremony game he went 0 for 4 including grounding back to the mound with the game on the line.

                                                                   Bye Bye Jackass

The Good:

Chico Walker was 1 for 2 with a run scored and outfield assist.

Lee Graham drove in the only run the Sox scored and got an outfield assist.

Jeff Newman was 2 for 2 with a walk.

Jackie Gutierrez was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Oil Can Boyd threw a gutty game. He was failed by his defense and was charged with 3 runs in a complete game. Only one of the runs was earned.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 2.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 2.

Jim Rice was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Tony Armas was 0 for 2.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Honorable Mention:

Ed Jurak pinch ran for Newman in the eighth inning.

Gary Allenson caught the top of the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

This season can't end fast enough and its a shame Yaz cost the team on his own day, but that's par for the course this season since nothing went right. Tony Armas hit .218 this season, Dave Stapleton regressed, Dwight Evans hit only .238 and Yaz was down to .266 with 10 homers in his final year. Still, Boggs is going to be league batting champion and Oil Can Boyd could be a future stud if he has better run support. As for this game, Boyd had one bad inning in the ninth and that's sometimes all it takes. Walker and Graham did the best they could to throw runners out but the error and wild pitch sealed the deal. Still, the true story was Sorensen shutting down the Boston bats in a complete game effort. Gotta tip your cap and admitted he was the better man on this day. The loss dropped the Sox to 77-84, good for 6th place in the AL East. Tomorrow is the final regular season game of the year and Carl Yastrzemski's last before he retires. Al Nipper (0-1) takes the ball in the season finale for the Sox against Bud Anderson of the Indians. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.