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.

Red Sox Walkoff Angels (4/22/94)

One day after the Boston Red Sox came back in dramatic fashion to walkoff the Oakland Athletics, the Red Sox did the same thing against the California Angels. The red hot Boston offense scored four early runs off Chuck Finley but the Angels rallied for 5 runs against Sox starter Frank Viola in the top of the fourth. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Finley casually walked Mo Vaughn but Billy Hatcher made a mad dash home to tie the game on a straight steal. Then in the bottom of the ninth, the Sox loaded the bases against Craig Lefferts and Mo Vaughn did the honors with a walkoff rbi single to bring home Otis Nixon. The Sox had won the game 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                           Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat approves of the win

Viola got the ball in the top of the first as Damion Easley singled to center to start. Chas Curtis hit into a double play and Tim Salmon flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Finley in the bottom of the first as Otis Nixon's bunt attempt to first was snuffed out. Billy Hatcher flied out to right but Mike Greenwell lashed a base hit to center. Tim Naehring walked and Mo Vaughn got a base hit to left to score Greenwell. John Valentin popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                               Vaughn drives in a run

Chili Davis flied out to right to start the top of the second inning but Bo Jackson walked. Eduardo Perez grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Cooper belted his third home run of the season to start. Rich Rowland grounded out to short and Scot Fletcher walked. Fletcher stole second and Nixon drove a base hit to center to score Scott. Nixon was thrown out at second trying to steal which was important because Hatcher doubled off the Monster. Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                              Home run Cooper

Greg Myers grounded out to first to start the top of the third but Rex Hudler singled to center. Gary DiScarcina grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox kept coming in the bottom of the third as Naehring doubled off the Monster to start. Vaughn popped up to short and Naehring moved to third on the fly ball to center by Valentin. Cooper walked and Rowland hit a seeing eye single into left to score Naehring with another run. Fletcher flied out to left to end the inning with Boston up 4-0.

                                                            RBI for Rowland

The Angels sprang to life in the top of the fourth as Easley singled to left to start. Curtis doubled to center but Salmon took strike three. Davis singled to right to score both runners and Jackson doubled to right. Perez doubled to right to score both runners to tie the game before Eduardo moved to third on a grounder to second by Myers. Hudler doubled off the top of the Monster to score Perez to give the Angels the lead. Disarcina flied out to center to end the inning with the Angels roaring back to lead 5-4.

                                                           Hudler puts California on top

Nixon struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Hatcher singled to right. Greenwell popped up to short and Hatcher was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. 

Rowland threw a bunt attempt by Easley away for an error to start the top of the fifth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Curtis walked and he too was thrown out at second trying to steal. Salmon singled to left but Davis grounded out to second to end the inning. Naehring blooped a single to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Vaughn grounded into a double play. Valentin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jackson grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth before Perez grounded out to second. Myers flied out to left to end the inning. That was it for Viola who had one bad inning but allowed 5 runs in it over 6 full innings of work.

                                                            One bad inning for Frank     

Cooper flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth but Rowland walked. Fletcher forced Rowland at second and Nixon forced Scott at second to end the inning.

Greg Harris came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning with Harold Reynolds pinch hitting for Hudler. Reynolds got a single to right before being sacrificed to second by Disarcina. Reynolds moved to third on a grounder to short by Easley but Curtis flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Hatcher walked to start. A wild pitch moved Billy to second and he went to third on the Greenwell grounder to short. Naehring struck out swinging and Vaughn took ball four.....with Hatcher making a mad dash home for a legitimate stolen base to tie the game. Valentin hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                              One of the few to steal home

Salmon took strike three to start the top of the eighth before Davis went down hacking. Jackson grounded out to second to end the inning. Jim Edmonds took over in left for Jackson with Bob Patterson now on the mound. Cooper grounded out to short before Rowland grounded out to first. Fletcher popped up to second to end the inning.

Harris returned for the top of the ninth and Perez struck out swinging to start. Myers and Reynolds both grounded out to second to end the inning. Bill Sampen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Nixon walked to start. Hatcher dropped down a bunt to move Nixon to second and that was it for Sampen. Craig Lefferts came in to face Greenwell and Mike lashed a base hit past second to put runners at the corners. Naehring was intentionally walked to set up a double play but Vaughn did the honors with a base hit to right to score Nixon with the winning run. The Sox had walked off the Angels 6-5.

Hero of The Night is Billy Hatcher. Yes, Vaughn got the game winner but it wouldn't have been possible without Hatcher's steal of home to tie the game in the seventh.

                                                         Billy Hero-tcher

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

Rich Rowland was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Greg Harris earned the win with 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Frank Viola got lit up for 5 runs in 6 innings of work. He allowed 9 hits and 2 walks.

The Ugly:

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

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 3 but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Two nights in a row the Sox pulled off late inning heroics to win a game. Once again the speed of the Sox came into play with Fletcher stealing a bag and Hatcher stole home for a key run. Vaughn is quickly becoming the Sox best hitter after struggling in 1992 but the real stars are Cooper, Valentin and Naehring. Cooper gets a lot of flack for not being Jeff Bagwell but he doesn't have to be him, just himself. His home run in this one was also crucial. The Sox now have won four in a row and they look like a wagon offensively. The problem is the pitching although Greg Harris came back strong in this one. The "old" pros Danny Darwin, Frank Viola and Joe Hesketh have looked awful so far this season but there's plenty of time to turn it around. Things are looking up for the Sox if the pitching can hold up and hopefully it does. The Sox look to make it five wins in a row and two straight over the Angels tomorrow afternoon when Danny Darwin (2-1) takes on old pal John Dopson. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

White Sox Defeat Viola, Red Sox (4/17/94)

That was not the best game pitched by Frank Viola (0-1, 4.96 ERA) in today's Boston Red Sox game against the Chicago White Sox. Frank got rocked for four runs in just 5 1/3 innings while the Sox offense was stoned cold by Scott Sanderson of Chicago. Mike Greenwell did hit a first inning home run off Sanderson but the White Sox knocked Viola out and led 4-1. Bad errors by the Sox defense led to the White Sox getting three unearned runs off Scott Bankhead and Joe Hesketh. The Red Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth for three runs but it was too little, too late as the White Sox won 7-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                          "Three errors in one inning?"

Viola got the ball in the top of the first and Tim Raines popped up to first to start. Joey Cora flied out to center and Frank Thomas grounded out to short to end the inning. The Red Sox wasted no time getting to Sanderson in the bottom of the first as Otis Nixon grounded out to second to start. Billy Hatcher grounded out to third but Mike Greenwell launched his third home run of the season to put Boston on top. Mo Vaughn grounded out to third to end the inning with the BoSox up 1-0.

                                                              Greenwell hits one out

The White Sox answered in the top of the second as Julio Franco walked to start. Franco took second on a wild pitch then third on a Robin Ventura liner to right. Darrin Jackson grounded out to third but Lance Johnson singled to left to score Franco to tie the game. Ron Karkovice flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Johnson ties it up.

Tim Naehring took strike three to start the bottom of the second before Scott Cooper lined out to short. John Valentin singled to left and stole second but Greg Blosser struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ozzie Guillen grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Raines popped up to first. Cora flied out to right to end the inning. Dave Valle flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Nixon struck out swinging. Hatcher singled to center but was picked off to end the inning.

The White Sox took command in the top of the fourth as Thomas hit a home run all the way to Jupiter to start. Franco grounded out to short and Ventura struck out swinging, but Jackson hit a home run all the way to Los Angeles to increase the lead. Johnson flied out to left to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                                 Jackson hits one out

Greenwell grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth before Vaughn struck out swinging. Naehring and Cooper stroked back to back base hits but Valentin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Karkovice singled to right to start the top of the fifth before Guillen sacrificed him to second with a bunt. Ron moved to third on the fly out to right by Raines and Cora walked to put runners at the corners. Thomas lined out to right to end the inning. Blosser lined out to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Valle singled to center. Nixon lined out to left and Hatcher grounded out to third to end the inning.

The White Sox finished off Viola in the top of the sixth as Franco singled to center to start. Ventura struck out swinging and Jackson singled to left. Johnson singled to center to score Franco and drive Viola out of the game. Frank allowed 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings off 7 hits and 2 walks. Scott Bankhead came in to pitch and Karkovice took strike three. Guillen flied out to right to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                      Viola didn't have it in this one

Greenwell flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Vaughn grounded out to third. Naehring flied out to left to end the inning.

Raines popped up to short to start the top of the seventh before Cora struck out swinging. Thomas singled to left but Franco took strike three to end the inning. Kirk McCaskill came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Cooper grounded out to second to start. Valentin flied out to center but Blosser drew a walk. Valle flied out to center to end the inning.

Things fell apart in the top of the eighth as Ventura grounded out to short to start. Jackson hit a routine grounder to Cooper who picked the ball up and did a dance with it for an error. That was it for Bankhead as Joe Hesketh came in to pitch to Johnson. Johnson hit a routine grounder to Naehring who picked the ball up and did a dance with it to show up Cooper for another error. Karkovice flied out to center and Guillen hit a grounder to third. Cooper fired home to Valle.....WHO DROPPED IT! Jackson and Johnson both scored on the error to ice the game. Raines singled to center to score Guillen and Cora singled to center to chase Hesketh. Paul Quantrill came in to pitch and Thomas flied out to right to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                    Cooper, Naehring and Valle

The Red Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Nixon flied out to center to start. Hatcher singled to left and Greenwell doubled to right to score him. Vaughn then clubbed his second home run of the year to cut the lead, but Naehring flied out to right. Cooper singled to right to chase McCaskill and Roberto Hernandez came in to face Valentin. John popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox down 7-4.

                                                                 Vaughn hits a homer

Franco took strike three to start the top of the ninth and Ventura also watched strike three go by. Jackson flied out to right to end the inning. Blosser struck out swinging to start the bottom of the ninth and Damon Berryhill pinch hit for Valle. Damon struck out swinging and Nixon also went down hacking to end the game. The White Sox had won it 7-4.

Jackass of the Night is Dave Valle. Him dropping the ball at the plate led to two runs scoring and an eventual third run. That was the difference in the game

                                                               Dave Jackass

The Good:

Billy Hatcher was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

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

Paul Quantrill tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Otis Nixon was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Damon Berryhill struck out as a pinch hitter.

Frank Viola got hammered for four runs in just 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.

Joe Hesketh allowed 2 unearned runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Mo Vaughn was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Tim Naehring was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

John Valentin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 4 but committed a crucial error.

Greg Blosser was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Scott Bankhead was charged with an unearned run in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a week's worth of bad baseball in one game. Viola pitched like garbage and the Sox committed three errors in that fateful eighth inning. The entire infield owes Scott Bankhead and Joe Hesketh some beers tonight for that total mess they created. The offense was shut down for virtually the entire game so its not entirely the fault of pitching and defense. It was good to see Vaughn and Greenwell hit some rockets so the game wasn't entirely a waste. Greg Blosser looks lost at the plate but maybe he'll pick it up as the season goes on. After the dreary 1992 and 1993 seasons, the Sox winning 7 of the first 11 games is a cause for hope even if they lost this one. The less said of this disaster, the better. The BoSox look to bounce back against the White Sox tomorrow morning on Patriots Day. Danny Darwin (2-0) goes for Boston against Wilson Alvarez of Chicago. The game begins at 11:00 AM at Fenway Park.

Sox Deck Royals in 10 Innings (4/11/94)

What an ending to tonight's game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals. The Sox and Royals battled to a 2-2 tie through seven innings when the Sox rallied against Hipolito Pichardo and Mike Magnante for three runs in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the ninth, the Royals rallied against closer Jeff Russell for two runs before Paul Quantrill allowed a game tying double to Brian McRae. In the top of the tenth, Otis Nixon and Tim Naehring both tripled and the Sox scored three runs to take a commanding lead. Quantrill returned to slam the door in the bottom of the tenth and the Sox had won it 8-5 in 10 innings at Kauffman Stadium

                                          Lawler "Sox blew the lead"  Luger "Still won"

The Sox wasted no time getting to Royals starter Mark Gubicza in the top of the first inning as Otis Nixon struck out swinging to start. Billy Hatcher singled to left and stole second but Mike Greenwell flied out to center. Mo Vaughn doubled to right to score Nixon with the game's first run. Andre Dawson flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                  Vaughn drives in a run

The Royals answered against Boston starter Frank Viola in the bottom of the first as Vince Coleman caught everyone asleep with a bunt single. Coleman stole second but Wally Joyner popped up the bunt to Dave Valle. Brian McRae singled to center to score Coleman to tie the game but Mike Macfarlane popped up to second. Gary Gaetti flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                 McRae ties it up

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Tim Naehring doubled to left to start. Nahering reached third on the Scott Cooper single to right and John Valentin ripped a base hit to center to score Tim. Dave Valle banged into a double play and Nixon lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                                   Valentin drives in a run

Hubie Brooks took strike three to start the bottom of the second before old pal Dave Henderson grounded out to short. Jose Lind walked but David Howard popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Hatcher popped up to second to start the top of the third before Greenwell grounded back to the mound. Vaughn grounded out to first to end the inning. Coleman grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before Joyner flied out to center. McRae grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Dawson grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Naehring grounded back to the mound. Cooper flied out to right to end the inning. Macfarlane popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Gaetti grounded out to short. Brooks flied out to center to end the inning.

Valentin doubled to left to start the top of the fifth before taking third on a wild pitch. Valentin got doubled off third on a liner to short by Valle and Nixon flied out to left to end the inning. The Royals tied it in the bottom of the fifth as Henderson doubled to center to start. Dave moved to third on the Lind grounder to first and Howard scored Henderson with a sac fly to right. Coleman singled to left and stole second, but Joyner flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                Henderson scores

Hatcher flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Greenwell grounded out to first. Vaughn struck out swinging to end the inning. McRae grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth but Macfarlane struck out swinging. Gaetti grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hipolito Pichardo came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Dawson popped up to second to start. Naehring lined out to first and Cooper grounded out to short to end the inning. Brooks grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Henderson flied out to right. Lind tripled into the right field corner and Howard walked to chase Viola. Frank hung in there to toss 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball while allowing5 hits and two walks. Scott Bankhead came in and got Coleman to pop up to short to end the inning.

                                                                     Viola pitched well

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth as Valentin singled to center to start. Valle hit a routine grounder to Gaetti who booted it for an error to move Valentin to third. Nixon hit a sac fly to left to score John and Hatcher singled to right to chase Pichardo. Mike Magnante came in and Lee Tinsley pinch ran for Valle. Greenwell singled to right to load the bases and Vaughn singled to left to score Tinsley and Hatcher. Greenwell moved to third on the play and Dawson struck out swinging. Vaughn stole second but Naehring flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                                      Nixon with a sac fly

Greg Harris took over on the mound with Damon Berryhill behind the plate to start the bottom of the eighth. Joyner grounded out to second but McRae walked. Macfarlane walked but Gaetti beat out a double play ball. Brooks popped up to first to end the inning.

Cooper flied out to left to start the top of the ninth but Valentin popped up to second. Berryhill grounded out to third to end the inning. Jeff Russell came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Henderson doubled to right to start. Lind singled to right and the ball went under Hatcher's glove to score Dave, moving Jose all the way to third. Howard struck out swinging but Coleman doubled to left to score Lind. Sox manager Butch Hobson had enough of Russell and brought in Tony Fossas to face Joyner. Fossas did strike Wally out but Hobson brought in Paul Quantrill to face McRae. This time Brian doubled to left to score Coleman with the tying run. Macfarlane grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                           Russell couldn't get it done

The Sox took their frustrations out on Magnante in the top of the 10th as Nixon tripled to right to start the inning. Hatcher scored Nixon with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead back. Greenwell singled to center and moved to second on the grounder to first by Vaughn. Dawson was intentionally walked and Scott Fletcher came in to run for him. Naehring stepped up with another triple to right to clear the bases. Cooper and Valentin both walked to load the bases but Berryhill force Valentin at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-5.

                                                           Naehring with a big triple

Quantrill came back for the bottom of the tenth and Gaetti grounded out to short to start. Brooks grounded out to first and Henderson flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-5 in 10 innings.

Hero of the Night is Otis Nixon. His leadoff triple and run scored in the top of the tenth was all the Sox needed to win in extras.

                                                                Hero Nixon

The Good:

Billy Hatcher was 2 for 4 with an rbi, stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis and a stolen base.

Scott Fletcher scored a run as a pinch runner.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

John Valentin was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Lee Tinsley scored a run as a pinch runner.

Frank Viola allowed just 2 runs in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks.

Scott Bankhead retired the only man he faced.

Greg Harris pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Tony Fossas retired the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Dave Valle was 0 for 3.

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 2.

Jeff Russell blew the save in the ninth by getting charged with 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Scott Cooper was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Paul Quantrill allowed the game tying run to score but slammed the door in the 10th inning for the win.

Final Thoughts:

Blowing a 3 run lead in the ninth sucks but a win is a win. Jeff Russell getting pounded put Paul Quantril in an impossible situation but he redeemed it all in the tenth. Hats off to the Sox for not losing focus despite Russell's meltdown. Viola pitched a good game while he was there but the offense is starting to gel. Valentin, Naehring, Cooper and Vaughn are all 26-27 while Nixon, Hatcher and Greenwell look to still have gas left in the tank. The Sox do have a catcher in the minors named Scott Hatteberg but he's going to need time to develop. Hopefully the pitching can match the offense as the season goes on. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Royals tomorrow night when Danny Darwin (2-0) takes on Kevin Appier of Kansas City. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Outlast Tigers (4/6/94)

It was a hard fought game between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers but the Red Sox did just enough to come out the winners. Frank Viola started for the Red Sox but was knocked out in the fifth inning after allowing 3 runs. Mike Greenwell tied the game with a 3 run bomb and Dave Valle struck a two run triple to put the Sox ahead. Greg Harris allowed a run in the seventh but Boston closer Jeff Russell slammed the door in the ninth inning. The Sox made it two in a row to start the season as they defeated the Tigers 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                 Donna Wilkes approves of the win

Viola got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tony Phillips grounded out to short to start. Juan Samuel walked but Eric Davis popped up to first. Cecil Fielder flied out to center to end the inning. David Wells got the start for the Tigers and Otis Nixon greeted him with a comebacker to start the bottom of the first. Tim Naehring flied out to center and Mike Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning.

Travis Fryman lined out to third to start the top of the second before Alan Trammell hit one up the elevator shaft. Mickey Tettleton flied out to right to end the inning. Mo Vaughn led off the bottom of the second by striking out swinging and Andre Dawson flied out to right. John Valentin flied out to center to end the inning.

Danny Bautista singled down the first base line to start the top of the third but was thrown out trying to steal Chad Kreuter lined out to center and Phillips popped up to second to end the inning. Dave Valle flied out to right to start the bottom of the third and Lee Tinsley flied out to center. Scott Fletcher also flied out to center to end the inning.

The Tigers mauled Viola in the top of the fourth as Samuel popped up to first to start. Davis walked and somehow Fielder tripled into the right field corner to score him. Fryman doubled home Fielder and Trammell blooped a single over the head of Fletcher to put runners at the corners. Tettleton took strike three but Bautista singled to left to score Fryman and Kreuter walked to load the bases. Phillips grounded into a force at third to end the inning but it was 3-0 Tigers.

                                                       THIS guy tripled??

The Sox answered right back in the bottom of the fourth as Nixon caught Wells asleep with a bunt single and Naehring got a base hit to left. Greenwell pounded his first home run of the year to tie the game and Vaughn singled in the hole at second. Dawson doubled off the Monster and Valentin walked to load the bases, but Valle took strike three. Tinsley banged into a double play to end the inning but it was tied 3-3.

                                                          Greenwell ties the game

The Tigers quickly chased Viola in the top of the fifth as Samuel singled in the hole at short to start. Davis flied out to right but Fielder walked to chase Viola. He was rusty as hell as he allowed 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings. Ricky Trilicek made his Red Sox debut by striking out both Fryman and Trammell to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as Fletcher grounded out to second to start. Nixon also grounded out to second and Naehring grounded out to third to end the inning.

Tettleton struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth and Bautista popped up to second. Kreuter grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Vaughn grounded out to first but Dawson blooped a double in no mans land just over second base. Valentin was intentionally walked to get to Valle and Dave made the Tigers pay by smacking a bases clearing triple into the centerfield triangle. Tinsley popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning but it was 5-3 Red Sox.

                                                     Valle puts the Sox on top

Greg Harris came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Tigers pounced. Phillips and Samuel struck back to back base hits but Davis beat out a double play ball. Fielder forced Davis at second but Phillips scored to cut the lead. Fryman struck out looking to end the inning with the Tigers down 5-4.

                                                        Nice going Harris

Joe Boever came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Fletcher struck out swinging to start. Nixon popped up to left and Naehring popped up to first to end the inning. 

Scott Cooper took over at third for Naehring to start the top of the eighth and Trammell flied out to left to start. Tettleton grounded out to second and Kirk Gibson pinch hit for Bautista. There would be no 1988 World Series repeat as Kirk grounded out to second to end the inning. Greenwell popped up to first to start the bottom of the eighth before Vaughn grounded out to second. Dawson popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Sox closer Jeff Russell took the mound to start the top of the ninth and Junior Felix pinch hit for Kreuter. Felix flied out to left but Phillips beat out a roller to third to put the tying run on and Lou Whitaker pinch hit for Samuel. Whitaker banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

Hero of the Night is Dave Valle. His 2 run triple ended up being the decisive blow.

                                                          Valle the Hero

The Good:

Andre Dawson was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

John Valentin walked twice and scored a run in 3 plate appearances.

Ricky Trilicek got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

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

The Bad:

Lee Tinsley was 0 for 3.

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Frank Viola was tagged for 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

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

Tim Naehring was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 3 run homer.

Mo Vaughn was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Greg Harris allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Scott Cooper played third base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Starting the season 2-0 is better than starting 0-2 or 1-1 for that matter. Viola didn't look good at all but the bats and bullpen picked him up. Trilicek and Russell didn't give an inch and Valle getting that triple was the difference in the game. Good to see Greenwell start the season with some power with his first home run. Also good to see Andre Dawson get it going early as well, the Sox are gonna need his power and hopefully his knees hold up this season. Apart from Viola there wasn't much to sneeze about in this one. New Sox GM Dan Duquette has a lot of work to do to fix a roster that's finished under .500 two years in a row but so far so good. The Sox look for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon with the Tigers when Danny Darwin makes his season debut opposite Tim Belcher of Detroit. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Defeat Yankees (9/16/93)

As the disappointing season comes to a close, its still always a good thing for the Boston Red Sox to defeat the New York Yankees. Given the chance to play spoilers, the Sox delivered by delivering a crucial loss to the Yankees who trail the Toronto Blue Jays by 3 games now in the AL East race. The scored 3 quick runs in the top of the first against Scott Kamieniecki while Frank Viola (11-8, 3.14 ERA) tossed 5 gutty innings. A host of Sox bats chipped in as the Sox took the game 6-3 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                  Yor approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Kamieniecki in the top of the first as Scott Fletcher doubled to left to start. Mike Greenwell tried to sacrifice Fletcher to third with a bunt but ended up on first with a hit. Tim Naehring singled home Fletcher, advanced Greenwell to third and stole second on the Mo Vaughn strikeout. Rob Deer took strike three but Scott Cooper singled home both Greenwell and Naehring to increase the lead. Billy Hatcher flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                      Way to go Naehring

Viola cruised in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs lined out to right to start. Jim Leyritz popped up to second and Don Mattingly flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the second as John Valentin walked to start. Tony Pena sacrificed John to second with a bunt before Fletcher walked. Greenwell singled to load the bases and a wild pitch scored Valentin, moving the other runners into scoring position. Naehring popped up to first and Vaughn was intentionally walked to load the bases. Deer whiffed to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Valentin scores a run

Danny Tartabull grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second but Mike Stanley lined out to left. Bernie Williams waked but Paul O'Neill grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cooper beat out an infield single to open the top of the third before he was sacrificed to second by Hatcher. Valentin singled Cooper to third before Pena was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Fletcher banged into a double play to end the game. The Yankees fought back in the bottom of the third as Mike Gallego crushed a 6,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Randy Velarde flied out to left before Boggs whiffed. Leyritz singled to center but Mattingly grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-1.

Greenwell popped up to short to begin the top of the fourth but Naehring doubled to right. Vaughn was intentionally walked but Deer banged into a double play to end the inning. Viola cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Tartabull lined out to right to begin. Stanley also lined out to right and Williams whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox knocked Kamieniecki out in the top of the fifth although Cooper flied out to center to begin. Hatcher singled and Valentin dropped down a bunt, but Boggs threw the ball away allowing Hatcher to reach third. Pena popped up to second but Fletcher singled home Hatcher to increase the lead and chase Kamieniecki. Steve Howe came in and Greenwell grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                          Good hit by Fletcher

Viola got the Yankees to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as O'Neill grounded out to second to begin. Gallego grounded out to short and Velarde grounded back to the mound to end the inning. That was it for Viola who didn't last long but tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball to earn the win.

                                                        Short and sweet for Viola

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth although Naehring grounded out to second to begin. Vaughn doubled to left and Deer doubled him home to add to the lead. Deer moved to third on the grounder by Cooper before Hatcher whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                           Deer drives in a run

Scott Bankhead came in for the bottom of the sixth and Boggs lined out to center to start. Dion James pinch hit for Leyritz and hit one up the elevator shaft before Mattingly doubled to center. Tartabull whiffed to end the inning.

James took over in left with O'Neill moving to right for the top of the seventh as Valentin flied out to center to start. Pena lined out to center and Fletcher lined out to right to end the inning. The Yankees struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Stanley walked to start. Williams flied out to left but O'Neill forced Stanley at second. Gallego singled O'Neill to third and Velarde singled home Stanley to cut the lead. Sox manager Butch Hobson did the Bushwhacker march out of the dugout and tried to take the ball from Valentin before the puzzled John showed him where the mound was. Tony Fossas was summoned to face Boggs and he punched him out to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 6-2.

Paul Assenmacher took over for the top of the eighth and Bob Zupcic pinch hit for Greenwell. Zupcic flied out to left before Naehring grounded out to third. Vaughn was hit by a pitch but Deer earned a hat trick with his 3rd strikeout of the game to end the inning. The Yankees came roaring back in the bottom of the eighth as James singled and Mattingly walked to start. Hobson moonwalked out of the dugout and brought in Ken Ryan to pitch. Tartabull walked to load the bases with nobody out before Stanley scored James with a sac fly. Hobson then sprinted out of the dugout because he realized he brought in the wrong reliever, pulling Ryan for Greg Harris. Williams popped up to second but Matt Nokes pinch hit for O'Neill, getting a base hit to score Mattingly. Gerald Williams pinch ran for
Nokes but Gallego grounded into a force to end the inning with the Yankees down 6-4.

                                                            Harris slams the door

Cooper singled to right to open the top of the ninth and chase Assenmacher. Steve Farr came in and Hatcher walked before Valentin dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Ernie Riles pinch hit for Pena and was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jeff McNeely ran for Riles but Fletcher banged into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees rallied in the bottom of the ninth with Bob Melvin now behind the plate for the Sox. Velarde took strike three and Boggs flied out to left, but James singled to left. Mattingly doubled to put the tying run at second and Andy Stankiewicz pinch ran for Mattingly. Tartabull walked to load the bases but Stanley whiffed to end the game. The Sox survived by the skin of their teeth to win 6-4.

Hero of the Night is Greg Harris. The Yankees were charging and Harris slammed the door in their faces.

                                                            Hero Harris




The Good:

Scott Fletcher was 2 for 5 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 5 with an rbi, run scored and stolen base.

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, a hit by pitch and he scored a run.

Scott Cooper was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

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

John Valentin was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Ernie Riles walked as a pinch hitter.

Frank Viola earned his 11th win with 5 innings of 1 run ball.



The Bad:

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Tony Fossas was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Rob Deer was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Tony Pena was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch.

Scott Bankhead allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

Ken Ryan allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.



Honorable Mention:

Jeff McNeely pinch ran for Riles in the top of the ninth.

Bob Melvin caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Zippadee doo dah the Sox beat the Yankees. Too bad the Sox didn't fall apart at the end of August or else this game would have been a lot more meaningful. Still, if this win helps keep the Yankees out of the post-season, at least there's something positive about this win. The bullpen was horrible and some of the guys in the lineup were a snooze, but the Sox still found a way to win. The win improved the Sox to 76-70, nowhere near first place in the AL East race. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it 2 in a row against the Yankees when they send Aaron Sele to the mound up against Sterling Hitchcock at 7:30 PM at Yankee Stadium.