Dopson Dazzles Angels (4/30/93)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Scott Fletcher was removed from the Disabled List and nobody has a damn clue who got put on it. Fletcher gives the Sox some speed and on base percentage to an offense that's struggled in his absence.

                                                                 IN

As for the game, this has been an up and down month for not only the Boston Red Sox but for John Dopson (2-1, 3.26 ERA) as well. After pitching one of the best games of his life on Patriots Day, he looked awful in his next start. In tonight's game against the California Angels, Dopson recaptured the magic of Patriots day to shut down the Angels for over 7 innings. He allowed just 1 run before Paul Quantrill slammed the door. John Valentin broke out of his slump with two big home runs and 5 total rbis as the Sox ended the month of April on a positive note with a 6-1 win at Fenway Park.

                                                  Detective John Munch approves of the win

Dopson began his outing by getting Luis Polonia to ground out to second to begin the top of the first. Chad Curtis drew a walk but JT Snow flied out to center. Chili Davis grounded back to the mound to end the inning. John Farrell got the start for California and Fletcher grounded out to third to start. Billy Hatcher popped up to first but Mike Greenwell drew a walk. Andre Dawson popped up to short to end the inning.

Dopson got the Angels to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning and Tim Salmon grounded out to third to start. Rene Gonzales grounded out to second and Damion Easley grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Mo Vaughn led off with a double. Mo moved to third on the Carlos Quintana grounder and scored on the Scott Cooper single. Bob Melvin flied out to center and John Valentin iced the game with a 2 run bomb into the screen in left. Fletcher grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                              Cooper knocks in a run

Dopson cruised in the top of the third inning as Greg Myers grounded back to the mound to begin. Gary DiSarcina flied out to right and Polonia singled but was thrown out at second trying to stretch to end the inning. Farrell matched Dopson in the bottom of the third as Hatcher popped up to first to start. Greenwell flied out to center and Dawson grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Curtis flied out to center to open the top of the fourth before Snow flied out to right. Davis took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Vaughn took strike three to start. Quintana and Cooper took back to back walks but Melvin flied out to center. Suddenly Valentin crushed another home run into the screen, this time a 3 run dinger to light the crowd up. Fletcher grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                       Breaking out of his slump

More than enough cushion for Dopson who cruised in the top of the fifth inning. Salmon took strike three, Gonzales grounded out to third and Easley also grounded out to third to end the inning. Ken Patterson took over for Farrell in the bottom of the fifth and Hatcher grounded out to first to begin. Greenwell lashed a base hit to left but Dawson whiffed. Vaughn doubled Greenwell to third but Quintana grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dopson dominated the top of the sixth as Myers grounded out to second to start. DiSarcina took strike three and Polonia flied out to right to end the inning. Chuck Crim came in for the bottom of the sixth and Cooper lined out to second to begin. Melvin took strike three but Valentin walked...only to get picked off to end the inning.

Dopson continued to pitch well in the top of the seventh as Curtis grounded out to third to start. Snow grounded out to first and Davis flied out to right to end the inning. Fletcher singled to open the bottom of the seventh and Luis Rivera pinch ran for him. Hatcher banged into a double play and Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning.

The Angels finally got on the board against a tiring Dopson in the top of the eighth although Salmon popped up to second to start. Dopson had retired 13 in a row before Gonzales singled to left. Easley doubled home Gonzales to break up the shutout and Myers walked to chase Dopson. John ran out of gas but pitched well for 7 1/3 innings, allowing just the 1 run. Paul Quantrill replaced him and Gary Gaetti pinch hit for DiSarcina. Gaetti flied out to center to move Easley to third but Cooper swiped a line drive off the bat of Polonia to end the inning with the Angels down 6-1.

                                                     Excellent effort by Dopson

Gene Nelson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Dawson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Vaughn walked but Quintana lined out to center. Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.

Quantrill stayed in to finish the job in the top of the ninth inning with Bob Zupcic taking over in right field for Dawson. Curtis popped up to short before Snow went down swinging. Davis and Salmon drew back to back walks but Gonzales grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

Hero of the Night is John Valentin. His two home runs outscored the Angels entire offense, driving in 5 runs by himself.

                                                           Valentin the Hero



The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

John Dopson earned the win with 7 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 3.

Paul Quantrill tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bob Melvin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 4.

Carlos Quintana was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Luis Rivera pinch ran for Scott Fletcher and played second base.

Bob Zupcic played right field in the top of the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

The month has been a doozy but the Sox are heading into May on a high note. Being over .500 is better than being under .500 and hopefully the Sox can keep up the momentum moving forward. Frank Viola had a heck of a month and Dopson appears to be healthy. John pitched almost as well tonight as he did Patriots Day and if it wasn't for Danny Darwin, the Sox would be in first place now. Getting Fletcher back helps and if Valentin can break out of his slump, good things are coming in the future. The win improved the Sox to 13-9 as the month ends. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Angels with Roger Clemens (3-1) going up against Scott Sanderson in a rematch of last week. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Angels Top Sox, Streak at 4 (4/24/93)

It was a bad day for Boston sports. The Buffalo Sabres swept the Boston Bruins out of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox lost to the California Angels. The Boston Red Sox offense came alive for the first time in four days in tonight's gam against the Angels. The Sox pounded out five runs on three home runs....the bad news is the pitching failed big time. The Angels bashed John Dopson and two relievers for 8 runs off 10 hits. The Sox also committed two errors in the field which led to them dropping their fourth game in a row. The stench of 1992 finally found them in 1993 as the Angels took the game 8-5 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                              "I hate 4 game losing streaks"

Scott Lewis got the Sox for the Angels in the top of the first inning and Bob Zupcic grounded out to third to start. Carlos Quintana flied out to right and Mike Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Dopson got Luis Polonia to ground out to second to begin the bottom of the first before. Chad Curtis grounded out to short. JT Snow singled to left and took second on a passed ball but Chili Davis took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox ran themselves out of a rally in the top of the second inning as Andre Dawson singled to left to start. Mo Vaughn whiffed but Scott Cooper singled Andre to third. John Valentin hit a fly ball to center and Dawson gunned it home. The throw was late but Cooper inexplicably waited until Dawson was safe to try for second and he was thrown out at second to end the inning. The Sox still led 1-0 despite Cooper's foolishness.

                                    "Hey Cooper...yeah you...your baserunning sucks!"

Dopson cruised in the bottom of the second as Tim Salmon took strike three to start. Greg Myers fanned and Rene Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ernie Riles popped up to third to start the top of the third inning before Tony Pena grounded out to short. Zupcic popped up to third to end the inning. Torey Lovullo watched strike three go by to begin the bottom of the third inning before Gary DiSarcina was frozen for strike three. Polonia lined out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth inning although Quintana grounded out to third to start. Greenwell cracked his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Dawson hit one up the elevator shaft and Vaughn grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                                           Greenwell hits one out

Dopson promptly pissed the lead away in the bottom of the fourth inning as Curtis doubled to right to begin. Snow grounded out to first but Davis hit a seeing eye singled to score Curtis. Salmon hit a ground rule double and Davis scored on the Myers ground out. Gonzalez whiffed to end the inning but the Angels tied it 2-2.

The Sox re-took the lead in the top of the fifth inning as Cooper doubled to right to start. Valentin sacrificed Scott to third and he scored on the Riles fly ball to give the Sox the lead back. Pena lined out to second to end the inning but it was 3-2 Sox.

                                                          Riles drives a run

Dopson got in trouble in the bottom of the fifth inning although Lovullo grounded out to second to start. DiSarcina singled before Polonia walked. Gary was thrown out at third trying to steal although Polonia took second. Curtis whiffed to end the inning.

Chuck Crim came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Zupcic popped up to second to start. Quintana grounded out to short and Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Dopson returned for the bottom of the sixth inning and Snow tripled into the left field corner to start. Sox manager Butch Hobson jolted awake from his nap, stumbled out of the dugout and brought in Scott Bankhead to pitch ice cold out of the bullpen. Dopson was game but was knocked out after 5 innings of 3 run ball.

                                                      Absolutely average start by Dopson

Scott Bankhead poured gas on the fire by allowing an rbi single to Davis to tie the game. Salmon walked and Myers sacrificed the runners over. Gonzalez lined out to right but Salmon scored to give California the lead. Lovullo was intentionally walked but DiSarcina walked to load the bases. Sox manager Butch Hobson ran out of the dugout and all the way to the bullpen to tell Ken Ryan to go pitch. When Ryan got to the mound, Polonia lashed a base hit to left and Salmon scored easily but Lovullo was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Angels ahead 5-3.

                                                            YERRRRRR OUT!

Crim retired Dawson to open the top of the seventh before Ken Patterson came in to pitch to Vaughn. The move backfired as Vaughn crushed a solo blast to cut the lead. Cooper walked to put the tying run on but Julio Valera came in to pitch. Valentin and Riles both lined out to right to end the inning but the Sox were down 5-4.

                                                           Vaughn hits one out

The Angels iced the game in the bottom of the seventh although Curtis grounded out to second to start. Snow walked and Davis singled before Salmon doubled them home. Salmon tried to third and Valentin heaved the ball into the dugout for an error to give Salmon an unofficial inside the park home run. Myers grounded out to second and Gonzales grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Angels had blown it open 8-4.

                                                                  Nice throw John

Ivan Calderon pinch hit for Pena to open the top of the eighth and he drew a walk. Zupcic flied out to left but Calderon was forced at second by Quintana. Greenwell whiffed to end the inning. Bob Melvin took over behind the plate in the bottom of the eighth and Lovullo flied out to center to begin. DiSarcina hit a routine grounder to Cooper and Scott threw his glove at the ball, dove on it and wrestled with it for an error. Polonia forced DiSarcina at second and was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Melvin to end the inning.

The Sox refused to go quietly in the top of the ninth as Dawson singled to start, but was erased on the Vaughn double play. That proved to be huge as Cooper cracked his second home run of the year to cut the lead. Valentin flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had lost it 8-5.

Jackass of the Night is Ken Ryan. He allowed an inherited runner to score and 3 of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                                       Nice relief, Jackass



The Good:

Andre Dawson was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Scott Cooper was 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a home run.

Ivan Calderon walked as a pinch hitter.



The Bad:

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 4.

Carlos Quintana was 0 for 4.

Tony Pena was 0 for 2 with a passed ball.

John Dopson was knocked out in the sixth inning after allowing 3 runs in just 5 innings.

Scott Bankhead was charged with 2 runs and allowed an inherited run to score in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

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

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

John Valentin was 0 for 2 with an error but drove in a run.

Ernie Riles was 0 for 2 but drove in a run.



Honorable Mention:

Bob Melvin caught the bottom of the eighth




Final Thoughts:

Figures, the Sox offense finally scores a bunch of runs but the pitching fails them. Dopson couldn't match his Patriots Day gem but the bullpen didn't help either. I don't know what Hobson was thinking bringing in Ken Ryan instead of Paul Quantrill or Greg Harris but it cost them big time. Still, maybe the Sox offense will pick up from here and they'll be fine moving forward. Tomorrow night the Sox and Angels will be on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. In a nationally televised contest, Scott Sanderson of the Angels goes up against Roger Clemens (3-0) of the Sox at 8:05 PM Eastern Time at Anaheim Stadium.

BoSox Blank White Sox Again (4/19/93)

Ya think the Chicago White Sox want to get the hell out of Fenway Park? After winning Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox, the White Sox scored just 1 run combined in the next 3 games. After Joe Hesketh and Frank Viola shut down the White Sox, it was John Dopson (1-1, 3.50 ERA) pitching a gem on Patriots Day. Dopson picked up where Viola left off by hurling a complete game, 3 hit shutout over Chicago. A balanced offensive attack led by the return of Billy Hatcher pounded out 10 hits and 6 runs. The 6 runs were all scored in the bottom of the sixth and all of them helped to blank Chicago 6-0 on Patriots Day at Fenway Park.

                                                  Peter Lorre approves of the win

Dopson began his masterful outing in the top of the first inning as Joey Cora grounded out to first to begin. Lance Johnson grounded out to short and Frank Thomas looked at strike three to end the inning. Chicago starter Alex Fernandez got no help from his defense as Scott Fletcher took first on an Ozzie Guillen error. Billy Hatcher lined out to right before Mike Greenwell popped up to short. Fletcher took second on a wild pitch but Andre Dawson grounded out to short to end the inning.

Disaster struck in the top of the second inning as Scott Fletcher pulled up lame on a fly ball to the outfield. Carlos Quintana made the play in right but Fletcher got hauled off on a gurney headed to Mass General's ICU as Jeff Richardson took his place. Robin Ventura grounded out to second before Ellis Burks singled to left. Dan Pasqua whiffed to end the inning. Mo Vaughn and Quintana led off the bottom of the second with back to back singles but Scott Cooper whiffed. Tony Pena banged into a double play to end the inning.

Ron Karkovice whiffed to start the top of the third before Guillen grounded out to second. Cora struck out swinging to end the inning. The BoSox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Luis Rivera popped up to second to start. Richardson whiffed before Hatcher grounded out to first to end the inning.

The White Sox mounded one of their only threats in the top of the fourth inning as Johnson singled to right to start. Johnson stole second but Thomas stranded him with a grounder. Johnson moved to third on the grounder by Bell but Ventura walked. Burks grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox mustered nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Greenwell hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Dawson flied out to right and Vaughn grounded out to short to end the inning.

Dopson froze Pasqua for strike three to lead off the fifth inning before Karkovice swung and missed for strike three. Guillen lined out to left to end the inning. Fernandez kept pace in the bottom of the fifth as Quintana whiffed to start. Cooper swung at air for strike three before Pena lined out to left to end the inning.

Cora grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth before Johnson grounded back to the mound. Thomas walked and Bell singled to left but Ventura flied out to center to end the inning. The BoSox exploded in the bottom of the sixth although Rivera grounded back to the mound to start. Richardson walked and Hatcher singled Jeff to third. Greenwell singled home Richardson, sent Hatcher to third and gave the BoSox the lead. Dawson singled home Richardson to increase the lead and chase Fernandez. Chuck Cary came in and poured gas on the fire as Vaughn doubled home Greenwell. Quintana squibbed a seeing eye single to score Dawson and send Vaughn to third. A wild pitch scored Vaughn and sent Quintana to second, who scored on the Cooper base hit to ice the game. That was it for Cary as Bobby Thigpen came in to pitch to Pena. Pena doubled Cooper to third and that was it for Bobby. Donn Pall came in to get Rivera to fly out to right and Richardson to ground out to short to end the inning. Boston cracked 7 hits and scored 6 runs to take a commanding 6-0 lead.

                                                                Welcome back Hatcher

More than enough cushion for Dopson as he cruised in the top of the seventh. Burks flied out to right, Pasqua whiffed and Karkovice popped up to second to end the inning. Hatcher popped up to third to start the bottom of the seventh before Greenwell lined out to center. Dawson got plunked and Ernie Riles pinch ran for him to give Andre's knees a break. Vaughn doubled off the Monster but Riles was thrown out at home to end the inning.

                                                   Stay at third next time Ernie

Dopson returned for the top of the eighth and got Guillen to ground out to second to start. Cora grounded out to first and Johnson grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Roberto Hernandez took over for the bottom of the eighth and Quintana lined back to the mound to start. Cooper whiffed and Pena grounded out to short to end the inning.

Dopson returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and got Thomas to pop up to left to start. Bell walked but Ventura froze for strike three. Burks grounded into a force to end the game. The BoSox held the White Sox to just 1 run the last three games and took this one 6-0.

Hero of the Night is John Dopson. He tossed a complete game, 3 hit shutout to earn his first win of the season.

                                                          Patriots Day Hero


The Good:

Andre Dawson was 1 for 3, driving in a run and scoring once.

Mo Vaughn was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Quintana was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.



The Bad:

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 1 before leaving with injury.

Ernie Riles was thrown out at home as a pinch runner.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Jeff Richardson was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.

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

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

Scott Cooper was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Tony Pena was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Red Sox are hot. They've won 10 for their first 13 games and they've done it with offense as well as pitching. John Dopson was outstanding this morning, hopefully he can keep up this momentum going forward. Mo Vaughn looks vastly improved compared to last year and Dawson has been an rbi machine so far. Billy Hatcher and Scott Fletcher have provided speed...if only they had Jeff Bagwell. Hopefully Fletcher is okay since they just got Hatcher back. All in all it was a good win and this season has started well so far. The good news keeps coming as the Sox travel to Seattle for a set with the Mariners. "Rocket" Roger Clemens (2-0) goes for the Sox up against John Cummings at 10:05 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

Sox Outslug Indians at Fenway (4/14/93)

For a team that's as offensively challenged as the Boston Red Sox, tonight's slugfest was a good sign that the offense maybe improved from last year. Mo Vaughn led the charge as the Sox scored 10 runs in the first four innings before cruising to a 12-7 win at Fenway Park.

                                              Don Johnson approves of the win

The Indians struck first in the top of the first against Sox starter John Dopson although Thomas Howard grounded out to short to start. Felix Fermin grounded out to third but Carlos Baerga crushed a 15,000 foot home run to give the Indians the lead. Albert Belle looked at strike three to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the first against starter Mike Bielecki as Scott Fletcher popped up to second to start. Billy Hatcher and Mike Greenwell both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Indians struck again in the top of the second inning as Paul Sorrento doubled to start. Sorrento moved to third on the Carlos Martinez grounder and scored on the Reggie Jefferson single. Glenallen Hill hit a routine grounder to Scott Cooper who picked the ball up and did the antler dance with it for an error. Hatcher then made a great play to rob Sandy Alomar of extra bases and double off Jefferson at second to end the inning with the Indians up 2-0.

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second although Andre Dawson grounded back to the mound to start. Vaughn doubled to left and moved to third on the Carlos Quintana grounder and Cooper atoned for his error by scoring Vaughn with a base hit. Bob Melvin grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-1.

                                                          Cooper singles one in

The Indians got to Dopson again in the top of the third as Howard singled and Fermin singled him to third. Baerga flied out to center but Howard scored to increase the lead. Belle lined out to left and Sorrento grounded to second to end the inning with the Indians ahead 3-1.

The Sox roared back in the bottom of the third as Luis Rivera doubled to start the inning before he swiped third. Fletcher looked at strike three but Hatcher doubled home Rivera. Greenwell beat out an infield single to advance Billy to third and Dawson walked to load the bases. Vaughn delivered with a base hit to score Hatcher and Greenwell to give the Sox the lead. Quintana popped up to second but Cooper walked to re-load the bases. Melvin grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox led 4-3

                                                           Hatcher gets the rally going

Right on cue the Indians fought back in the top of the fourth as Martinez doubled to start. Jefferson whiffed but Hill walked. Alomar looked at strike three but Howard singled home Martinez to tie the game. Fermin flied out to right to end the inning but it was 4-4.

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth as Rivera looked at strike three to start. Fletcher walked but Hatcher flied out to right. Fletcher swiped second and Greenwell was intentionally walked. Dawson made the Indians pay with a base hit to score Fletcher with the go-ahead run. That was it for Bielecki as Dennis Cook was brought in. Vaughn doubled home Greenwell and Dawson to increase the lead. Quintana walked and Cooper doubled home both Vaughn and Quintana and chase Cook. Tom Kramer came in to pitch and Melvin doubled home Cooper. Rivera looked at strike three to end the inning but the Sox now led 10-4.

                                                   Even Melvin got an rbi

Sox manager Butch Hobson had enough of Dopson giving up runs and brought in Joe Hesketh (1-0) to pitch the top of the fifth inning. Baerga singled but Belle popped up to first. Sorrento hit a picture perfect double play ball to second but Rivera dropped the transfer throw for an error and everyone was safe. Luckily Hesketh got Martinez to bang into a double play to end the inning. The Sox were silenced in the bottom of the fifth although Fletcher walked to start. Hatcher flied out to center, Greenwell flied out to right and Dawson grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Scott Bankhead took the mound in the top of the sixth inning and the first thing he did was give up a 14,000 foot home run to Jefferson. Hill whiffed, Alomar lined out to right and Howard whiffed to end the inning with the Indians closer 10-5.

Mike Christopher took over for Cleveland in the bottom of the sixth and Vaughn singled to start. Quintana and Cooper stroked back to back singles to load the bases with nobody out but Melvin lined out to second and Vaughn was doubled off third. Rivera popped up to second to end the inning.

Bankhead came back for the top of the seventh to give up another run. Fermin flied out to center and Baerga popped up to second but Belle crushed a 600,000 foot home run to cut into the lead. Sorrento grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were up 10-6.

Derek Lilliquist took the mound for the bottom of the seventh and the Sox struck again. Fletcher hit a ground rule double and Hatcher doubled him home. Greenwell singled home Hatcher and it was time to take some starters out. Ivan Calderon pinch hit for Dawson to spell his knees and Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Greenwell to give him the rest of the game off. Calderon banged into a double play and Vaughn looked at strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-6.

                                                            Greenwell wraps up the offense

Greg Harris took the mound in the top of the eighth inning and the Indians struck again. Martinez hit a routine grounder to Cooper who threw himself on the ball and tried to eat it for an error. Jefferson singled Carlos to third and Martinez scored on the Hill sac fly. Alomar banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 12-7 Sox.

Eric Plunk came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Quintana doubled to start. Cooper singled him to third but Melvin and Rivera both whiffed. Ernie Riles pinch hit for Fletcher and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jeff Richardson took over at second with closer Jeff Russell on the mound to start the top of the ninth. Howard singled to start before Jeff Treadway pinch hit for Fermin only to fly out to right. Baerga banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 12-7.

Hero of the Night is Mo Vaughn. He was 4 for 5 with 4 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

                                                           Vaughn the Hero



The Good:

Scott Fletcher was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Billy Hatcher was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Andre Dawson was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Quintana was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Scott Cooper was 4 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbi's and a run scored.

Joe Hesketh got the win with a scoreless 5th inning.

Jeff Russell pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Ernie Riles struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ivan Calderon was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

John Dopson was pulled after giving up 4 runs in 4 innings despite the huge lead.

Scott Bankhead allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

Greg Harris allowed a run in the top of the 8th.



The Ugly:

Bob Melvin was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Luis Rivera was just 1 for 5 but stole a base and scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Bob Zupcic played left field the final two innings

Jeff Richardson played second in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

A rare offensive explosion from a team usually begging for offense. Then again when Hatcher and Fletcher are getting on base, its easier for the guys like Greenwell, Vaughn and Dawson to drive them in for the runs they need. The bottom of the order is near useless but there's not much that can be done. Unless they can develop a better hitting shortstop then they're going to go with what they got. Dopson sucked today as did Bankhead and Harris but the Sox had a big enough lead to overcome that. There will be other days where the offense won't be there so they'll need to tighten that up. All in all it was a good win and the Sox will look for the sweep tomorrow night with "Rocket" Roger Clemens going up against Jose Mesa at 6:05 PM at Fenway Park

Ryan, Rangers Shut Down Sox (4/9/93)

Sometimes it seems like Nolan Ryan will pitch forever and tonight was one of those times. The 46 year old Ryan served the Boston Red Sox their lunch by allowing no earned runs for 6 innings before the Texas Rangers bullpen finished the job. John Dopson (0-1, 5.40 ERA) was game but couldn't handle the old cowboy as the Rangers took the game 3-1 at Arlington Park.

                                           "That damn Nolan Ryan always wins"

Ryan took the mound in the top of the first inning and the Sox proceeded to beat the ball in the dirt. Scott Fletcher was retired on a squibber in front of the mound before Scott Cooper and Mike Greenwell both grounded out to second to end the inning. Dopson came out firing in the bottom of the first inning, striking out both David Hulse and Rafael Palmeiro. Jose Canseco flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox had one of their only chances in the game in the top of the second inning. Andre Dawson doubled to lead off but Mo Vaughn flied out to left. Ivan Calderon walked and Bob Zupcic singled in the hole at short to load the bases. The rally ended abruptly as Tony Pena banged into a double play to end the inning. Dopson ran into trouble in the bottom of the second although Juan Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Julio Franco singled to left but Dean Palmer struck out. Ivan Rodriguez walked but Benji Gil struck out to end the inning. That's 4 k's for Dopson in two innings.

The Sox struck first by accident in the top of the third inning. Luis Rivera struck out and Fletcher popped up to second but Cooper singled. Cooper took off for second and Pudge Rodriguez managed to throw the ball into the centerfield bleachers to score Cooper. Greenwell walked but Dawson flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                    "I scored!" - Cooper

The Rangers answered right back in the bottom of the third inning. Billy Ripken hit a ground ball to Cooper at third and the ball deflected away, allowing Ripken to scoot into second base. Hulse dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance Ripken to third and Palmero singled Billy home to tie the game. Palmero took off for second and Pena decided to turn around and throw the ball at the Texas Rangers batboy for no apparent reason, advancing Palmero to third. Canseco popped up to center and Gonzalez struck out to end the inning but it was now 1-1.

                                                 "I hate batboys" - Pena

Ryan took control in the top of the fourth inning by striking out both Vaughn and Calderon to start. Zupcic hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Dopson matched Ryan in the bottom of the fourth as Franco flied out to right to start. Palmer struck out and Rodriguez lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth inning as Pena grounded out to second, Rivera watched strike three go by and Fletcher popped up to first to end the inning. Dopson kept pace in the bottom of the fifth inning by striking out Gil to start. Ripken and Hulse both grounded out back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to take the lead but wasted it in the top of the sixth inning. Cooper watched strike three go by and Greenwell flied out to center before the Rangers made a boo-boo. Dawson hit a routine pop up to Ripken but he dove for it and missed, allowing Dawson to reach second with a credited double. A wild pitch moved Andre to third but Vaughn grounded out to short to end the inning. The end came quickly for Dopson in the bottom of the sixth when Palmeiro smashed a 37,000 foot home run to Sommerville and Canseco hit a 450,000 foot home run to Providence. Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out onto the field and tried to take the ball from second baseman Scott Fletcher when Scott had to point at Dopson standing on the mound totally confused. Dopson was game but was given the quick hook after 5 innings and 3 runs allowed.

                                                    "Wow, my manager is an idiot" - Dopson

Harris put out the fire as Gonzalez lined out to center and Franco struck out. Palmer flied out to center to end the inning with the Rangers leading 3-1.

That was it for the old man as Matt Whiteside took over in the top of the seventh inning. Calderon and Zupcic struck out before Pena grounded out to first to end the inning. Harris walked Rodriguez to begin the bottom of the seventh and Gil sacrifice bunted Ivan to second. Ripken grounded out back to the mound and Hulse grounded out to second to end the inning.

Kenny Rogers took over for the top of the eighth and Ernie Riles saw his name on the batting order pinch hitting for Rivera and went to the plate but all of a sudden Hobson realized he penciled in the wrong guy so he bolted out of the dugout and tackled Riles to the ground, sending in a confused Jeff Richardson to pinch hit instead. Richardson flied out to center, Fletcher popped up to second and Cooper struck out to end the inning. Harris returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Palmeiro to ground out to second to start. Canseco walked and stole second but Gonzalez struck out. Franco was intentionally walked and Palmer popped up to second to end the inning.

Rogers came back to pitch to Greenwell in the top of the ninth and got him to fly out to right. Tom Henke came in to finish the job and Dawson singled to bring the dying run to the plate. That was it as Vaughn and Calderon grounded out to end the game. The Rangers had won it 3-1.

Jackass of the Night is Mo Vaughn. He was 0 for 4 and came up to bat 3 times with men on base and failed each time.

                                                      Vaughn the Jackass


The Good:

Andre Dawson was 3 for 4.

Bob Zupcic was 1 for 3.

Greg Harris tossed 4 shutout innings.



The Bad:

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 4.

Tony Pena was 0 for 3 with an error.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Jeff Richardson was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Scott Cooper was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Ivan Calderon was 0 for 3 with a walk.

John Dopson took the loss by pitching 5 innings of 3 run ball. With better run support, he may have won the game.



Honorable Mention:

Ernie Riles was scheduled to pinch hit in the top of the eighth.




Final Thoughts:

This game is a reminder of the incompetence of last year's team. Dopson and Harris pitched well but the Sox couldn't generate any offense, and really can anyone expect any different? Andre Dawson was an upgrade over Jack Clark but that's like getting rid of a 1978 Ford Fairmont with a 1979 model. Average hitters such as Scott Fletcher and Ivan Calderon aren't going to help in the long run so the Sox better have the season of their lives on the mound. Luckily the ace goes tomorrow night as "Rocket" Roger Clemens (1-0) takes on Craig Lefferts at 7:30 PM at Arlington Park.

Angels Stun Sox in the Ninth (8/19/92)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Tommy Barrett was sent down to Pawtucket and Eric Wedge was called up. The Sox desperately need some offense and maybe Wedge will be the answer? Who knows.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, talk about everything coming up Butch. After Sox manager Butch Hobson and Jeff Reardon got into it in Milwaukee, I'm sure Hobson was just waiting for Jeff to falter. He didn't have to wait long as Reardon choked away a 2-1 lead in tonight's game over the California Angels. John Dopson pitched 1 run ball into the eighth inning but Malden native Gary DiScarcina hit the decisive blow with 2 outs in the top of the ninth. The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the frame and they went back to their losing ways with a bitter 3-2 defeat at Fenway Park.

                                                        "Dammit Reardon"

Dopson cruised in the top of the first inning as Luis Polonia grounded out to short to start. Luis Sojo popped up to short and Junior Felix grounded back to the mound to start. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against California starter Jim Abbott. Wade Boggs flied out to center to start before Billy Hatcher grounded out to short. Bob Zupcic was hit with a pitch, Tom Brunansky walked and Jack Clark doubled Bob home to put Boston on top. Jody Reed walked to load the bases but the Sox missed a huge chance when Mo Vaughn took strike three to end the inning. Still, the Sox led 1-0.

                                                        Clark drives in a run

Dopson cruised in the top of the second inning as Ken Oberkfell grounded out to first to start. Chad Curtis whiffed and Lee Stevens grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Tony Pena flied out to center to start. John Valentin whiffed and Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Angels tied it in the top of the third as DiSarcina singled and took second on a wild pitch. DiSarcina was thrown out on a fielder's choice by Mike Fitzgerald but Damion Easley singled Fitzgerald to third. Fitzgerald scored on the grounder by Polonia and Sojo walked. Felix grounded out to second to end the inning but it was tied 1-1.

                                                           The Masshole starts the rally

Hatcher and Zupcic both watched strike three go by to start the bottom of the third but both Brunansky and Clark stroked back to back singles. Reed flied out to center to end the inning.

Oberkfell singled to center to start the top of the fourth then took second on a balk. Curtis whiffed, Stevens grounded out to third and Disarcina lined out to center to end the inning. Vaughn walked to open the bottom of the fourth but Pena popped up to first. Valentin got a base hit to right but Vaughn was thrown out at third. Boggs grounded out to third to end the inning.

Dopson cruised in the top of the fifth inning as Fitzgerald grounded out to third to start. Easley struck out swinging and Polonia grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Hatcher beat out a swinging bunt to start. Zupcic singled to center and Bruno walked to load the bases. Clark struck out swinging but Reed got a base hit to right to score Hatcher and re-load the bases. With a chance to break the game open....Vaughn hit a bullet but right to first, who doubled off Reed to end the inning. The Sox blew their best chance but still led 2-1.

                                                                Reed drives in a run

Sojo singled to center to start the top of the sixth but was forced at second by Felix. Oberkfell hit a bullet to Valentin who doubled off Felix to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Pena grounded out to second to start. Valentin flied out to center and Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dopson dominated the top of the seventh as Curtis grounded out to short to start. Stevens flied out to right and DiSarcina grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox mustered nothing against Abbott in the bottom of the seventh as Hatcher flied out to center to begin. Zupcic flied out to right but Bruno got a base hit to right. Clark flied out to right to end the inning.

Rob Ducey pinch hit for Fitzgerald to start the top of the eighth and doubled to left. Ducey moved to third on the fly out by Easley and suddenly Sox manager Butch Hobson woke up from his nap, stumbling out of the dugout to take out Dopson. John was outstanding, coming within 5 outs of a complete game while still tossing 7 1/3 innings of 1 run ball.

                                                           Outstanding effort from Dopson

Tony Fossas came in and Polonia hit a ground ball to second, Reed coming home to nail Ducey at the plate. Hobson then bolted out of the dugout realizing he brought in the wrong pitcher he wanted and brought in Greg Harris ice cold in from the bullpen with no time to rest. Somehow Harris got Sojo to ground out to first to end the inning. Ron Tingley came in for the bottom of the eighth and Reed grounded out to second to start. Vaughn grounded out to second but Pena singled to center. Valentin grounded out to third to end the inning.

3 outs from victory, Hobson reluctantly brought in Jeff Reardon for the save in the top of the ninth. Much to Butch's dismay, Jeff struck out Felix swinging to start. Much to Butch's delight, Oberkfell singled to center with Von Hayes pinch running for him. Curtis struck out swinging and with one out away....Stevens hit a ground rule double that had Hobson pumping his fists in the dugout. DiSarcina then put the Angels on top with a base hit to center that scored both Hayes and Stevens as Hobson ran out of the dugout cheering and hugging the puzzled DiSarcina. Reardon threw his glove at Hobson as he was escorted out of the building by armed security amidst a chorus of boo's. Reardon blew away Tingley to end the inning but the damage was done, the Angels led 3-2.

                                                                   DiSarcina with the killshot

Joe Grahe came in for the bottom of the ninth and Boggs grounded out to second again. Hatcher put the tying run on wit a base hit to right but Zupcic banged into a double play to end the inning. The Angels had won it 3-2.

Jackass of the Night is Jeff Reardon. He allowed the go-ahead hit by DiSarcina with 2 outs in the ninth.

                                                                   Jackass Jeff



The Good:

Billy Hatcher was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Tom Brunansky was 2 for 2 with 2 walks.

Jack Clark was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

John Dopson tossed 7 1/3 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 3.

Tony Fossas got the second out of the eighth inning.

Greg Harris got the final out of the eighth inning.



The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 5.



The Ugly:

Bob Zupcic was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 3 but walked.

Tony Pena was just 1 for 4.

John Valentin was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Can this season end already? This was one of the worst offensive seasons in team history and there's still 40 games left to play. Historically the Sox have been all-bat and no pitching and this year is the complete opposite. If the Sox had any kind of offense, they'd actually be in the hunt with how good their pitching has been. Dopson pitched a gem but Reardon gagged and the Sox could muster only 2 runs. Not to mention the players are starting to tire of Hobson and it comes down to just a lost season. The loss drops the Sox to 55-65, 15 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in last place in the AL East. The Sox next defeat comes tomorrow night against the Angels when Danny Darwin (6-5) gets dominated by Bert Blyleven at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Terrell, Yankees Blank Sox (9/27/89)

Its only fitting for a schizophrenic team like the Boston Red Sox to head to the end of the season with one of the most pathetic losses all season. Its one thing to get shut out by a great pitcher like Nolan Ryan, Jack Morris or Dave Stewart....its another to get completely shut down by a guy who's lost EIGHTEEN games this season. Walt Terrell of the New York Yankees has been complete batting practice this season but he gave the Red Sox a middle finger for them to sit and spin on in tonight's game. Terrell threw a complete game 5 hit shutout, blanking the Jekyll & Hyde Sox in the middle of a September hot streak. John Dopson (11-8, 4.08 ERA) pitched admirably in defeat, allowing just 3 runs as he went the distance as well. The Sox have had a lot of losses this season but this one was humiliating as the Yankees blanked them 3-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Dopson took the mound in the top of the first inning and Steve Sax grounded out to third to start. Luis Polonia lined out to center and Don Mattingly grounded out to first to end the inning. Terrell cruised in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs led off with a grounder to second. Marty Barrett grounded back to the mound and Dwight Evans struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mel Hall struck out swinging to open the top of the second before Jesse Barfield also went down hacking. Roberto Kelly grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Alvaro Espinoza booted a Mike Greenwell grounder to start. Nick Esasky singled to second but Danny Heep banged into a double play. Luis Rivera grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the third as Mike Blowers walked to start. Espinoza moved Blowers to second on a grounder to third but Brian Dorsett singled to center to score Mike. Sax hit a routine grounder to Rivera who threw his glove at the ball and started wrestling with second base for an error to put runners at the corners. Polonia hit into a double play to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                               Dorsett drives in a run

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Kevin Romine grounded out to first to start. John Marzano grounded out to second and Boggs grounded out to first to end the inning.

Mattingly flied out to center to start the top of the fourth before Hall grounded out to second. Barfield grounded out to short to end the inning. Barrett was plunked to start the bottom of the fourth but was thrown out trying to steal on the Evans swinging strikeout. Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dopson cruised in the top of the fifth as Kelly grounded out to short to start. Blowers took strike three and Espinoza grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Esasky blooped a single to right to begin the bottom of the fifth but Heep forced him at second. Rivera forced Heep at second but Romine beat out a roller just past Terrell. Marzano grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the sixth as Dorsett singled to center to start. Dorsett moved to second on a wild pitch and Sax ripped a base hit to center. Dorsett teased going home and Sax took second on the throw home. Polonia hit a sac fly to score Dorsett to increase the lead but Mattingly grounded out to second. Hall also grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                            Polonia drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Boggs grounded out to short to start. Barrett flied out to right and Evans grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Yankees iced the game in the top of the seventh as Barfield smashed a home run all the way to Claypit Pond to increase the lead. Kelly grounded out to short, Blowers struck out swinging and Espinoza took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-0.

                                                        No run support for Dopson

Greenwell tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to begin the bottom of the seventh but Esasky flied out to center. Heep grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Dopson rebounded in the top of the eighth as Dorsett grounded out to short to start. Sax grounded back to the mound and Polonia popped up to center to end the inning. Rivera singled to center to start the bottom of the eighth and Jeff Stone pinch hit for Romine. Stone lined out to left and Sam Horn pinch hit for Marzano. Rivera moved to second on the grounder to second by Horn but Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning.

Dopson returned for the top of the ninth inning with Rick Cerone now behind the plate. Mattingly grounded back to the mound but Hall singled to center. Hall was doubled off first on the line drive to Boggs to end the inning. Dopson had thrown a complete game while allowing 3 runs, 9 times out of 10 that's good enough to win.

                                                     Complete game for Dopson

Wayne Tolleson took over at second for Sax for the bottom of the ninth and Barrett grounded out to short to start. Jody Reed pinch hit for Evans and struck out swinging before Greenwell popped up to third in foul territory to end the game. Terrell had thrown a complete game shutout and beat the Sox 3-0.

Jackass of the Night is Danny Heep. He was 0 for 3 including hitting into a double play with 2 men on when the game was in reach.

                                                             A Heep of Jackass

The Good:

Nick Esasky was 2 for 3.

Kevin Romine was 1 for 2.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but John Dopson threw a complete game 5 hitter, allowing just 3 runs while walking 1 batter.

The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jody Reed struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jeff Stone was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

John Marzano was 0 for 2.

Sam Horn was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4.

Luis Rivera was 1 for 3 but committed an error.

Honorable Mention:

Rick Cerone caught the last inning.

Final Thoughts:

If the Red Sox didn't crap the bed on the west coast trip where they went 1-9, the Sox would be right there with the Toronto Blue Jays with just four games left in the season. As it is, they're mathematically eliminated and are just playing out the string. If going 1-9 against the west coast teams wasn't bad enough, tonight they got shutout by a guy who lost 18 games this season. Its one thing to lose a slugfest, its another to get shutout. I know Terrell wasn't as bad as his record indicates but this was still embarrassing. In a season that had more drama than fun, hopefully next year won't be such a headache for everyone involved. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss drops the Sox to 80-78, tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for third place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Brewers for a four game showdown to end the regular season. Only thing left to play for is who finishes third place and tomorrow night Mike Boddicker makes his last start of the season up against Don August of Milwaukee. The makeup game from July 5th begins at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.