Righetti No-Hits Red Sox (7/4/83)

Talk about an unhappy Fourth of July for the Boston Red Sox. Looking for a series win against the New York Yankees, the Yankees avoided that in historic fashion as Dave Righetti no-hit the Red Sox. The Sox had their best lineup available and nobody could get a single hit against him. John Tudor (5-5, 3.57 ERA) was game, allowing 4 runs in 7 2/3 innings but the Sox bats failed him big time. Andre Robertson's rbi single in the fifth was all the scoring the Yankees would need although Don Baylor hit a home run as well. The Sox dropped a crucial game the day before the All-Star break in record fashion as the Yankees took the game 4-0 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                         Wrong side of baseball history

Righetti got the ball in the top of the first and Jerry Remy struck out swinging on a high fastball to start. Wade Boggs took strike three on the outside corner but Jim Rice took a close pitch for ball four. Tony Armas struck out swinging to end the inning. Tudor got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Bert Campaneris led off with a base hit to left. Campaneris swiped second but Don Mattingly flied out to left. Dave Winfield drew a walk and Lou Piniella hit a bullet...right to Glenn Hoffman who stepped on second for the double play to end the inning.

Dwight Evans led off the top of the second by striking out swinging on a curveball before Reid Nichols lined out to a running Steve Kemp. Dave Stapleton struck out swinging on the same pitch that got Evans to end the inning. Don Baylor led off the bottom of the second by popping up to a running Rice to start. Butch Wynegar hit a bullet right through the legs of Boggs for an "error" but he ended up on second base. Wynegar moved to third on a grounder to first by Kemp and Roy Smalley grounded out to Stapleton to end the inning.

                                                               "OLE" - Boggs

Jeff Newman led off the top of the third by striking out swinging before Glenn Hoffman struck out swinging on a slider down and in before Remy grounded out to short to end the inning. Andre Robertson flied out to left to begin the bottom of the third but Campaneris blooped a single to right. The Yankees goofed when Campaneris had second base stolen....had Mattingly not popped up to Remy. Remy doubled Bert off first to end the inning.

Righetti was unhittable in the top of the fourth as Boggs lined out to center to start. Rice flied out to right and Armas grounded out to third to end the inning. Tudor stayed tough in the bottom of the fourth as Winfield flied out to center to start. Piniella flied out to the left field wall and Baylor flied out to Armas to end the inning.

Evans led off the top of the fifth by striking out swinging to start. Nichols drew a walk but was immediately picked off. Stapleton popped up to Robertson to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Wynegar popped up to Remy to start. Kemp then hit a ball off the glove of Stapleton but it was ruled a base hit. The Yankees made Stapleton pay as Smalley grounded a base hit to right and Robertson singled to left to score Kemp with the go-ahead run. Campaneris walked to load the bases but Mattingly struck out swinging. Winfield struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                          Yankees take the lead

Newman flied out to right to start the top of the sixth inning before Hoffman popped up to a running Smalley. Remy popped up to third to end the inning. Righetti was just nine outs away from a no-hitter. The Yankees iced the game in the bottom of the sixth as Piniella flied out to the centerfield warning track to start. Baylor then hit a home run all the way to Yonkers to increase the lead. Rice then caught a Wynegar line drive at the left field wall and Kemp grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees leading 2-0.

                                                          Baylor hits one out

Boggs flied out to Winfield to start the top of the seventh before Rice drew a walk. Armas banged into a double play to end the inning. Righetti was six outs from the no-no. Smalley popped up to a running Rice to start the bottom of the seventh before Robertson flied out to right. Campaneris also flied out to right to end the inning.

Kemp jumped into the right field bleachers to catch a fly ball by Evans to start the top of the eighth. Nichols flied out to center and Stapleton popped up to Mattingly in foul territory to end the inning. Righetti was three outs from the no-hitter. The Yankees finally chased Tudor in the bottom of the eighth as Mattingly popped up to first to start. Winfield hit a routine grounder to Hoffman but the throw was low and Stapleton dropped it for a "hit." Jeff Newman dove into the stands to corral a pop up by Piniella but Winfield made a heads up play to run to second base. Umpire Steve Palermo knocked himself goofy running into the wall trying to follow Newman. Baylor was intentionally walked but Wynegar walked on a very close pitch to load the bases. Kemp lashed the first pitch he saw into right field for a base hit to score Winfield and Baylor to put the game out of reach. That was it for Tudor who did the best he could but got knocked out in the eighth inning, surrendering 4 runs in 7 2/3 innings. Bob Stanley came in and with one pitch, got Smalley to ground out to first to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-0.

                                                         Tudor got no help here

Somehow the Sox got a baserunner when Newman walked to start. Hoffman just barely beat out a double play ball and moved to second on a grounder by Remy to Robertson, but there were two outs. Yankee Stadium went crazy when Boggs struck out swinging to end the game. Righetti had pitched a no-hitter and the Yankees had won it 4-0.

                                                     Righetti has done it

Jackass of the Night is a tough one since nobody got a hit. I gotta go with Wade Boggs. Not only did he go 0 for 4 with the final out, but he booted a grounder for an error.

                                                    Thanks for the final out, ya Jackass

The Good:

Jim Rice walked twice in three at-bats.

Bob Stanley retired the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.

John Tudor allowed 4 runs in 7 2/3 innings to take the loss. He allowed 8 hits and 4 walks while striking out two.

The Ugly:

Reid Nichols was 0 for 2 but drew a walk.

Jeff Newman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but drew a walk.

Final Thoughts:

What a way to lose a game. The Sox needed this game to take three out of four from New York and keep pace in the division race and instead they get no-hit. The only thing close to a hit was Jerry Remy's grounder to short in the top of the third. That was as dominant a performance as anyone's ever seen despite the walks. Tudor ran out of gas in the eighth inning otherwise he pitched well. If he was removed after the seventh after allowing just two runs, more often than not that would win the game. Once again the bottom of the order makes you want to hurl with the way the bats have performed this season. Remember last year when we said that if the bullpen wasn't great, the Sox wouldn't be either? Here we are. There's not much they can do but hope the starters can pull it together in the second half. The loss drops the Sox to 39-38, 4.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now take a three day break for the All-Star game and come back on Friday night against the California Angels. Looks like it'll be Dennis Eckersley (5-5) getting the ball for Boston against Bruce Kison of the Angels. The game begins at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Angels Shut Down Sox in 11 (4/30/83)

So much for ending April on the high note for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins dropped Game 3 of their NHL Wales Finals series and the Boston Red Sox dropped a tough game to the California Angels. The Sox and Angels battled to a 1-1 tie through 10 1/2 innings. John Tudor pitched his tail off for 10 innings but had nothing to show for it. A combined effort by the Angels bullpen limited the Sox to just a single run in 8 innings after Angels starter Tommy John was lifted after just three innings. In the bottom of the eleventh, Mark Clear (1-1, 9.39 ERA) surrendered the deciding home run to pinch hitter Daryl Sconiers for California to pull off the 4-1 walkoff win at Anahiem Stadium.

                                                    "Damn Sconiers"

Wade Boggs led off the top of the first inning by grounding out to short before Evans drew a walk. Jim Rice banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor took the ball in the bottom of the first and Rod Carew greeted him with a base hit to center. Juan Beniquez flied out to right but Fred Lynn singled Carew to third. Tudor recovered to strike out both Doug DeCinces and Reggie Jackson to end the inning.

John shut down the Sox in the top of the second as Tony Armas grounded out to short to start. Reid Nichols flied out to left and Dave Stapleton flied out to right to end the inning. Brian Downing led off the bottom of the second by flying out to center before Tim Foli flied out to right. Bob Boone singled to center but Ricky Adams grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third inning as Jeff Newman grounded out to second to start. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to second and Jerry Remy grounded out to short to end the inning. The Angels threatened in the bottom of the third as Carew caught Boggs asleep with a bunt single to start. Beniquez was plunked but Lynn flied out to left. DeCinces hit one up the elevator shaft and Jackson whiffed to end the inning.

A scary situation happened when Boggs lined one off of John to begin the top of the fourth and knocked him out of the game. You never want to see someone get hurt but John was out and Mike Witt was in. Evans banged into a double play and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                             Get well soon

Tudor cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Downing struck out to start. Foli grounded out to short and Boone flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Armas watched strike three go by to start. Nichols grounded out to third and Stapleton grounded out to second to end the inning. Adams flied out to center to open the bottom of the fifth but Carew dumped a single to center. Carew was thrown out at second by the alert Newman trying to steal and Beniquez flied out to right to end the inning.

Boston beat the ball in the dirt again in the top of the sixth as Newman grounded out to first to begin. Hoffman grounded out to third and Remy grounded out to short to end the inning. Lynn went down swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before DeCinces grounded out to short. Jackson singled to center and Downing whiffed to end the inning.

Guess what the Sox did in the top of the seventh? Beat the ball in the dirt of course.  Boggs, Evans and Rice all grounded out to short to begin and end the inning. In response, Tudor got three fly outs in the bottom of the frame. Foli flied out to left while Boone and Adams both flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth but blew it as Armas flied out to center to start. Nichols walked but was thrown out trying to steal. The out loomed large as Stapleton and Newman both walked which would have loaded the bases. Instead Hoffman grounded out to second to end the inning. The Angels struck first in the bottom of the eighth as Carew flied out to left but old pal Beniquez launched a home run into the Pacific Ocean. Lynn grounded out to second and DeCinces struck out to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

                                                       Where was this in the 75 World Series?

Down to their last three outs, the Sox refused to quit against Andy Hassler in the top of the ninth. Remy beat out an infield single to short and Hassler booted the bunt attempt by Boggs. Luis Sanchez replaced Hassler and Evans banged into a double play. Down to their last out, Rice slashed a single to center to score Remy with the tying run. Armas grounded out to first but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                     Rice ties it up

The Angels looked to end it in the bottom of the ninth when Jackson walked to start. Rob Wilfong ran for him but foolishly tried to tag up when Newman went over heels to snare a pop up from Downing. Newman gunned Wilfong out at first to complete the double play and Foli grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox looked to take the lead in the top of the tenth inning although Nichols struck out to start. Stapleton grounded out to second but Newman doubled to center. Julio Valdez ran for Newman with Rich Gedman pinch hitting for Hoffman. Gedman was intentionally walked and John Curtis came in to face Remy. Remy grounded out to second to end the inning. Tudor came back for one more inning in the bottom of the tenth. Boone flied out to left, Adams grounded out to short and Carew grounded out to second to end the inning. A tough break for Tudor who went ten innings, allowed only one run and had nothing to show for it.

                                                         10 inning for Tudor

The Sox failed to pick up their pitcher in the top of the 11th inning although Boggs singled off Curtis to start. Doug Corbett came in and Boggs was sacrificed to second by Evans but Rice banged into a double play to end the inning. The Angels ended it against the ineffective Mark Clear in the bottom of the 11th. Beniquez walked to start but Lynn flied out to left. DeCinces singled to right and Daryl Sconiers pinch hit for Wilfong. Naturally Sconiers bashed a 478,000 foot home run to win the game for the Angels 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Mark Clear. He allowed the walkoff home run to Sconiers to lose the game.

                                                               Its Clear that he's a Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4.

Jeff Newman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rich Gedman walked as a pinch hitter.

John Tudor tossed 10 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 7.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 but walked.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 but drove in the only run the Sox scored.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 3 but walked.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Julio Valdez played shortstop in the bottom of the 11th.




Final Thoughts:

That was a kick in the balls for sure. Tudor pitched his ass off but didn't get the run support he needed to pull out the win he deserved. The Sox even tied it up with 2 outs in the ninth but couldn't finish the job. Clear has been a disaster this month which is ironic considering how good Luis Aponte and Bob Stanley have been. The Sox have had an up and down month on both offense and the pitching side. Its a shame because if the Sox could get consistent pitching, eventually it'll match the offense. Then again Sox fans have been expecting good pitching for years now. The loss dropped the Sox to 10-9 heading into the month of May. They look to rebound against the Angels tomorrow afternoon when they send Mike Brown out against Dave Goltz at 4:05 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Sox Edge A's (4/24/83)

What a day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of their NBA playoff series and Brad Park scored in overtime for the Boston Bruins to eliminate the Buffalo Sabres in their NHL second round playoff series. After a rainout postponed last night's game with the Oakland A's to July 26th, the Boston Red Sox picked up where they left off Friday night with a good pitching performance by someone who needed to step up. John Tudor (1-1, 3.18 ERA) won his first game of the season with 7 gutty innings. Bob Stanley saved the day again and two home runs by Dwight Evans were all the difference as the Sox made it 3 wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the A's in Oakland Coliseum.

                                                           Brad Park approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning against Oakland starter Mike Norris. Wade Boggs flied out to center but Dwight Evans clocked his second home run of the season to put the Sox up two batters into the game. Jim Rice flied out to right and Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 1-0.

                                                            Evans hits one out

The A's wasted no time getting to Tudor in the bottom of the first as Rickey Henderson led off with a walk. Mike Davis got a base hit to left and both runners pulled off a double steal. Tudor managed to strike out Carney Lansford and get Henderson throw out at home on a grounder by Jeff Burroughs, but a Dwayne Murphy single scored Davis with the tying run. Davey Lopes flied out to center to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

Tony Armas beat out an infield single to third to open the top of the second but Rich Gedman banged into a double play. Dave Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning. Kelvin Moore flied out to center to open the bottom of the second before Bob Kearney struck out. Tony Phillips walked and stole second before Henderson walked. Davis popped up to third to end the inning.

Glenn Hoffman opened the top of the third with a ground out to short but Ed Jurak reached on a dropped fly ball by Murphy. Boggs flied out to left and Evans grounded out to third to end the inning. The A's ran the Sox ragged in the bottom of the third although Lansford flied out to center to start. Burroughs beat out an infield single to short but Murphy struck out. Lopes and Moore stroked back to back singles to score Burroughs with the go-ahead run. Lopes and Moore pulled off a double steal but Kearney flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                       Can ya watch baserunners please?

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Rice struck out to start. Yaz flied out to right and Armas popped up to short to end the inning. Tudor got in trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning although Phillips flied out to center to start. Henderson singled to left and swiped second before moving to third on a balk. Tudor managed to get Davis to pop up to second and Lansford to fly out to right to end the inning.

Gedman singled to start the top of the fifth but Stapleton flied out to center. Hoffman struck out and Jurak popped up to first to end the inning. Tudor cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Burroughs flied out to center to start. Murphy grounded back to the mound and Lopes flied out to left to end the inning.

Boggs beat out an infield single to start the top of the sixth but Evans hit one up the elevator shaft. Rice flied out to right but Yaz got a base hit to put the tying run at second. Armas popped up to short to end the inning. Moore got plunked to open the bottom of the sixth but was thrown out trying to steal second. Kearney popped up to first and Phillips hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Norris cruised in the top of the seventh inning as Gedman grounded out to second to start. Stapleton popped up to third and Hoffman flied out to right to end the inning. Henderson walked to start the bottom of the seventh inning but was gunned down by the alert Gedman trying to steal. Davis popped up back to Tudor and Lansford struck out to end the inning. That was it for Tudor who allowed 2 runs in 7 innings of work.

                                                          Tudor goes 7 strong

The Sox stormed back in the top of the eighth inning as Jurak and Boggs stroked back to back singles to chase Norris. Steve Baker came in and Evans pounded a 3 run home run to put the Sox on top. Rice singled to chase Baker and old pal Tom Burgmeier came in to get Yaz to bang into a double play. Armas hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox 6 outs from victory with a 4-2 lead.

                                                        Evans jacks one out

Mark Clear came in for the bottom of the eighth and threw up on himself. Burroughs walked and was replaced by pinch runner Mitchell Page. Murphy walked and Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough. Bob Stanley came in and both runners moved over on the sacrifice bunt by Lopes. Wayne Gross pinch hit for Moore and he was intentionally walked to load the bases. The gamble worked as Kearney banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                                         Great job Stanley

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth inning as Gedman grounded out to second to start. Stapleton flied out to left but Hoffman reached on an error by Lansford. Jurak flied out to right to end the inning. Stanley came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Bill Almon pinch hit for Phillips, lining a base hit to left. Henderson flied out to right, Davis forced Almon at second and Lansford grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had come back to win the game 4-2.

Hero of the Night is Dwight Evans. He drove in all 4 runs himself including swatting two home runs.

                                                                 Hero Dwight


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

John Tudor got the win with 7 innings of 2 run ball. He gave up 6 hits and struck out 4.

Bob Stanley earned his 4th save with 2 shutout innings.



The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mark Clear walked the only two batters he faced.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4.

Ed Jurak was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Good pitching by Tudor and clutch hitting by Evans is what the doctor ordered for the Sox in this one. Not much to complain about with Tudor stepping up to win a big game like Bruce Hurst did on Friday night. Hopefully Hurst and Tudor can ride the momentum moving forward because the team is counting on them to carry the pitching with Dennis Eckersley on the decline. The only drawback was Mark Clear's control issues but Stanley saved the day this time. A win is a win and the Sox have to keep pace with the Milwaukee Brewers any way they can. The Sox look to win their fourth game in a row Tuesday night when they send Mike Brown (1-1) to the mound to take on 44 year old Gaylord Perry at 10:30 PM Eastern time at the Kingdome.

Rangers Blank Sox in 14 (4/17/83)

What a waste of time this day was. The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their NHL second round playoff series and in a game where both teams had no desire to score runs, the Texas Rangers defeated the Boston Red Sox in 14 excruciating innings. If you are a fan of offense, this game was a snooze. If you like pitching and defense, have a ball. John Tudor tossed 10 shutout innings which should have been enough to win. Bob Stanley (1-2, 2.16 ERA) pitched well for a few innings but a throwing error by Glenn Hoffman scored the game's only one. The Sox were beaten 1-0 in 14 by the Rangers. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Tudor got in trouble in the top of the first inning when Billy Sample led off with a double to right. Mike Richardt grounded out to third but Sample swiped third. Buddy Bell walked to put runners at the corners but Tudor somehow struck out Dave Hostetler. Larry Parrish flied out to right to end the inning. Texas starter Rick Honeycutt was greeted by a Wade Boggs single to center to start the bottom of the first. Dwight Evans flied out to center and Boggs was erased on the force by Jim Rice. Tony Armas flied out to center to end the inning.

Tudor punched out Bob Johnson to start the top of the second but Jim Sundberg walked. George Wright popped up to third and Wayne Tolleson popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Reid Nichols grounded out to third to start. Dave Stapleton flied out to center and Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sample popped up to second to begin the top of the third before Richardt grounded out to short. Bell singled to left but Hostetler struck out again to end the inning. Gary Allenson grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Jery Remy lined out to center. Boggs flied out to left to end the inning.

Tudor cruised in the top of the fourth as Parrish popped up to first to start. Johnson flied out to left and Sundberg popped up to second to end the inning. Evans walked to open the bottom of the fourth but Rice banged into a double play. Armas struck out to end the inning.

Tudor dominated the top of the fifth although Wright singled to left to start. Tolleson banged into a double play and Sample struck out to end the inning. Honeycutt matched Tudor in the bottom of the fifth as Nichols flied out to right to begin. Stapleton grounded out to short and Hoffman struck out to end the inning.

Richardt flied out to left to start the top of the sixth before Bell did the same. Hostetler grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox got a rare baserunner in the bottom of the sixth although Allenson grounded out to third to begin. Remy singled to left but was erased on the force by Boggs. Evan grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Rangers threatened in the top of the seventh as Parrish popped up to third to begin. Johnson walked, Sundberg singled and Johnson swiped third to put runners at the corners. Tudor froze Wright for strike three as Bill Stein pinch hit to Tolleson only to take strike three to end the inning. Jim Anderson took over for Stein in the bottom of the seventh as Rice singled to center to start. Rice was forced at second by Armas before Tony was thrown out to steal to end the inning on a "strike em out, throw em out" double play by Nichols.

Sample lined back to the mound to begin the top of the eighth before Richardt grounded back to the mound. Bell popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox blew their only chance for a lead in the bottom of the eighth when Stapleton singled but was thrown out trying to stretch a double. Hoffman singled but Allenson struck out. Remy flied out to left to end the inning.

                                                  What were you thinking Dave?

Tudor cruised in the top of the ninth as Hostetler popped up to third to start. Parrish struck out and Johnson flied out to left to end the inning. If the game had ended, Tudor would have tossed a complete game 4 hit shutout. Instead the game moved to the bottom of the ninth where the Sox blew a chance to win the game against Odell Jones. Boggs doubled to left and Evans walked to put the winning run on second. Rather than have his best hitter drop down a bunt, Sox manager Ralph Houk let Rice hit away. All Rice did was fly out to right, but Boggs moved to third to put the winning run 90 feet away. Armas walked to load the bases and Ed Jurak pinch ran for him. All Nichols needed was a sac fly but he could only pop up to center. Stapleton popped up to second to end the inning, what a waste.

Tudor had one last inning in him and he cruised in the top of the tenth inning. Sundberg hit one up the elevator shaft before Wright grounded out to short. Anderson popped up to first to end the inning. Tudor tossed 10 innings of shutout ball, he deserved the win big time.

                                                      10 innings of shutout ball down the drain

Hoffman singled to start the bottom of the tenth and Rich Gedman pinch hit for Allenson just to drop down a bunt to sacrifice Hoffman to second. Remy was intentionally walked but the rally ended as Boggs flied out to left and Evans popped up to second to end the inning.

Bob Stanley came on for the top of the eleventh and walked Sample to start. Richardt banged into a double play and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. Rice flied out to center to start the bottom of the eleventh before Carl Yastrzemski pinch hit for Jurak...just to ground out to short. Nichols popped up to second to end the inning.

Stanley struck out Hostetler to start the top of the 12th inning but Parrish doubled to left. Bucky Dent ran for Parrish as Pete O'Brien pinch hit for Johnson only to line out to right. Sundberg popped up to first to end the inning. Larry Biittner took over at first for the bottom of the 12th and Stapleton flied out to center to begin. Hoffman popped up to second and Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning.

Stanley hung tough in the top of the 13th inning although Wright doubled to left to start. Anderson sacrificed Wright over to third but Sample grounded out to third. Richardt flied out to right to end the inning. Remy grounded out to third to start the bottom of the 13th before Boggs flied out to left. Evans singled to center but Rice grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Rangers finally took command in the top of the 14th inning although Bell grounded out to short to start. Hostetler struck out and all Stanley needed was one more out but Biittner singled to center. O'Brien doubled off the Monster and Biittner made a mad dash home. Rice threw to Hoffman who airmailed the throw over Gedman's head for an error to score Biittner with the game's only run. Sundberg grounded out to third to end the inning but the Rangers surged ahead on an unearned run 1-0.

                                                         Stanley the hard luck loser

Dave Tobik came in to close out the bottom of the 14th and Yaz flied out to right to start. Nichols doubled to left to put the tying run at second but Stapleton struck out. With a chance to atone for his error....Hoffman grounded out to third to end the game. The Rangers had won it 1-0.

Jackass of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. His throwing error allowed the winning run to score and grounded out with the tying run on to end the game.

                                                           Hoffman the Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 6.

John Tudor was amazing, tossing 10 shutout innings while allowing just 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7.



The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 2.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 1.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but walked twice.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 6.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 6.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 6.

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Bob Stanley was the hard luck loser, allowing an unearned run in 4 innings of work.



Honorable Mention:

Ed Jurak pinch ran for Armas.




Final Thoughts:

What a bore that was. Its bad enough the offense was completely incompetent but to have the winning run score on an error is even worse. John Tudor pitched amazing and its a shame he didn't get the win for this. Pitching 9 innings of shutout ball is impressive and he did 10. The Sox thought Tony Armas would be a difference maker but so far he hasn't been that great. The Sox are still desperate for offense in the bottom of the order but hopefully Jerry Remy's knees can hold up. It was a boring loss but its only one game. If the Sox want to make a statement against the current AL Champion Milwaukee Brewers, they have their chance now with the Brewers coming to Fenway for a set. Tomorrow morning the Sox play their Patriots Day game with Mike Brown (1-0) on the hill opposite Don Sutton at 11:05 AM at Fenway Park.

Sox Drop 4th in a Row (4/12/83)

Nothing went right for the Boston Red Sox in this one. One day after being shut down by the Kansas City Royals the Sox got shut down again. Riding the hot pitching of old friend Steve Renko and some late heroics, the Royals defeated the Sox 5-1 at Royals Stadium to send Boston to their fourth straight loss.

Somehow it was the Red Sox who scored first in the top of the first inning against Renko. Wade Boggs singled but Dwight Evans grounded into a double play. Jim Rice walked before Tony Armas singled. Carl Yastrzemski singled home Rice but Armas got greedy and tried for home, getting thrown out by a mile to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. Ironically it would be the last time the Sox would score today.

                                                       Nice baserunning Armas

John Tudor got the ball in the bottom of the first and Willie Wilson whiffed to begin. UL Washington and George Brett both flied out to right to end the inning.

Renko settled down in the top of the second inning and Dave Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Rich Gedman struck out before Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Amos Otis began the bottom of the second by striking out before Hal McRae lined out to center. Frank White hit a routine grounder to Hoffman who decided to wrestle with it for an error. Willie Aikens struck out to end the inning.

Julio Valdez flied out to center to begin the top of the third inning before Boggs grounded out to short. Evans reached on an error by Washington but Rice lined out to left to end the inning. Tudor stayed tough in the bottom of the third although Jerry Martin singled to start. John Wathan bunted Martin to second and Martin moved to third on the grounder by Wilson. Washington walked but Tudor struck out Brett to end the inning.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the fourth inning as Armas flied out to center to start. Yaz singled but was erased on the Stapleton force. Gedman singled but Hoffman popped up to second to end the inning. The Royals tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as Otis and McRae hit back to back singles to start. White banged into a double play but Otis moved to third, scoring on a wild pitch by Tudor. Aikens struck out to end the inning and Tudor was kicking himself for that one.

                                                 A wild pitch? Seriously Tudor?

The Sox blew their chance to do some damage in the top of the fifth inning. Valdez walked and Boggs singled but Evans erased Boggs at second. Rice walked to load the bases but Armas banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor tried to keep it tied in the bottom of the fifth as Martin flied out to left to begin. Wathan popped up to first and Wilson hit a routine grounder to second....for some reason Valdez dove on the ball and dryland swam with it for an error. Washington lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox blew another chance in the top of the sixth although Yaz grounded to first to start. Stapleton popped up to first but Gedman walked. Hoffman singled and Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough of Valdez after that puzzling error. Rick Miller pinch hit for Valdez only to ground out to second to end the inning. Marty Barrett took over at second in the bottom of the sixth and Brett started it with a single. Otis popped up to second before McRae flied out to right. White singled before Aikens popped up to second to end the inning.

Mike Armstrong took over for Renko in the top of the seventh and Boggs greeted him with a base hit. He was stranded as Evans flied out to center but Rice walked. Once again Armas banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor came back for the bottom of the seventh and Martin grounded out to short to begin. Wathan flied out to left but Wilson singled and stole second. Washington grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Yaz flied out to center, Stapleton popped up to short and Gedman grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Royals put the game away in the bottom of the eighth when Brett doubled to begin. Otis popped up to first but McRae was intentionally walked. White made the Sox pay with a single to score Brett. Don Slaught pinch hit for Aikens and walked to load the bases, chasing Tudor from the game. Luis Aponte came in and poured gas on the fire. Martin singled home McRae and white before Wathan singled to reload the bases. Wilson walked to score another run before Washington struck out. Martin was picked off third to end the inning but it was 5-1 Royals.

                                         "What the hell is wrong with Aponte!!!???"

Dan Quisenberry had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Hoffman flied out to center. Reid Nichols pinch hit for Barrett and grounded out to short. Boggs grounded back to the mound to end it. The Royals had won 5-1 and sent the Sox to their fourth straight loss.

Jackass of the Night is Luis Aponte. He turned a 2-1 deficit into an out of reach 5-1 defeat.

                                                 Nice relief, Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 5

Jim Rice walked 3 times and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk.



The Bad:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4.

Glen Hoffman was just 1 for 4.

Julio Valdez was 0 for 1 with an error but walked.

John Tudor took the loss but pitched great until running out of gas in the 8th inning. He went 7 1/3 and was charged for all 5 runs even though Aponte allowed the last three.



Honorable Mention:

Marty Barrett played second base from the 6th inning on.




Final Thoughts:

Wow, what happened to the offense? The Sox have arguably one of the best lineups in baseball with sluggers such as Rice and Armas with contact hitters Evans, Boggs and Yaz. I understand once in a while but the offense has been anemic most of the season already. Granted its only April and they have plenty of time to bounce back but they have lost 5 of their first 7 games, that's not good. Tudor running out of gas didn't help but Aponte blowing it was worse. Who knows what would have happened if it was a one run game in the 8th or 9th. Tomorrow the Sox turn to Mike Brown to take on Paul Splittorff at 8:30 Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

Sox Win First With Five Run First (4/7/83)

After the Boston Red Sox laid an egg on Opening Day, they came out of the gate firing in this one. The Toronto Blue Jays got blitzed by a 5 run first inning by the Sox and they held on for their first win of the season. Dave Stapleton provided most of the offense with Bob Stanley (1-0, 1.80 ERA) getting the big relief win. On the same night the Boston Bruins defeated the Quebec Nordiques in Game 2 of their NHL playoff first round series, the Red Sox defeated the Jays 7-4 in front of a paltry 9,000 fans at Fenway Park.

                                                      Barry Pederson approves of the win

John Tudor got the start for the Sox and he immediately crapped his pants. Damaso Garcia grounded out to short to begin the top of the first but Dave Collins singled. The alert Rich Gedman gunned down Collins trying to steal but Barry Bonnell walked. Cliff Johnson then blasted a 2 run bomb halfway to Nashua to give the Jays the quick lead. Jesse Barfield struck out to end the inning but the Jays had struck first.

                                                 "Dad gummit I gave up a homer" - JT

The Sox responded by beating the daylights out of Jays starter Luis Leal in the bottom of the first inning. Wade Boggs and Dwight Evans stroked back to back singles before Jim Rice walked to load the bases. Tony Armas struck out but Carl Yastrzemski singled home Boggs and Evans to tie the game. Stapleton smashed a 3 run bomb to give the Sox a shocking lead just like that. Gedman lined out to center but Glenn Hoffman doubled. Julio Valdez hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 5-2.

                                                Dave on pace for 162 homers this year

Tudor ran into trouble in the top of the second inning when Garth Iorg singled to start the frame. Iorg was erased on the force by Willie Upshaw before Buck Martinez lined one off the Monster. Iorg made it to third but Martinez was gunned down by the alert Rice trying to stretch a double. Alfredo Griffin bunted his way on as the Sox defense held Upshaw at third, then he swiped second. Garcia walked to load the bases but Collins popped up to short to end the inning. Tudor looked like crap so far. Boggs singled to open the bottom of the second but Evans whiffed. Rice grounded out back to the mound but Boggs made it to second. Armas hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Jays struck back in the top of the third inning although Bonnell grounded out to second to begin. Johnson flied out to right but Barfield crushed a 700,000 foot home run halfway to Montreal to cut the lead. Iorg grounded out to end the inning but it was now 5-3 Sox.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Yaz flied out to left to begin. Stapleton grounded out to short but Gedman and Hoffman struck back to back singles. Valdez grounded into a force to end the inning.

Tudor finally settled down in the top of the fourth as Upshaw grounded out to second to start. Martinez grounded out to third but Griffin doubled. Garcia flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fourth as Boggs doubled not only to start the inning, but chase Leal as well. Jays manager Bobby Cox brought in Mike Morgan and immediately regretted his decision when Evans crushed a 2 run home run to increase the lead. Rice grounded out to third but Armas flied out to right. Yaz walked but Stapleton grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                   Evans gives the Sox a 4 run lead

Sox manager Ralph Houk decided that was enough out of Tudor and brought in Bob Stanley for the big 5 inning save in the top of the fifth. Collins struck out but Bonnell grounded out to third. Johnson lined out to third to end the inning. The Sox offense was done for the day in the bottom of the fifth as Gedman grounded out to second to start. Hoffman flied out to right and Valdez flied out to center to end the inning.

Cox decided to empty the bench in the top of the sixth inning after Barfield singled to start. Rance Mulliniks pinch hit for Iorg and singled. Upshaw singled to load the bases with nobody out and Ernie Whitt pinch hit for Martinez. He singled to score Barfield and re-load the bases to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Lloyd Moseby pinch hit for Griffin and popped up to center with Mulliniks holding at third. Stanley got the biggest out of the game when he got Garcia to bang into a double play to end the inning. What could have been a huge inning for Toronto ended with the Sox holding a 7-4 lead with 9 outs to go.

Mickey Klutts took over at third for the bottom of the sixth and Boggs walked to chase Morgan. Jim Acker replaced him and got Evans to fly out to right. Rice bounced into a double play to end the inning.

Stanley got Collins to fly out to right to begin the top of the seventh inning. Hosken Powell pinch hit for Bonnell only to ground out to first. Johnson froze for strike three to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh inning. Armas grounded out to short, Yaz grounded out back to the mound and Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning.

Stanley was unhittable in the top of the eighth inning as Barfield flied out to center, Mulliniks grounded out to short and Upshaw struck out in short order. Joey McLaughlin replaced Acker for the bottom of the eighth inning and got Gedman to fly out to right to start. Hoffman grounded out to short and Valdez flied out to right to end the inning.

Stanley came back out to finish the job in the top of the ninth inning. Whitt struck out but Klutts singled. Klutts was forced at second on a force by Garcia and Collins grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had posted their first win 7-4.

Hero of the Night is Dave Stapleton. His 3 run home proved to be the difference in the game.

                                                      Stapleton the Hero

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with 2 total runs scored and a two run home run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 2 for 4.

Bob Stanley earned the win with 5 innings of relief while allowing just 1 earned run.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Julio Valdez was 0 for 4.

John Tudor lasted just 4 innings and gave up 3 runs before being pulled.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Guess the Sox are gonna have to bop their way to victory this year if the pitching is going to be this bad moving forward. If Dennis Eckersley is never going to be the ace he was in 1978 then they're going to have to rely on John Tudor, Bob Ojeda or Bruce Hurst to step up....not good. Still, the team does have the offensive firepower to bash their way through most teams but they're going to have to do it consistently to make up for the average at best starting pitching. Tudor's effort isn't going to cut it going forward but then again, it was his first start of the year. Tomorrow the Sox hit the road and visit the Texas Rangers for a set down in Arlington Park. John Butcher goes for the Rangers while the Sox counter with rookie Mike Brown, who made 3 relief appearances at the end of last year.

Sox Edge Rangers (5/9/82)

In a game a little too close for comfort, the Boston Red Sox still found a way to win a non-conventional pitcher's duel against the Texas Rangers. John Tudor, Bob Stanley (3-1, 3.18 ERA) and Mark Clear combined on a 9 hit shutout of the Rangers. Tony Perez drove in the game's only run off old friend Frank Tanana and the Sox continued their winning ways by edging the Rangers 1-0 at Arlington Park.

                                                Officer Fish approves of the win

Tanana greeted Jerry Remy in the top of the first inning by getting him to fly out to left to start. Dwight Evans looked at strike three but Jim Rice singled to left. Tony Perez popped up to second to end the inning. Tudor took the mound in the bottom of the first and struck out George Wright to start. Bill Stein and Buddy Bell stroked back to back singles but Lamar Johnson hit one up the elevator shaft. Jim Sundberg walked to load the bases. Leon Roberts lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Carney Lansford grounded out to short to begin. Dave Stapleton grounded out to third and Glenn Hoffman whiffed to end the inning. Bob Johnson walked to start the bottom of the second but Larry Parrish struck out. The alert Tudor picked off Johnson before Mark Wagner popped up to first to end the inning.

Gary Allenson singled to open the top of the third and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Rick Miller. Remy lined out to second and Evans grounded out to short to end the inning. Tudor cruised in the bottom of the third as Wright flied out to left to begin. Stein grounded out to first and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning.

Tanana cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Rice struck out to start. Perez flied out to center and Lansford grounded out to third to end the inning. Johnson lined out to short to begin the bottom of the fourth but Sundberg singled to center. Sundberg was forced at second by Roberts before Johnson flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth inning as Stapleton lined out to third to begin. Hoffman flied out to center and Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning. Tudor got in trouble in the bottom of the fifth as Parrish singled to left to begin. Wagner forced Parrish at seond but Wright doubled. Stein struck out but Bell was intentionally walked to load the bases. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough and pulled Tudor. Bob Stanley came in and got Johnson to ground out to short to end the inning. Tudor wouldn't get credit for the win but did manage to pitch 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball.

                                                             Not great but it'll do

The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth inning although Miller grounded out to second to begin.  Remy popped up to third but Evans walked and Rice singled. Perez doubled home Evans for the only run of the game. Lansford walked before Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                         Perez drives a run in

Sundberg singled to center to open the bottom of the sixth inning before being sacrificed to second by Roberts. Pat Putnam pinch hit for Johnson only to ground out to second. Johnny Grubb pinch hit for Parrish only to ground out to second to end the inning.

Grubb took over in left with Roberts moving to right to begin the top of the seventh inning. Hoffman flied out to left, Allenson grounded out to second and Miller flied out to right to end the inning. Stanley cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Wagner grounded out to third to begin. Wright looked at strike three before Stein flied out to right to end the inning.

Tanana came out for the top of the eighth inning and got Remy to fly out to center to end his outing. Tanana pitched well but didn't get any run support. Danny Darwin came in and walked Evans but Rice watched strike three go by. Perez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Bell singled to  center to begin the bottom of the eighth but was erased at second on a failed bunt by Johnson. Billy Sample pinch ran for Johnson and was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Allenson. The pain in the ass Sundberg beat out an infield single to third but Roberts flied out to left to end the inning. Good work by Stanley to pick up where Tudor left off.

                                                          Stanley gets it done

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth as Lansford flied out to center to start. Stapleton grounded out to second and Hoffman grounded out to first to end the inning. Stanley returned for the bottom of the ninth and got Putnam to ground out to second to begin. Grubb doubled to left to chase Stanley and put the tying run at second. Houk took no chances and brought in Mark Clear to get the save. Lee Mazzilli pinch hit for Wagner and watched strike three go by. Wright struck out to end the game with the Sox holding on to win 1-0.

Hero of the Night is Tony Perez. His rbi double was the difference in the game.

                                                            Tony The Hero


The Good:

Dwight Evans walked twice in four plate appearances and scored the only run.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3.

John Tudor piched 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Bob Stanley pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Mark Clear got his 5th save with 2/3 of a scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 2.



The Ugly:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

That was too close for comfort but a win is a win. As great as the Sox pitching was to hold the Rangers scoreless, the offense mustered just 4 hits and a single run. 9 times out of 10 that's not good enough to win but today was the tenth time. Houk made the right move by lifting Tudor as Stanley got the job done in relief. Hopefully the Sox get more runs tomorrow because they are going to need it. The win improved the Sox to 20-9, 2.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox head to Minnesota for a set with the Twins. Mike Torrez goes for the Sox up against Roger Erickson at 8:00 PM Eastern Time at the Metrodome.

Royals Pound Tudor, Snap Streak (4/28/82)

It was bad news all around as the Washington Bullets defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their second round NBA playoff series and the Kansas City Royals snapped the Boston Red Sox 8 game winning streak. John Tudor (3-1, 4.18 ERA) got shelled in the first two innings, allowing eight runs and not making it out of the second. The Sox bats tried to fight back with 5 early runs against Royals starter Dennis Leonard. Thanks to the pitching of Tom Burgmeier, Luis Aponte and Mark Clear, the Royals didn't score another run. Unfortunately Leonard also settled down to toss a complete game without allowing another run himself. It all added up to an 8-5 Royals win at Fenway Park.

                                                        Sox fans aren't taking the loss too well

Tudor crapped his pants immediately in the top of the first as UL Washington singled to center to start. Washington got picked off and John Wathan lined out to right. Suddenly George Brett doubled to right, Amos Otis walked and Hal McRae hit a home run all the way to Billings, Montana to put the Royals on top. Jerry Martin singled to center, Frank White singled to right and Dennis Werth singled to right to score Martin. Greg Pryor singled to right to score White but Washington flied out to center to end the inning. The Royals scored five runs with two outs and led 5-0.

                                                         Pryor helps the Royals

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the first against Leonard as Jerry Remy walked to start. Dwight Evans singled to left and Jim Rice singled to right to score Remy. Evans moved to third on the hit and he scored on the Glenn Hoffman force at second. Dave Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                               Hoffman drives in  run

The Royals finished off Tudor in the top of the second as Wathan grounded out to short to start. The floodgates opened as Remy booted a routine grounder by Brett and Otis singled to left. McRae doubled home Brett but Martin flied out to right. White singled to left to score McRae and FINALLY Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled Tudor. John didn't have it today as he allowed 8 runs in just 1 2/3 innings. Tom Burgmeier came in and Werth flied out to right to end the inning with the Royals up 8-2.

                                                                Tudor gets shelled

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez singled to left to start. Wade Boggs popped up to second but a wild pitch moved Perez to second. Rick Miller doubled to center to score Perez and Gary Allenson doubled to left to score Miller. Remy grounded out to third and Evans  took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

                                                         Miller drives in a run

Burgmeier settled things down in the top of the third although Pryor singled to center to start. Washington popped up to second but Wathan banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Rice singled to left to start. Hoffman singled to right to move Jim to third and Rice scored on the sac fly by Stapleton to cut the lead. Perez struck out swinging and Boggs grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 8-5.

                                                       Stapleton drives in a run

Brett singled to right to start the top of the fourth but Otis forced him at second. McRae banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox offense was done for the day in the bottom of the fourth as Miller flied out to left to start. Allenson struck out swinging and Remy grounded out to short to end the inning.

Martin doubled to left to start the top of the fifth and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by White. Both Werth and Pryor grounded out to short to end the inning. Evans struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Rice doubled to left. Hoffman grounded out to third and Stapleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Washington singled to center to start the top of the sixth but Wathan hit into a double play. Brett grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Perez grounded out to second to start. Boggs flied out to left and Miller grounded out to first to end the inning.

Otis grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and McRae grounded out to third as well. Marti doubled to left and White singled him to third. Werth forced White at second to end the inning. Allenson grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Remy was called out on interference for dropping down a bunt. Evans grounded out to third to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Pryor grounded out to short to start. Washington flied out to left but Wathan beat out a roller to third. Brett popped up to second to end the inning. Rice singled to left to start the bottom of the eighth but Hoffman banged into a double play. Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning.

Luis Aponte came in to pitch the top of the ninth as Otis flied out to left. McRae grounded out to third and Martin struck out swinging to end the inning. Leonard returned for the bottom of the ninth and Perez struck out swinging to start. Boggs grounded out to first and Miller flied out to left to end the game. The Royals had won it 8-5.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 8 runs.

                                                                  Jackass Tudor

The Good:

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

Tom Burgmeier tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings.

Mark Clear tossed a scoreless innings.

Luis Aponte pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3 and drove in a run.

The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.'

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to and end and the winning streak was snapped. Tudor had absolutely nothing and got shelled for the first time all season. The bullpen was outstanding to not allow a run the rest of the game but the Sox couldn't crack Leonard after the third inning. They got to him for five runs then nothing the rest of the way. Its a shame because they had him on the ropes but couldn't finish him off. They had chances to score but couldn't cash in. One thing is for sure if the bullpen can pitch this good the rest of the season, all they need is good starting pitching and they'll be right there in the pennant race as the season progresses. Unfortunately that's two bad starts in a row first by Dennis Eckersley and now by John Tudor. They need to bounce back next time because the Sox are on a roll and this kind of game could stop the momentum. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night at home against the Texas Rangers. Mike Torrez (1-1) gets the start for the Sox against Charlie Hough of the Rangers. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.