White Sox Shut Down Red Sox in Game 2 (4/18/21)

For the first time all season the Boston Red Sox got thoroughly beaten soundly. The Chicago White Sox successfully swept a doubleheader against the Red Sox and put the exclamation point on with a decisive win they controlled from start to finish. Not since the first three games of the year have the Red Sox looked this incompetent on offense and in this game, nothing went right. Old BoSox prospect Michael Kopech and the Chicago bullpen held the Red Sox to just 4 hits and a single run in 7 innings. Martin Perez (0-1, 5.93 ERA) failed to make it out of the fourth inning. Hiro Sawamura gave up his first earned run and the White Sox took Game 2 of the doubleheader 5-1 at Fenway Park.

Just like in Game 1, the White Sox pounced immediately in the top of the first inning. Nick Madrigal singled to right, Luis Robert singled to center and Yoan Moncada singled to left to load the bases with nobody out. Jose Abreu forced Robert at second but Madrigal scored to give the White Sox the lead. Yermin Mercedes took strike three and Leury Garcia lined out to left to end the inning with Chicago up 1-0.

                                                   Madrigal sets the tone

Kopech got the ball and cruised in the bottom of the first as Kike Hernandez led off with a grounder to short. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging and JD Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Perez recovered in the top of the second as Andrew Vaughn took strike three to start. Zack Collins lined out to right and Danny Mendick took strike three to end the inning. Kopech cruised in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogerts hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging and Marwin Gonzalez went down hacking to end the inning.

Perez worked his way out of trouble in the top of the third as Madrigal lined out to left to start. Robert doubled to center and took third on a wild pitch before Moncada was plunked. Abreu banged into a double play to end the inning. Christian Vazquez started the bottom of the third with a grounder to short and Hunter Renfroe took strike three. Franchy Cordero grounded out to first to end the inning.

The White Sox iced it in the top of the fourth as Mercedes hit a home run all the way into the Indian Ocean to start. Garcia singled past Perez and moved to second on a grounder by Vaughn. Collins took strike three but Mendick singled home Garcia to ice the game and chase Perez. Sox manager Alex Cora has no faith in his starters this season and its going to kill the bullpen, but Perez did himself no favors by allowing 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Austin Brice came in and Vazquez had Mendick picked off but threw the ball onto the Mass Pike for an error. Madrigal took advantage by doubling home Mendick to increase the lead. Robert lined out to third to end the inning with the ChiSox ahead 4-0.

                                                 Perez puts the Sox in a hole

The BoSox blew their only rally in the bottom of the fourth as Hernandez walked to start. Verdugo singled Kike to second and that was it for Kopech, he too would be taken out too soon as Matt Foster came in. Martinez put the Sox on the board with a base hit to center to score Hernandez, but Bogaerts flied out to center. Devers popped up to third and Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox only scratched out one run and trailed 4-1.

                                               Martinez drives in a run

Brice walked Moncada to start the top of the fifth but Abreu hit into another double play. Mercedes struck out swinging to end the inning. The BoSox offense was done for the day as they did nothing in the bottom of the fifth. Vazquez and Renfroe both whiffed but Garrett Crochet was brought in to pitch to Cordero. Sox manager Alex Cora countered by having Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Cordero. Dalbec got a base hit to center but Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Hiro Sawamura got tagged in the top of the sixth as Garcia singled to short, Vaughn doubled to right and Collins walked to load the bases with nobody out. Mendick popped up to left but Madrigal scored Garcia with a sac fly to wrap up the scoring. Robert flied out to center to end the inning but it was 5-1 Chicago.

                                                  Sac fly by Madrigal

Evan Marshall came in for the bottom of the sixth and Verdugo flied out to left to start. Martinez popped up to second but Bogaerts hit a ground rule double into the right field stands. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning.

Phillips Valdez had worked Game 1 and he came back to work the top of the seventh of Game 2. Moncada struck out swinging, Abreu flied out to left and Mercedes grounded out to second to end the inning. ChiSox closer Liam Hendriks came back to close out the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez flied out to right to start. Vazquez popped up to second and Renfroe earned a hat trick with a swinging strikeout to end the game. The ChiSox had won it 5-1.

                                                     ChiSox win

Jackass of the Night is Martin Perez. He got rocked for 4 runs in just 3 2/3 innings to take the loss.

                                                     Jackass Martin

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3.

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3.

Bobby Dalbec got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Phillips Valdez tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error.

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 1.

Hiro Sawamura allowed a run in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Austin Brice allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

This was the first time since opening weekend that the Red Sox looked completely incompetent. Its easy to see why, their starters are average at best and they didn't swing the bats well today. They only scored 3 runs in 14 innings and that's not going to cut it. The seven inning games can hurt or help and they certainly hurt in game 1 but Game 2 was the first time the Sox got beaten badly since the third game of the season. The nine game winning streak was totally a fluke and unfortunately the REAL team will probably be a .500 team most of the year, especially if they don't hit well. Only Vazquez, Martinez and Bogaerts are hitting above .275 and having 6 out of your 9 hitters swing and miss more often than not is not a recipe for success. Now its one thing for Dalbec and Arroyo to go through growing pains, they KNEW Gonzalez, Hernandez, Renfroe and Cordero were average. The Sox can't rely on Vazquez, Devers, Martinez and Bogaerts every game and if they have to, that's not a good sign for future success. Worse is batters may be starting to figure out Sawamura. With Matt Barnes the only reliable arm in the bullpen, the Sox needed Sawamura, Garrett Whitlock and Darwinzon Hernandez to step up and that may be too much to ask. If this all seems like doom and gloom, that's the vibe they give off. Still, it was only one day and tomorrow is a new one. The BoSox look to bounce back tomorrow morning for their annual Patriots Day game. Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.08 ERA) goes for Boston up against Lucas Giolito of Chicago. The game begins at 11 AM 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 Rally Past Angels in 9th (4/29/83)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics dropped Game 2 of their NBA playoff second round series to the Milwaukee Bucks. The good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the California Angels. It didn't look good for the Sox in tonight's game as Bruce Hurst crashed back to earth by allowing 5 runs and getting knocked out in the 5th inning. Due to the efforts of Luis Aponte (2-0, 1.35 ERA) and Bob Stanley plus a clutch 2 run double by Tony Armas, the Sox roared past the Angels 6-5 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                 Boo Ferris approves of the win

Bruce Kison got the start for the Angels and Wade Boggs doubled to center to begin. Boggs moved to third on the grounder by Dwight Evans but was thrown out at home on the grounder by Jim Rice. Tony Armas grounded into a force to end the inning. Rod Carew greeted Hurst in the bottom of the first with a ground out to second. Old pal Juan Beniquez singled to center and swiped second but old buddy Fred Lynn struck out. Doug DeCinces grounded out to short to end the inning.

Dave Stapleton walked to start the top of the second but was thrown out at third on the base hit by Rich Gedman. Reid Nichols dropped down a bunt to advance Gedman to second but Glenn Hoffman struck out to end the inning. The Angels struck first in the bottom of the second although Brian Downing struck out looking to start. Ron Jackson crushed a 400,000,000 foot home run into the Azores to put the Angels on top. Tim Foli flied out to left but Bob Boone dumped a single to left. Ricky Adams grounded into a force to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

                                                         He'd make a great coach some day

The Sox fought back in the top of the third as Jerry Remy singled to left to start. Boggs drew a walk but Evans struck out swinging. Rice singled home Remy to tie the game and Armas doubled home Boggs to give the Sox the lead. Stapleton scored Rice with a grounder as Gedman was intentionally walked. Nichols popped up to third to end the inning but the Sox took the lead 3-1.

                                                           Remy starts the rally

The Angels clawed back in the bottom of the third as Carew started the rally with a double. Beniquez singled Carew to third and Lynn gave a big middle finger to his old team with a 3 run bomb to put the Angels on top. DeCinces grounded out to short, Downing flied out to left and Jackson flied out to center to end the inning with the Angels up 4-3.

                                                         Lynn puts the Angels on top

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Hoffman flied out to left to start. Remy grounded out to short and Boggs flied out to left to end the inning. Hurst got back on track in the bottom of the fourth as Foli grounded out to short to start. Boone grounded out to short and Adams popped up to first to end the inning.

Evans tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth with a base hit to right but Rice flied out to right. Armas moved Evans over with a grounder but Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning. The Angels chased Hurst in the bottom of the fifth although Carew flied out to center to start. Beniquez singled to center and Lynn walked to put the pressure on. DeCinces singled home Beniquez to increase the lead but Downing popped up to third. Jackson walked to load the bases and chase Hurst. After his past two starts went well, Hurst fell apart in this one. He surrendered 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Luis Aponte came in and got Foli to ground out to third to end the inning but the Angels were up 5-3.

                                                       "I sucked tonight" - Hurst

Gedman flied out to left to start the top of the sixth but Nichols and Hoffman drew back to back walks to chase Kison. Old friend Andy Hassler came in and got Remy to bang into a double play to end the inning. Aponte cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Boone flied out to left to begin. Adams grounded out to short and Carew grounded out to second to end the inning.

Boggs took strike three to start the top of the seventh but Boggs tripled to center to chase Hassler. Luis Sanchez came in and got Rice to hit a comebacker and Armas to line out to second to end the inning. Aponte got Beniquez to ground out to first to start the bottom of the seventh but Lynn doubled to left. DeCinces grounded out to short and Downing flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the eighth as Stapleton grounded out to short to start. Gedman popped up to third and Nichols grounded out to short to end the inning. Aponte returned for the bottom of the eighth and Daryl Sconiers pinch hit for Jackson. Sconiers flied out to left, Foli grounded out to third and Boone flied out to center to end the inning. Aponte had stepped up with 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

                                                          Great work Aponte

The Sox pulled off a rally in the top of the ninth as Rick Miller pinch hit for Hoffman to begin. Miller grounded out to third but Remy walked. Boggs got a base hit to left and Evans walked to load the bases. Rice scored Remy with a grounder and Armas bashed a double to center. Boggs and Evans scored on the double to put the Sox on top and Ed Jurak pinch ran for Armas. Stapleton flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-5.

                                                           Boggs scores the tying run

Bob Stanley came in for the save in the bottom of the ninth with Julio Valdez taking over at short and Jackson struck out to start. Carew also went down by strikeout and Beniquez popped up to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-5.

Hero of the Night is Tony Armas. His two run double put the Sox on top for good.

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jerry Remy was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Luis Aponte got the win with 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bob Stanley earned his 6th save with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bruce Hurst allowed 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 2 but walked.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

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

Julio Valdez played short in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Sad to see Bruce Hurst regress but great to see the offense come from behind. Aponte and Stanley really stepped it up to hold off the Angels after Hurst faltered. This is one of those wins on the road you'll look back on at the end of the year if the Sox are still in contention as "need to have". If the Sox can survive a stinker by Hurst, they better hope John Tudor can step up tomorrow night. Speaking of Tudor, the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Angels tomorrow night when they send him to the mound up against Tommy John at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Hust Dazzles A's, Rice Wins It Late (4/22/83)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins dropped Game 6 of their NHL second playoff series to the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their NBA first round playoff series to the Atlanta Hawks. The good news was the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland A's. After Bruce Hurst dazzled the Texas Rangers last week, the Boston Red Sox thought he had finally turned the corner into the stud they envisioned him to be 3 years ago. Tonight Hurst delivered again in an 8 inning masterpiece against the Oakland A's. Hust dominated, allowing just 1 run in 8 innings before Bob Stanley slammed the door. Jim Rice drove in all 3 runs by himself including the backbreaking 2 run homer in the ninth to give Hurst some run support. Thanks to the heroics of Hurst and Rice, the Sox won their second game in a row with a 3-1 win in Oakland Coliseum.

                                                Dutch Leonard approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Oakland A's starter Bill Krueger in the top of the first inning although Jerry Remy flied out to right to start. Dwight Evans motored around for a triple into the right field corner and scored on the Jim Rice ground out. Tony Armas struck out to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                        A triple for Evans

Rickey Henderson greeted Hurst in the bottom of the first with a base hit to left but Mike Davis flied out to left. Carney Lansford and Dwayne Murphy both flied out to right to end the inning.

Wade Boggs grounded out to second to open the top of the second before Dave Stapleton flied out to right. Reid Nichols singled to left and swiped second but Gary Allenson struck out to end the inning. Jeff Burroughs grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the second before Davey Lopes flied out to right. Kelvin Moore walked before Bob Kearney struck out to end the inning.

Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound to start the top of the third before Remy grounded out to short. Evans flied out to right to end the inning. Tony Phillips flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Henderson struck out. Davis grounded out to first to end the inning.

Krueger cruised in the top of the fourth as Rice flied out to center to start. Armas grounded out to short and Boggs struck out to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Lansford singled and Murphy doubled him home to tie the game. Burroughs grounded out to third to advance Murphy to third before Lopes walked to put runners at the corners. The Sox got a big out when Murphy was thrown out at home on a grounder by Moore. and Kearney popped up to first to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                         Dammit Carney

Stapleton singled and took second on a passed ball to open the top of the fifth but Nichols popped up to second. Allenson flied out to left and Hoffman flied out to right to end the inning. All of a sudden Jerry Remy keeled over in the dugout and had to be carried out on a stretcher headed to the local ICU. Julio Valdez took over for Remy as Phillips flied out to left to begin the bottom of the fifth. Henderson flied out to center and Davis grounded out to first to end the inning.

Valdez grounded out to second to begin the top of the sixth before Evans struck out. Rice grounded out to short to end the inning. Hurst cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Lansford popped up to first to start. Murphy and Burroughs both struck out to end the inning.

Armas flied out to right to open the top of the seventh but Boggs walked. Boggs was thrown out trying to steal and Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Lopes flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Moore flied out to right. Kearney walked before Phillips popped up to third to end the inning.

Krueger cruised in the top of the eighth as Nichols flied out to center to start. Allenson grounded out to short and Hoffman struck out to end the inning. Hurst finished strong in the bottom of the eighth as Henderson grounded out to short to start. Davis grounded out to short but Lansford singled to center. Murphy flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the ninth as Ed Jurak pinch hit for Valdez to start. Jurak struck out but Evans drew a walk to chase Krueger. Dave Beard came in and Rice greeted him by pounding a 2 run bomb to give the Sox the lead. Armas struck out and Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were 3 outs from victory with a 3-1 lead.

                                                             Rice puts the Sox on top

Hurst was allowed to at least attempt to complete the game but Burroughs singled to chase him. Hurst was outstanding, tossing 8 innings of 1 run ball while allowing just 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.

                                                             Outstanding effort by Hurst

Bob Stanley came in to put out the fire with Mitchell Page running for Burroughs. Page got to second on the grounder by Lopes and Wayne Gross pinch hit for Moore, only for Stanley to strike him out. Kearney flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-1.

The Co-Heroes of the Night are easy to figure out. Hero 1 is Bruce Hurst tossing 8 innings of 1 run ball to earn his second win of the year.

                                                             Hero 1: Hurst

The second Hero was Jim Rice. He knocked in all 3 runs by himself including the dagger 2 run home run in the ninth.

                                                            Hero 2: Rice



The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3.

Reid Nichols was 1 for 3 with a stolen base.

Bob Stanley earned his 3rd save with a perfect ninth inning.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 2 before leaving the game.

Julio Valdez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Ed Jurak struck out as a pinch hitter.

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Have the Sox finally found their ace of the future? Hurst was projected to be a star and he's delivered in back to back good starts. The reason the Sox couldn't beat the Milwaukee Brewers last year was a lack of pitching and maybe Hurst is ready to step up. It would be nice if John Tudor and Mike Brown would join him. Dennis Eckersley hasn't had a great season in 5 years so its time for someone else to step up. As for the offense, thank goodness for Jim Rice because nobody else did much today. Not only could the Sox not match the Brewers pitching, they can't match offensively either. The bottom of the order is a black hole and they're gonna need some help if they hope to compete. Still, a win is a win and they all count. Speaking of Tudor, he goes tomorrow for the Sox up against Mike Norris at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sox Walkoff Brewers in Ninth (4/20/83)

What a day for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins wiped out the Buffalo Sabres 9-0 in Game 5 of their second round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox finally beat the Milwaukee Brewers. After the Sox got their heads caved in by the AL Champion Brewers on Monday morning, they had a whole 48 hours to think about it. The Sox responded by falling behind 4-2 going into the ninth inning. Dennis Eckersley allowed 4 runs as the Brewers looked to finish off the Sox. Instead the Sox staged a dramatic rally as Jim Rice tied the game with a two run home run and Tony Armas walked with the bases loaded. Somehow the Sox had shocked the champs 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                               Peter McNab approves of the win

Eckersley cruised in the top of the first inning as Paul Molitor flied out to left to begin. Robin Yount grounded out to short and Cecil Cooper flied out to right to end the inning. Wade Boggs drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the first against Brewers starter Moose Haas. Dwight Evans flied out to center before Jim Rice banged into a double play to end the inning.

Ted Simmons popped up to short to begin the the top of the second before Ben Oglivie flied out to left before Gorman Thomas popped up to first to end the inning. Carl Yastrezmski walked to begin the bottom of the second but Dave Stapleton hit into a double play. Rich Gedman struck out swinging to end the inning.

Charlie Moore singled to start the top of the third before Ned Yost hit one up the elevator shaft. Jim Gantner flied out to right but Moore swiped second. Molitor went down by strikeout to end the inning. Haas cruised in the bottom of the third as Reid Nichols popped up to first to start. Glenn Hoffman whiffed before Jerry Remy grounded out to second to end the inning.

Eckersley cruised the top of the fourth as Yount flied out to left to begin. Cooper flied out to left and Simmons flied out to center to end the inning. Boggs flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Evans grounded out to second. Rice popped up to first to end the inning.

Oglivie tried to start a rally with a base hit to start the top of the fifth inning but Thomas flied out to left. Moore popped up to short and Yost struck out to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth inning as Yaz doubled off the Monster to begin. Yaz then got thrown out in a rundown on a grounder by Stapleton although he made it to second. Dave moved to third on the grounder by Gedman and he scored on the double by Nichols. Hoffman singled home Nichols to increase the lead but Remy grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Nichols drives in a run

The Brewers tied the game up in 30 seconds flat in the top of the sixth. Gantner doubled off the Monster and Molitor clobbered a 2 run homer into the Charles River to tie the game. Yount singled and Cooper doubled him to third before Robin scored on the grounder by Simmons to give the Brewers the lead. Oglivie popped up to second and Thomas lined out to left to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 3-2.

                                                            Cooper still haunts the Sox

Haas cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Boggs flied out to left to start. Evans and Rice both grounded out to third to end the inning.

Eck got Moore to ground out to third to start the top of the seventh and Yost also grounded out to third as well. Gantner singled and stole second but Molitor struck out to end the inning. Haas finished strong in the bottom of the seventh inning as Yaz lined out to short to start. Stapleton grounded out to second and Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Brewers finished off Eckersley in the top of the eighth although Yount struck out to start. Old buddy Cooper smashed a bomb all the way into the Baltic Sea to increase the lead. Simmons popped up to short but Oglivie walked. Thomas flied out to left to end the inning with the Brewers up 4-2. Not Eckersley's best stuff but he did give the Sox 8 innings of 4 run ball.

                                                        Eck goes 8 but gives up 4

Pete Ladd came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and cruised. Nichols whiffed before Hoffman watched strike three go by. Remy lined out to left to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in for the top of the ninth and Moore lashed a base hit to center. Moore took off for second and Rice gunned him down at second for the out. Clear froze Yost for strike three and Gantner flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox pulled off a furious rally in the bottom of the ninth as Boggs walked to start. Evans took strike three but Rice bashed his third home run of the season to tie the game and light up the crowd. Yaz got a base hit to right and Julio Valdez ran for him. Stapleton doubled off the Monster and Gedman was intentionally walked to load the bases. Nichols popped up to first and Sox manager Ralph Houk sent in Rick Miller to pinch hit for Hoffman. Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn sent in Jamie Easterly to pitch to him. Houk then re-countered by pinch hitting Tony Armas for Rick Miller. On a 3-2 pitch...ARMAS WALKED! THE RED SOX WIN 5-4!

The Co-Heroes of the Night are Jim Rice and Tony Armas. Rice hit the game tying homer in the ninth and Tony Armas walked home the winning run.

                                                          Hero 1: Rice

                                                            Hero 2: Armas



The Good:

Wade Boggs walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Julio Valdez scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Mark Clear pitched a scoreless ninth.



The Bad:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Dennis Eckersley went 8 innings but allowed 4 runs including 2 home runs.



Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller "pinch hit" for Hoffman in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Now that was more like it. After the Sox were embarrassed by the Brewers on Monday, this was the way to come back and show some balls. Armas came off the bench to drive in a run and the clutch homer by Rice set up the winning run. Any time you can beat the AL Champs is a good thing and hopefully a win like this can send the Sox on a hot streak or something. After yet another off-day, the Sox travel to Oakland for a 3 game set with the A's beginning on Friday night. John Tudor (0-1) goes for the Sox up against Mike Norris at 4:05 PM Eastern Time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sox Explode on the Royals (4/13/83)

So much for the four game losing streak. Tonight the Boston Red Sox took a big fat dump on the Kansas City Royals in their home park. Nearly every member of the Sox offense had an rbi or a run scored and Mike Brown (1-0, 3.18 ERA) threw a gutty game to earn the win. The Sox offense pounded out 20 hits and 18 runs to break their losing streak with an 18-4 pasting of the Royals in Royals Stadium.

                                              Charles Bradley approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time scoring against Royals starter Paul Splittorff in the top of the first inning. Wade Boggs drew a leadoff walk before taking off for second. The throw went into center and Boggs made it to third on the error. Dwight Evans struck out but Jim Rice tripled home Boggs to give the Sox the lead. A wild pitch scored Rice before Tony Armas walked. Reid Nichols banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                     Rice gets the party started

Mike Brown (1-0, 3.18 ERA) got the start for the Sox and the Royals tagged him in the bottom of the first. Willie Wilson opened with a single and U L Washington singled him to third. George Brett forced Washington at second but Wilson scored. Amos Otis forced Brett at second and Hal McRae flied out to center to end the inning but it was 2-1 Sox.

Dave Stapleton singled and Glenn Hoffman walked to start the top of the second but Jeff Newman made his season debut by banging into a double play. Julio Valdez flied out to left to end the inning. Willie Aikens lined out to center to start the bottom of the second but Frank White singled to center. Jerry Martin singled but Don Slaught banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third although Boggs struck out to start. Evans doubled to right but Rice flied out to center. Armas singled home Evans as an error moved Tony to second. Nichols looked at strike three to end the inning but it was 3-1 Sox.

                                                      Armas drives one in

Wilson singled and stole second to start the bottom of the third but Washington flied out to right. Brett grounded back to the mound and Otis flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox attacked in the top of the fourth although Stapleton grounded out to second to begin. Hoffman singled and Newman got his first hit of the season when he doubled Glenn home. Valdez singled Newman to third but Boggs lined out to left. Evans hit a double play ball to short but Washington booted it. Newman scored, Valdez went to third and Evans moved to second on the error. That was it for Splittorff as Bill Castro came in to pitch. Rice walked to load the bases but suddenly Armas keeled over in the dugout and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital. Rick Miller pinch hit for Tony and singled home both Valdez and Evans. Nichols was plunked to load the bases but Stapleton lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                       Big hit by Newman

The Royals struck back in the bottom of the fourth as McRae started the inning with a double. McRae moved to third on the fly ball to center by Aikens and scored on the sac fly by White. Martin popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

The Sox continued to slug in the top of the fifth as Hoffman doubled to start. Hoffman went to third on the grounder by Newman before Valdez popped up to third. Boggs doubled home Hoffman and Evans singled home Boggs. Rice cracked his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Miller grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-2.

                                                     Boggs adds to the lead

Brown held the fort in the bottom of the fifth as Slaught grounded out to third to start. Wilson walked before Washington flied out to center. Wilson grounded out to second before Brett flied out to left to end the inning.

Nichols singled to open the top of the sixth but Stapleton banged into a double play. Hoffman singled but Newman grounded into a force to end the inning. Brown came back for the bottom of the sixth and Otis began with a single. McRae flied out to center and that was it for Brown. He lasted 5 1/3 innings and allowed just 2 runs, not bad. Bob Stanley came in and got Aikens to ground into a double play to end the inning.

                                                      Brown gets the job done

The Sox tacked it on in the top of the seventh inning with Joe Simpson now playing center. Valdez grounded out to second to start but Boggs singled to left. Boggs moved to second on the grounder by Evans but Rice was plunked. Miller singled home Evans and moved Rice to third before Nichols hit a hard grounder to short. Washington booted it which allowed Rice to score and Miller to go to third. Stapleton hit a routine grounder to Brett and he booted it which allowed Miller to score and Nichols to go to third. Hoffman singled home Nichols to increase the lead. Newman struck out to end the inning but the massacre was now 15-2.

                                                      Hoffman joins the fun

The Royals went quietly in the bottom of the seventh as White flied out to center to start. Martin looked at strike three before Slaught grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bob Tufts came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Valdez looked at strike three to start. Boggs popped up to short but Evans drew a walk. Rice popped up to first to end the inning. The Royals finally got to Stanley in the bottom of the eighth as Wilson singled to start. Washington flied out to left but Brett doubled home Wilson. Simpson singled in Brett but McRae flied out to left. Aikens flied out to right to end the inning with the Royals down 15-4.

The Sox kept at it in the top of the ninth when Miller was plunked to start. Nichols walked and Stapleton singled to load the bases. Hoffman struck out but Newman hit a routine grounder to Washington who booted another ball for an error that scored Miller and reloaded the bases. Valdez forced Nichols at home on a comebacker to the mound. Boggs singled home Stapleton and Newman to wrap up the scoring. Evans lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 18-4.

                                                      Miller comes off the bench to contribute\

Stanley finished off the Orioles in the bottom of the ninth when White grounded out to third to start. Martin popped up to right but Slaught singled. Wilson walked but Washington grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 18-4.

Hero of the Night is Jim Rice. He paced the offensive attack by going 2 for 4 with a walk, hit by pitch, 3 rbis, 3 runs scored and a 2 run home run.

                                                      Rice is the Hero


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 6 with a stolen base, a walk, 3 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 6 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Tony Armas walked, singled and drove in a run before leaving.

Rick Miller was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch, 3 rbis and 2 runs scored off the bench.

Reid Nichols was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch, walk, rbi and run scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 5 for 6 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Mike Brown earned his first win of the season with 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 5 but walked and scored a run.

Jeff Newman was just 1 for 6 but drove in two runs and scored twice.

Julio Valdez was just 1 for 6 but scored a run.

Bob Stanley allowed 2 runs in 3 2/3 innings to earn his first save of the season.




Final Thoughts:

Finally the streak is over. It was if the frustration of losing four in a row guided the Sox to pound the Royals into submission. The offense isn't built to be THIS good unless Tony Armas hits 40 home runs and Carl Yastrzesmki can the turn the clock back for one last year. It was nice to see the JV team so to speak with Valdez, Newman and Miller step up to help win this one. Brown got his first win and hopefully he can step up and be an ace pitcher to go with Dennis Eckersley. All in all it was a good win and maybe they can build on it. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Friday night at home. The Texas Rangers are in town and will be sending John Matlack to do battle with Dennis Eckersley (0-1) at 6:05 PM 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.