Clemens, Sox Power Past Angels (4/30/94)

Hopefully the Boston Red Sox starting pitching holds up this season because so far this year, the Red Sox are a wagon with them. Roger Clemens (3-1, 3.16) tossed an eight inning gem allowing just 1 run to keep the Sox in the game. The Boston bats were held to just 7 hits by Mark Leiter but the Sox made them count. Andrew Dawson drove two big runs while Scott Cooper batted in another. It was the Clemens show as he dazzled the Angels before giving way to the bullpen. Ken Ryan and Greg Harris finished the game off as the Sox ended the month of April on a hot streak with a 4-1 victory over the Angels at Angels Stadium.

                                                       Jeannine Taylor approves of the win

The Sox jumped on Leiter in the top of the first inning as Otis Nixon lined out to left to start. Mike Greenwell doubled to center but Tim Naehring grounded out to third. Mo Vaughn was hit with a pitch and Andre Dawson pounded a ground rule double down the left field line to score Greenwell. Scott Cooper walked and Billy Hatcher popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Dawson drives in a run

Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Damion Easley grounded out to second to start. Dwight Smith popped up to short and Tim Salmon struck out swinging to end the inning.

Damon Berryhill popped up to short to start the top of the second inning and Scott Fletcher grounded out to short. Nixon also grounded out to short to end the inning. Chili Davis got hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the second but Eduardo Perez grounded into a double play. Chad Curtis grounded out to short to end the inning.

Greenwell struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Naehring singled to left. Vaughn popped up to third in foul territory and Dawson flied out to right to end the inning. The Angels tied it in the bottom of the third as Jorge Fabregas struck out swinging to start. Harold Reynolds walked, stole second and scored on the Gary Disarcina base hit to right. Easley took strike three but Disarcina stole second as well. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                 Disarcina ties it

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth as Cooper doubled to left to start. Hatcher hit a routine grounder to Easley who threw the ball away for an error to score Cooper. Berryhill grounded out to first to move Hatcher to third but Fletcher flied out to center. Nixon struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                                 Cooper scores a run

Salmon singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Davis struck out swinging. Perez struck out swinging and Curtis lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox added on in the top of the fifth as Greenwell popped up to third to start. Easley made another error to allow Naehring to reach first and Vaughn got a base hit to right. Dawson got a base hit to right to score Naehring and move Vaughn to third. Cooper beat out a double play ball to score Vaughn with another run but Hatcher popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                                  Vaughn scores a run

Fabregas lined out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Reynolds struck out swinging. Disarcina flied out to center to end the inning.

Berryhill flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Fletcher singled to left. Fletcher swiped second but Nixon grounded back to the mound. Greenwell was intentionally walked but Naehring flied out to right to end the inning. Easley popped up to second to start the bottom of the sixth but Smith got a base hit to right. Smith was thrown out at second trying to steal and Salmon grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Vaughn struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Dawson also went down hacking. Cooper walked but Hatcher flied out to left to end the inning. Davis took strike three to start the bottom of the seventh and shouted invectives at home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth. Fieldin threw Davis out of the game and Perez flied out to right. Curtis grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                                     Yerrrrr out!

Berryhill flied out to right to open the top of the eighth and Fletcher lined out to center. Nixon grounded out to first to end the inning. Clemens returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth as Fabregas popped up to third to start. Reynolds doubled to right but Disarcina struck out swinging. Easley grounded out to short to end the inning. Clemens was outstanding, allowing just 1 run in 8 strong innings allowing 4 hits and a walk.

                                                             The Rocket delivered

Craig Lefferts came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Greenwell grounded back to the mound to start. Naehring flied out to left and Lefferts dropped the throw from Disarcina on Vaughn's grounder for an error. Dawson was intentionally walked and Lee Tinsley pinch ran for him. Cooper flied out to center to end the inning. Ken Ryan came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Smith lined out to short to start. Salmon lined out to right but Bo Jackson pinch hit for Davis. Jackson walked and Perez got a base hit to center. Suddenly Sox manager Butch Hobson kicked over a gatorade jug and threw a bat at Ryan before needing to be restrained by arm security as Ryan ran over to take a swing at him. Greg Harris tiptoed to the mound to pitch to Curtis and got him to fly out to right to end the game. The Sox had won the game 4-1.

Hero of The Night is Roger Clemens. He allowed just 1 run in 8 innings while allowing 4 hits and walk. He also struck out 8 batters

                                                                Rocket Hero

The Good:

Andre Dawson was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Scott Cooper was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Ken Ryan got the first two outs of the ninth inning.

Greg Harris earned the save by getting the final out of the game.

The Bad:

Otis Nixon was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 4.

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Mo Vaughn was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Lee Tinsley ran for Dawson in the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

For the second year in a row the Red Sox have had a strong April but this year has a different vibe. The offense is gelling incredibly and the starting pitching has held up so far. Clemens was his normal self and he dominated the Angels tonight. Combined with the efforts of Danny Darwin and Frank Viola, Clemens added to the Sox win streak big time. Ken Ryan looked a little shaky but Harris got the final out nicely. Billy Hatcher and Otis Nixon have cooled off a little but can't argue that the Sox have gotten the hits they needed to win games lately. Hopefully everyone stays healthy because good things are in store at this pace. The win improved the Sox to 17-7, 1.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for the series sweep and fifth consecutive win tomorrow night against the Angels. Joe Hesketh (0-1) looks for his first win of the season against Brian Anderson of the Angels. The fame begins at 8:05 PM eastern time at Angels Stadium.

Sele, Sox Clip Angels (4/29/94)

It was good news all around tonight in Boston sports as the Boston Bruins eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox knocked off the California Angels. Aaron Sele (3-0, 2.56 ERA) continued his strong start to the season by holding the Angels to just one run in six solid innings. Meanwhile the Sox pounced on Phil Leftwich for four early runs, three of them off a Mo Vaughn home run. Scott Cooper hit a two run home run in the top of the eighth but the Angels rallied for three runs off Scott Bankhead in the bottom of the eighth. Greg Harris and Ken Ryan managed to slam the door as the Sox won the game 6-4 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                     Ray Bourque approves of the win

Leftwich got the ball in the top of the first inning and Otis Nixon walked to start. Mike Greenwell singled to center and Tim Naehring got a base hit to left to score Nixon. Mo Vaughn pounded a three run home run to put the Sox up big early. Andre Dawson flied out to right, Scott Cooper struck out swinging and Billy Hatcher popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                                Home run Vaughn

Sele got the ball in the bottom of the first and Damion Easley grounded back to the mound to start. Dwight Smith took strike three and Tim Salmon grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Dave Valle took strike three to begin the top of the second and Scott Fletcher grounded out to short. Nixon beat out a bunt single down the third base line then stole second. Greenwell was hit with a pitch but Naehring forced him at second to end the inning. Chili Davis took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Eduardo Perez grounded out to second. Chad Curtis took strike three to end the inning.

Vaughn grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Dawson flied out to center. Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. Jorge Fabregas singled to center to open the bottom of the third before Harold Reynolds flied out to right. Gary Disarcina grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Hatcher grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth and Valle flied out to right. Fletcher singled to left but Nixon's bunt attempt to third was snuffed out to end the inning. Easley grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Smith struck out swinging. Salmon took strike three to end the inning.

Greenwell grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Naehring struck out swinging. Vaughn singled to center but took second when Leftwich's pickoff throw went wide for an error. Dawson struck out swinging to end the inning. Davis grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Perez singled to right. Curtis took strike three but Fabregas got a base hit to left. Reynolds forced Perez at third to end the inning.

Cooper grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Hatcher flied out to left. Valle singled to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Disarcina grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Easley singled to left. Smith popped up to short and Salmon took strike three to end the inning.

Fletcher lined out to right to begin the top of the seventh but Nixon grounded out to short. Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning. Sele ran out of gas in the bottom of the seventh as Davis hit a home run to Pluto to start and Perez walked to chase Sele. Aaron allowed just one run in six innings of work and Scott Bankhead came in to pitch. Curtis flied out to center and Fabregas popped up to short, but Perez stole second. Reynolds popped up to third to end the inning with the Angels down 4-1.

                                                                 Good work by Sele

The Sox finished off the Leftwich in the top of the eighth as Naehring singled to center to start. Vaughn walked by Dawson grounded into a double play. Angels manager Buck Rodgers decided to bring in Bob Patterson to face Cooper and the gamble backfired as Cooper launched his seventh home run of the season to ice the game. Hatcher grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                             Big home run by Cooper

Those extra runs were needed as the Angels rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Disarcina singled to right and Easley hit a home run all the way into the Atlantic Ocean to cut the lead. Smith got a base hit in the hole at second and Sox manager Butch Hobson had seen enough. Greg Harris came in and Cooper booted a grounder by Salmon for an error. Davis walked to load the bases and Rex Hudler came in to run for Chili. Perez grounded into a double play to score Smith but Curtis grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Angels down 6-4.

                                                              Home run for Easley

Valle grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth and Fletcher flied out to center. Nixon struck out swinging to end the inning. Ken Ryan came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Fabregas singled in the hole at second to begin. Reynolds hit a routine grounder to Cooper who threw the ball over the catcher's head for no reason for an error. Disarcina dropped down a bunt to move both runners over but Easley took strike three. Smith grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-4.

Hero of The Night is Scott Cooper. His two run homer proved to be the difference in the game.

                                                            Scott The Hero

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Tim Naehring was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Mo Vaughn was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch, a walk and a three run home run.

Aaron Sele allowed 1 run in 6 innings of work off 5 hits and a walk.

Ken Ryan got his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Andre Dawson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 4.

Scott Bankhead got lit up for 3 runs in a full inning.

The Ugly:

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

Dave Valle was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Fletcher was just 1 for 4.

Greg Harris allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was too close for comfort at the end but a win is a win. The trio of Mo Vaughn, Aaron Sele and Scott Cooper with the deciding factor in the game with a nod to Ken Ryan as well. All four of those guys are 26 or younger and could help win a lot of games this season. Hopefully they all stay healthy because the Sox are red hot as the month of April comes to a close. The Sox combination of speed and power has been working to perfection so far this season and they've been getting good starting pitching as well. Sele has the potential to win 15-18 games this year and hopefully he can pitch as well as Bruce Hurst did behind Roger Clemens all those years. Speaking of Roger, the Sox look for a series sweep tomorrow night against the Angels with Clemens on the mound. He takes on Al Leiter and the Angels at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Darwin, Sox Beat A's (4/28/94)

A week ago Boston Red Sox fans were complaining that the Red Sox were relying on aging starting pitching and it would come back to haunt them. Well the last two days Frank Viola and Danny Darwin (4-1, 5.17 ERA) have combined for 12 2/3 innings and 1 run allowed. Darwin held the Oakland A's to just one measly run in 6 2/3 gutty innings as the Sox tagged Todd Van Poppel for four runs in this one. Scott Cooper was the offensive star in this one, driving in all four of the Sox runs while the only run Darwin allowed was a home run by Mike Aldrete. The Sox bullpen held the A's scoreless the rest of the way as the Sox knocked off the A's 4-1 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                       Lorna Luft approves of the win

Van Poppel got the ball in the top of the first inning as Otis Nixon grounded out to short to start. Billy Hatcher struck out swinging and Mike Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Darwin got the ball in the bottom of the first as Stan Javier flied out to center to begin. Hatcher dropped a pop up by Mike Aldrete for an error and Aldrete moved to third on a grounder to second by Troy Neel. Geronimo Berroa struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Mo Vaughn walked to start. Andre Dawson doubled to center and Scott Cooper doubled to left to score both runners. Tim Naehring struck out swinging, Damon Berryhill took strike three and John Valentin popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                              Cooper drives in a pair

Ruben Sierra flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Terry Steinbach also flied out to center. Mike Brumley struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Nixon singled to left to start. Nixon stole second and Hatcher walked before Greenwell took strike three. Vaughn got a base hit to right but Nixon stopped and had to turn back to third, causing Naehring to go back to second. Vaughn got thrown out at first on the play. Dawson grounded out to third to end the inning. Scott Brosius grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third and Mike Bordick flied out to center. Javier grounded out to second to end the inning.

Cooper grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Naehring flied out to right. Berryhill popped up to short to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Aldtrete hit a home run all the home run to South Carolina to cut the lead. Neel flied out to left, Berroa watched strike three go by and Sierra hit a double to left....but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple to end the inning with the A's down 2-1.

                                                                 Aldrete tags Darwin

Valentin flied out to right to start the top of the fifth before Nixon grounded out to short. Hatcher flied out to left to end the inning. Steinbach singled to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Brumley struck out swinging. Brosius went down hacking but Bordick caught Cooper asleep with a bunt single. Javier flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Greenwell popped up to third to start. Vaughn singled to center but Dawson popped up to short. Cooper struck his sixth home run of the season to double the lead. Naehring was hit with a pitch but Berryhill struck out swinging. Valentin popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                       Another home run by Cooper

Aldrete was frozen for strike three to start the bottom of the sixth before Neel doubled to right. Berroa flied out to right and Sierra lined out to center to end the inning. 

Valentin popped up to second to begin the top of the seventh before Nixon flied out to center. Hatcher also flied out to center to end the inning. Steinbach flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Brumley struck out swinging. Brosius got a base hit to center and Bordick got a base hit to right to chase Darwin. Danny did well, allowing just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings off 7 hits. Ken Ryan came in and got Javier to fly out to center to end the inning.

                                                               Good work Darwin

Vince Horsman came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Greenwell flied out to center to start. Vaughn struck out swinging but Dawson singled to center. Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Dawson and was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Lee Tinsley came in to play right with Tony Fossas now on the mound to start the bottom of the eighth. A's manager Tony La Russa pinch hit Ricky Henderson for Aldrete but he took strike three. Neel singled to right to chase Fossas. Greg Harris came in and Berroa singled to right, but Sierra grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Junior Noboa came in for Henderson with old buddy Dennis Eckersley now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Cooper grounded out to first before Naehring grounded out to short. Berryhill grounded out to first to end the inning. Jeff Russell came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Steinbach grounded out to second to start. Brumley walked then took second on defensive indifference. Brosius flied out to center but Bordick walked. Javier walked to load the bases and Mark McGwire pinch hit for Noboa. McGwire struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

Hero of The Night is Scott Cooper. He drove in all four of the Sox runs including a two run home run.

                                                                   Hero Cooper

The Good:

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

Andre Dawson was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Danny Darwin tossed 6 2/3 innings of 1 run ball to earn the win. He allowed 7 hits and struck out 7.

Ken Ryan got the final out of the seventh inning.

Tony Fossas got the first out of the eighth inning.

Greg Harris got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Jeff Russell earned his 8th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bob Zupcic got thrown out at second trying to steal as a pinch runner.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

John Valentin was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error but walked.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Honorable Mention:

Lee Tinsley played right field in the final innings.

Final Thoughts:

Turns out the old pro's aren't washed up yet. Frank Viola pitched a shutout yesterday and Darwin allowed just 1 run in this one. The Sox bats have somewhat cooled off since their hot streak last week but the pitching has held up big time. The lefty/righty combo with Fossas and Harris is working and Russell had one bad game this month, otherwise he's been fine. Cooper made the all-star team last year and so far he's trying to do it again with six home runs already. If it wasn't for the equally red hot New York Yankees, the Sox would be leaving April with a commanding lead in the AL East. As it is, they just have to keep on winning. The Sox look to continue their winning ways in Anaheim as they travel there to play a three game set with the California Angels. Aaron Sele (2-0) gets the start for the Sox against Phil Leftwich of the Angels. The game begins tomorrow night at 10:00 PM at Anaheim Stadium.

Mariners Walkoff Red Sox in 10 Innings (4/26/94)

What a way to lose a game if you're the Boston Red Sox. The Sox dropped their second straight game to Seattle after they jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Chris Bosio courtesy of an Andre Dawson two run home run. Mike Greenwell added another run but the Mariners mounted their comeback against Joe Hesketh. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Paul Quantrill gave up a game tying two run double to pinch hitter Reggie Jefferson. The Sox bats fell asleep and didn't touch Bosio or Bobby Ayala the rest of the way. The Mariners loaded the bases against Greg Harris (1-2, 4.02 ERA) and Torey Lovullo hit a grounder to Greg, failing to get anyone out to score the winning run. The Mariners had walked off the Sox 4-3 at the Kingdome.

                                                  "That damn Harris blew another one!"

Bosio got the ball in the top of the first and Otis Nixon took strike three to start. Billy Hatcher grounded out to short but Mike Greenwell walked. Andre Dawson pounded his fifth home run of the season to put Boston on top and Mo Vaughn drew a walk. Mo was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                     Home run Dawson

Hesketh got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brian Turang struck out swinging to start. Rich Amaral grounded out to second and Ken Griffey Jr grounded out to first to end the inning.

John Valentin grounded out to third to open the top of the second and Scott Cooper grounded out to short. Damon Berryhill got a base hit to right but Scott Fletcher flied out to center to end the inning. Jay Buhner walked to begin the bottom of the second and Greg Perkl popped up to right in foul territory. Mike Blowers singled to right but Tino Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third although Nixon doubled to left to start. Hatcher dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Nixon to third and Otis scored on the Greenwell grounder to short. Dawson flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                                 RBI for Greenwell

Dan Wilson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the third and Felix Fermin popped up to short. Turang grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Vaughn struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Valentin grounded out to third. Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. The Mariners struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Amaral flied out to center to start. Griffey Jr singled in the hole at short but Buhner flied out to right. Perkl doubled to right to score Griffey but Blowers grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mariners down 2-1.

                                                                Griffey scores a run

Berryhill got a base hit to right to begin the top of the fifth but Fletcher banged into a double play. Nixon grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Martinez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Wilson grounded out to short. Fermin grounded back to Hesketh to end the inning.

Hatcher grounded out to third to open the top of the sixth and Greenwell flied out to center. Dawson also flied out to center to end the inning. The Mariners tied it in the bottom of the sixth as Turang struck out swinging to start. Amaral doubled to center but Junior took strike three. All of a sudden Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out of the dugout and wobbled to the mound to take the ball from Hesketh, only problem was he forgot to tell the bullpen to get Paul Quantrill ready. Hesketh went 5 2/3 innings and would be charged with two runs. Quantrill came in ice cold and walked Buhner before Mariners manager Lou Piniella pinch hit Reggie Jefferson for Perkl. Jefferson doubled to center to score both runners to tie the game. Blowers grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                     "Hobson you idiot!" - Hesketh

Vaughn lined out to left to start the top of the seventh and Valentin grounded out to third. Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. Martinez got a seeing eye single into left to begin the bottom of the seventh then was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Wilson. Fermin grounded back to the mound and that was it for Quantrill. Ken Ryan came in to face pinch hitter Darren Bragg (for Turant) and struck him out swinging to end the inning.

Amaral booted a grounder by Berryhill for an error to start the top of the eighth and Bob Zupcic ran for Damon. Fletcher dropped down a bunt to move Zupcic to third but Nixon struck out swinging. Hatcher grounded out to third to end the inning. Dave Valle took over behind the plate to start the bottom of the eighth and Amaral got a base hit to left. Tony Fossas was brought in to face Griffey Jr and got him to ground out to second to move Amaral over. Greg Harris came in to face Buhner and Jay grounded out to third. Jefferson was intentionally walked and Torey Lovullo pinch hit for Blowers. Lovullo grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bobby Ayala came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Dawson struck out swinging and Vaughn grounded out to short to end the inning. Martinez flied out to center to start the bottom of the ninth but Wilson singled to center. Fermin flied out to center and Eric Anthony pinch hit for Bragg. Wilson stole second but Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning.

Valentin struck out swinging to begin the top of the tenth and Cooper went down hacking as well. Valle flied out to left to end the inning. The end came in the bottom of the tenth as Amaral doubled to left to start. With Fossas gone, Hobson had no choice but to intentionally walk Griffey Jr. Buhner dropped down a bunt to move the runners over and Buhner was intentionally walked to load the bases. Lovullo hit a roller to Harris who fired home......safe! Amaral scored and the Mariners had won it 4-3 in 10 innings.

Jackass of The Night is Greg Harris. He fell apart in the bottom of the tenth to take the loss

                                                            Jackass Harris

The Good:

Damon Berryhill was 2 for 3.

The Bad:

Billy Hatcher was 0 for 3.

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dave Valle was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Scott Fletcher was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Joe Hesketh pitched well, allowing just 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 4 hits and a walk while striking out four.

Ken Ryan got the final batter of the seventh inning.

Tony Fossas retired the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 3 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Paul Quantrill allowed a run in a full inning of work.

Honorable Mention:

Bob Zupcic pinch ran for Berryhill.

Final Thoughts:

That loss was a sucker punch to the go-nads. They had the game won but Hobson outsmarted himself. Hesketh had only thrown 75 pitches, had he got one more out the Sox would have had a two run lead with three innings to go. The Nixon strike out with Zupcic at third was also a killer. Had they got that run in, the Sox also could have won. They didn't....and that was a tough loss to take. The Mariners aren't that good this year but the Sox couldn't get it done. Hopefully Hobson learns his lesson and leaves Hesketh in to finish an inning at just 75 pitches next time. The Sox were having a great month but now they've lost two in a row to a bad team. Hopefully this doesn't turn into a losing streak because we all know what happened last year. The Sox continue their road trip tomorrow night when they head out to Oakland to face the struggling A's. In a rematch of their 1981 NCAA Tournament showdown, Ron Darling of the A's goes one on one with Frank Viola (0-1) at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Darwin, Naehring Drop Angels (4/23/94)

The bad news was the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their first round NHL playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the California Angels. For the first couple weeks of the season Danny Darwin (3-1, 6.20 ERA) has looked every bit of 38 years old but today he turned back the clock for a vintage performance. He dazzled the Angels for 7 innings, allowing 3 runs and putting the Sox in position to win. Tim Naehring was the offensive star, driving in two runs including breaking a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth. Mike Greenwell hit a home run and Mo Vaughn knocked in a run as well and Darwin gave way to the returning Ken Ryan. Jeff Russell closed out the Angels in the ninth and the Sox had won the game 5-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                 The Duke of Paducah approves of the win

Darwin got the ball in the top of the first and old friend Spike Owen flied out to right to start. Dwight Smith grounded out to second and Tim Salmon flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to old pal John Dopson in the bottom of the first as Otis Nixon got a base hit to left to start. Billy Hatcher forced Otis at second but Mike Greenwell grounded out to second to move Billy to second. Tim Naehring ripped a base hit to center to score Hatcher but Mo Vaughn grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Another rbi for Naehring'

Chili Davis singled to left to start the top of the second but was doubled off first on a line drive to Scott Cooper by Eduardo Perez. Chad Curtis took strike three to end the inning. Damon Berryhill grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before John Valentin singled in the hole at short. Scott Cooper got a base hit to left but Valentin was thrown out at third. Dave Valle struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Angels struck back in the top of the third although Greg Myers took strike three to start. Harold Reynolds got a base hit to right but Gary Disarcina flied out to center. Owen doubled to right to score Reynolds and Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                   Look familiar?

The Sox answered in the bottom of the third as Nixon grounded out to short to start but Hatcher doubled to left. Greenwell then struck his fifth home run of the season to increase the lead. Naehring grounded out to third but Vaughn ripped a base hit to right. Berryhill grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                              Home run Greenwell

The Angels got another run in the top of the fourth as Salmon singled to left to start. Davis walked and Perez moved Salmon to third with a fly ball to center. Chad Curtis beat out a double play ball to score Salmon but Myers flied out to left to end the inning with the Angels down 3-2.

                                                         RBI for Curtis

Valentin singled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but took second on an error by the left fielder. Cooper moved Valentin to third with a grounder to second but Valle grounded back to the mound. Nixon took strike three to end the inning.

The Angels tied it in the top of the fifth as Reynolds lined out to second to start. Disarcina singled to right but Hatcher booted the ball for an error to move Gary to second. Owen hit a line drive to center for a hit to score Disarcina but Smith forced Spike at second. Salmon singled to right to move Smith to third but Davis flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                 Another rbi for Owen

The Sox broke the tie in the bottom of the fifth as Hatcher walked to start. Greenwell got a base hit to right and Naehring got a base hit to center to score Billy. That was it for Dopson as Craig Lefferts came in to pitch to Vaughn. Mo hit a fly ball to center and Myers dropped the throw home when Greenwell cleaned him out for another run. Myers had to leave the game and Chris Turner took over behind the plate. Berryhill hit a fly ball to center to move Naehring to third and Valentin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                              This guy's dangerous

Perez popped up to second to start the top of the sixth before Curtis lined out to second. Turner popped up to first to end the inning. Cooper grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Valle doubled to center. Nixon grounded out to second to move Valle to third but Hatcher flied out to center to end the inning.

Darwin returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh as Reynolds grounded out to first to start. Disarcina flied out to center and Owen flied out to left to send the inning. Darwin pitched well, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings off 7 hits and a walk.

                                                                 Good work Darwin

Greenwell flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh before Naehring drew a walk. Vaughn flied out to center and Berryhill took strike three to end the inning.

Ken Ryan made his season debut in the top of the eighth and Smith grounded out to short to start. Salmon and Davis both struck out swinging to end the inning. Joe Grahe came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Valentin took strike three. Cooper struck out swinging and Valle grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jeff Russell came in to close out the top of the ninth and Perez walked to start. Curtis forced Perez at second and Turner struck out swinging. Bo Jackson pinch hit for Reynolds and he too struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

Hero of The Night is Tim Naehring. He knocked in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth and the Sox held on the rest of the way.

                                                       Hero Naehring

The Good:

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

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

Mo Vaughn was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

John Valentin was 2 for 4.

Danny Darwin tossed 7 innings while allowing just 3 runs off 7 hits and a walk.

Ken Ryan tossed a scoreless inning.

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

The Bad:

Damon Berryhill was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Otis Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Cooper was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dave Valle was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Another good win for the Sox and Tim Naehring is batting .400. Can he stay healthy for a season just once? This offense is absolutely rolling with the blend of youth and veteran mix and the pitching has held up so far. This was Darwin's best start this season and hopefully he's shaken off the early season jitters. Getting Ken Ryan back was also big as he was one of their best relievers last year for a team destined to go nowhere. To have a trio of Ryan, Russell and Paul Quantrill is going to shorten a lot of games this year. Apart from the catching situation, there's really not much to complain about this season so far. Hopefully health can hold up and the starting pitching improves. The Sox look to sweep California tomorrow afternoon when Aaron Sele (1-0) takes on Phil Leftwich of the Angels. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Defeat Yankees (9/16/93)

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

                                                  Yor approves of the win

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

                                                      Way to go Naehring

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

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

                                                          Valentin scores a run

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

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

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

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

                                                          Good hit by Fletcher

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

                                                        Short and sweet for Viola

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

                                                           Deer drives in a run

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

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

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

                                                            Harris slams the door

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

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

                                                            Hero Harris




The Good:

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

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

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

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

Scott Cooper was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

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

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

Ernie Riles walked as a pinch hitter.

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



The Bad:

Bob Zupcic was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

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



The Ugly:

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

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

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

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



Honorable Mention:

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

Bob Melvin caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Outlast Angels in 11, Win 5th Straight (7/5/93)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are red hot. They have won 11 out of 12 and just won their 5th straight game. Rookie Sox starter Aaron Sele and California Angels starter Russ Springer battled to a 1-1 tie through 8 innings. The Sox jumped on Springer for 2 runs in the top of the 9th but the Angels rallied off Sox closer Jeff Russell to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. A single by Bob Melvin and an rbi grounder by Billy Hatcher put the Sox ahead in the top of the 11th and Ken Ryan slammed the door in the bottom half of the frame to give the Sox their 5th straight win 4-3 over the Angels at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                      Ice Cube approves of the win

Springer got the ball in the top of the first and Scott Fletcher walked to start the game. Billy Hatcher singled to right but Mike Greenwell banged into a double play to kill the rally. Andre Dawson grounded out to third to end the inning. Sele got the ball in the bottom of the first and Luis Polonia grounded out to second to start. Chad Curtis grounded out to first but Tim Salmon drew a walk. Chili Davis flied out to left to end the inning.

Mo Vaughn walked to start the top of the second and Bob Zupcic singled to left before both runners moved over on the grounder by Scott Cooper. Once again the rally ended as John Valentin grounded out to third and Tony Pena whiffed to end the inning. Sele whiffed Torey Lovullo to begin the bottom of the second but Greg Myers singled to left. JT Snow struck out swinging and Damion Easley grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third although Fletcher popped up to second to start. Hatcher singled to left and moved to second on the grounder by Greenwell. Hatcher moved to third on the wild pitch by Springer and Dawson singled him home to put Boston on top. Vaaughn went down hacking to end the inning but the Sox were in front 1-0.

                                                    Dawson puts the Sox on top

Sele kept pace in the bottom of the third as Gary Disarcina lined out to second to start. Polonia grounded out to short and Curtis grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a big rally in the top of the fourth although Zupcic popped up to third to start. Cooper and Valentin stroked back to back singles before Pena walked to load the bases. The rally ended as Fletcher popped up to center and Hatcher grounded into a force to end the inning. Sele struck out Salmon swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Davis grounded out to short. Lovullo blooped a single over the head of Cooper before Myers whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Greenwell grounded out to second to start. Dawson grounded out to short and Vaughn whiffed to end the inning. Snow walked to begin the bottom of the fifth before swiping second. Easley grounded out to short, Disarcina popped up to third and Polonia grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Zupcic flied out to left to open the top of the sixth but Cooper singled to center. Valentin hit into a double play to end the inning. The Angels clawed back in the bottom of the sixth as Curtis walked to start. Curtis moved to second on the grounder by Salmon and to third on the grounder by Davis. Lovullo tied the game up with a base hit to right but Myers grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                  Thanks a lot Lovullo

The Sox blew ANOTHER rally in the top of the seventh as Pena walked to start only for Fletcher to hit into a double play. Hatcher doubled to left and Greenwell was intentionally walked leading to Dawson to fly out to right to end the inning. Sele cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Snow whiffed to start. Easley grounded out to short and Disarcina grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Vaughn flied out to left to start. Zupcic grounded out to short and Cooper popped up to short to end the inning. Sele had one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Polonia flied out to left to start. Curtis grounded out to short and Salmon struck out swinging to end the inning. The rookie in just his third big league start tossed 8 innings of 1 run ball. Too bad the offense couldn't cash in on their numerous attempts with men on base.

                                                      Outstanding start by Sele

Determined to win the game for Sele, the Sox sprang to life in the top of the ninth inning. Valentin doubled to start and Ernie Riles pinch hit for Pena. Not only did Valentin get thrown out at third on the force by Riles, Ernie was thrown out trying to steal to boot. Fletcher walked and stole second only for Hatcher of all people to clobber his 6th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Greenwell singled in the hole at short but Dawson popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                       Hatcher puts Boston ahead

Sox manager Butch Hobson wasted no time and brought in Jeff Russell to close out the game with Bob Melvin behind the plate. Davis led off with a double but Lovullo flied out to left. Suddenly Myers singled to right to score Davis to cut the lead. Rod Correia pinch ran for Myers and made it to third on a single by Snow. Easley then hit a shot to Cooper to fired it to second for the out and over to first....SAFE! Easiley beat out the throw, Correia scored and the game was tied. That was Russell's first blown save all year to this point. The alert Melvin threw out Easley trying to steal to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                       1st blown save for Russell

Steve Frey came in to pitch with Ron Tingley coming in to catch the top of the tenth inning. Vaughn flied out to center and Zupcic popped up to first, but Cooper drew a walk. Valentin flied out to center to end the inning. Tony Fossas came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th and Disarcina grounded out to second to start. Stan Javier pinch hit for Poloinia and grounded out to third. Sox manager Butch Hobson stumbled out of the dugout and tried to take the ball from Scott Fletcher before being directed to the mound. Ken Ryan (2-0, 3.24 ERA) came in to pitch to Curtis and got him to line out to center to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eleventh with Gene Nelson now on the mound. Melvin got the rally started with a base hit to right before being sacrificed to third by Fletcher. Hatcher hit a fly ball to right but Melvin made a mad dash home to give the Sox the lead. Greenwell walked but Dawson flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                     Melvin puts the Sox ahead with his run scored

Ryan returned for the bottom of the eleventh to close the game out. Salmon grounded out to short before Davis whiffed. Lovullo popped up to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3 in 11 innings.

Hero of the Night is Bob Melvin. He scored the winning run in the top of the eleventh inning and threw out Easley in the bottom of the ninth.

                                                           Melvin the Hero


The Good:

Billy Hatcher was 4 for 5 with a home run, 3 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Scott Cooper was 2 for 4 with a walk.

John Valentin was 2 for 5.

Tony Pena walked twice in 3 plate appearances.

Aaron Sele was outstanding. He allowed just 1 run on 3 hits in 8 innings of work.

Tony Fossas got the first two outs of the bottom of the 10th.

Ken Ryan earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Ernie Riles was 0 for 1 at the plate and was thrown out trying to steal.

Jeff Russell blew his first save of the year by allowing 2 runs in the ninth inning.



The Ugly:

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

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but walked twice.

Andre Dawson was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Mo Vaughn was 0 for 4 but walked.

Bob Zupcic was just 1 for 5.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox looked dead in their graves two weeks ago but have clawed their way back to respectability in the last two weeks. The 7 game win streak was fun but this 5 game win streak has to have them thinking about possible playoffs. Aaron Sele is having a 1981 Fernando Valenzuela start to his career and its impossible for him to keep this pace up, but if he were to pitch halfway decent, playoffs isn't a dirty word. The Sox are only 5 games back of the Blue Jays with 2 months left of baseball left to be played. If the Sox can keep up this momentum they very well could be standing tall at the end of September. The win improved the Sox to 42-39, 5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it 6 in a row when they send the rejuvenated Danny Darwin (7-7, 3.24 ERA) to the mound opposite Angels ace Chuck Finley at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.