Tanana, Tigers Best Clemens & Sox (5/23/91)

Ten years ago the Boston Red Sox came within an eyelash of winning the American League East division championship. One of the reasons they didn't was Frank Tanana went 4-10 for the Sox that season. Naturally after he left Boston he won 15 games for the Texas Rangers in 1984 and 15 for the Detroit Tigers in 1987. Tonight he was instrumental in holding down the Sox offense long enough for the Tigers to pounce on Roger Clemens (6-2, 2.48 ERA). The Tigers broke a tie game in the 7th inning and held on to defeat the Sox 5-3 at Tigers Stadium.

                                               "Damn you Tanana!"

The Sox pissed away a golden chance to take an early lead in the top of the first inning as Wade Boggs singled to start. Jody Reed singled to left and both runners moved over on the Ellis Burks grounder. Jack Clark was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Mike Greenwell popped up to third and Tom Brunansky grounded out to short to end the inning. Clemens walked Tony Phillips to open the bottom of the first but Lou Whitaker flied out to left. Phillips swiped second but Clemens blew away both Lloyd Moseby and Cecil Fielder to end the inning.

Tanana cruised in the top of the second inning as Carlos Quintana singled to center to begin, but Tony Pena banged into a double play. Luis Rivera popped up to short to end the inning. Mickey Tettleton grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Rob Deer whiffed. Pete Incaviglia struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the third inning as Boggs grounded out to third to start. Reed also grounded out to third and Burks flied out to center to end the inning. Clemens matched Tanana in the bottom of the third as Travis Fryman hit one up the elevator shaft to start. John Shelby grounded back to the mound before Phillips grounded out to second to end the inning.

More nothing in the top of the fourth as Clark grounded out to third to begin. Greenwell grounded out to second but Brunansky drew a walk. Quintana grounded out to short to end the inning. The Tigers struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Whitaker doubled to right to begin before moving to third on the Moseby grounder. Fielder lashed a base hit to score Whitaker with the game's first run then took second on the grounder by Tettleton. Deer singled home Fielder but Incaviglia whiffed again to end the inning with the Tigers up 2-0.

                                              Why can't the Sox get guys like this?

The Sox failed to rally in the top of the fifth as Pena flied out to center to start. Rivera stroked a base hit to left but Boggs banged into a double play to end the inning. Clemens recovered in the bottom of the fifth as Fryman whiffed to start. Shelby flied out to left before Phillips grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth although Reed lined out to short to start. Suddenly Burks pounded his 3rd homer of the season to left to put the Sox on the board. Clark walked and Greenwel singled but Brunansky struck out swinging. Quintana singled to right but Clark was held at third to load the bases. That was it for Tanana as Mark Leiter came in and walked Pena to score Clark with the tying run. With a chance to do some damage....Rivera flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Burks goes yard

Clemens kept the tie in the bottom of the sixth as Whitaker flied out to center to begin. Moseby flied out to right and Fielder whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox tried to rally in the top of the seventh as Boggs walked to start and moved to second on the sacrifice by Reed. Burks lined out to left and Mike Henneman was brought in to face Clark. Clark walked but Greenwell struck out swinging to end the inning. The Tigers took command in the bottom of the seventh although Tettleton went down swinging to begin. Deer walked and Incaviglia doubled him home to put Detroit up for good. Fryman took strike three and Shelby fanned to end the inning but the Tigers were up 3-2.

Milt Cuyler took over for Shelby in center in the top of the eighth and Brunansky whiffed to start. Quintana also went down swinging but Pena singled to center. Mike Marshall pinch hit for Rivera but flied out to left to end the inning. The Tigers iced it in the bottom of the eighth with Mike Brumley now at short for the Sox. Phillips singled to chase Clemens who was charged with 4 runs in 7 plus innings although he struck out 10.

                                                         Not the best result for Roger

Tony Fossas came in and the first thing he did was throw Whitaker's bunt away for an error. Moseby dropped his own bunt down but Fossas didn't throw this one away. Fielder was intentionally walked and Sox manager Joe Morgan brought in Jeff Gray to put out the fire. Instead Tettleton lined a base hit to core both runs to ice the game. Deer lined out to left and Incaviglia flied out to center to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 5-2.

                                                               Heaves the ball away

Somehow the Sox rallied in the top of the ninth as Boggs singled to start. The Sox caught a break when Fryman dropped a pop up by Reed for an error which led to Jody walking. Burks beat out a double play ball and Clark blooped a single to center to score Boggs and put the tying run at first. Kevin Romine pinch ran for Clark with Paul Gibson now on the mound. Greenwell grounded out to second to put the tying runs in scoring position....but Brunansky popped up to short to end the game. The Tigers had beaten Clemens and won the game 5-3.

Jackass of the Night is Jeff Gray. All he needed to get was two outs, instead he allowed both inherited runners to score the deciding runs.

                                                                What a Jackass



The Good:

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

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jack Clark was 1 for 2 with 3 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Quintana was 2 for 4.

Tony Pena was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Luis Rivera was 1 for 3.



The Bad:

Mike Marshall was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Roger Clemens took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 7 innings of work. He struck out 10 though.

Tony Fossas was charged with an unearned run in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 5.

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Mike Brumley played shortstop in the bottom of the eighth.

Kevin Romine ran for Jack Clark in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

This game was a kick in the pants. The Sox had their chances offensively to survive a relatively poor Clemens start but couldn't get the clutch hit. Meanwhile the Tigers cashed in on Boston's every mistake whether it being Roger's pitch selection or Tony Fossas throwing a bunt into outer space. Jeff Gray has been amazing all year and all he needed was 2 outs yet gives up the winning runs. The Sox are still in first but losses like this can't happen with the Toronto Blue Jays nipping at their heels. The loss dropped the Sox to 23-15, 0.5 games in front of the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow Tom Bolton (5-0) goes for the Sox up against Dan Petry at 8:05 PM Eastern Time at Tiger Stadium.

Sox Edge Royals Amidst Protest (4/28/91)

Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox was supposed to pitch tonight but his suspension stemming from last year's ALCS disaster was held up. Instead Dana Kiecker (1-0, 2.92 ERA) got the spot start and held the Kansas City Royals to 1 run in 5 1/3 innings. The Boston bullpen tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings to hold the fort. The Sox were held to just two runs by Storm Davis and Tom Gordon but they were enough to win the game. The game was delayed by rain for two hours deep into the night and by the ninth inning, the Sox were playing under protest. MLB said duly noted but play the game. Mike Greenwell drove in the only two runs Kiecker and the bullpen needed as the Sox defeated the Royals 2-1 at Royals Stadium while under protest.

                                                             "I protest, Brother!"

Davis took the mound in the top of the first and the Sox wasted no time getting to him. Wade Boggs led off with a base bit past the diving Kurt Stillwell to start. Bill Pecota bobbled a line shot by Jody Reed which allowed Jody to reach on the error. Mike Greenwell dumped a base hit to right to score Boggs with the game's first run. Jack Clark walked to load the bases but Ellis Burks popped up to a running Danny Tartabull. Tom Brunansky popped up to second and Mike Marshall grounded out to second to end the inning. A disappointing rally but the Sox still led 1-0.

                                                           Boggs scores a run

The Royals struck back in the bottom of the first against Kiecker as Jim Eisenreich hit a ground ball up the middle for a base hit. Eisenreich stole second and moved to third on the Bill Pecota grounder. Aa the rain came pouring down, Danny Tartabull ripped a 410 foot double off the centerfield wall to tie the game. Kirk Gibson grounded out to second to advance Tartabull to third but Warren Cromartie grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                         Tartabull ties it up

The Sox threatened in the top of the second inning as Tony Pena grounded out to short to start. Tim Naehring popped up to first but Boggs singled in the hole at short. Reed singled off the glove of Pecota and Greenwell lashed a base hit to right. Unlike his father, Danny Tartabull has a cannon arm so Boggs held at third. Clark grounded out to third to end the inning. The tarp was put on the field for a rain delay and 2 hours later, play resumed. Kiecker returned for the bottom of the second and Kurt Stillwell hit a line drive snared at the left field wall by Greenwell. Mike Macfarlane looked at a curveball on the inside corner for strike three and Brian McRae whiffed at a ball in the dirt to end the inning.

Tom Gordon came in to pitch the top of the third and Burks took strike three to start. Brunansky drew a walk and wiped out Shumpert to break up a double play ball by Marshall. Pena took strike three to end the inning. Terry Shumpert flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Eisenreich grounded out to short. Pecota walked but Tartabull whiffed on a nasty slider to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Naehring flied out to left to start. Boggs doubled and Reed singled him to third before Wade scored on the Greenwell grounder. Clark walked and Burks grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                     Sox take the lead

Kiecker returned for the bottom of the fourth and Gibson grounded back to the mound to start. Cromartie grounded out to short and Stillwell took strike three to end the inning.

Brunansky led off the top of the fifth with a fly out to shallow center to start. ESPN analyst Jon Miller says Mike Marshall is unhappy and wants out of Boston and Sox general manager Lou Gorman told Mike that no one's asking for him, ouch. Marshall whiffed and Pena flied out to center to end the inning. Macfarlane beat out an infield single to third to start the bottom of the fifth but McRae banged into a double play. Shumpert struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Naehring popped up to first to start. Boggs grounded back to the mound and Reed popped up to second to end the inning. Kiecker was chased in the bottom of the sixth as Eisenreich singled to right to start. Pecota singled up the middle but Tartabull whiffed. That was it for Kiecker after 5 2/3 innings of a rain shortened start. Tony Fossas came in to pitch to Gibson and he check swing grounded back to Tony to move the runners over. Russ Morman pinch hit for Cromartie and he popped up to center to end the inning.

                                                    "Damn rain, I shoulda been in longer" - DK

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Greenwell tripled past the diving McRae to start. Clark took strike three and Burks whiffed, but Brunansky drew a walk. Marshall check swing grounded back to Gordon to end the inning. Carlos Quintana came in to play first with Jeff Gray now in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Quintana immediately helped as he made a great play to rob Stillwell of extra bases to start. MacFarlane flied out to the left field wall and McRae lined out to right to end the inning.

Pena flied out to right to start the top of the eighth and Naehring grounded out to short, but Boggs singled off the diving Shumpert. Reed grounded into a force to end the inning. Gray returned for the bottom of the eighth as Shumpert flied out to right to start. Eisenreich singled up the middle and Terry Puhl pinch hit for Pecota. Gray struck out Puhl swinging and Sox manager Joe Morgan decided to bring in Jeff Reardon for the four out save. Reardon walked Tartabull but Gibson popped up to Greenwell to end the inning.

Paul Zuvella took over at third to start the top of the ninth and Greenwell popped up to Tartabull to start. Clark lined a broken bat base hit up the middle and "Psycho" Steve Lyons pinch ran for him. Burks waived at a pitch on the outside corner to earn the hat trick of three strikeouts. Brunansky took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Gordon had allowed just 1 run in 7 innings, nice offense Sox. Reardon came back to close out the bottom of the ninth as Morman lined out to a running Burks to start. Kurt Stillwell singled in the hole at second and Gary Thurman pinch ran for him. Reardon hit MacFarlane on the wrist and David Howard ran for him. All of a sudden Joe Morgan bolted out of the dugout and started ripping his clothes off screaming that MacFarlane never touched first after getting hit. Joe Morgan the ESPN analyst says Morgan the manager was right although the umpires told the manager to scram. McRae then banged into a double play to end the game. After all of that, the Sox had won it 2-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Wade Boggs. He was 4 for 5 and scored both of the runs the Sox scored.

                                                   Wade Hero

The Good:

Jody Reed was 2 for 5.

Mike Greenwell was 3 for 5 and drove in both runs.

Jack Clark was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Dana Kiecker got the win with 5 1/3 innings of 1 run ball, surviving the rain delay as long as he could.

Tony Fossas got the final two outs of the sixth inning.

Jeff Gray pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Jeff Reardon earned his seventh save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Ellis Burks was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mike Marshall was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Pena was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.

Honorable Mention:

Steve Lyons pinch ran for Jack Clark in the top of the ninth.

Carlos Quintana played first base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

That was a weird game and once again the Boston bats did virtually nothing. Dana Kiecker tossed a gutty game and once again the trio of Fossas, Gray and Reardon had to save the day. Burks looked like he was swinging at air and Marshall didn't do his trade value any good by going 0 for 4. Gotta feel bad for the poor Royals fans in the ninth inning that had to listen to both managers piss and moan about certain calls. There's no instant replay so what they say is final. The Sox desperately need some offensive help if they hope to compete this year. What they displayed this month didn't cut it. Its a shame the offense has been so bad because the pitching was that good. This game was a microcosm of that as they won yet another close game 2-1. The Sox have one game left this month and its Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins. Matt Young gets the start for the Sox against Allan Anderson of the Twins. The game begins Tuesday night at 8 PM Eastern time at the Metrodome.

Sox Survive Scary Ninth, Beat Royals (4/27/91)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins lost Game 6 of their NHL Playoff second round series against the Montreal Canadiens. The good news was Jack Clark finally got his head on straight and helped the Boston Red Sox defeat the Kansas City Royals. Tom Bolton (2-0, 1.47 ERA) tossed 6 solid innings of 1 run ball to keep the Sox in front. Kevin Romine broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with a 2 run pinch hit single and Clark hit the 3 run killshot in the eighth inning. The Royals put up a huge fight in the ninth inning but Jeff Reardon was able to slam the door on the 6-4 victory over the Royals at Royals Stadium.

                                                                 Peg Bundy approves of the win

Royals starter Kevin Appier took the ball in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs flied out to left to start. Jody Reed flied out to center and Mike Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning. Bolton started strong in the bottom of the first as Jim Eisenreich grounded out to short to start. Gary Thurman also grounded out to short and Danny Tartabull struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Jack Clark grounded back to the mound to start. Ellis Burks singled to center but Tom Brunansky took strike three. Mike Marshall doubled home Burks to give the Sox the lead. Tony Pena singled to center but Marshall was thrown at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                YERRRR OUT!

The Royals answered in the bottom of the second as Kirk Gibson flied out to right to start. Mike Macfarlane singled and took second on the ground out by Russ Morman. Bill Pecota singled in the hole at short to score Macfarlane to tie the game. Kurt Stillwell grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           MacFarlane scores to tie it

Tim Naehring took strike three to start the top of the third but Boggs drew a walk. Reed flied out to center but Greenwell singled up the middle. Clark walked to load the bases but Burks popped up to right to end the inning. Terry Shumpert grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the third and Eisenreich flied out to center. Thurman walked but Tartabull flied out to center to end the inning.

Brunansky led off the top of the fourth with a pop up to second to begin. Marshall singled to center and moved to second on the grounder by Pena. Naehring grounded out to short to end the inning. Bolton froze Gibson for strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and Macfarlane flied out to left. Morman popped up to second to end the inning.

Boggs took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Reed grounded out to third. Greenwell and Clark drew back to back walks but Burks whiffed to end the inning. Pecota lined out to right to start the bottom of the fifth and Stillwell took strike three. Shumpert walked but Eisenreich took strike three to end the inning.

Brunansky started the top of the sixth by walking to chase Appier. Steve Crawford came in and both Marshall and Pena singled to load the bases with nobody out. Steve Lyons came in to pinch hit for Tim Naehring but the Royals countered by bringing in Dan Schatzeder to pitch. Sox manager Joe Morgan countered by pulling back Lyons and sending in Kevin Romine to pinch hit. Romine lined a base hit to score Marshall and Brunansky to give the Sox the lead. Boggs banged into a double play and Reed popped up to right to end the inning but the Sox led 3-1.

                                                               Romine gives the Sox the lead

Luis Rivera came in to play short in the bottom of the sixth as Thurman grounded out to short to start. Tartabull flied out to left and Gibson popped up to second to end the inning.

Greenwell grounded out to short to begin the top of the seventh but Clark walked to chase Schatzeder. Luis Aquino came in and Burks was plunked but Brunansky flied out to left. Marshall singled to right to load the bases but Pena flied out to center to end the inning. A frustrated Marshall left the game and was replaced by Carlos Quintana to start the bottom of the seventh. The Royals chased Bolton when Macfarlane doubled to left and Morman hit a bloop single to short. Joe Hesketh managed to Houdini his way out of trouble after Pecota sacrificed both runners along with a bunt. Stilwell walked to load the bases but Shumpert and Eisenreich both whiffed to end the inning. Bolton ended up tossing 6 innings while being charged with just one run.

                                                            Bolton does a good job

The Sox looked to have put the game away in the top of the eighth although Rivera grounded back to the mound to start. Boggs walked but was forced at second by Reed. Greenwell walked but Clark smashed his third home run of the year to put the Sox up big. Burks drilled a single to right but Brunansky flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                                  Big home run by Clark

Thurman began the bottom of the eighth by striking out swinging. Tartabull also went down hacking but Gibson walked. Macfarlane flied out to center to end the inning.

Quintana doubled to center to start the top of the ninth and moved to third on the Pena grounder. Quintana was stranded as Rivera grounded out to second and Mike Magnante came in to pitch. Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning. Hesketh returned for the bottom of the ninth and all hell broke loose. Morman struck out swinging but Pecota walked. Stillwell doubled to right and Shumpert singled home Pecota. Hesketh picked off Pecota but Eisenreich singled home Stillwell to cut the lead in half and chase Hesketh. Jeff Reardon was summoned to close out the game and Warren Cromartie pinch hit for Thurman. Cromartie hit a routine grounder to Quintana...UNDER HIS GLOVE. The should be game ender ended up bringing the tying run to the plate. Tartabull singled home Eisenreich to put the tying runs on. Brian McRae pinch ran for Tartabull but Gibson whiffed to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win it 6-4.

Hero of the Night is Jack Clark. His three run home run was the difference in the game

                                                                  Jack The Hero

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Ellis Burks was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Mike Marshall was 4 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Tony Pena was 2 for 5.

Kevin Romine knocked in two runs with a pinch hit single.

Tom Bolton picked up the win with 6 innings of 1 run ball.

Jeff Reardon earned his sixth save by getting the final out of the bottom of the ninth.

The Bad:

Tim Naehring was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Luis Rivera was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Joe Hesketh allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice.

Jody Reed was 0 for 5 but scored a run.

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 4 with with a strikeout but walked and scored.

Carlos Quintana singled in his only at-bat but his error led to a run scoring in the bottom of the ninth.

Honorable Mention:

Steve Lyons "pinch hit" for Tim Naehring in the top of the sixth.

Final Thoughts:

As the month comes to a close, its very obvious the Sox are in desperate need of some offense to match the pitching. Roger Clemens had one of the best months in Major League history but he can only go once every few days. The other starters including Tom Bolton stepped up big and so did the trio of Tony Fossas, Jeff Gray and Jeff Reardon. The Sox offensive woes need to be addressed if they have any hope of repeating as AL East champs. Bolton pitched well tonight and Clark finally delivered a meaningful longball for the first time since Opening Day really. Hopefully after he got fined a grand for going nuts on a toilet, it woke him up to start getting it together. Hesketh got lit up but it was his first bad game in almost 3 weeks so hopefully that was just a hiccup. It was a good win and the Sox look to make it two in a row tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. The Sox don't know who's pitching because its supposed to be Roger Clemens, but his suspension may or may not be served starting tomorrow. Storm Davis of the Royals will be pitching for KC at 9:05 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

Royals Defeat Sox Late (4/26/91)

The good news is the Boston Celtics were victorious in their NBA playoff first round Game 1 game against the Indiana Pacers. The bad news was the Boston Red Sox failed to hold a lead against the Kansas City Royals. The Sox broke out to a 3-0 lead only for Greg Harris to cough it up in the sixth inning. In the eighth inning Tony Fossas put two runners on before being pulled for Daryl Irvine, the rookie they called up to replace Danny Darwin. Irvine allowed a two run double to Mike MacFarlane to put the Royals ahead. Jeff Montgomery slammed the door in the ninth inning for the comeback win by the Royals 5-3 at Royals Stadium.

                                                               "That damn Irvine!"

The Sox wasted no time getting to old friend Mike Boddicker in the top of the first inning. Wade Boggs doubled to center to begin and Terry Shumpert booted a ground ball by Jody Reed to put runners at the corners. Mike Greenwell banged into a double play but Boggs scored to give the Sox the lead. Jack Clark flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                          Boddicker how we miss thee

Harris got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jim Eisenreich singled to right to start. Kevin Seitzer flied out to right and Danny Tartabull flied out to center, but Kirk Gibson walked. Warren Cromartie grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second inning as Ellis Burks walked to start. Tom Brunansky blasted his third home run of the season to increase lead. Carlos Quintana grounded out to short, Tony Pena flied out to left and Tim Naehring  grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                             Brunansky bashes a home run

Kurt Stillwell struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Brent Mayne flied out to left. Gary Thurman struck out swinging to end the inning.

Boggs flied out to left to start the top of the third and Reed lined out to Boddicker. Greenwell popped up to third to end the inning. The Royals began their comeback in the bottom of the third when Terry Shumpert doubled to left to start. Eisenreich flied out to right to move Shumpert to third and Terry scored on the sac fly by Seitzer. Tartabull grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals down 3-1.

                                                               Shumpert scores a run

Clark lined out to center to start the top of the fourth and Burks struck out looking. Brunansky walked but Quintana took strike three to end the inning. Harris got Gibson to ground back to him to begin the bottom of the fourth and Cromartie grounded out to second. Stillwell singled to center but MAyne grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox blew a chance for a run in the top of the fifth as Pena singled to start and Naehring dropped down a bunt to advance him to second. Pena got thrown out at third on a grounder by Boggs but Reed singled to left. Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning. Thurman grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the fifth and Shumpert flied out to right. Eisenreich flied out to left to end the inning.

Clark took strike three to start the top of the sixth but Burks grounded out to short. Brunansky doubled to left and Quintana grounded out to third to end the inning. Harris fell apart in the bottom of the sixth after he plunked Seitzer and Kevin had to leave the game. Bill Pecota pinch ran for him and Tartabull doubled Pecota home. Gibson whiffed but Cromartie singled home Tartabull to tie the game. A wild pitch moved Cromartie to second but Stillwell struck out swinging. Mayne was intentionally walked and Thurman popped up to second to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                             Nice going Harris

Pena flied out to center to begin the top of the seventh and Naehring grounded out to third. Boggs flied out to right to end the inning. Harris returned briefly in the bottom of the seventh where he allowed a leadoff triple to Shumpert. Sox manager Joe Morgan rolled the dice by bringing in Joe Hesketh to pitch to Eisenreich. Hesketh did his job by getting Eisenreich to ground back to him to keep Shumpert at third. Jeff Gray came in and Shumpert was picked off by Pena to erase the threat. Pecota walked but was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning.

The Sox blew their chance to retake the lead in the top of the eighth as Reed was plunked to start. Greenwell flied out to center and Clark popped up to short before going nuts in the dugout. Reed swiped second and took third when Mayne's throw went into center. Burks grounded out to second to end the inning. The wheels fell off in the bottom of the eighth when Tony Fossas took the mound. Tartabull took strike three but Gibson walked and stole second. Gibson moved to third on the fly ball by Cromartie and Stillwell was intentionally walked to get to Mayne. Royals manager John Wathan countered by pinch hitting Mike Macfarlane for Mayne. Sox manager Joe Morgan curiously countered with rookie Daryl Irvine to pitch to Macfarlane. The gamble backfired as Macfarlane doubled home both runners to give the Royals the lead. Terry Puhl pinch hit for Thurman and was intentionally walked. Brian McRae pinch hit for Puhl and Shumpert grounded into a force to end the inning with the Royals ahead 5-3.

                                                              Runs charged to Fossas

Jeff Montgomery came in to close out the top of the ninth and Brunansky doubled to center to start. Quintana grounded out to second and Pena grounded back to the mound before Mike Marshall pinch hit for Naehring. Marshall whiffed to end the game and the Royals had won it 5-3.

Jackass of the Night is Daryl Irvine. He served up the two run double to MacFarlane to put the Royals up for good.

                                                             Jackass Irvine

The Good:

Jody Reed was 1 for 3 with a stolen base and a hit by pitch.

Tom Brunansky was 3 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run homer.

Joe Hesketh retired the only man he faced.

Jeff Gray got the final two outs of the seventh inning,

The Bad:

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 4.

Jack Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carlos Quintana was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 2.

Mike Marshall struck out as a pinch hitter.

Tony Fossas took the loss by getting charged with 2 runs in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Tony Pena was just 1 for 4.

Greg Harris tossed 6 innings of 3 run ball, falling apart in the sixth.

Final Thoughts:

Not only did the Sox offense once again not show up tonight, apparently Jack Clark took out his frustrations out on a clubhouse toilet. He has been fined a thousand dollars for repairs and he probably attacked the toilet with more ferocity than he did the pitches in tonight's game. He's not alone though, nobody is hitting in the clutch and if Brunansky is gonna go on one of his hot streaks, somebody else needs to be on base when he hits it out. Harris pitched well and so did Gray, they were let down by Fossas and Irvine tonight. Its only April but Mike Boddicker is now 2-2 with a 2.03 ERA, meanwhile Danny Darwin is on the DL after getting lit up in 2 of his first 3 starts. Thanks a lot Lou Gorman, hopefully Darwin can come back healthy but this doesn't look good so far. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Royals when they send Tom Bolton (1-0) to the mound up against Kevin Appier of the Royals. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

Bolton, Sox Beat Royals (4/17/91)

The city of Boston got a double dose of good news as the Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadians in Game 1 of their second round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals in today's game. Tom Bolton (1-0, 1.46 ERA) tossed 7 solid innings, allowing just 2 runs to keep the Sox in the game. The offense once again provided a spark with Jack Clark and Mike Greenwell slugging home runs. Tom Brunansky also drove in two runs as the Sox enjoyed their second straight victory over the Royals 6-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Cam Neely approves of the win

The Royals struck first in the top of the first against Bolton as Gary Thurman singled to right to start. Kevin Seitzer forced Thurman at second then advanced to second on the George Brett grounder. A wild pitch moved Seitzer to third and he scored on the Danny Tartabull double to right. Kirk Gibson lined out to first to end the inning with the Royals ahead 1-0.

                                                 Jose Tartabull would be proud of his son

Storm Davis got the ball in the bottom of the first and Wade Boggs led off with a grounder to short. Jody Reed popped up to short and Mike Greenwell flied out to center to end the inning.

Russ Morman flied out to right to start the top of the second and Mike Macfarlane grounded out to short. Bill Pecota took strike three to end the inning. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the second as Jack Clark doubled to center to begin. Ellis Burks moved Clark to third with a grounder and Tom Brunansky scored Jack with a sac fly to tie the game. Mike Marshall lined out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Bruno ties it up

Shumpert lined out to center to start the top of the third and Thurman flied out to right. Seitzer grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Tony Pena singled blooped a single to right to start. Luis Rivera made his season debut by moving Pena to third with a base hit and Boggs scored Tony with a grounder to give the Sox the lead. Reed banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 2-1 Sox.

                                                               First game, first hit

The Royals answered in the top of the fourth as Brett grounded out to second to start. Tartabull singled to left and took second on a wild pitch. Gibson walked and Morman singled home Tartabull to tie the game. Macfarlane grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                  Tartabull scores a run

The Sox took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth as Greenwell walked to start. Clark then mashed his second home run of the season to give Boston the lead. Burks grounded out to short and Brunansky grounded out to third, but Marshall singled to right. Pena grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                                       Home run for Clark

Pecota popped up to second to start the top of the fifth and Shumpert grounded out to short. Thurman doubled to left and Seitzer grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth and Rivera grounded back to the mound to start. Boggs flied out to left and Reed grounded out to third to end the inning.

Brett grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth but Tartabull flied out to right. Gibson grounded out to first to end the inning. Greenwell singled to start the bottom of the sixth but Clark flied out to center. Burks singled to left but Brunansky popped up to short. Marshall grounded into a force to end the inning.

Bolton returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh and Morman lined out to center to start. Macfarlane doubled to left and moved to third on the grounder by Pecota. Shumpert flied out to center to end the inning. That was a great effort by Bolton to toss 7 innings of 2 run ball to keep the Sox in front.

                                                         Great effort by Bolton

Pena popped up to short to begin the bottom of the seventh and Rivera struck out swinging. Boggs grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jeff Gray came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Jim Eisenreich pinch hit for Thurman. Eisenreich lined out to center, Seitzer grounded out to short and Brett flied out to center to end the inning. Boston wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Reed grounded out to third to start. Greenwell then struck his first bomb of the year to increase the lead. Clark flied out to left but Burks walked to chase Davis. Luis Aquino came in to pitch and Burks moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on the Brunansky single off the Monster. Marshall singled to center but Pena grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                                         Home run Greenwell

Gray returned to close out the top of the ninth and Tartabull grounded out to short to start. Gibson whiffed but Kurt Stillwell pinch hit for Morman. Stillwell flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-2.

Hero of the Night is Tom Bolton. He tossed 7 innings of 2 run ball to earn the win. He allowed 6 hits and just one walk.

                                                                  Hero Tom

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 3 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Jack Clark was 2 for 4 with a two run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Ellis Burks was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Tom Brunansky was 1 for 3 with 2 total rbis.

Mike Marshall was 2 for 4.

Luis Rivera was 1 for 3.

Jeff Gray got the save with 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jody Reed was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Tony Pena was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Two straight games the Sox offense came to play and the Sox got a great effort for the third game in a row from their starter. Matt Young on Patriots Day, Danny Darwin yesterday and Tom Bolton today. Nobody expects Bolton to win 20 games but if he can be the air apparent to Bruce Hurst they've been missing for the last two years, that would be nice. As mentioned earlier, the offense is starting to pick up with two straight games of multiple home runs. If only they had this on Patriots Day but oh well. It was still a good win and hopefully the momentum carries them into tomorrow's game with the Kansas City Royals. Roget Clemens (2-0) goes for the Sox up against Bret Saberhagen of the Royals in what should be a pitching clinic. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Darwin, Sox Defeat Royals (4/16/91)

Now that's more like it, Danny Darwin (1-1, 7.71 ERA). After his disasterous debut against the Cleveland Indians, Darwin rebounded to beat the Kansas City Royals. Danny tossed 7 shutout innings before running out of gas in the eighth inning. Tony Fossas and Jeff Reardon saved the day for the Sox to preserve the win. The Sox got a trio of home runs from Wade Boggs, Mike Marshall and Tom Brunansky to pace the offense in this one. The Sox got back on the winning track with a 5-2 victory over the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                       Ingrid Pitt approves of the win

Darwin got the ball in the top of the first and Brian McRae grounded out to short to start. Kevin Seitzer grounded out to third but George Brett and Danny Tartabull stroked back to back singles to right. Kirk Gibson flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Royals starter Kevin Appier in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs flied out to right to start. Jody Reed lined out to right but Mike Greenwell singled into right. Mike Marshall hit a routine grounder to Kurt Stillwell who threw the ball away for an error. Ellis Burks singled home Greenwell to put the Sox on the board and Tom Brunansky singled home Marshall to increase the lead. Carlos Quintana lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Brunansky drives in a run

Jim Eisenreich flied out to left to start the top of the second and Mike Macfarlane flied out to right. Stillwell walked but Terry Shumpert took strike three to end the inning. Tony Pena singled to right to start the bottom of the second then moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Tim Naehring. Boggs walked but Reed lined out to center. Greenwell flied out to left to end the inning.

Darwin cruised in the top of the third as McRae popped up to third to start. Seitzer grounded out to second and Brett took strike three to end the inning. The Sox got a run in the bottom of the third although Marshall took strike three to start. Burks whiffed but Brunansky cracked his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Quintana flied out to center to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

                                                          Brunansky finally hits one out

Tartabull grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Gibson also grounded out to second. Eisenreich whiffed to end the inning. The Sox tagged Appier again in the bottom of the fourth although Pena grounded out to second to start. Naehring struck out swinging but Boggs hit his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Reed lined out to center to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-0.

                                                                   Home run Boggs

Macfarlane flied out to left to begin the top of the fifth and Stillwell took strike three. Shumpert flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Greenwell flied out to center to start. Marshall belted his first home run of the season to increase the lead but Burks went down hacking. Brunansky grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                        First bomb for Marshall

Darwin cruised in the top of the sixth as McRae lined out to right to begin. Seitzer grounded out to second and Brett lined out to left to end the inning. Tom Gordon took over for Appier in the bottom of the sixth and Quintana singled past second base to start. Pena flied out to right, Naehring took strike three and Boggs grounded into a force to end the inning.

Tartabull struck out swinging to open the top of the seventh and Gibson went down hacking as well. Eisenreich flied out to left to end the inning. Reed took strike three to start the bottom of the seventh and Greenwell grounded out to first. Marshall swung at air for strike three to end the inning.

Darwin ran out of gas in the top of the eighth as Macfarlane singled to left and Stillwell hit a home run all the way to Venus to cut the lead. Warren Cromartie pinch hit for Shumpert and lined out to left and McRae whiffed, but Seitzer singled to right to chase Darwin. He was much improved over his first start, tossing 7 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. Tony Fossas came in and got Brett to ground out to first to end the inning with the Royals down 5-2.

                                               Good effort from Darwin

Dave Howard took McRae's spot in the batting order with old friend Steve Crawford now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Burks grounded out to third, Brunansky flied out to left and Quintana took strike three to end the inning.

Jeff Reardon came in to close out the top of the ninth and Tartabull flied out to left to start. Gibson singled over the first base bag but Eisenreich lined out to left. Macfarlane struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

Hero of the Night is Danny Darwin. He tossed 7 2/3 innings of 2 run ball to lead the Sox to victory.

                                                                Hero Darwin

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk including a solo home run.

Tom Brunansky was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 total rbis.

Tony Pena was 1 for 3.

Tony Fossas retired the only man he faced.

Jeff Reardon earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jody Reed was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

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

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 4 but the hit was a home run and scored two total runs.

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Carlos Quintana was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

THIS is the Darwin the Sox were expecting when they signed him to replace Larry Andersen. He was great through 7 innings even if he did run out of gas in the eighth inning. The offense finally woke up with some desperately needed longballs. The Sox kept Marshall over Dwight Evans so its about time he does something to justify that. As a whole, only Ellis Burks is hitting above .275 but hopefully that changes as April goes on. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can go on a nice winning streak. The Sox are back in action tomorrow against the Royals with Tom Bolton making his first start of the season opposite Storm Davis of the Royals. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Blank Sox in 13 Innings on Patriots Day (4/15/91)

Well this was a waste of a Patriots Day. After the Boston Red Sox failed to score a run in 9 innings yesterday against the Cleveland Indians, today they topped it by failing to cross the plate in 13 futile innings. Charles Nagy tossed 8 1/3 scoreless innings for the Indians before the bullpen tossed the remaining 4 2/3. Matt Young pitched his ass off for the Sox, going 9 shutout innings while allowing just 2 hits and 6 walks. Jeff Gray and Joe Hesketh kept the Tribe off the board but it was Dennis Lamp (0-1, 4.50 ERA) that surrendered the go-ahead run in the top of the 13th inning. Doug Jones closed out the game in the bottom of the frame as the Sox have now gone 22 straight innings without scoring a run, losing this Patriots Day marathon 1-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                   "Is this team ever gonna score?" 

Young got the ball in the top of the first and Mike Huff struck out swinging to start. Felix Fermin grounded out to short and Mitch Webster grounded out to third to end the inning. Nagy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Wade Boggs grounded out to second to start. Jody Reed walked but Mike Greenwell banged into a double play to end the inning.

Albert Belle struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Brook Jacoby grounded out to short. Chris James and Jeff Manto drew back to back walks but Joel Skinner struck out swinging to end the inning. Jack Clark struck out swinging tos tart the bottom of the second and Ellis Burks popped up to second. Mike Marshall made his season debut by grounding out to short to end the inning.

Joel Escobar flied out to center to start the top of the third and Huff hit one up the elevator shaft. Fermin walked but Webster flied out to left to end the inning. Carlos Quintana got the Sox first hit of the game with a base hit to right but Tony Pena hit into a double play. Tim Naehring lined out to center to end the inning.

Belle grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth but Jacoby got the Indians first hit with a single to center. Jacoby moved to second on the James grounder and Manto grounded out to short to end the inning. Boggs singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Reed whiffed and Greenwell flied out to right to end the inning.

Skinner flied out to right to begin the top of the fifth and Escobar grounded out to second. Huff grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Clark walked to start. Burks doubled to left but Clark was foolishly thrown out at home on the grounder to third by Marshall. Quintana flied out to right and Pena grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

                                                           What the hell was that Jack?

Fermin walked to begin the top of the sixth and moved to second on the grounder to third by Webster. Belle flied out to left and Jacoby grounded out to first to end the inning. Naehring whiffed to start the bottom of the sixth and Boggs walked. Boggs was erased on the force by Reed and Greenwell popped up to second to end the inning.

James walked to open the top of the seventh but Manto lined out to center. James stole second on the Skinner strikeout but Escobar walked. Huff grounded out to short to end the inning. Clark whiffed to start the bottom of the second but Burks singled to center. Marshall banged into a double play to end the inning and Sox manager Joe Morgan had seen enough of Marshall.

Kevin Romine made his season debut by taking over in right to begin the top of the eighth and Fermin grounded out to first to start. Webster's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Pena and Belle grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the eighth as Quintana grounded out to third to start. Pena grounded out to second and Naehring grounded out to third to end the inning.

Young came back for one more inning in the top of the ninth as Jacoby grounded out to third to start. James flied out to center but Jeff Manto singled. Alex Cole pinch ran for Manto and Sandy Alomar pinch hit for Skinner, grounding into a force to end the inning. Matt Young had tossed a 9 inning shutout allowing 2 hits but walked 6.

                                                               Young throws 9 shutout innings

The Sox had their chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth with Carlos Baerga now at third when Boggs walked to start. Reed dropped down a bunt to get Wade to second and Greenwell was intentionally walked. Steve Olin came in to pitch to Clark and naturally Clark banged into a double play to end the inning.

Jeff Gray came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Jerry Browne pinch hit for Escobar, grounding out to short. Huff singled to right and stole second, but Webster lined out to right to end the inning. Ellis Burks struck out looking to start the bottom of the tenth and Romine whiffed. Quintana grounded out to short to end the inning.

Belle was plunked to start the top of the eleventh and took second on a wild pitch. Jacoby took strike three, James flied out to center and Baerga popped up to center to end the inning. Pena lined out to center to start the bottom of the eleventh and Naehring grounded out to second. Boggs flied out to left to end the inning.

Joe Hesketh came in to pitch the top of the 12th and Alomar grounded out to second to start. Browne dropped down a bunt single and Huff walked, but Fermin could only advance the runners with a grounder. Webster whiffed to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the 12th as Reed lined out to left to start. Greenwell flied out to center and Clark whiffed to end the inning.

Dennis Lamp came in for the top of the 13th and Belle flied out to right to start. All of a sudden Jacoby hit a home run all the way into the Charles River to give the Indians the lead. James flied out to center and Baerga grounded out to second to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

                                                        Jacoby puts Cleveland on top

Doug Jones came in for the bottom of the 13th and Burks grounded out to short to start. Tom Brunansky pinch hit for Romine and got a base hit to left. Quintana got a base hit to left to put the tying run at second but Pena could only advance the runners with a grounder. With no one else on the bench to pinch hit, Naehring popped up to second to end the game. The Indians had won it 1-0 in 13 innings.

Jackass of the Night is Dennis Lamp. He served up the home run to Jacoby in the 13th inning.

                                                       Jackass Lamp

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Ellis Burks was 2 for 5.

Tom Brunansky singled as a pinch hitter.

Carlos Quintana was 2 for 5.

Matt Young was outstanding, tossing 9 shutout innings while allowing 2 hits and 6 walks.

Jeff Gray tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Joe Hesketh pitched a scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Mike Marshall was 0 for 3.

Kevin Romine was 0 for 1.

Tony Pena was 0 for 5.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jody Reed was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 4 but walked.

Jack Clark was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox weren't a very good offensive team last year but they looked totally incompetent the last few days. They've been shut out in back to back games and things aren't working. The Sox haven't displayed any power or getting hits in the clutch. Its early in the season but that's a bad sign. Apart from Dennis Lamp, the pitching was wonderful. Young tossed 9 shutout innings which wins the game 9 times out of 10. Jeff Gray and Joe Hesketh did what they could so no sense blasting them. Its a shame the Sox couldn't win on Patriots Day but those are the breaks. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when the Kansas City Royals come to town. Danny Darwin (0-1) looks to rebound from his disaster of a debut when he takes on Kevin Appier of the Royals. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.