Sox Blank Orioles (8/15/82)

In one of the biggest wins of the season, the Boston Red Sox shut out the Baltimore Orioles to keep pace in the AL East race. Mike Torrez tossed 4 shutout innings before Bob Stanley (8-5, 2.98 ERA) tossed the final 5 innings to preserve the win. Offensively it was a combined effort with big hits from Dwight Evans and Glenn Hoffman among others. All in all it was a good 8-0 win on a Sunday at Fenway Park.

                                                           Kenickie approves of the win

Torrez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Al Bumbry led the game off with a lineout to short. Glenn Gulliver walked but Ken Singleton banged into a double play to end the inning. Scott McGregor got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy struck out to begin. Dwight Evans walked but Jim Rice grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Orioles beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning as Eddie Murray grounded out to first to start. John Lowenstein grounded out to first and Cal Ripken Jr grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez flied out to right to begin. Carney Lansford drew a walk but Dave Stapleton flied out to left. Reid Nichols grounded out to third to end the inning.

The O's did nothing in the top of the third inning as Jim Dwyer flied out to center to start. Joe Nolan grounded out to first before Rich Dauer lined a base hit to center. Bumbry grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the third as Gary Allenson grounded back to the mound to begin. Glenn Hoffman flied out to left before Remy popped up to short to end the inning.

Torrez got Gulliver to strike out looking to begin the top of the fourth before Singleton got a base hit to center. Murray banged into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Torrez who didn't allow a run in 4 innings of work.

                                                            Short and sweet for Torrez

McGregor cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Evans grounded back to the mound to start. Rice flied out to right and Perez looked at strike three to end the inning.

Bob Stanley got the call to pitch the top of the fifth and Lowenstein grounded back to the mound to start. Ripken Jr flied out to center and Dwyer struck out to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the fifth although Lansford struck out to start. Stapleton grounded out to second but Nichols beat out an infield single to short. Allenson drew a walk but Hoffman popped up to short to end the inning.

Nolan flied out to center to open the top of the sixth before Dauer grounded out to short. Bumbry beat out an infield single to second and Gulliver doubled to left. Rice gunned it to third and Lansford gunned it home with Bumbry on his way...OUT! Bumbry was out and the Sox were out of the inning. The Sox didn't cash in on the break as Remy's bunt attempt to third was snuffed out to start the bottom of the sixth. Evans grounded out to third and Rice flied out to right to end the inning.

Stanley cruised in the top of the seventh as Singleton grounded out to second to begin. Murray struck out and Lowenstein flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox finally got something going in the bottom of the seventh when Perez singled to start. Wade Boggs pinch ran for Perez and Lansford singled. Stapleton popped up to second but Nichols doubled home both runners to give the Sox the lead. For whatever reason Allenson was intentionally walked to get to Hoffman and Glenn made the O's pay by lashing a single to right. Lansford scored and the throw home got away. Nichols scored, Allenson went to third and Hoffman took second on the error. That was it for McGregor as Tim Stoddard came in only to foolishly intentionally walk Remy to load the bases for Evans. Dwight doubled home Allenson and Hoffman to ice the game. ANOTHER foolish intentional walk to Rice allowed Boggs to single home Remy. Mike Boddicker came in and Lansford greeting him with a base hit to score Evans. A base hit by Stapleton scored Boggs to wrap up the scoring. Nichols struck out and Allenson flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox batted around to put 8 runs up on the board and lead 8-0.

                                                     Nichols gets the rally started

Stanley dominated the top of the eighth inning as Ripken Jr grounded out to third to start. Dwyer singled but Nolan banged into a double play to end the inning. Hoffman singled to open the bottom of the eighth but both Remy and Evans struck out. Rice grounded into a force to end the inning.

Stanley returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth with Terry Crowley pinch hitting for Dauer. Crowley grounded out to second before Bumbry looked at strike three. Gulliver singled to center but Singleton grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox big 7th inning was enough to win going away 8-0.

Hero of The Night is Reid Nichols. He got the rally started in the bottom of the seventh with his 2 run double.

                                                      Hero Nichols



The Good:

Tony Perez was 1 for 3.

Wade Boggs singled, drove in a run and scored as a pinch hitter/runner

Carney Lansford was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Gary Allenson walked twice and scored in 4 plate appearances.

Glenn Hoffman was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Mike Torrez pitched 4 scoreless innings.

Bob Stanley got the win with 5 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

As time begins to run out, the Sox HAVE to go on a win streak if they want to keep pace with the Milwaukee Brewers and even the charging Orioles. At some point the starters are going to have to step up because Stanley, Luis Aponte and Mark Clear can't bail them out every single game. The offense stepped up to have a big inning but they're going to need more consistency if they want to make a run at the AL East crown. The Brewers and Orioles aren't going to go away so the Sox are going to have to make a stand now. The win improved the Sox to 63-52, 4.5 games behind the Brewers for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Birds tomorrow night when Chuck Rainey goes for the Sox up against Dennis Martinez at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Late Rally Falls Short Against Brewers (6/27/82)

Close but no cigar. The Boston Red Sox fell behind the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 going into the eighth inning of tonight's game but ultimately fell short. Starter Mike Torrez (4-4, 6.22 ERA) continued to falter by allowing 6 runs in 5 innings to put the Sox in the hole. The Sox fought back in the eighth inning but a crucial double play by Dave Stapleton led the way for the Brewers to recover. The Brewers inched closer to the Sox with their 7-5 win at Fenway Park.

                                             Ex president Ford is angry

Torrez got the ball in the top of the first and Paul Molitor grounded out to first to begin. Robin Yount struck out and Cecil Cooper popped up to short to end the inning. Bob McClure got the start for Milwaukee and Jerry Remy greeted him by watching strike three go by to start the bottom of the first. Dwight Evans and Jim Rice stroked back to back singles but Tony Perez popped up to second. Stapleton popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Torrez cruised in the top of the second inning as Ted Simmons and Ben Oglivie both grounded out to first. Gorman Thomas grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Glenn Hoffman struck out to start. Gary Allenson flied out to left before Wade Boggs grounded out to third to end the inning.

Roy Howell struck out to begin the top of the third inning before Ed Romero popped up to second. Charlie Moore hit a routine grounder to Hoffman who dove on top of it and swam on it for an error. More swiped second before Molitor flied out to left to end the inning. Reid Nichols flied out to left to open the bottom of the third before Remy grounded out to third. Evans struck out to end the inning.

The Brewers struck first in the bottom of the third as Yount and Cooper stroked back to back singles to start. Simmons singled in Yount and sent Cooper to third to give the Brewers the lead. Oglivie struck out but Thomas drove in Cooper with a sac fly. Howell doubled but Romero grounded out to third to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-0.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Rice flied out out to center to begin. Perez struck out and Stapleton grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Brewers struck again in the top of the fifth inning as Moore walked to start. Molitor popped up to second but Yount tripled home Moore. Cooper scored Yount with a sac fly and Simmons flied out to left to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-0.

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth as Hoffman walked to start. Allenson lined out to short but Boggs singled to center. Nichols hit one up the elevator shaft but Remy singled in Hoffman to put the Sox on the board. Evans struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                      Remy drives in a run

Torrez returned for the top of the sixth but was immediately chased. Oglivie smashed a 400,000 foot bomb and Thomas responded with a 90,000 foot home run to go back to back. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough and pulled Torrez after allowing 6 runs in 5 plus innings. He's been terrible this year.

                                                             Torrez stinks again

Tom Burgmeier came in and Howell grounded back to the mound before Romero grounded out to short. Moore popped up to Burgmeier to end the inning. The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Rice flied out to center to start. Perez flied out to left and Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Burgmeier got the Brewers to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh inning. Molitor and Yount both grounded out to third before Cooper grounded out to first to end the inning. McClure cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Hoffman struck out to begin. Allenson grounded out to short and Boggs popped up to third to end the inning.

The Brewers got a key insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. Simmons flied out to left and Oglivie flied out to center but Thomas belted his second home run of the game. Howell flied out to left to end the inning but it was 7-1 Brewers.

Somehow the Sox exploded in the bottom of the eighth. Nichols singled to start before Remy walked. Evans singled Nichols in and sent Remy to third. Rice doubled home Remy and Perez singled Evans home and sent Rice to third to chase McClure from the game. The tying run came to the plate but Dwight Benard got Stapleton to bang into a double play. Rice scored but there were two outs, the bases empty and the Sox were still down 2. Hoffman grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 7-5 Brewers.

                                                             Thanks a lot Dave

Burgmeier returned for the top of the ninth and Romero looked at strike three to start. Moore singled to right but Molitor grounded out to third. Yount beat out an infield single to third before Cooper struck out to end the inning. Rick Miller pinch hit for Allenson and looked at strike three to begin. Boggs grounded out to short and Carl Yastrzemski pinch hit for Nichols only to strike out to end the game. The Brewers had won 3 in a row against the Sox and this game 7-5.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Torrez. He got lit up for 6 runs in just 5 innings to take the loss.

                                                             Jackass Torrez


The Good:

Jerry Remy was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

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

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Reid Nichols was 1 for 3 with a walk.



The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3.

Rick Miller struck out as a pinch hitter.

Carl Yastrzemski struck out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with an error but walked and scored.

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4.

Tom Burgmeier allowed a run in 4 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Looks like the Brew Crew are for real. They just took 3 games in a row from the Sox and are looking for the sweep tomorrow. The Sox lead in the AL East has dwindled and their lack of a third starter is killing them. Their offense isn't good enough like Milwaukee's to bop their way back into games started by Mike Torrez or whoever else isn't Dennis Eckersley. The bullpen can't bail them out EVERY game. The Sox need to do something about Torrez because he's just getting hammered. The loss dropped the Sox to 42-28, 2 games ahead of the Brewers for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to avoid a sweep when they send Chuck Rainey to the mound up against Pete Vuckovich at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Rally Past Indians (6/12/82)

The red hot Boston Red Sox have now won 7 out of 8 games including today's game against the Cleveland Indians. Toby Harrah took Mike Torrez deep before most fans could even get into the park but Carl Yastrzemski answered in the bottom of the first with an rbi. Dave Stapleton took Cleveland starter John Denny deep and Dwight Evans added an rbi single in the fourth. An Indians rally tied the game in the fifth and sent Torrez to the showers. Bob Stanley (5-1, 2.69 ERA) took over from there and allowed just one blemish, a ninth inning home run by Andre Thornton. Meanwhile the Sox rallied in the 7th with rbi singles by Yaz and Carney Lansford to put the Sox on top. Stanley slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox had won the game 6-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Cyrinda Foxe approves of the win

Torrez got tagged immediately in the top of the first as Mike Hargrove flied out to center to start. Toby Harrah then hit a home run all the way to Laos to put Cleveland on top. Von Hayes struck out swinging but Andre Thornton doubled to left. Ron Hassey and Rick Manning both walked to load the bases but Miguel Dilone forced Manning at second to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

                                                               Indians struck first

The Sox answered in the bottom of the first as Jerry Remy singled in the hole at short to start. Dwight Evans grounded out to short to move Remy to second and a wild pitch put Jerry at third. Jim Rice walked and Carl Yastrzemski got a base hit to right to score Remy. Carney Lansford struck out swinging and Rice was thrown out at third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Yaz ties it up

Jack Perconte took strike three to start the top of the second but Mike Fischlin walked. Hargrove grounded out to first and Harrah grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the second as Dave Stapleton struck his sixth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Rich Gedman lined out to left but Glenn Hoffman beat out a roller to short. Rick Miller took strike three but Remy grounded out to second to end the inning with Boston up 2-1.

                                                               Home run Stapleton

Hayes got a base hit to left to start the top of the third but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Thornton walked but Hassey flied out to left. Manning got a base hit to center and Dilone flied out to center to end the inning. Evans flied out to left to start the bottom of the third but Rice walked. Yaz walked but Lansford struck out swinging. Stapleton walked to load the bases but Gedman struck out swinging to end the inning.

Perconte grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Fischlin struck out swinging. Hargrove flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Hoffman walked to start. Miller dropped down a bunt to move Rick to second but Remy grounded out to second. Evans singled to center to score Rick with another run but Rice struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston up 3-1.

                                                                  Big RBI by Evans

The Indians finished off Torrez in the top of the fifth as Harrah caught Mike asleep with a bunt single to start. Hayes walked but Thornton flied out to right. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Hassey got a base hit to center to score both. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough of Torrez after 4 1/3 innings and 3 runs allowed. Bob Stanley walked Manning but Dilone forced him at second. Perconte forced Dilone to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Not Mike's best stuff

Yaz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Lansford beat out a roller past the mound. Lansford stole second and Stapleton got a base hit to left to move Carney to third. Gedman grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Fischlin struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth and Hargrove grounded out to third. Harrah got a base hit to left and Hayes grounded out to second to end the inning. Hoffman grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth and Miller walked. Remy forced Miller at second but was thrown out at second to end the inning.

Thornton flied out to left to start the top of the seventh and Hassey grounded out to third. Manning walked and stole second, but Dilone grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Evans got a base hit to right to start. Rice got a base hit to center and Reid Nichols ran for Jim. Yaz got a base hit to left to score Evans and Nichols moved to third on the play. Lansford doubled to left to score both runners to ice the game. Stapleton grounded out to third to chase Denny. Ed Glynn came in to freeze Gedman for strike three and Hoffman as well to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                          Lansford with the kill shot

Perconte took strike three to start the top of the eighth but Fischlin walked. Hargrove walked and Harrah got a base hit to left to load the bases. Hayes grounded into a double play to end the inning. Miller got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Remy took strike three. Evans also was frozen for strike three but Miller swiped second. Nichols walked but Yaz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Stanley came back to close out the top of the ninth but Thornton greeted him with a home run to Mexico to start. Hassey and Manning both grounded out to second and it looked like Dilone had completed the trifecta...but Stapleton dropped the ball for an error. Kirk Pagel pinch hit for Perconte and walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Rod Craig pinch hit for Fischlin and he grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-4.

Hero of The Night is Carl Yastrzemski. He drove in the first run and then drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh.

                                                                Yastrzemski is the Hero

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jim Rice was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Reid Nichols walked and scored.

Carney Lansford was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a stolen base.

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a walk and a stolen base.

Bob Stanley got the win by tossing 4 2/3 innings of 1 run ball off 3 hits and 5 walks.

The Bad:

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Torrez allowed 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings off 6 hits and 5 walks.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox walked 10 men in this one but got double plays and outs when they had to. The offense did well as well with the role players such as Miller and Stapleton stepping it up as well as the stars Lansford and Yaz. Still, its becoming a theme this season of the starter faltering and the bullpen bailing them out. That's not sustainable so the Sox might have to make a trade or look to Pawtucket to help out the starting pitching. Torrez lasting only 4 1/3 innings isn't going to cut it moving forward. Hopefully he and Dennis Eckersley can get out of their current funks because the Sox are on the cusp of first place with a team that might be good enough this season. The win improved the Sox to 37-20, percentage points behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to New York for a three game set with the AL Champion Yankees. Ron Guidry goes for the Yankees against Dennis Eckersley (6-4) of the Red Sox. The game begins at 8:30 PM tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium.

Torrez, Sox Down Rangers (4/30/82)

The Boston Red Sox are rolling right now. They've won 9 out of 10 and 11 out of 13 games including tonight's game. Mike Torrez (2-1, 3.33 ERA) turned back the clock 5 years to pitch arguably one of his best games in a Red Sox uniform. Mike held the Texas Rangers to just 1 run as he tossed a complete game four hitter. The offense was once again a balanced attack with all nine men in the lineup reaching base at least once. Dave Stapleton and Rich Gedman both had three hits while the whole team had 8 walks. The Sox scored 7 runs in all different ways as Torrez mastered the Rangers. The Sox completed their month with a 7-1 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park.

                                                   Corporal Chesty approves of the win

Torrez got the ball in the top of the first inning and George Wright hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Lee Mazzilli doubled to right and Buddy Bell was hit with a pitch, but Lamar Johnson grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Rangers starter Charlie Hough in the bottom of the first inning as Jerry Remy singled to left to start. Remy stole second and Evans walked before Remy moved to third on the fly out to right by Jim Rice. Carl Yastrzemski ripped a base hit to right to score Remy to put the Sox on top. A wild pitch moved Yaz to second and Glenn Hoffman was intentionally walked to load the bases. The gamble worked as Dave Stapleton struck out swinging and Rick Miller popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                Yaz drives in a run

Jim Sundberg grounded out to third to begin the top of the second but Johnny Grubb walked. Larry Parrish popped up to second and Mark Wagner grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Rich Gedman pounded a ground rule double to right to start. Wade Boggs hit a routine grounder to Lamar Johnson who threw the ball away allowing Gedman to score. Johnson then booted a grounder by Remy for another error but Evans banged into a double play. Rice flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                Gedman scores a run

Doug Flynn singled to center to start the top of the third and moved to second when Wright grounded out to second. Flynn moved to third on the grounder to second by Mazzilli and Bell walked. Bell stole second but Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning. Yaz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Hoffman flied out to left. Stapleton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Sundberg singled to center to open the top of the fourth but Grubb hit into a double play. Parrish grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fourth as Miller and Gedman stroked back to back singled to left to begin. Boggs doubled to right and Parrish booted the ball for an error to clear the bases. Boggs moved to third on the error and he scored on the sac fly to left by Remy to increase the lead. Evans struck out swinging but Rice and Yaz both walked to chase Hough, Dave Schmidt got Hoffman to pop up to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-0.

                                                                  Boggs drives in a pair

Wagner walked to start the top of the fifth but Flynn forced him at second. Wright hit into a double play to end the inning. Stapleton singled to right to open the bottom of the fifth but Miller flied out to center. Gedman singled to right to move Stapleton to third but Evans flied out to left. Remy forced Gedman at second to end the inning.

The Rangers struck back in the top of the sixth as Mazzilli walked to start. Bell forced Lee at second and Johnson forced Bell at second as well. Sundberg walked and Grubb singled to right to score Mazzilli. Parrish forced Grubb at second to end the inning with Texas down 5-1.

                                                       Grubb drives in a run

The Sox answered right back in the bottom of the sixth as Evans took strike three to start. Rice walked but Yaz flied out to left. Hoffman singled to center and Stapleton scored Rice with a base hit to center to increase the lead. That was it for Schmidt as Paul Mirabella came in to get Miller to ground into a force at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                           Stapleton drives in a run

Wagner grounded back to the mound to start the top of the seventh inning before Flynn lined out to third. Wright lined out to left to end the inning. Boston wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Gedman grounded out to short to begin. Boggs walked and Remy was hit with a pitch, but Evans flied out to center. Rice lined a base hit to left to score Boggs and Yaz walked. Hoffman flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                              Rice drives in a run

Torrez returned for the top of the eighth and Mazzilli flied out to left to begin. Bell struck out looking and Johnson grounded out to short to end the inning. Stapleton singled to left to start the bottom of the eighth before Miller took strike three. Gedman flied out to center but Boggs drew a walk. Remy forced Wade at second to end the inning.

Torrez came back to complete his work in the top of the ninth and Sundberg popped up to second to start. Grubb walked but Parrish flied out to center. Wargner grounded out to third to end the game. Torrez went the distance and the Red Sox had defeated the Rangers 7-1.

Hero of the Night is Mike Torrez. He tossed a complete game 4 hitter allowing just one run to earn the win.

                                                                Hero Torrez

The Good:

Jim Rice was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Dave Stapleton was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Rich Gedman was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4 but stole a base, was hit with a pitch, drove in a run and scored a run.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Now that's the way to end the month. The Sox have ripped off 11 of 13 wins to vault them into first place in the AL East. After they missed the playoffs by an eyelash last season, maybe a full season with this roster will be enough to guide them to their first division title in 7 years. The only drawback to the month was the injury to Carney Lansford but if Wade Boggs can fill in for him consistently, the Sox may have a deadly lineup when Lansford comes back. The bullpen has been their strength but if guys like Torrez and Dennis Eckersley can turn in seasons like they had in 1978, this could be a fun season for the Red Sox. The win improved the Sox to 13-7,  0.5 games in front of the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Rangers with Bob Ojeda getting the start for Boston against Rick Honeycutt of the Rangers. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Jays (4/24/82)

That was a little too close for comfort for the Boston Red Sox. The Sox took leads of 6-0 and 8-3 but nearly blew the game against the scrappy Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox offense came alive to pound Blue Jays pitching for 10 hits and 8 runs but still had to hold on to survive against them. Mike Torrez (1-1, 4.50 ERA) earned the win although he was knocked out in the sixth inning. Bob Stanley and Tom Burgmeier failed to hold the Jays down and it took Luis Aponte to save the day in the ninth inning. Carl Yastrzemski hit a three run homer in the fifth inning to pace the offense as the Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays 8-7 at Exhibition Stadium.

                                                    The Midnight Rider approves of the win

Dave Stieb got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy grounded out to first to start. Dwight Evans walked but Jim Rice struck out swinging. Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second to end the inning. Torrez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Damaso Garcia grounded out to second to start. Rance Mulliniks grounded out to second and Lloyd Moseby took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Carney Lansford walked to start. Dave Stapleton struck out swinging and Glenn Hoffman took strike three, but Carney stole second base. Rick Miller lashed a base hit to right to score Lansford to put Boston on top. Gary Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Miller drives in a run.

Al Woods singled to right to start the bottom of the second but Hosken Powell banged into a double play. John Mayberry struck out swinging to end the inning.

Remy flied out to left to start the top of the third but Evans struck out swinging. Rice grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ernie Whitt flied out to center to open the bottom of the third before Wayne Nordhagen grounded out to short. Alfredo Griffin popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Yaz struck out swinging to start. Lansford watched strike three go by and Stapleton popped up to short to end the inning. Garcia singled to center to open the bottom of the second but Mulliniks grounded into a double play. Moseby grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the fifth as Hoffman singled to center to begin. Miller singled to right and Allenson doubled to left to score Hoffman. Remy also doubled to left to score Miller but Evans grounded out to short. Rice hit a ground ball to third and Allenson was thrown out at home but Yaz capped the rally with a three run blast to increase the lead. That was it for Stieb as Dale Murray came in to pitch to Lansford and Carney grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                               Yaz with a bomb

Torrez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Woods flied out to left to start. Powell grounded out to short and Mayberry grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth inning as Stapleton grounded out to short to start. Hoffman grounded out to third and Miller also grounded out to short to end the inning. All of a sudden Torrez lost it in the bottom of the sixth although Whitt grounded out to first to start. Nordhagen and Griffin drew back to back walks then scored on the double to right by Garcia. Mulliniks singled to center to score Nordhagen and chase Torrez. Mike cruised through five but allowed 3 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. Bob Stanley came in to pitch and Moseby lined out to Remy but Woods singled to center. Powell struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays down 6-3.

                                                              Not great but it'll do

Allenson popped up to short to start the top of the seventh and Remy grounded out to first. Evans ripped a base hit to left but Rice lined out to short to end the inning. Mayberry grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the seventh and Whitt flied out to left. Nordhagen took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox poured it on in the top of the eighth as Yaz singled to start. Lansford was plunked and Stapleton dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners over. Hoffman delivered with a base hit to center to score both runners but was forced at second on a grounder by Miller. Miller was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox now ahead 8-3.

                                                              Hoffman drives in a pair

The Jays exploded in the bottom of the eighth as Griffin beat out a roller to third to start. Stanley threw a pickoff throw over the CATCHER'S head for an error but Garcia walked. Mulliniks walked to load the bases and that was it for Stanley. Sox manager Ralph Houk brought in Tom Burgmeier to face Moseby but Jays manager Bobby Cox pinch hit Jesse Barfield for Lloyd. Barfield ended up pulverizing a grand slam all the way to Newfoundland to cut the lead. Woods struck out swinging and Bobby Bonnell pinch hit for Powell only to pop up to Burgmeier. Mayberry popped up to short to end the inning with the Jays down 8-7.

                                                     Grand slam Barfield

Roy Lee Jackson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Allenson struck out swinging to start. Remy beat out a roller to first but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Evans grounded out to short to end the inning. Luis Aponte came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Garth Iorg pinch hit for Whitt to start. Iorg struck out swinging but Nordhagen singled to right. Tony Johnson pinch ran for Nordhagen and Otto Velez pinch hit for Griffin only to take strike three. Garcia struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 8-7.

Hero of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. His two run single in the eighth ended up being the difference in the game.

                                                                  Hero Hoffman

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carney Lansford walked, was hit with a pitch, stole a base and scored two runs.

Rick Miller was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Luis Aponte earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bob Stanley was charged with 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Tom Burgmeier allowed a grand slam in one full inning.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Garry Allenson was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Mike Torrez got the win but allowed 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox are on a winning streak. They finally got some clutch hits but now the pitching faltered. They can't win every game ten to nothing but once in a while would be nice. Torrez falling apart in the sixth inning and the Barfield grand slam were the only hiccups in the game. Torrez cruised through the first five innings and Aponte slammed the door in the ninth. Kudos to Yaz and Hoffman for leading the charge on offense and a steal by Lansford plus a sacrifice bunt by Stapleton paid dividends in the end. Its better to be on a win streak than a losing streak so not much to complain about apart from the shoddy pitching. The Sox look to make it five wins in a row tomorrow afternoon against the Blue Jays. Bob Ojeda gets the start for the Red Sox against Luis Leal of the Jays at 1:35 PM at Exhibition Stadium.

Sox Walkoff Jays (4/18/82)

The bad news was the Quebec Nordiques defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their second round NHL playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox walked off the Toronto Blue Jays to win their second straight game. For seven innings the Jays enjoyed a 3-2 lead over the Sox after a good start from Mike Torrez. Jim Clancy held the Sox to two runs but Carney Lansford drove in the tying run in the bottom of the eighth against Roy Lee Jackson. In the bottom of the ninth, Glenn Hoffman led off with a triple and scored on a wild pitch to end the game. The Sox had walked off the Jays 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Walk off wild pitch!

Torrez got the ball in the top of the first and Damaso Garcia grounded out to first to start. Rance Muliniks grounded out to second but Lloyd Moseby singled to left. Moseby was thrown out trying to steal second by the alert Rich Gedman to end the inning. Clancy got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jerry Remy grounded out to short to start. Dwight Evans walked but both Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to right to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the second as Willie Upshaw singled to center to start. A wild pitch moved Upshaw to second and he moved to third on the grounder to second by Wayne Nordhagen. Hosken Powell hit a sac fly to left to score Upshaw with the game's first run. Ernie Whitt walked and Jesse Barfield singled to center to move Ernie to third. Alfredo Griffin grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                                  Powell puts the Jays up

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Carney Lansford flied out to right to start. Dave Stapleton grounded back to the mound but Glenn Hoffman reached onna swinging bunt to Clancy. Rich Gedman forced Hoffman at second to end the inning.

Garcia singled to center to start the top of the second but was thrown out trying to steal second. Mulliniks grounded out to first and Moseby grounded out to second to end the inning. Rick Miller grounded out to first to star5 the bottom of the third before Remy flied out to center. Evans grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the fourth as Upshaw grounded out to second to start. Nordhagen grounded out to third but Powell singled to center. Powell swiped second and scored on the base hit to center by Whitt to increase the lead. Barfield flied out to left to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                                                               Whitt drives in a run

The Sox got one back in the bottom of the fourth although Rice flied out to right to start. Yaz crushed his third home run of the season to cut the lead but Lansford struck out swinging. Stapleton popped up to first to end the inning with Boston down 2-1.

                                                                  Yaz hits one out 

Griffin walked to start the top of the fifth but Garcia forced Jim at second. Mulliniks struck out swinging and Moseby flied out to center to end the inning. Hoffman flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Gedman popped up to short. Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Torrez struck out Upshaw swinging to open the top of the sixth and Nordhagen grounded out to short. Powell also grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Remy grounded out to first to start. Evans flied out to center but Rice singled to left. Yaz walked and Lansford ripped a base hit to left. Rice scored but Yaz was thrown out trying to advance to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                     Lansford drives in a run

Torrez returned for the top of the seventh and got Whitt to fly out to right to start. Barfield doubled to left and Griffin doubled him home to put the Jays back on top. That was it for Torrez who allowed 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Luis Aponte came in to pitch and Garcia hit one up the elevator shaft. Mulluniks flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 3-2.

                                                          Torrez knocked out in the seventh

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh as Stapleton grounded out to second to start. Hoffman flied out to center but Gedman ripped a base hit to center. Miller grounded out to third to end the inning.

Aponte returned for the top of the eighth and Moseby grounded back to the mound to begin. Upshaw walked but was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Gedman. Nordhagen struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox mounted a comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning although Remy grounded out to third to start. Evans walked but Rice struck out swinging. Yaz singled to left to move Evans to third to chase Clancy. Roy Lee Jackson came in to pitch to Lansford and Reid Nichols came in to run for Yaz. Lansford ripped a base hit to center to score Evans to tie the game although Stapleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox had tied the game 3-3.

                                                            Evans scores the tying run

Aponte got Powell to ground out to second to start the top of the ninth before Whitt popped up to second. Barfield grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Hoffman lit up the crowd by tripling into the right field corner to begin the bottom of the ninth. Jerry Garvin was brought in to face the lefty hitting Gedman but Sox manager Ralph Houk countered by bringing in Tony Perez to pinch hit for Rich. Perez was intentionally walked to get to Miller and Julio Valdez was brought in to run for Tony. Turns out Garvin just bounced a pitch to the backstop and Hoffman scored to win the game. The Sox had walked off the Jays with a 4-3 victory.

Hero of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. His triple and heads up mad dash to home won the game for the Sox.

                                                       Hoffman The Hero

The Good:

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

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 fir 3 with a walk and a home run.

Carney Lansford was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3.

Tony Perez walked as a pinch hitter.

Mike Torrez allowed 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings of work.

Luis Aponte got the win with 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Julio Valdez pinch ran for Tony Perez in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Funny how things go. The Sox could get almost nothing going offensively the while game but tie it in the eighth and win it in the ninth. Torrez pitched relatively decent but he gave up one hit too many. Aponte was lights out when he was in the game, hopefully he and Mark Clear can be their shut down guys to get to Bob Stanley as the season moves forward. Hoffman has been directly involved in two straight wins so its good to see him step up as well with the offense struggling. All in all it was a good win and the Sox look for the series win tomorrow morning in their special Patriots Day game. Toronto sends Dave Stieb to the mound up against Chuck Rainey of the Red Sox. The game begins at 11:05 AM at Fenway Park.

White Sox Hold Off Red Sox (4/12/82)

It was a tough day at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox. The Chicago White Sox broke a 0-0 pitcher's duel with a 2 run top of the sixth inning off Boston starter Mike Torrez (0-1, 4.26 ERA). The BoSox tried to fight back with a Carl Yastrzemski home run in the bottom of the sixth but the ChiSox answered with a big insurance run in the top of the seventh. The BoSox rallied in the bottom of the ninth off Lamar Hoyt and had the tying run at third base.....only for Tony Perez to ground out to end the game. It was a tough game to lose but Chicago came away with the hard fought victory 3-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                  "DAMMIT PEREZ!!!"

Torrez took the mound in the top of the first inning and Ron LeFlore flied out to right to start the game. Tony Bernazard flied out to left but Steve Kemp singled to center. Greg Luzinski flied out to center to end the inning. Richard Dotson got the start for Chicago and Jerry Remy led off the bottom of the first with a flyout to center. Dwight Evans grounded out to second but Jim Rice singled to center. Carl Yastrzemski took strike three to end the inning.

Tom Paciorek singled to center to start the top of the second before Harold Baines walked to put the pressure on. Old buddy Carlton Fisk flied out to right and Jim Morrison popped up to second, but Bill Almon walked to load the bases. LeFlore flied out to right to end the inning. Carney Lansford reached on an error by Almon to begin the bottom of the second but Dave Stapleton banged into a double play. Glenn Hoffman reached on an error by Morrison but Rich Gedman took strike three to end the inning.

Bernazard flied out to center to begin the top of the third but Kemp grounded back to the mound. Luzinski grounded out to third to end the inning. Rick Miller drew a walk to start the bottom of the third and took second on the sacrifice bunt by Remy. Both Evans and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.

Paciorek walked to start the top of the fourth but the BoSox committed a strike em out, throw em out double play when Baines whiffed and Tom got caught stealing second. Fisk singled to right but Morrison popped up to short to end the inning. The BoSox tried to rally in the bottom of the fourth when Yaz dropped a base hit to right to start. Lansford flied out to right but Stapleton singled to center to move Yaz to third. Unfortunately Hoffman banged into a double play to end the inning.

Torrez cruised in the top of the fifth as Almon flied out to left to start. LeFlore struck out swinging and Bernazard grounded out to first to end the inning. The BoSox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Gedman hit a gap shot to right but was foolishly thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Miller grounded out to short which would have advanced Rich and Remy grounded out to short to end the inning.

The ChiSox struck first in the top of the sixth as Kemp doubled to left to start. Kemp moved to third on the fly out to center by Luzinski and Paciorek singled up the middle to score him to give Chicago the lead. Baines struck out swinging but Fisk smashed a double off the Monster to score Paciorek and Carlton took third on the throw. Morrison struck out swinging to end the inning but the ChiSox led 2-0.

                                                            Who else but Fisk?

The BoSox did try to fight back in the bottom of the sixth as Evans struck out swinging to start. Rice took strike three but Yaz belted his second home run of the season to cut the lead. Lansford walked and stole second but Stapleton struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston down 2-1.

                                                               Yaz gets a run back

The White Sox finished off Torrez in the top of the seventh as Almon beat out an infield single to third to start. LeFlore forced Almon at second but stole second and scored on the double to center by Bernazard. That was it for Torrez who pitched relatively well but ran out of gas, allowing 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Mark Clear came in for his season debut and struck out Kemp swinging before Luzinski was rung up for strike three to end the inning with Chicago ahead 3-1.

                                                     Good, but not good enough for Torrez

Lamar Hoyt came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hoffman singled to left to begin. Gedman and Miller both flied out to left before Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Clear struck out Paciorek swinging to open the top of the eighth before Baines also went down hacking. Fisk was plunked but Morrison flied out to center to end the inning. The BoSox failed to come back in the bottom of the eighth with Mike Squires now playing first. Evans singled to center but Rice banged into a double play. Yaz drew a walk but Lansford struck out swinging to end the inning.

Clear ran into trouble in the top of the ninth as Almon singled to center to start. Almon stole second and moved to third when Gedman threw the ball a mile over the head of Hoffman for an error. Somehow Cleark got LeFlore looking and Bernazard grounded out to third. Kemp walked and Luzinski was plunked to load the bases but Squires flied out to center to end the inning. The BoSox rallied in the bottom of the ninth although Stapleton flied out to right to start. Hoffman hit a little roller to short and Morrison threw the ball away to move Glenn to second. Gedman pounded a double off the Monster to score Hoffman and chase Hoyt from the game. Kevin Hickey came in to close out the game....and Miller took strike three. Salome Barojas came in to pitch to Remy but Red Sox manager Ralph Houk countered by bringing in Tony Perez to pitch hit for Jerry and Reid Nichols to run for Gedman. A Wild pitch moved Nichols to third but Perez grounded out to short to end the game. Chicago had held on to win 3-2.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but it has to be Mike Torrez. The hardest thing in the world is to come off the bench ice cold and pinch hit so it would be unfair to name Perez. Torrez took the loss when he was an out away from retiring Fisk only to give up the go-ahead run.

                                                                   Jackass by default

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Mark Clear tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3.

Tony Perez grounded out to end the game.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and stole a base.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols pinch ran in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Tough loss and the BoSox just couldn't get the clutch hit when it counted. Gedman getting thrown out at third, the double plays and the failure to get Nichols home in the ninth all added up to the loss. Torrez didn't even pitch that bad its just the Red Sox couldn't generate any offense. The Sox starting rotation isn't scary at all so they can't afford to waste quality starts from Torrez and the others when they actually pull one out. Fisk once again sticks it to his old team by putting Chicago ahead almost a year after his opening day three run home run. Its just one loss but as we found out at the end of last year, every loss adds up by the end. The Red Sox look to bounce back Wednesday afternoon in the second game of this set when Chuck Rainey gets the ball opposite Steve Trout of Chicago. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.