Brewers Defeat Sox on Opening Day (4/6/87)

After the horrendous end of the 1986 season for the Boston Red Sox, the bitter feelings and lousy vibe followed them into the 1987 season. Roger Clemens wasn't ready for primetime so Bob Stanley (0-1, 5.79 ERA) was asked to start Opening Day against Teddy Higuera of the Milwaukee Brewers. It went as well as expected with the Brewers clobbering Stanley for 3 runs and knocking him out in the fifth inning. Steve Crawford got tagged for another two runs as the Brewers had no problems getting on base. Meanwhile Higuera tossed 7 shutout innings and the Sox offense never got anything going. The Sox got a lucky run in the top of the ninth but that was it as the Brewers took Opening Day 5-1 at County Stadium.

                                                      Not the best way to start the season

Higuera got the ball in the top of the first and Wade Boggs dropped a base hit to right to start. Marty Barrett popped up to second, Bill Buckner popped up to third in foul territory and Jim Rice was rung up for strike three to end the inning. The Brewers got to Stanley instantly in the bottom of the first as Paul Molitor tripled to right and Robin Yount lined a base hit to center to put Milwaukee up for good 2 batters into the game. Glen Braggs banged into a double play but Greg Brock walked. Billy Jo Robidoux grounded out to second to end the inning with Milwaukee ahead 1-0.

                                                       Brewers take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second as Don Baylor popped up to first to start. Dwight Evans doubled into the left field gap but Dave Henderson hit one up the elevator shaft. Marc Sullivan took strike three to end the inning. The Brewers threatened in the bottom of the second as Rob Deer beat out an infield single back to Stanley to start. Bill Schroeder banged into a double play but Jim Gantner singled to left. Dale Sveum singled Gantner to third but Molitor grounded out to short to end the inning.

Spike Owen led off the top of the third with a grounder to short before Boggs also grounded out to short. Barrett grounded out to third to end the inning. Stanley matched Higuera in the bottom of the third as Yount flied out to left to start. Braggs grounded out to second and Brock also grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Buckner dropped a base hit to center to start. Rice doubled into the right field corner but the slow footed Buckner was thrown out at home. Baylor walked but Evans flied out to center. Henderson grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                      Yerrrrrrr out!

Stanley cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Robidoux lined out to Owen to start. Deer flied out to right and Schroeder grounded out to short to end the inning.

Sullivan tried to start a rally with a seeing eye single to left to start the top of the fifth. Owen then bunted too hard to first and it turned into a double play. Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning. Stanley ran out of gas in the bottom of the fifth as Gantner singled to left to start. Sveum advanced Gantner to second with a grounder to Barrett and Molitor popped up to right. Yount doubled home Gantner and Braggs singled past Owen to score Yount. Brock singled off the glove of Buckner to put runners at the corners and that was it for Stanley. He battled for 4 innings but ran out of gas in the fifth, allowing 3 runs. Steve Crawford came in and got Robidoux to ground into a force to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 3-0.

                             "He's done, Skip" - Sullivan   "Who asked you?" - Stanley

Higuera cruised in the top of the sixth as Barrett grounded out to short to start. Buckner popped up to third and Rice struck out swinging to end the inning. The Brewers iced it in the bottom of the sixth although Deer took strike three to start. Schroeder doubled to the left field wall and Gantner singled up the middle to score him. Sveum struck out swinging but Molitor doubled to right to score Gantner. Yount struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 5-1.

                                                        Molitor doubles in a run

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Baylor flied out to the left field warning track to start. Evans singled to center and Henderson walked before both runners moved over on the Sullivan grounder to first. Owen grounded out to short to end the inning. Crawford got Braggs to ground out to third to start the bottom of the seventh and Brock struck out swinging. Robidoux struck out swinging to end the inning.

Old buddy Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Rick Manning in left and Juan Castillo at second. Boggs grounded out to first, Barrett lined out to Clear and Buckner grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Crawford returned for the bottom of the eighth and Deer struck out swinging to start. Schroeder lined out to center and Manning lined out to second to end the inning.

Dan Plesac came in for the top of the ninth and the Sox finally rallied. Rice grounded out to second but Baylor lined a base hit off the glove of Sveum. Evans walked and Henderson hit a double play ball to third. Evans was out at second but Castillo threw the ball away to allow Henderson to score. Sullivan lined out to center to end the game. The Brewers had won it 5-1.

                                                     Brewers win

Jackass of the Night is Steve Crawford. He turned a 3-0 game into 5-0 to put the game out of reach.

                                                Jackass Crawford

The Good:

Don Baylor was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

Marty Barrett was 0 for 4.

Spike Owen was 0 for 3.

Bob Stanley took the loss by allowing 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4.

Bill Buckner was just 1 for 4.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Dave Henderson was 0 for 3 but walked.

Marc Sullivan was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Not much you can do when you have a relief pitcher start Opening Day for you. With Oil Can Boyd and Roger Clemens both on the shelf, it would have made more sense to start Bruce Hurst or Al Nipper but that would have made too much sense for John McNamara. Stanley did well through four innings but ran out of gas in the fifth. The problem was the Sox bats did nothing all game and Buckner getting thrown out at the plate was the only realistic chance the Sox had to score until the ninth inning. Crawford could have made the final score a lot better but the Sox had no chance to win this one. The Sox lost Opening Day last year and look how that season turned out.....wait a minute, disregard that comment. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action Wednesday night against the Brewers when Al Nipper makes his season debut opposite Bill Wegman of the Brewers. The game begins at 7:05 PM Eastern time at County Stadium.

Sox Collapse, Mets Take Series in Seven (10/27/86)

Most of the world saw this coming after the Boston Red Sox committed an all-time collapse in Game 6 but it doesn't make it hurt any less. After a rainout postponed Game 7, the New York Mets finally pounded the final nail in the Red Sox coffin with an 8-5 comeback victory to win the 1986 World Series. The Sox took a 3-0 lead and Bruce Hurst continued his dominance for 5 innings....then it all went to hell as the Mets got the last laugh in Shea Stadium.

                                                Doom and gloom all around

Ron Darling was scheduled to start Game 7 before the rainout and he took the mound to start the game. Wade Boggs lined out to short to start and Marty Barrett flied out to right. Bill Buckner got a mock standing ovation by the Mets crowd but he shut them up real quick with a base hit to right. Jim Rice flied out to right to end the inning. Oil Can Boyd was scheduled to start Game 7 before the rainout but Sox manager John McNamara decided to start Bruce Hurst on 3 days rest. At first the gamble worked in the bottom of the first when Mookie Wilson grounded out to second on the first pitch. Tim Teufel popped up to second and Keith Hernandez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Red Sox took out their frustrations of Game 6 on Darling in the top of the second inning. Dwight Evans and Rich Gedman crushed back to home runs, the Gedman homer popping out of the glove of Strawberry in right field. Dave Henderson walked but Spike Owen popped up to short. Hurst bunted Henderson over to second and Dave scored on the roller up the middle hit by Boggs to increase the lead. Barrett caught Ray Knight asleep at third with a bunt single. With a chance to break the game open early....Buckner flied out to center to end the inning. Still, the Sox shook off the effects of Game 6 to take a 3-0 lead.

                                              Gedman helps out with a home run

Hurst breezed through the bottom of the second as Gary Carter was snuffed out on a bunt single attempt to start. Darryl Strawberry popped up to left but Ray Knight singled. Kevin Mitchell grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox missed a chance to hit Darling hard in the top of the third when Rice singled off the left field wall but Mitchell gunned him down at second trying to stretch. Evans popped up to center and Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning. Hurst cruised in the bottom of the third as well, punching out Rafael Santana to start. Darling hit a ball hard to right but Evans snared it at the wall. Wilson flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox knocked out Darling in the top of the fourth as Henderson was plunked to start. Owen flied out to right and Hurst sacrifice bunted Henderson over to second, shades of the second inning. That was it for Darling as Mets manager Davey Johnson pulled him in favor of Sid Fernandez. Boggs walked to put two men on and with another chance to break it open....Barrett flied out to right to end the inning. Hurst remained perfect in the bottom of the fourth as Teufel whiffed, Hernandez flied out to a running Evans in right and Carter grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the fifth inning as Buckner flied out to right, Rice whiffed and Evans also swung and missed at strike three to end the inning. Hurst would not be denied in the bottom of the fifth as Strawberry flied out to center to begin. Knight grounded out to short and Mitchell whiffed to end the inning. At this point Hurst was working on a 1 hitter with 4 innings to go after already dominating his first two World Series starts. He could have been a legend in Boston if he could have gotten those last 12 outs.

                                                       1 hit through 5 for Hurst

Fernandez returned for the top of the sixth and froze Gedman to start. Henderson flied out to center and Owen watched strike three go by to end the inning. The wheels fell off for Hurst in the bottom of the sixth although Santana grounded out to short to start. Lee Mazzilli pinch hit for Fernandez and singled. Wilson singled and Teufel walked to load the bases. Sox manager John McNamara came out to chat with Bruce but to no avail as Hernandez dealt the crushing blow to Hurst with a base hit to center that scored Mazzilli and Wilson, moving Teufel to third. Wally Backman pinch ran for Teufel and he scored when Evans dove for a Carter flare and missed. Hernandez was tagged out at second but the game was tied. Strawberry flied out to left to end the inning but Hurst was done and the game was tied.

                                                   The Mets tie it up

Shea Stadium was in a frenzy as Roger McDowell took over on the mound with Tony Armas pinch hitting for Hurst. Armas whiffed on 3 pitches. Boggs grounded out to third and Barrett grounded out to short to end the inning. For some inane reason, Sox manager John McNamara brought in Calvin Schiraldi to pitch the bottom of the seventh despite getting rocked and rolled in Game 6. The gamble failed miserably for the Sox as Knight blasted a leadoff home run to put the Mets just 6 outs away from victory. Lenny Dykstra pinch hit for Mitchell and singled before a wild pitch moved him up to second. Santana singled home Dykstra to increase the lead as the crowd got even louder. McDowell bunted Santana to second as Sox manager John McNamara finally realized his mistake and pulled Schiraldi out of there.

                                               Knight gives the Mets the lead

Lefty specialist Joe Sambito was brought in but the idiot McNamara decided to intentionally walk Wilson, which begs the question why would you bring in the lefty only to intentionally walk the lefty batter? That move also backfired because Sambito walked Backman to load the bases. Hernandez flied out to center but Santana scored to give the Mets what seemed to be an insurmountable lead. That was it for Sambito as Bob Stanley was brought in to mop up the mess. Stanley did manage to get Carter to ground out to end the inning but the Mets were up 6-3 and on the verge of the title.

                                                      Another run, another nail in the coffin

With their backs to the wall, the Sox briefly sprang to life in the top of the eighth against McDowell. Buckner blooped a single to left to open the inning and Rice lined a base hit past Santana. Evans continued to torture Mets pitching by lining a double to center that scored both runners to cut the lead to 1. That meant if McNamara let Sambito pitch to Wilson, maybe the 6th run doesn't score and its now a tied game. Instead, Davey Johnson brought in lefty Jesse Orosco to face the lefties. Once again McNamara was asleep as Gedman didn't try to bunt Evans to third, instead he lined out to second, nearly getting Evans doubled off at second. There would be no magic for Henderson this time as he whiffed. Finally McNamara got his head out of his ass by pinch hitting the righty Don Baylor for Spike Owen to face Orosco. Unfortunatey Baylor grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox had gotten within a run 6-5.

                                              One last moment of glory for the Sox

Inexplicably McNamara pulled off a double switch, putting Ed Romero at short but bringing in Al Nipper of all people to relieve Stanley. Oil Can Boyd was nowhere to be found and once AGAIN the move backfired as Strawberry smashed a solo home run off Nipper to kill any momentum the Sox generated. Knight singled and moved to second on the groundout by Dykstra. Santana was intentionally walked and Davey Johnson was going to live or die with Orosco, so he left him in to bat. As if anything else could go wrong this season, Orosco who had just 3 at-bats all season faked a bunt and singled up the middle with the entire infield breaking to field a bunt. Santana scored to ice the game. McNamara then pulled Nipper for Steve Crawford which begs the question why he didn't have Crawford start the inning? Wilson was plunked to load the bases but Crawford recovered to get Knight at home on a force by Backman. Hernandez grounded out to end the inning but it was all over, 8-5 Mets.

                               Nipper can't bear to watch anymore, neither can Roger Clemens

The season came to an end in the top of the ninth inning. Romero hit one up the elevator shaft, caught by Hernandez for the first out. Boggs grounded out to second and Orosco punched out Barrett to put the Sox out of their misery. The Mets had won the game and the World Series by a score of 8-5.

                                                                    Ugh


Jackass of the Night should be John McNamara just like in Game 6 for all his idiotic decisions but unfortunately it has to be a player so its Calvin Schiraldi. He was charged with the loss, allowing 3 runs that ended up being the difference in the game in just 1/3 of an inning pitched.

                                           Game 7 Jackass....same as Game 6


The Good:

Bill Buckner was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Dwight Evans did all he could, going 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 total rbi's.

Dave Henderson walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run in 4 plate appearances.

Bob Stanley retired the only man he faced.

Steve Crawford got the final two outs of the eighth inning.



The Bad:

Spike Owen was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Tony Armas struck out as a pinch hitter.

Don Baylor was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ed Romero was 0 for 1 in his plate appearance.

Al Nipper allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk in just 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 with a walk but drove in a run.

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 5.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was a solo home run.

Bruce Hurst fell apart in the 6th inning and was charged with 3 runs in his no-decision. Had he not fell apart, the Sox may have won the game.

Joe Sambito walked two and allowed an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning.




Final Thoughts:

Is this team cursed? It sure feels like it after one of the greatest seasons in history with so many high points crashed harder than a 747 jet. If Game 6 wasn't bad enough, this was just as bad. The Sox had a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning and it blew away. Then John McNamara brought in the wrong pitcher 3 times and it cost the Sox the game. He brought in Schiraldi who sucked, Sambito who walked 2 guys (albeit one intentionally) and Nipper who sucked. For all the heat Bill Buckner took about Game 6, most of which wasn't his fault to begin with, he deserves no blame for Game 7. McNamara made one bumbling decision after another and Schiraldi couldn't get it done twice. Its a shame such a promising season came to an end like this. In 1967 and 1975 you could say the better team won and no hard feelings, but the Sox had the Mets dead to rights twice and couldn't put them away. As it is, this is one of the all-time chokes that may never be equaled. How can the Sox come back from this? You come within a strike of winning it all in Game 6 and 12 outs in Game 7 and lose both games. I dread to think what 1987 will be like with the world series hangover they're going to have. Give the Mets the credit they deserve for coming back down 2-0 going to Fenway, coming back in Game 6 and then again in Game 7. They earned their World Series title, too bad the Sox couldn't put them away.

Mets Pound Sox, Even Series (10/22/86)

It seemed too good to be true and it turned out to be a nightmare. The Boston Red Sox came home to Fenway Park up 2-0 and are now tied going into Game 5. After Bob Ojeda shut down the Sox attack last night, tonight it was Ron Darling who threw 7 shut-out innings. Gary Carter hit two home runs and the Mets evened the series with a 6-2 win at Fenway Park.

                                                               Series tied

Nipper took the mound in the top of the first and Len Dykstra grounded out to short to begin the game. A graphic showed an unflattering fact that Nipper was the only starter in the post-season with a losing record in the regular season. The injury to Tom Seaver is the only reason he's pitching...plus he's on SEVENTEEN DAYS rest. Wally Backman hit a little roller to Bill Buckner who hobbled to first for the out. Keith Hernandez drew a walk as Buckner slipped and fell trying to catch a pop-up by Gary Carter. Nipper recovered to freeze an irate Carter looking to end the inning. Worcester native Ron Darling came back on 3 days rest to get the Game 4 start. Wade Boggs hit a comebacker to Darling to begin the bottom of the first inning. Marty Barrett doubled into the gap in left then moved to third on the ground-out by Buckner. Jim Rice drew a walk to put runners at the corners and Don Baylor walked to load the bases. Dwight Evans had a chance to break it open early but he grounded into a force to end the inning. Huge chance wasted there.

Darryl Strawberry began the top of the second inning but grounding out to second but Ray Knight singled. Danny Heep then grounded into a double play to end the inning. Rich Gedman greeted Darling in the bottom of the second with a double down the right field line. Some idiot released a bunch of balloons with a GO SOX billboard on it from the right field facade which made its way down to the field. This distracted Dave Henderson long enough to strike out. Gedman moved to third on the ground out by Spike Owen but was stranded when Boggs popped up to end the inning. That's 4 men left on base by the Sox, not good.

Mookie Wilson opened the top of the third inning by grounding out to Buckner, flipping to Nipper for the out. Rafael Santana hit a check swing chopper back to Nipper for the second out. Dykstra grounded out to first to end the inning. Darling cruised in the bottom of the third as Barrett hit a broken bat looper right to short to start. Buckner popped up to first and Rice struck out to end the inning.

The Mets struck first in the top of the fourth as Backman singled up the middle to start. Hernandez swung at a pitch out and grounded to short, but it moved Backman to second. Carter then put the Mets on a board with a 2 run bomb into the screen in left. Strawberry then hit a double off the Monster and Knight singled to center to score Darryl. Heep popped up to right and Wilson popped up to center but it was now 3-0 Mets

                                                Carter's bomb makes it 2-0

Pitching with the lead, the Sox mustered nothing in the bottom of the fourth inning against Darling. Darling struck out Baylor to start before Evans popped up to left, sending Mookie Wilson sprawling to the ground. Gedman popped up to third to end the inning.

Nipper returned for the top of the fifth and struck out Santana in short order. Dykstra hit a comebacker back to Nipper but Backman hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short. Backman swiped second but Hernandez grounded out to the crippled Buckner to end the inning.

                                             "I got these bums" - Nipper

The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth as Henderson watched strike three go by to begin. Owen walked as Vin Scully said that was sacrilegious to walk him hitting lefty. Boggs flied out to the left field wall but Barrett singled Owen to third. Buckner popped up to second to end the inning. More men left on base the Sox could ill afford.

Nipper returned for the top of the sixth inning and Buckner couldn't catch an inside out double by Carter down the right field line. Strawberry was robbed of a home run by Evans at the wall but Carter moved to third. Knight lined out sharply to Rice and Carter broke for home. Carter slid.....YER OUTTA THERE! The great throw by Rice and tag by Gedman gunned down Carter to end the inning with the game still 3-0.

                                            "Yeah you're out Carter" - Gedman

The crowd sprang to life as the Sox came to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning. Rice flied out to center to start as Baylor flied out to the left field wall. Evans worked a walk and Gedman singled off the Monster....but was thrown out at second trying to stretch to end the inning. That was a huge out considering the Sox had Darling on the ropes.

                                                "Yeah you're out Gedman" - Backman

That was it for Nipper as Steve Crawford took over for the top of the seventh and got Heep to pop up by the Mets dugout to start. Wilson singled up the middle but Santana watched strike three go by. Wilson swiped second and Dwight Evans dropped a fly ball by Dykstra over the right field wall for a 2 run home run to ice the game. Backman grounded out to second to end the inning but it was all but over, 5-0 Mets.

                                The entire city of Boston feels the same as Dwight, 5-0 Mets

Darling returned for the bottom of the seventh and got Henderson to break his bat flying out to left field. Owens drew another walk to piss Darling off. Boggs flied out to right and kicked the dugout steps in disgust. Barrett worked a walk but Buckner popped up to short to end the inning.

Crawford returned for the top of the eighth and Hernandez lined right to Evans to start. The pain in the ass Carter launched an even longer home run completely out of Fenway to increase the lead. Strawberry singled past the diving Barrett but was thrown out at second trying to steal, but the Mets led 6-0.

                                                 Carter is all smiles as its 6-0

The Sox FINALLY got on the board against Roger McDowell in the bottom of the eighth inning as Rice led off with a double down the right field line. Baylor lined out to Santana and Evans made up for dropping the home run by driving in Rice with a seeing eye single up the middle. Gedman hit another seeing eye single that moved Evans to third. Henderson flied out to right but Evans ran home to cut the lead further. How big was the 3 runs allowed by Crawford now? Mike Greenwell pinch hit for Spike Owen and walked. Ed Romero pinch ran for Greenwell as Fenway came alive. That was it for McDowell as Mets manager Davey Johnson brought in Jesse Orosco to pitch to Boggs. Again, how big were the Crawford runs? Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox trailing 6-2.

                                                     Evans gets some redemption but its 6-2

Bob Stanley took the mound in the top of the ninth and got Heep to pop up to begin. Wilson singled past Stanley to center and broke for center. Gedman threw the ball away due to Santana throwing the bat in his face, moving Wilson to third. Santana hit a comebacker to Stanley who caught Wilson in a run-down, although Santana made it to second base. Dykstra grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                         Stanley says "Not on my watch Mookie"

The Sox had one last shot in the bottom of the ninth but Barrett grounded out to short to start. Buckner grounded out to first and Rice struck out to end the game. The Mets had evened the series with a 6-2 victory.

Jackass of the Night is Steve Crawford. Yes Nipper gave up the first 3 runs but Crawford gave the Sox no chance for a comeback by giving up 3 runs of his own.

                                      Crawford is Jackass tonight



The Good:

Marty Barrett was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Rich Gedman was 3 for 4.

Spike Owen walked twice in 3 plate appearances.

Mike Greenwell pinch hit for Owen and walked.

Bob Stanley pitched a scoreless ninth inning.




The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 5.

Bill Buckner was 0 for 5.




The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Don Baylor was 0 for 3 but walked.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and an rbi single but he dropped a catchable over the wall for a crucial 2 run home run.

Dave Henderson was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Al Nipper took the loss but pitched 6 solid innings and made one mistake to Gary Carter.




Honorable Mention:

Ed Romero played shortstop in the top of the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

So much for clinching the World Series at Fenway. Now they have to win Game 5 just to have a chance to win it in New York. Going 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position will get this team nowhere especially when you have your worst starting pitcher going. Evans dropping the home run over the wall was the microcosm of the game slipping away. Well, now the Sox HAVE to win Game 5 but they're going to throw Bruce Hurst up against Dwight Gooden in Game 5. Hurst dominated the Mets in Game 1 and he'll have to do it again if they have any prayer of winning the series.

Sox Pound Gooden, Go Up 2-0 (10/19/86)

The Boston Red Sox are half-way to their first World Series title in 68 years after smashing Dwight Gooden and the New York Mets in tonight's Game 2. Roger Clemens didnt have it but neither did Gooden and the over-hyped "monster match" ended early. Still, the Sox gave themselves a huge advantage by winning both the first two games on the road, defeating the Mets 9-3 at Shea Stadium.

                                                          NYDN gets it right again

Gooden took the mound in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs led off with a ground out to second on a bang bang play. Marty Barrett also grounded out to second and Bill Buckner lined out to short to end the inning. Roger Clemens got the start in the bottom of the first and struck out Len Dykstra to begin. Wally Backman worked a walk but was gunned down trying to steal on a great throw by Rich Gedman. Keith Hernandez also walked but Gary Carter flied out to center to end the inning.

Jim Rice swung at air to lead off the top of the second inning but Dwight Evans walked. Rich Gedman grounded out to second but Evans moved to second. Red Sox manager John McNamara bounded out of the dugout and wanted Dwight Gooden checked for illegal substances. The umps looked at him and declared everything was on the level. Dave Henderson flied out to right to end the inning. Clemens dominated the bottom of the second inning as Darryl Strawberry whiffed, Danny Heep flied out to center and Howard Johnson struck out to end the inning.

The Sox exploded on Gooden in the top of the third. Spike Owen led off with a walk. Clemens tried to bunt Owen to second but Hernandez threw low to second and everyone was safe. Boggs made Keith pay with a double down the left field line that scored Owen with the game's first run. Barrett singled home Clemens as Boggs moved to third. Buckner singled to right to score Boggs then Barrett moved to third on the Rice fly out to right. Evans and Gedman both struck out but the Sox had built a 3-0 lead.

                                                  "Oh crud, I'm down 3-0!" - DG

Rafael Santana led off the bottom of the third with a line shot off the glove of Clemens and beat out Spike Owen's throw to take first. Gooden popped up a bunt but the injured Buckner fell down trying to make the play and everyone was safe. Dykstra dropped another bunt down but this one was fielded cleanly for the out, but both runners advanced. Backman singled in Santana with Gooden now at third. Hernandez then lined a ball off Clemens but right to Boggs, who threw out Hernandez at first but allowing Gooden to score. Carter hit a shot but Boggs made a great play to throw him out to end the inning but it was now 3-2 Red Sox.

Just as the Mets had pulled within a run, Henderson gave the momentum back to the Red Sox with a solo home run to left to open the top of the fourth. Owen singled up the middle and Clemens dropped down a sac bunt to move him to second. Owen then got thrown out at third on a ground ball by Boggs which drew a scolding from broadcaster Vin Scully. Barrett singled down the right field line but Buckner flied out to right with the Sox now leading 4-2.

Clemens ran into more trouble in the bottom of the fourth. Strawberry flied out to deep right but Heep walked. Johnson also flied out to right but Santana singled. Gooden grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth inning. Rice singled to start the inning and Evans blasted a 2 run bomb off the top of the left field pavilion to give the Sox a huge lead. Gedman struck out as Vin Scully said it was too late. Henderson whiffed and Owen did as well to end the inning but it was now 6-2 Boston.

                                                 Dewey comes through for two

Shockingly Clemens would not last through the bottom of the fifth. Evans made a GREAT diving catch to rob Dykstra of at least a triple. Backman worked a walk and Hernandez singled off the glove of Barrett, moving Wally to third. Just like that, Roger Clemens was finished. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings and was not in line for the win.

                                                       Clemens fails to get out of the fifth

Steve Crawford came in to finish the inning but Carter greeted him with an rbi single. Steve got a huge out when he froze Strawberry on strike 3 for the second out. Heep grounded out to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 6-3.

Gooden was gone as the top of the sixth began with Rick Aguilera taking over. on the mound batting 6th with Mookie Wilson replacing Heep and batting 9th. So much for the big Monster Match between Clemens and Gooden. Crawford was allowed to bat and at least he made good contact by flying out to right. Boggs drew a walk and moved to second on the Barrett ground out. Buckner whiffed to end the inning. Crawford came back for the bottom of the sixth and dominated. He got Johnson to fly out and Santana to ground out. Wilson whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox exploded again in the top of the seventh by nickel and diming the Mets to death. Rice got it started with a seeing eye single up the middle while Evans stroked a conventional single to center. Gedman blooped a single to load the bases and Henderson scored Rice with a seeing eye single to right. Owen also grounded a seeing eye single in the hole at short to score Evans. That was it for Aguilera as Jesse Orosco came in to pitch. Mike Greenwell pinch hit for Crawford but struck out. Boggs whiffed and Barrett flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

Bob Stanley took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and Dykstra greeted him with a single. Backman poked a single to left but Stanley recovered to strike out both Hernandez and Carter. Strawberry grounded out to end the inning as fans began to pour out of Shea Stadium.

Orosco returned for the top of the eighth and Buckner hobbled to first on a single. Sox manager John McNamara showed some mercy by pinch running Bill with Dave Stapleton. Rice singled but Evans banged into a double play. Gedman watched strike three go by to end the inning. Stanley came back for the bottom of the eigth as Lee Mazilli pinch hit for Orosco and flied out to center. Johnson grounded out to first and Santana struck out to end the inning.

Sid Fernandez got the ball in the top of the ninth and the Sox offense had one last surge left. Henderson greeted him with a single and Owen singled up the middle as well. Stanley hit for himself and bunted foul for strike three. Boggs doubled off the wall to score Henderson for the Sox 18th hit of the night. Owen pulled up lame going to third and had to be replaced by Ed Romero. Doug Sisk came in to pitch and intentionally walked Barrett. Stapleton stepped in as an embarassing graphic on NBC shows Stapleton's average dipping every year he was in the league. Dave flied out and Rice whiffed to end the inning with the Sox up 9-3.

Stanley came back for the bottom of the ninth to close the game out. Wilson flied out but Dykstra worked a walk. Backman grounded out to first and Hernandez flied out to the wall in center to end the game. The "hopless underdog" Red Sox had come into New York and swept both games going home to Fenway with a 9-3 win in Game 2.


Hero of the Night is Wade Boggs. He got the Sox rally going in the top of the second with an rbi double then almost singlehandedly snuffed out the Mets rally in the bottom of the third. He got it done on both offense and defense.

                                                              Boggs the Hero of Game 2


The Good:

Marty Barrett was 2 for 5 with a walk and an rbi.

Bill Buckner was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Jim Rice was 3 for 6 with 2 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's, a walk, a home run and 2 runs scored.

Dave Henderson was 3 for 5 with 2 rbi's, a home run and 2 runs scored.

Spike Owen was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Steve Crawford got the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Bob Stanley got the save with 3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 1 as Buckner's replacement.

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 5.

Roger Clemens lasted just 4 1/3 innings while giving up 3 runs. He would have been in line for the win had he gone 5 but was still nothing special tonight. He also scored a run as a hitter.



Honorable Mention:

Ed Romero pinch ran for Spike Owen and played short in the bottom of the 9th.



Final Thoughts:

It seems too good to be true but the Sox are half-way home going back to Fenway for the next 3 games. Pounding the daylights out of Dwight Gooden one day after squeezing by Ron Darling has to feel good for the Red Sox themselves. They seem to be getting the clutch hits and making the clutch pitches when they need to. The Sox just need 2 more wins to rid themselves of the past 68 years of misery, bad management and bad reputation. Tuesday night is Game 3 with former Sox pitcher Bob Ojeda on the mound against Oil Can Boyd for the Red Sox. Boyd is an emotional pitcher and hopefully he'll be fired up to bury the Mets once and for all.

Stewart, A's Defeat Clemens and Sox (7/7/86)

Uh oh, it looks like Roger Clemens (14-2, 2.58 ERA) is human after all. After losing his first game all season last Wednesday against Toronto, the Oakland A's have come into Boston and beaten him as well in new manager Tony La Russa's Oakland debut. Clemens got lit up by rookie sensation Jose Canseco and old slugger Dave Kingman, allowing 6 runs five plus innings of work. Clemens gave up three runs early, the third on an rbi grounder by old pal Carney Lansford. The Sox got a run back on a wild pitch but Kingman and Canseco hit back to back jacks in the sixth to finish off Roger. The Sox did rally to pull close but couldn't deliver the knockout punch in the seventh inning. It all added up to a bitter 6-4 defeat by the Athletics at Fenway Park.

                                                            Dammit

Clemens got the ball in the top of the first and Tony Phillips flied out to center to start. Old buddy Carney Lansford got rung up for strike three and Jose Canseco struck out swinging to end the inning. Stewart got the ball in the bottom of the first and Marty Barrett grounded out to third to start. Wade Boggs flied out to center and Bill Buckner grounded out to first to end the inning.

The A's rallied in the top of the second although Dave Kingman struck out swinging to start. Bruce Botche singled to center but was forced at second by Mike Davis. Dwayne Murphy doubled off the Monster to score Botche and Alfredo Griffin doubled to center to score Murphy. Jerry Willard grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's up 2-0.

                                                            A's strike first

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Jim Rice hit a ground ball up to middle that Phillips fielded but couldn't do anything with it for a "single". Don Baylor forced Rice at second before Dwight Evans flied out to left. Tony Armas struck out swinging to end the inning.

The A's struck again in the top of the third as Phillips chopped a base hit up the middle to start. Phillips took off for second and Gedman threw the ball into the bullpen for an error to move Tony to third. Phillips scored on the Lansford grounder to short to increase the lead and Canseco popped up to first. Kingman struck out swinging to end the inning with Oakland up 3-0.

                                                   Phillips scores another run

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the third as Rich Gedman flied out to center but Rey Quinones singled to center. Barrett drilled a base hit to right to move Quinones to third and a wild pitch scored Rey to put Boston on the board. Boggs and Buckner both flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                             Quinones scores a run

Bochte grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Davis struck out swinging. Murphy flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Rice walked to start. Baylor got a base hit to left but Evans popped up to left. Armas struck out swinging and Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning.

Rice dopped a pop up by Griffin for a two base error to start the top of the fifth but was thrown out at third trying to steal. Willard grounded out to first and Phillips grounded out to second to end the inning. Quinones grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Barrett doubled to the left field wall. Boggs moved Barrett to third with a grounder to second but Buckner struck out swinging to end the inning.

The A's chased Clemens in the top of the sixth as Lansford singled in the hole at short. Canseco hit a home run all the way to the moon then Kingman hit one into the Charles River for back to back jacks. That was the end for Clemens as he got rocked for 6 runs in just 5 plus innings off 7 hits. Tim Lollar walked Botche and Davis blooped a single to left. Murphy grounded out to second to move the runners over but Botche was doubled off at third on a liner to Boggs by Griffin to end the inning with the Sox down 6-1.

                                                 "You sucked tonight, Rog" - Gedman

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Rice ripped a base hit to center to start. Phillips slipped catching a pop up by Baylor and Rice took second in the confusion. Evans cracked his 11th home run of the season to cut the lead in half but Armas

                                                           Evans brings the Sox closer

Willard got a base hit to right to start the top of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Phillips. That was it for Lollar as Sox manager John McNamara wanted Mike Brown to face the righties. Lansford grounded out to short but Canseco got a base hit to left. Willard tried for home but was thrown out by Rice to end the inning.

                                                           Yerrrrr out!

The Sox blew their best chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the seventh as Quinones got a base hit to left. Barrett walked to chase Stewart and Dave Van Ohlen came in to face Boggs. Wade drilled a base hit off the Monster to score Quinones and put the tying run at first. The play of the game occurred when Buckner bunted too hard to third to force Barrett and Buckner was thrown out at first for a double play. Doug Bair came in to face Rice and Jim grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 6-4.

                                                    Quinones scores a run

Kingman walked to start the top of the eighth but Botche grounded into a double play. Davis singled to right to chase Brown and Joe Sambito came in to pitch. Murphy struck out swinging to end the inning. Stan Javier came in to play center in the bottom of the eighth and Baylor popped up to first. Evans also popped up to first and Armas earned the hat trick with a swinging strikeout to end the inning.

The A's threatened in the top of the ninth as Griffin singled to center to start but was forced at second on Willard's bunt attempt. Phillips also dropped down a bunt but Buckner was pulled off the bag by Boggs' throw. Sox manager John McNamara stormed out of the dugout screaming his head off that Buckner's foot did NOT come off the bag. McNamara got the heave ho by first base umpire Ted Hendry. Pitching coach Bill Fischer lifted Sambito in favor of Steve Crawford. Lansford flied out to right but Canseco singled to left to load the bases. Kingman struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                        "Get outta here you lunatic!" - Hendry

Gedman struck out swinging to start the bottom of the ninth and Mike Stenhouse pinch hit for Rey Quinones. Stenhouse flied out to center and Barrett grounded out to third to end the game. The A's had won it 6-4.

                                                            A's win

Jackass of The Night is Roger Clemens. He allowed 6 runs in just 5 plus innings and put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                               Jackass Clemens

The Good:

Marty Barrett was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Jim Rice was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Rey Quinones was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

Tim Lollar tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Mike Brown tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Joe Sambito tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Steve Crawford pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Mike Stenhouse flied out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Don Baylor was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

Uh oh. That's two losses in a row for Clemens and with Bruce Hurst still not back from his groin pull, the Sox are in a bit of trouble if Roger is coming back to earth. ABC analyst Al Michaels made a point if the offense scores four runs with your ace on the mound, usually you win. Not tonight they didn't, Clemens got pounded. The Sox did have a chance to tie it in the seventh but Rice couldn't get it done. Not being able to hit the A's bullpen was disappointing but the A's can't lose them all. Hopefully this is just a minor hiccup and not a major injury like last year. Kingman and Canseco are big home run hitters so maybe they just timed Roger better than others. Either way its just one loss and the all-star break is coming up to rest a bit. They still have a nice lead in the AL East marathon so let's see how they respond in the next one. The loss dropped the Sox to 52-29, 7 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when Oil Can Boyd (10-6) takes on Bill Mooneyham of Oakland. The game begins at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Jays in Seaver's Debut (7/1/86)

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox made a winner out of future hall of famer Tom Seaver (3-6, 4.44 ERA) in his debut with the Sox. Seaver got hit around a bit in 7 innings of work but the red hot Boston bats led by Dwight Evans outlasted the Toronto Blue Jays. The offense pounded out 14 hits and nine runs in a 9-7 victory at Fenway Park to open July in style.

                                           Staff Sergeant Mike Vronsky approves of the win

Seaver took the mound in the top of the first inning and Tony Fernandez greeted him with a double to the left field corner. Rance Mulliniks swung and missed for strike three but Lloyd Moseby singled home Fernandez to give the Jays the lead. George Bell grounded out to third but Moseby moved to second base. Jesse Barfield walked but Cliff Johnson grounded out to second to end the inning with Toronto in front 1-0.

                                                    Jays take the lead

The Sox wasted no time pouncing on Jays starter Doyle Alexander in the bottom of the first inning. Marty Barrett flied out to right but Wade Boggs walked. Bill Buckner popped up to short but Jim Rice sliced an opposite field single to right. Don Baylor was plunked to load the bases before last night's hero Dwight Evans cleared the bases with a double off the Monster. Rich Gedman followed with a double of his own to left that scored Evans with another run. Kevin Romine waived at a pitch in the dirt to end the inning but the Sox took the lead 4-1.

                                                   Gedman doubles in a run

Seaver settled down in the top of the second inning as Willie Upshaw popped up to third to begin. Ernie "Nit" Whitt smacked a single to right-center but was erased on the Damaso Garcia grounder to third. Fernandez lined out to third to end the inning. Garth Iorg took over for Mulliniks in the bottom of the second after Mulliniks fouled a ball off his foot the previous inning. Alexander settled down in the bottom of the second as Ed Romero grounded out to short to start. Barrett lined one off the glove of Alexander but right to second for the ground out. Boggs doubled off the Monster but Buckner grounded out to second to end the inning.

Seaver got Iorg to pop up to center to start the top of the third before Moseby caught Seaver asleep with a bunt single. Bell flied out to right and Barfield whiffed on a breaking ball to end the inning. The Sox pounded Alexander in the bottom of the third as Rice doubled into the gap to start. Baylor flied out to center and Rice took off for third The throw beat him but it got away and Rice was safe. Evans flied out to right but Gedman beat out a bobbled laser to Garcia to score Rice. Romine doubled into the left field corner for his first rbi of the year to score Gedman before Romero drew a walk. Barrett singled to center to score Romine and send Romero to third to chase Alexander. Dennis Lamp came in and Boggs flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 7-1.

                                                     First RBI for Romine

The Jays fought back in the top of the fourth as Johnson singled to center to begin. Upshaw popped up to short but Whitt singled to left. Garcia walked to load the bases and Fernandez singled home Johnson and Whitt. Garcia took third on a fly ball by Iorg but Moseby grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fourth although Buckner struck out to start. Rice and Baylor struck back to back base hits but Evans hit into a double play to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the fifth although Bell hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Barfield tripled into the right field corner and scored on the Johnson grounder. Barrett booted a ball by Upshaw but Whitt flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-4.

The Sox took advantage of terrible defense by the Jays to add to the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Upshaw booted a grounder by Gedman to start and managed to throw the ball away to boot which allowed Rich to take second on the two errors. Romine dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Gedman to third and Romero hit a routine grounder to Upshaw...who booted that as well to score Gedman. Barrett flied out to center and Boggs was foolishly intentionally walked to load the bases. Buckner made the Jays pay with a base hit to center to score Gedman. Rice grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 9-4 Sox.

                                                     Buckner hits the killshot

Seaver cruised in the top of the sixth as Garcia flied out to center to start. Fernandez grounded out tio second and Iorg grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox looked to break it open in the bottom of the sixth as Baylor singled to left to start. Evans doubled to center and Gedman was intentionally walked to set up the double play. This time the gamble worked as Romine took strike three and Romero banged into a double play to end the inning.

Seaver came back for one final inning in the top of the seventh as Moseby grounded out to third to start. Bell flied out to center but Barfield was hit with a pitch. Johnson singled to left but Upshaw flied out to center to end the inning. It wasn't pretty but Seaver hung tough to toss 7 innings of 4 run ball and put the Sox 9 outs away from victory.

                                                       Seaver finishes strong

Bill Caudill replaced Lamp for the bottom of the seventh and Barrett singled to left to start. Boggs and Buckner both struck out before Rice flied out to right to end the inning.

Steve Crawford replaced Seaver and the Jays pounced on him in the top of the eighth. Whitt popped up to short but Garcia and Fernandez stroked back to back singles. Rick Leach pinch hit for Iorg and singled home Garcia. That was it for Crawford as Joe Sambito came in and Moseby beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Bell singled home Fernandez to bring the tying run to the plate. Sambito struck out Barfield to end the inning but the Jays inched closer 9-6.

                                                      Crawford can't get it done

Kelly Gruber took for for Leach at third with Mark Eichhorn now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Baylor popped up to first, Evans grounded out to third and Gedman flied out to right to end the inning.

Sambito returned to close out the top of the ninth but the Jays rallied. Johnson grounded back to the mound but Upshaw singled to center. Buck Martinez pinch hit for Whitt and singled to left. Garcia singled to left to score Upshaw and put the tying run at first. Sambito somehow got Fernandez to pop up to right and Gruber to fly out to the right field wall to end the game. The Sox survived to beat the Jays 9-7.

Hero of the Night is Dwight Evans. He put the Sox up for good with a 3 run double in the bottom of the first.

                                                      Evans the Hero


The Good:

Marty Barrett was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Jim Rice was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Don Baylor was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Kevin Romine was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.



The Bad:

Steve Crawford was charged with 2 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Bill Buckner was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Ed Romero was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Tom Seaver went 7 innings and allowed 4 runs in his Sox debut. The Jays got 9 hits and 2 walks off of him but he still left with the lead.

Joe Sambito allowed an inherited runner to score and 1 of his own in 1 2/3 innings but earned his 7th save of the season.




Final Thoughts:

With the Sox reeling from injuries, Seaver will be a shot in the arm for this team for sure. He looked a little off in tonight's game but its a hell of a lot better than Jeff Sellers, Mike Brown and Rob Woodward. The offense beat around the Jays for the second game in a row and its encouraging to see Dwight Evans get hot. Hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum into the All-Star break in a few weeks as they're in first place and don't seem to be relinquishing it any time soon. Good to see Kevin Romine get his first rbi of the season as well. The win improved the Sox to 50-25, 8 games in front of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three in a row against the Jays when they send the undefeated Roger Clemens (13-0) up against Jimmy Key of the Jays at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.