Mets Strike Back, Take Game 3 (10/21/86)

There's a reason why the New York Mets won 108 games during the regular season and they showed it tonight. Their bats woke up for the first time all series and old friend Bob Ojeda pitched shut-down baseball. Sox starter Oil Can Boyd got pounded in the first inning and the Sox could never recover. When all was said and done, the Mets had won the game 7-1 to get back into the World Series.

                                                         Peeeee-you

The Mets set the tone right from the outset as Len Dykstra struck the third pitch of the game around the Pesky Pole for a leadoff home run. Wally Backman followed with a single and Keith Hernandez singled in the alley in center to move Backman to third. Gary Carter doubled to the wall to score Backman as NBC analyst Vin Scully said the Can was leaky. Boyd got a huge out by striking out Darryl Strawberry. Wade Boggs then fielded a routine grounder by Ray Knight and blew not one, but TWO run-downs as both Hernandez, then Carter scampered to their respective bases safely to load the bases. The failed rundown bit the Sox has Danny Heep lined a single to score Hernandez to increase the lead. Boyd blew Mookie Wilson away and Boggs made up for his mental error by snaring a hard hit ball by Rafael Santana, tossing to second for the force to end the inning. The Mets had jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Sox could even come to bat.

                                 The botched run-down proved to be the difference

Old pal Ojeda got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Boggs led off with a comebacker to the mound. Marty Barrett followed with a comebacker of his own and Bill Buckner flied out to right to end the inning.

Boyd came back for the top of the second inning and retired Dykstra on a ground ball to second. Boyd froze Backman with a rainbow curveball for strike three and Hernandez grounded out to first to end the inning. Jim Rice took strike 3 to open the bottom the bottom of the second as Vin Scully says Ojeda's best friend on the Sox was Rich Gedman. Don Baylor was robbed of a home run by the top of the Monster and had to settle for a double. Baylor was stranded as Dwight Evans hit a squibber to short and Gedman watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Boyd began the top of the third inning by getting Carter on a broken bat pop up to left. Strawberry flied out to right-center and Knight popped up to end the inning. The Sox broke through in the bottom of the third as Scully reminded the fans that when the eventual 1984 World Champion Detroit Tigers started the season 35-5, one of the 5 losses was a shut-out pitched by Ojeda for the Red Sox. Dave Henderson was unimpressed and singled to left to lead off the inning. Spike Owen lined out softly to third but Boggs walked. Barrett singled home Henderson to put Boston on the board and Ojeda on the ropes. Buckner let him off by striking out on a pitch up in his eyes and Rice grounded into a force to end the inning, but the Sox were now down 4-1.

                                              Henderson is safe and the Sox are on the board

Could Boyd keep it a 4-1 game in the top of the fourth? Heep flied out to center to start. After Scully gave us a short history on the Green Monster and a map of Boston, Wilson grounded out to second. Santana grounded out to third to end the inning. That's 11 in a row retired by Boyd after the disastrous first. Ojeda matched Boyd in the bottom of the fourth as Baylor grounded out to short to begin. Evans was out on a swinging bunt in front of the plate before Gedman lined out to a running Wilson to end the inning.

Dykstra broke the string by Boyd with a bloop single to start the top of the fifth. He moved to second on the ground out by Backman then to third on the fly out by Hernandez. Carter popped up to short to end the inning. Henderson was caught looking on a changeup to open the bottom of the fifth as Scully compared Ojeda to diffusing a bomb. Backman made a great diving play to rob Owen of a hit but Boggs singled down the left field line. Barrett singled up the middle but Ojeda got out of it by getting Buckner to ground into a force to end the inning. Another chance wasted.

Boyd came back for the top of the sixth as Strawberry popped up to center to begin. Knight hit a ground ball to Owen that was dug out by Buckner for the second out. Heep popped up to right to end the inning. The Mets have had just one baserunner since Heep's rbi single with one out in the top of the first. The Sox tried to start a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Rice walked to start the inning. Baylor popped up to Knight who almost cleaned out Santana making the catch. Evans struck out but a wild pitch by Ojeda moved Rice to second. Gedman got caught looking on a curveball at the knees to end the inning, another runner left in scoring position.

Boyd returned for the top of the seventh inning and Wilson popped up to Buckner in foul territory to begin. Santana singled up the middle and Dykstra singled to right. Backman popped up to left but Hernandez walked to load the bases. Carter then iced the game with a base hit to score Santana and Dykstra before being thrown out in a run-down to end the inning. The Mets had put the game away 6-1. Boyd stayed in one batter too late even if he completed 7 innings.

                                            Carter gets thrown out after icing the game

Ojeda came back for the bottom of the seventh and walked Henderson to start. Owen banged into a double play on a great play by Backman then Boggs hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Joe Sambito got the ball in the top of the eighth and Strawberry singled to center before taking second on a wild pitch. Darryl took third on a passed ball when Gedman dropped it then scored on the Knight double down the left field line. That was it for Sambito as Sox manager John MacNamara pulled him in favor of Bob Stanley, terrible outing by Joe. Lee Mazzilli pinch hit for Kevin Mitchell who was pinch hitting for Heep and grounded out, moving Knight to third. Stanley blew away Wilson who did a 360 on his way back to the dugout. Santana hit a comebacker to Stanley to end the inning with the lead now 7-1.

Roger McDowell took over for Ojeda in the bottom of the 8th inning as Scully claimed there hasn't been a complete game thrown by a lefty since Frank Viola in August of 1985. Barrett and Buckner were both retired on squibbers and Rice on a ground out to third to end the inning.

Stanley returned for the top of the ninth and Dykstra greeted him with a single in the hole at short. Dykstra was erased on the force by Backman but Hernandez singled. Carter banged into a double play to end the inning. McDowell returned for the bottom of the ninth and got Baylor to ground out to third after a lengthy at-bat. Evans flied out to right and Gedman grounded out to second to end the game. The Mets had won it 7-1.

                                                   The scoreboard says it all, 7-1


Jackass of the Night is Oil Can Boyd. It really should be John McNamara for leaving him in too long but he went 7 full innings giving up 6 runs the Sox could not recover.

                                                         Boyd is Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Marty Barrett was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Dave Henderson was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Bob Stanley tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Spike Owen was 0 for 3.

Joe Sambito was charged with a run without retiring anyone.



The Ugly:

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked.

Don Baylor was just 1 for 4.



Final Thoughts:

Damn....that's all that can be said. The Sox had a perfect chance to bury the Mets and they let them off the hook. The leadoff homer by Dykstra set the tone and the 4 run first inning was too much for the Sox to overcome. Yes they've overcome greater disadvantages in the past but these are the 108 win Mets, these guys are for real.  Tomorrow night Ron Darling goes on 3 days rest for the Mets against a rested Al Nipper. If only Tom Seaver was healthy, but hopefully Nipper can bury the Mets in Game 4.

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.

Hurst Outduels Darling in Game 1 (10/18/86)

The 1986 World Series got off to a great start for the Boston Red Sox. With offense at a premium, they were able to do just enough to scratch out the only run they needed. Bruce Hurst was OUTSTANDING, out-pitching Ron Darling to give the Sox a 1-0 victory in Game 1 over the heavily favored New York Mets in Shea Stadium.

                                                 New York Daily News gets it right

The MA-native Darling took the mound in the top of the first inning. Wade Boggs greeted him by hitting a short hopper to 3rd for out number one. Marty Barrett got the first of the World Series with a single off the glove of Tim Teufel at second. Bill Buckner then banged into a double play to end the inning. Hurst began his incredible start by punching out Mookie Wilson and Len Dykstra to start the bottom of the first. Keith Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning.

Jim Rice made his World Series debut after missing the 1975 Series in the top of the second by grounding out to third. Dwight Evans hit a sure home run if the wind wasn't blowing, so it died at the centerfield wall. Rich Gedman popped up to short to end the inning. Hurst ran into trouble although Gary Carter led off the bottom of the second by grounding out to second. Darryl Strawberry looked at strike three but Ray Knight walked on 4 pitches. Teufel singled to left but Rafael Santana grounded back to Hurst to end the inning.

LCS hero Dave Henderson led off the top of the third with another hard hit ball that died at the centerfield wall. Spike Owen struck out and Hurst whiffed as well to end the inning. Hurst got his revenge in the bottom of the third by striking out Darling. Wilson singled up the middle and stole second immediately. Dykstra walked and Hernandez nearly hit one into the left field corner, but Evans sprinted to run it down. Wilson tagged and moved to third but there were now 2 outs. Carter grounded into a force at second to end the inning.

Darling hung tough in the top of the fourth inning by striking out Boggs and Barrett to begin. Buckner slapped a single to left and hobbled to second on a wild pitch by Darling. Rice walked but Evans flied out to left to end the inning. Strawberry led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk but Knight popped up to third. Strawberry swiped second on a strikeout of Teufel but Henderson made a mad dash to rob Santana of a hit to end the inning.

Gedman led off the top of the fifth inning by striking out. Henderson did single up the middle but Owen popped up to center. Hurst whiffed to end the inning. Darling gave on a ride to open the bottom of the fifth but Henderson ran it down. Wilson flied out to right and Dykstra whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the sixth inning as Boggs led off with a comebacker right to Darling for the first out. Barrett flied out to Strawberry and Buckner whiffed on a ball in the dirt to end the inning. Hurst got in trouble early by walking Hernandez to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning and allowing Carter to hit a broken bat single up the middle. Hurst recovered to strike out Strawberry looking and get Teufel to ground into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the seventh inning as Rice walked to lead off the inning. A wild pitch moved Rice to second but Evans hit a comebacker back to Darling for the first out. Gedman hit a routine grounder to Teufel.....UNDER HIS GLOVE! Rice ran all the way home as Gedman made it to second. Somehow Henderson the on-deck hitter crashed into Darling, knocking both down for a minute. Darling recovered but it was now 1-0 Boston. Henderson popped up to right and Mets manager Davey Johnson had Owen intentionally walked. Hurst struck out to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.

                                            The only run of the game.

Could Hurst keep it a 1-0 game in the bottom of the seventh inning? It didn't look good when Teufel made up for his error with a base hit in the hole at short. Wally Backman pinch ran for Teufel and advanced on the sacrifice bunt by Santana. Kevin Mitchell pinch hit for Darling and Hurst caught him looking for the second out. Boggs then made a huge snare of a Wilson ground ball, throwing him out at first to end the inning and keep the lead intact.

Roger McDowell came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning with Mitchell in left field. Boggs hit a bullet but it was snared by Santana for the out. Barrett hit a comebacker to Darling and Buckner grounded out to short to end the inning. Dave Stapleton took over for Buckner at first in the bottom of the eighth as Hurst returned to the mound. Dykstra flied out to center to quiet the crowd and Hernandez flied out to left. Carter jacked one to the gap but Henderson made a gold medal sprint to run it down for the third out. Hurst needed just 3 more outs to take the game.

McDowell returned for the top of the ninth and Rice singled off his glove to begin. Evans walked but Gedman dropped the bunt right to McDowell, who threw out Rice at third. Henderson then singled to left but Evans was thrown out at home by a mile. Davey Johnson had Spike Owen intentionally walked to load the bases but Sox manager John McNarmara countered by pinch hitting Hurst with Mike Greenwell. Mike flied out to end the inning. What a squander.

Calvin Schiraldi took the mound and Shea Stadium came alive when he walked Strawberry. Knight tried to bunt him to second but the alert Stapleton made the gutsy decision to get Darryl at second. Backman flied out to a running Rice in left which brought up Danny Heep to pinch hit for Santana. Schiraldi punched him out to end the game. The Sox had won it 1-0 and had taken home field advantage from the Mets in the process.

                                    Gedman congratulates Schiraldi after a job well done



Hero of the Night is Bruce Hurst. He tossed 8 innings of shut-out ball to earn the win.

                                      Hurst is the Hero of Game 1


The Good:

Normally Dave Stapleton would be on the honorable mention list but he made a GREAT play to keep the 1-0 lead intact in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Jim Rice was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and scored the game's only run.

Dave Henderson was 2 for 4.

Spike Owen walked twice in four plate appearances

Calvin Schiraldi earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Greenwell flied out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Marty Barrett was just 1 for 4.

Bill Buckner was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



Final Thoughts:

That's the way to get things going. On a night when your offense is struggling, your pitching and defense has to step up and it did. Henderson, Rice and Evans ran down everything that was in the air while Hurst and Schiraldi kept the ball down all night. The offense will come as the series goes on so to steal a game like this is huge, especially with games 3-5 in Boston. Game 2 features the monster match between Roger Clemens of the Sox and Dwight Gooden of the Mets. This could be another pitcher's duel so hold on to your hats for that one.

Angels Win Game 4 in 11, Sox on Brink (10/11/86)

So much for this season. The Boston Red Sox reached the playoffs for the first time in 11 years and promptly fell on their face. After falling behind the American League Championship Series 2 games to 1 to the California Angels, for 8 innings of Game 4 it looked like the Sox were going to even the series. The Sox had a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth but Sox manager John McNamara went with ace Roger Clemens too long. He was pulled with the lead down to 3-2 and Calvin Schiraldi promptly puked it up. 2 innings later Bobby Grich drove home Jerry Narron and the Angels put the Sox on the brink with a 4-3 win in 11 innings at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                            Dammit

Don Sutton got the ball in the top of the first inning and Wade Boggs grounded out to first to start. Marty Barrett grounded out to short and Bill Buckner flied out to center to end the inning. Clemens got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Ruppert Jones led off by striking out swinging to start. Clemens blew away Bobby Grich before Brian Downing grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the second as Jim Rice grounded out to second to start. Don Baylor whiffed before Dwight Evans popped up to third to end the inning. Clemens cruised in the bottom of the second as Reggie Jackson whiffed to start. Doug DeCinces lined a base hit to right before George Hendrick advanced Doug to second with a grounder to third. Dick Schofield whiffed to end the inning.

Rich Gedman led off the top of the third inning by flying out to right as Al Michaels on commentary mentioned Sutton had allowed one run against the Sox all year to this point. Tony Armas watched strike three go by before Spike Owen grounded out to short to end the inning. Bob Boone took strike three to start the bottom of the third but Gary Pettis lined a broken bat single to left. Pettis was thrown out by the alert Gedman trying to steal but Jones drew a walk. Grich whiffed to end the inning.

Bob Uecker joined the broadcast booth briefly as Boggs doubled to the right field wall to start the top of the fourth. Barrett dropped down a bunt to advance Boggs to third but he couldn't score on Buckner's fly out to right. Rice lined out to short to end the inning, what a waste. Clemens walked Downing to start the bottom of the fourth but Jackson flied out to the centerfield warning track. DeCinces hit a routine grounder to Owen who tried to hook shot the ball like a basketball and the throw went over Barrett's head for an error. Hendrick banged into a double play to end the inning.

Sutton cruised in the top of the fifth as Baylor flied out to deep center to start. Evans popped up to first and Gedman popped up to third to end the inning. Schofield was rung up for strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Boone popped up to right. Pettis smacked a single to left and Jones walked, but Grich grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth when Armas broke his cold streak by dumping a single to center to begin. Owen dropped down a bunt to advance Tony to second and Armas went to third on the grounder by Boggs. Barrett walked and Buckner doubled into the right field corner to score Armas to put the Sox on top. Rice grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox leading 1-0.

                                                 Buckner drives in a run

Clemens cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Downing popped up to third to start. Owen made a great stab to rob Jackson of a hit before DeCinces flied out to deep center to end the inning.

Baylor doubled down the left field line to begin the top of the seventh before taking third on the fly out by Evans. That was it for Sutton as Gary Lucas came in to strike out Gedman. Vern Ruhle replaced Lucas and got Armas to fly out to center to end the inning. Dave Henderson took over for Armas and Clemens got Hendrick to ground out to short to start the bottom of the seventh. Schofield also grounded out to short but Boone singled to right. Pettis was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth as Owen singled to right to start. Boggs moved Owen to second on a grounder and a wild pitch moved Spike to third. Barrett whacked a base hit to center to score Owen and chase Ruhle. Charles Finley came in and a passed ball moved Barrett to second before Buckner hit a routine grounder to second. The ball went under Grich's glove and Barrett scored with Buckner moving to second. Doug Corbett came in and Rice hit a routine grounder to DeCinces and THAT ball went under his glove for another error. Baylor whiffed but Evans walked to load the bases. With a chance to break the game open....Gedman grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox led 3-0 but one more hit would have most likely ended it.

                                                   Sox pour it on

Clemens kept up the good work in the bottom of the eighth inning although Jones smacked a ground rule double into the right field stands. Grich flied out to center and Downing whiffed after a fan caused Buckner to drop a pop up in foul territory. Jackson grounded out to second to end the inning. If Clemens was done, he would have been credited with an absolute gem of 8 innings of shutout ball.

                                                  Clemens with 8 shutout innings

The Sox went quietly in the top of the ninth as Henderson popped up to center to start. Owen grounded out to second and Boggs lined out to short to end the inning. For whatever reason, Sox manager John McNamara decided to send Clemens out to finish the game. The move backfired as DiCences belted a solo home run just over the wall to put the Angels on the board. Boggs made a great throw to nail Hendrick at first to put the Sox two outs away from a tied series. It didn't come as Schofield lashed a base hit to left and Boone stuck his bat out to poke a single to left to chase Clemens. McNamara left him in too long and it cost him the game as Clemens went 8 1/3 and was charged with 3 runs. Calvin Schiraldi came in as Devon White ran for Boone at first. Pettis lined a ball to left but Rice completely misjudged it and the ball went over his head. Schofield scored and the others moved into scoring position. Jones was intentionally walked to set up a double play and Schiraldi froze Grich for strike three. One strike away from victory, Schiraldi actually hit Downing to tie the game. Unbelievable....Jackson grounded out to second to end the inning but the Angels tied it 3-3.

                            Deborah Schiraldi can't bear to watch Calvin give up the lead

The Sox were deflated in the top of the tenth with Jerry Narron now behind the plate. Barrett lined out to center to begin before Buckner grounded back to the mound. Rice grounded out to short to end the inning. Schiraldi came back for the bottom of the tenth and DiCences flied out to the right field wall to start. Hendrick whiffed and Schofield popped up to right to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the eleventh as Baylor grounded out to third to start. Evans also grounded out to third and Gedman grounded out to second to end the inning. The Angels put the Sox out of their misery in the bottom of the eleventh with Schiraldi still on the mound. Narron lined a base hit to right and a sacrifice bunt by Pettis moved him to second. Jones was intentionally walked to set up a double play but Grich lined a base hit to the left field corner. Narron came all the way around to score the winning run to put the Angels up 3 games to 1 with their come from behind 4-3 win in 11.

                                                       Dead Sox


Jackass of the Night is Calvin Schiraldi. He allowed the tying runs to score in the ninth and the winning run to score in the 11th.

                                                  Calvin Jackass


The Good:

Marty Barrett was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Tony Armas was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Spike Owen was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Roger Clemens almost went the distance, allowing 3 runs in 8 1/3 innings. He struck out 9 batters.



The Bad:

Jim Rice was 0 for 5.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 5.

Dave Henderson was 0 for 1 at the plate.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 5.

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

Don Baylor was just 1 for 5.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 but drew a walk.




Final Thoughts:

Looks like it just isn't the Sox year. Frankly if it wasn't for the Angels throwing up on themselves in Game 2 this would have been a four game sweep. They got shut down by Mike Witt in Game 1 and looked lost against John Candelaria in Game 3. Now they have to go up against Witt again in Game 5 and it doesn't look good. It seems like the Angels are a team of destiny because every break has gone their way when it mattered. The Sox had this one in the bag if McNamara brought in Bob Stanley or Schiraldi in for the bottom of the ninth but he left Clemens in too long. Then how the hell does Schiraldi HIT Downing on a 1-2 count? The offense hasn't been great in this series at all and they're one loss away from winter. The Sox still have at least one game left and they play it at high noon tomorrow with Bruce Hurst as the season's last hope against Witt at Anaheim Stadium.

Angels Take Game 3 With 7th Inning Rally (10/10/86)

For 6 innings it looked like the Sox could hang with the AL West champion California Angels in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. Oil Can Boyd pitched well but the Angels rallied in the 7th inning with home runs from Dick Schofield and Gary Pettis. The Sox rallied in the 8th inning but the Angels hit the killshot against Calvin Schiraldi. When it was over the Angels took the crucial game from the Sox 5-3 at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                     Angels take Game 3

John Candelaria got the start for the Angels and Wade Boggs led the game off with a pop up to center. Marty Barrett grounded out to third and Bill Buckner whiffed with his bat flying to end the inning. Boyd started the bottom of the first by walking Gary Pettis but the alert Rich Gedman gunned him down trying to steal. Wally Joyner grounded out to second and Brian Downing looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning when Jim Rice drew a leadoff walk. Don Baylor singled through the hole at short but got himself picked off when he strayed too far down the path. Dwight Evans singled to left to send Rice to third and Gedman's base hit to center scored Rice to give the Sox the lead. Tony Armas popped up to first before Spike Owen grounded back to the mound to end the inning with Boston ahead 1-0.

                                                    Rice scores the first run

Reggie Jackson flied out to center to begin the bottom of the second before Doug DeCinces flied out to left. Ruppert Jones grounded out to second to end the inning.

Downing ran down a Boggs liner to left to start the top of the third before Barrett grounded out to short. Buckner whiffed again with his bat flying to end the inning. Boyd stayed tough in the bottom of the third as Grich popped up to third to start. Boggs made a great running play to nail Schofield at first before Boone grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Rice looked at strike three to start. Baylor flied out to center and Evans flied out to right to end the inning. The Angels threatened in the bottom of the fourth although Boyd snared a liner by Pettis to start. Joyner and Downing struck back to back singles but Jackson popped up to short. DiCences hit a squibber that hit the first base bag. Buckner fired home and Joyner was ruled safe. Sox manager John McNamara ran a gold medal worthy sprint out of the dugout to challenge the call along with an irate Gedman, Boyd & Buckner. Home plate umpire Terry Cooney ran for cover as third place umpire Rich Garcia correctly overruled the call, Joyner was out at home. Angels manager Gene Mauch ran out of the dugout with a crowbar and chased Garcia away as Cooney said Mauch was out of the game. When the mayhem ended the Sox still led 1-0.

                                        "HE WAS OUT GODDAMMIT!!!" - JM

The Sox had a golden chance to ice the game in the top of the fifth but pissed that away although Gedman singled to start. Armas doubled off the right field fence but Owen grounded out to first. Boggs walked to load the bases but Barrett squandered a chance by popping up to first. Buckner grounded out to first to end the inning and the Sox pissed away a big chance. Boyd navigated the bottom of the fifth as Jones grounded out to second to begin. Grich flied out to left but Schofield doubled into the gap. Boone popped up to third to end the inning.

Rice whiffed to begin the top of the sixth inning but Baylor walked. Evans and Gedman both flied out to center to end the inning. The Angels tied it in the bottom of the 6th although Boyd froze Pettis for strike three to start. Joyner walked and Downing hit a ground ball to third. Boggs went to second but Joyner slid in safely. Jackson turned back to clock and singled home Joyner to tie the game. Boyd started wrestling with himself for giving up the shutout as Gedman and McNamara had to come out and calm him down. The Angels fans went wild to try to rattle Boyd but it failed as DeCinces banged into a double play to end the inning. Boyd was furious with himself in the dugout as the game was tied 1-1.

                                             Mr. October does it again

Candelaria cruised in the top of the seventh inning as Armas flied out to center to start. Owen took strike three and Boggs flied out to left to end the inning. The Angels put the game away in the bottom of the seventh although Jones hit a comebacker to Boyd to start. Grich took strike three but Schofield crushed a 500,000 foot home run to give the Angels the lead. Boone stuck his bat out and singled to center and Pettis iced the game with a 2 run bomb halfway to Hawaii. That was it for Boyd who gave up two big mistakes in the 7th inning to seal his doom after 6 2/3 innings. Joe Sambito came in and got  Joyner to ground to second to end the inning but it was 4-1 Angels.

                                                     Dammit Boyd

The Sox refused to go quietly in the top of the eighth inning against Angels closer Donnie Moore. Barrett lashed a base hit to left but Buckner popped up to center. Rice doubled just out of the reach of Jones to put runners in scoring position before Moore was charged with a balk to advance Rice to third and score Barrett. Schofield ran into foul territory to reel in a pop up from Baylor but Evans drew a walk. Gedman ripped a single to right to score Rice and put the go-ahead run at first. With the game on the line...Armas lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3. The Sox got close but couldn't get the knockout punch.

                                              Gedman inches the Sox closer

Just as soon as the Sox got back in the game, the Angels got the big insurance run off Calvin Schiraldi in the bottom of the eighth. Downing lined out to short to start but Jackson drew a walk. DeCinces hit a routine grounder to Boggs...under his glove as Jackson made a mad dash to third on the error. Armas made a great diving catch of a line drive by Jones but couldn't gun down the 40 year old Jackson at home. Grich lined out to left to end the inning with the Angels ahead 5-3.

                                                  Great catch...not the best throw

Mike Greenwell pinch hit for Owen to open the top of the ninth with Devon White now in right field. Greenwell popped up to Pettis before Boggs also flied out to center. Barrett lined a single to right to bring the tying

                                                                    Angels win


Jackass of the Night is Oil Can Boyd. He pitched well but couldn't finish the job, allowing 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings.

                                                                Oil Can Jackass



The Good:

Marty Barrett was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Jim Rice was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Don Baylor was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rich Gedman was 3 for 4 with 2 rbi's.

Joe Sambito retired the only man he faced.



The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 5.

Spike Owen was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Greenwell popped up as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4 with an error but walked.

Tony Armas was just 1 for 4.

Calvin Schiraldi gave up the insurance run but it was unearned due to the Boggs error.




Final Thoughts:

This was a really tough loss considering the prospect of having to pitch Roger Clemens on 3 days rest tomorrow. Basically if it wasn't for the Angels throwing up on themselves in Game 2, they essentially should be up 3-0 right now. The Sox couldn't hit Candelaria the same way they couldn't hit Witt in Game 1. The prospect of facing both of them again is frightening. Now they have to face Don Sutton tomorrow and hope they can crack him, otherwise they're down 3 games to 1 and forget about it. The Sox look to even the series tomorrow night when they send Roger Clemens to the mound on 3 days rest to take on Don Sutton in Game 4 at 8:00 PM eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Sox Hammer Angels in Game 2 (10/8/86)

That's more like it. After the California Angels shelled the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, this time it was the Red Sox who shoved it up the Angels collective bungholes in Game 2. For 6 innings the Sox held a slim 3-2 lead when the Angels threw up on themselves in the 7th inning. Bruce Hurst tossed a complete game allowing just 2 runs while Jim Rice settled matters with a 2 run homer in the 8th inning. When it was over the Sox had evened the series and sent it back to Anaheim with a 9-2 win at Fenway Park.

                 Sox even the series

Hurst took the ball in the top of the first inning and Rick Burleson popped up to Marty Barrett in short right to begin the game. Wally Joyner knocked down Wade Boggs with a base hit to third but was erased on the Brian Downing force. Doug DeCinces popped up into the sun but Dwight Evans snared it to end the inning. McCaskill got the ball in the bottom of the first and the Sox immediately tagged him. Boggs tripled off the Monster before Barrett doubled down the right field line to put the Sox up 2 batters into the game. Bill Buckner hit a shot but right to Gary Pettis and Barrett was caught in a rundown on a ground ball by Rice. Baylor singled off the Monster to put runners at the corners but Dwight Evans lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                             Boggs gets the rally started, Barrett finishes it

Hurst struck out George Hendrick to begin the top of the second before Bobby Grich hit a broken bat bloop single. Dick Schofield flied out to a running Tony Armas before Bob Boone hit a routine pop up but Spike Owen dropped for an error in foul territory. Boone failed to take advantage of the second chance as he looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the first when Rich Gedman singled to left center to start. Armas whiffed but Owen atoned for his error with a base hit off a rock that went up the middle, fooling Schofield. McCaskill was blinded by the sun on a ground ball by Boggs which was ruled a hit to load the bases. Barrett lined a base hit to drive in another run as Gedman scored. Buckner banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.

                                                        Gedman scores a run

Hurst kept up the pace in the top of the third inning as Pettis grounded out to third to start. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych was shown in the crowd as Burleson flied out to right. Evans climbed the wall in right to rob Joyner of a home run to end the inning. Rice whiffed to begin the bottom of the third before Baylor drew a walk. Evans flied out to right before Gedman grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Angels struck back in the top of the fourth as Downing led off with a base hit just in front of Armas. DeCinces whacked a single into left field but Hendrick popped up to third. Grich hit a routine grounder to third but Boggs booted it to load the bases on the error. Owen compounded the situation by failing to get the ball out of his glove on a grounder by Schofield to score Downing. Hurst got a big out when Boone popped up to second and Pettis lined out to a running Armas to end the inning but it was 2-1 Sox.

                                             "Oooooopssssss" - Boggs

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Armas and Owen both grounded out to first to start. Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Angels tied it up in the top of the fifth inning although Burleson grounded out to short to begin. Joyner crushed a 500,000 foot home run to tie the game. Downing popped up to first and DinCinces grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 2-2

                                                     Tie game

The Sox retook the lead although Barrett led off the bottom of the fifth by looking at strike three. Buckner singled up the middle but Rice whiffed. Baylor drew a walk and Evans hit a routine pop up to Grich but he lost it in the sun. The ball dropped in and Buckner scored to give the Sox the lead on the "single" by Evans. Evans ended up on second and Baylor on third but Gedman was rung up on a check swing to end the inning with the Sox now ahead 3-2.

                                              "I got it, I got it...I don't got it" - Grich

Hurst got Hendrick to pop up to Buckner to begin the top of the sixth. Grich and Schofield struck back to back singles before the Angels made a huge blunder. Boone lined a single to left and Rice gunned it to the cutoff man. Angels third base coach Moose Stubing never moved and Grich rounded third. He figured the throw was coming home so he trotted back to third only to see Schofield barreling toward third. Hung up, Grich was tagged out and was FURIOUS with Stubing for falling asleep at the switch. Hurst froze Pettis for strike three to end the inning with the lead still intact.

                                                           YERRR OUT!

Boston failed to capitalize on the break in the bottom of the 6th as Armas grounded out to short to start. Owen grounded out to first before Boggs lined out to second to end the inning.

Hurst came back for the top of the seventh and Burleson hit a bloop single just in front of a diving Armas to start. Joyner helped the Sox by banging into a double play before Downing whiffed to end the inning. The Angels puked on themselves in the bottom of the seventh inning although Barrett took strike three to start. Buckner hit a routine grounder to second that Grich booted for an error. Rice lined a base hit to center and Baylor walked to load the bases. Evans hit a routine grounder to third but DiCences tripped and fell, allowing Rice to reach third safely. Buckner scored the insurance run and the bases were reloaded. Gedman hit a perfect double play ball to second but Schofield threw the relay throw to first away which allowed Rice to score. Baylor made the turn for home and Joyner heaved the ball over everything which allowed Don to score the killshot. The Angels managed to commit 3 errors (4 really) in the same inning. Armas grounded out to third but the Sox now led 6-2

                                              Angels need the Benny Hill theme

Dave Henderson came in for Armas in the top of the eighth and DeCinces flied out to right to begin. Hurst had to hustle to field a throw from Buckner to get Hendrick at first and Grich grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth with Gary Lucas now on the mound. Owen drew a walk and Boggs dropped down a bunt to move him a second. Barrett singled Owen to third and Buckner scored Spike with a sac fly to left. That was it for Lucas as Doug Corbett was brought in to pitch to Rice. Rice made the Angels pay by smashing a 2 run home run into the Angels bullpen to end the scoring. The Fenway faithful started serenading the Angels with "Na na na na, kiss him goodbye" before Baylor singled off the Monster. Evans lined out to 3rd to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-2.

                                                   Rice hits one out

Dave Stapleton took over at first in the top of the ninth and Barrett caught a looper by Schofield to start. Boone flied out to center but Pettis singled to center. Burleson grounded into a force to end the game. The Sox had taken Game 2 with a 9-2 win to send the series to California tied.

                 Big, big win


Hero of the Night is Bruce Hurst. The offense was rocking and rolling but Hurst went the distance allowing just 2 runs, 1 earned.

                                                                 Hurst the Hero
                                                 

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Marty Barrett was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Don Baylor was 2 for 2 with 3 walks and a run scored.

Spike Owen was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.



The Bad:

Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Bill Buckner was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored twice.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 but drove in 2 runs.

Rich Gedman was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.



Honorable Mention:

Dave Henderson played centerfield in the final 2 innings.

Dave Stapleton played first base in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Even though it was a feel good win to beat up the Angels, trouble looms on the horizon. The Sox are going to have to rely on Oil Can Boyd and Al Nipper in Anaheim and that may not be ideal. The injury to Tom Seaver put the Sox behind the 8-ball after Hurst and Clemens. The Sox offense is going to have to step up in the next two games to get it back to Clemens and Hurst in the following games. As for this one, the Sox offense didn't really pound the Angels as it was California just throwing up on themselves. The Angels couldn't get out of their own way defensively and they're going to rebound for sure in Anaheim. Still, Hurst stepped up big and now its time for the others to pitch in if the Sox want to get to the World Series for the first time in 11 years. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox travel to Anaheim for Game 3 of the series. Oil Can Boyd goes for the Sox up against John Candelaria this Friday night at 8:00 PM Eastern Time at Anaheim Stadium.

Angels Rout Sox in Game 1 (10/7/86)

Well the American League Championship Series is off to a terrible start for the Boston Red Sox. In their first LCS action in 11 years, the California Angels stomped them into submission. Potential AL Cy Young champ Roger Clemens was lit up for 8 runs as Angels ace Mike Witt held the Sox to just 1 run in a complete game 5 hitter. Brian Downing outscored the Sox all by himself and the Angels ripped homefield away from the Sox with an 8-1 win at Fenway Park.

                                                          Angels strike first

Clemens got the ball in the top of the first inning an Ruppert Jones began the game by watching strike 3 go by right down the middle. Wally Joyner doubled into the right field corner but Brian Downling lined out softly to third. Reggie Jackson drew a walk but Doug DeCinces took Tony Armas to the wall for the third out to end the inning. Witt got the ball in the bottom of the first and Wade Boggs drew a walk to begin. Marty Barrett banged into a double play and Bill Buckner lined out to center to end the inning.

The Angels iced the game early in the top of the second although Clemens blew away Rob Wilfong to begin. Dick Schofield whiffed on a fastball right down the middle but Bob Boone and Gary Pettis drew back to back walks. Jones singled up the middle to score Boone to put the Angels on top. Joyner doubled into the left field corner to score Pettis with the deciding run. Downing also doubled into the left field corner to clear the bases. Clemens blew away Jackson but the game was out of reach already, 4-0.

                                                  Downing outscored the Sox by himself

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Jim Rice grounded back to the mound to begin. Don Baylor popped up to first before Dwight Evans grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Angels struck again thanks to poor fielding by the Sox in the top of the third. Doug DeCinces grounded out to short before Wilforng hit a routine grounder to Spike Owen. Owen then threw the ball 400 feet completely out of Fenway for an error. Clemens recovered to punch out Schofield but Boone singled up the middle. Pettis grounded a base hit past the diving Buckner to score Wilfong with another run. World Middleweight boxing champion Marvin Hagler cheered when Jones popped up to short to end the inning but it was 5-0 Angels.

                                                              Nice throw Owen

Witt continued his domination in the bottom of the third as Rich Gedman popped up to center to start. Former Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie was shown in the crowd as Tony Armas grounded out to third. Owen whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning.

Clemens settled down in the top of the fourth as Joyner grounded out to first to begin. Downing flied out to left and Jackson grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the fourth as Boggs lined out to left to start. Barrett flied out to right as Al Michaels said Bob Boone's father Ray signed Barrett to the Sox. Buckner popped out to center to end the inning.

DeCinces began the top of the fifth inning with a single to center but Wilfong flied out to center. Schofield popped up to left and Boone grounded out to first to end the inning. Rice led off the bottom of the 5th by grounding out to short. Baylor hit one up the elevator shaft before Evans was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Witt had thrown 5 no-hit innings.

Clemens came back for the top of the sixth in a silent Fenway and Pettis flied out to center to start. Jones grounded out to first and Joyner popped up to right to end the inning. Gedman led off the bottom of the sixth by popping up to center. Armas flied out to right but Owen walked to break up the streak of 16 in a row retired by Witt much to author Stephen King's delight. Boggs broke up the no hitter by beating out a chopper to third. Barrett lined a single to right to score Owen to break up the shutout. Buckner popped up to left to end the inning but the Sox were on the board 5-1.

                                                      "The Angels are scary" - SK

Clemens cruised in the top of the seventh inning as Downing flied out to center to start. Jackson popped up to third in foul territory but DeCinces grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox failed to come back in the bottom of the seventh inning as Rice popped up to Boone who reached into the stands to snare the ball. Baylor doubled off the Monster but was stranded when Evans grounded out to third. Downing made a great diving catch to rob Gedman of an rbi hit to end the inning.

The Downing catch sucked the life out of Fenway as the Angels added to the lead in the top of the eighth inning. Clemens came back to get Wilfong to ground out to second to begin. Clemens' 135th pitch was lined to right by Schofield for a base hit. Schofield swiped second and scored on the bloop single to right by Boone. Pettis singled to right off the exhausted Clemens to chase him. Clemens was game but had thrown over 140 pitches and ended up giving up 7 total runs in 7 1/3 innings.

                                               "Man oh man you sucked tonight" - JM

Joe Sambito was summoned to face old pal Rick Burleson pinch hitting for Jones. Burleson popped up to first but Joyner walked to load the bases. That was it for Sambito as Sox manager John McNamara brought in Bob Stanley to pitch to Downing. Sambito was probably the better option as Downing lined a base hit to left that scored both Boone and Pettis. Jackson grounded into a force to end the inning with the Angels ahead 8-1.

                                                       Pettis is safe and the Sox are done

The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the eighth with Devon White now in right field. Armas popped up to left but Owen beat out an infield single to second. Boggs was robbed by a diving Joyner to advance Spike to second but Barrett also beat out an infield single to put runners at the corners. Buckner popped up to left to end the inning.

Stanley came back for the top of the ninth as DeCinces grounded out to short to start. Wilfong grounded out to second and Schofield popped up to center to end the inning. Witt came back to complete the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Sox went quietly as Rice whiffed to start before Baylor popped up to right. Evans also popped up to right to end the game. The Angels had taken Game 1 of the ALCS with a convincing 8-1 win.

                                                 Witt and the Angels celebrate


Jackass of the Night is Roger Clemens. Sure the offense did nothing against Witt but the frontrunner for AL MVP got shelled in his playoff debut. He lasted 7 1/3 innings but gave up 8 runs off 10 huts and 3 walks.

                                              Cy Young Clemens is LCS Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Marty Barrett was 2 for 4 and drove in the Sox only run.



The Bad:

Bill Buckner was 0 for 4.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Don Baylor was just 1 for 4.

Spike Owen was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored but his error allowed a crucial run to score.

Joe Sambito retired only one of the two men he faced.

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




Final Thoughts:

That was GARBAGE. In the Sox first LCS action in 11 years they completely laid an egg. Clemens had his lunch handed to him and Witt completely shut down the Sox offense. Hopefully this was just opening game jitters because if the Angels take tomorrow's game then its adios muchachos. The Angels were the West Division champs for a reason and they pounded Clemens in this one. Everything they hit found a hole and sometimes there's nothing you can do about it but come back the next day. This puts the Sox in a huge hole with games 3-5 in Anaheim and needing to rely on Oil Can Boyd and Al Nipper in the absence of proven post-season starter Tom Seaver. The Sox better hope they can win tomorrow afternoon in Game 2 when Bruce Hurst takes on Kirk McCaskill at 3:05 PM at Fenway Park.