Clemens Shuts Out Indians (4/13/91)

On the same night that the Boston Bruins eliminated the Hartford Whalers in the first round of the NHL playoffs, the Boston Red Sox 3 game losing streak came to an end. It was Boston's ace, Roger Clemens (2-0, 0.53 ERA) who bailed them out. Clemens was amazing as he tossed a complete game, 3 hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians. He struck out 11 and didn't walk anyone to keep the Indians in check. Offensively the Sox didn't do much against Indians starter Greg Swindell but Carlos Quintana drove in 2 runs off him. It wasn't pretty but the Sox did just enough to win the game 4-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Julie Clarke approves of the win

Clemens got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Cole grounded out to short to start. Jerry Browne grounded out to third and Carlos Baerga flied out to center to end the inning. Swindell got the ball in the bottom of the first and Wade Boggs grounded out to short to start. Jody Reed took strike three but Mike Greenwell walked. Jack Clark flied out to center to end the inning.

Albert Belle whiffed to start the top of the second inning before Sandy Alomar took strike three. Brook Jacoby lined out to left to end the inning. Ellis Burks flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and Tom Brunansky flied out to left. Carlos Quintana grounded out to short to end the inning.

Chris James flied out to right to start the top of the third before Felix Fermin struck out swinging. Turner Ward grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Tony Pena hit a liner to Jacoby...DROPPED! Pena took first on the error and Tim Naehring got a base hit. Boggs hit a routine grounder to Fermin who flipped to Browne for the out and THREW THE BALL COMPLETELY OUT OF THE PARK! Pena scored to give the Sox the lead but Reed flied out to left. Greenwell flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                         Pena scores the first run

Cole took strike three to start the top of the fourth and Browne flied out to left. Baerga whiffed to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the fourth although Clark grounded back to the mound to start. Burks walked but was thrown out trying to steal second. Brunansky walked and Quintana singled to left, but Pena grounded into a force to end the inning.

Belle grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Alomar lined out to left. Jacoby singled to center to break up the perfect game but James whiffed to end the inning.

                                          "How DARE they break up my perfect game!" - RC

Naehring whiffed to start the bottom of the fifth and Boggs flied out to left. Reed lined out to center to end the inning.

Fermin took strike three to open the top of the sixth but Ward singled to left. Ward moved to second on the grounder by Cole but Browne grounded out to second to end the inning. Boston got some much needed insurance in the bottom of the sixth although Greenwell lined out to left to start. Clark singled in the hole at short but Burks popped up to third in foul territory. Brunansky doubled down the left field line and Quintana singled home both runners to increase the lead. Pena grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

                                                        Quintana drives in a pair

Clemens cruised in the top of the seventh as Baerga grounded out to second to start. Belle took strike three and Alomar whiffed to end the inning. Naehring took strike three to begin the bottom of the seventh and Boggs lined out to center. Reed and Greenwell stroked back to back singles to chase Swindell. Bruce Egloff came in to pitch and struck out Clark swinging to end the inning.

Jacoby popped up to first to start the top of the eighth and James hit one up the elevator shaft. Beau Allred pinch hit for Fermin and struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth with Jose Escobar now at short. Burks doubled to left and Brunansky singled him home for another run. Bruno moved to second on the Quintana grounder but remained there on the Pena grounder to third. Naehring lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                             Brunansky drives in a run

Clemens returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Ward grounded out to first to start. Cole singled to second but Browne banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-0.

                                    

Hero of the Night is Roger Clemens. He pitched a complete game, 3 hit shutout while striking out 11 batters.

                                                                 Rocket Hero

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 1 for 3 with a walk.

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

Tom Brunansky was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Quintana was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

The Bad:

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jody Reed was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jack Clark was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Tony Pena was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

Tim Naehring was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Nothing like having your ace stop a potential losing streak with a gem. Clemens pitched a hell of a game and the Sox did just enough offensively to get him the win. Quintana's two runs batted in were much needed insurance even though Clemens was in complete control. The Sox are gonna need more games like this from Clemens not only to repeat as AL East champions but to offset the loss of Mike Boddicker, especially if Danny Darwin is going to stink up the place like he did Thursday. It would be nice to see more offense but again, what they did was enough with Clemens locked in. The Sox look to make it two in a row tomorrow afternoon over the Indians when they send Greg Harris (0-1) to the mound to face Tom Candiotti of the Indians. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (4/12/91)

On this day in Basebawful History:

1913 - A's beat Red Sox

1965 - Sox blast Senators on Opening Day

1970 - Sox can't compete rally against Senators

1971- Sox pummel Senators

1981 - Red Sox rally past White Sox

1983 - Kansas City hands Sox fourth loss in a row

1984 - Tigers hand Sox fourth loss in a row

Tomorrow the Sox are back in action against the Cleveland Indians. Roger Clemens (1-0) takes on Greg Swindell of the Indians at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Cleveland Stadium.

Indians Spoil Sox Home Opener (4/11/91)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Hartford Whalers in Game 5 in the first round of the NHL Playoffs, the bad news was the Cleveland Indians beat up the Boston Red Sox in the first home game of the season at Fenway. Big free agent acquisition Danny Darwin (0-1, 32.40 ERA) got hammered in his Red Sox debut. He allowed 6 runs and got knocked out in the second inning. Tom Bolton kept the Sox in the game in relief and the Sox rallied late, but it wasn't enough. In the end the Indians had beaten the Red Sox 6-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    "How do you lose to Indians??"

Darwin got the ball in the top of the first and the Indians ambushed him. Alex Cole walked to start and Jerry Browne stroked a single. Carlos Baerga singled home Cole to give the Indians the lead. Albert Belle doubled past a diving Wade Boggs down the left field line to score Browne and Sandy Alomar was plunked to load the bases with nobody out. Red Sox pitching coach Bill Fischer trudged to the mound to tell Darwin that 1 plus 1 is 2. Danny was so excited to hear the news that he walked Brook Jacoby to score Baerga. Darwin recovered to freeze Chris James for strike three and get Felix Fermin to line out to right. Turner Ward flied out to center to end the inning with the Indians up 3-0.

                                                               Belle drives in a run

Indians starter Eric King cruised in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs grounded out to second to start. Jody Reed flied out to left and Mike Greenwell grounded out to first to end the inning,.

The Indians knocked out Darwin in the top of the second as Cole singled off the Monster and stole second. Cole moved to third on the grounder by Browne and Baerga drew a walk. Belle popped up to first but Alomar singled to third to score Cole and chase Darwin. The big free agent signing lasted just 1 2/3 innings and would be charged with six runs. Tom Bolton relieved Darwin and Jacoby tripled home the runners to ice the game. James walked but Fermin flied out to center to end the inning with the Indians up 6-0.

                                                                    Not his best stuff

Jack Clark grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second and Ellis Burks flied out to center. Tom Brunansky flied out to left to end the inning.

Bolton cruised in the top of the third as Ward flied out to center to start. Cole grounded out to second and Browne popped up to right to end the inning. Carlos Quintana began the bottom of the third by flailing at strike three to start. Tony Pena popped up to first and Tim Naehring popped up to second to end the inning.

Baerga singled in the hole at short to start the top of the fourth but Belle went down hacking.  Alomar hit a roller into left for a base hit and both runners advanced on the Jacoby grounder. James grounded into a force to end the inning. Boggs lined out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Reed watched strike three go by. Greenwell blooped a single to left but Clark grounded into a force to end the inning.

Bolton cruised in the top of the fifth as Fermin grounded out to short to start. Ward grounded back to the mound and Cole took strike three to end the inning. Burks tried to start a rally with a double off the Monster to start the bottom of the fifth. He was stranded as Brunansky popped up to second. Burks moved to third on the Quintana grounder but Pena grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bolton caught Browne and and Baerga looking at strike three to begin the top of the sixth but Belle singled in the hole at short. Alomar grounded out to short to end the inning. Naehring popped up to short to open the bottom of the sixth but Boggs singled to left. Reed popped up to short and Greenwell popped up to second to end the inning.

Bolton returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh as Jacoby grounded out to short to start. James singled to center but Fermin flied out to right. Ward singled to right but Cole grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox finally fought back in the bottom of the seventh as Clark singled to left to start. Burks took strike three and Brunansky lined out to left but Quintana singled to third. Pena doubled home both runners to put the Sox on the board and chase King. Steve Olin relieved King and Naehring singled home Pena to cut the lead in half. Boggs flied out to right to end the inning but the Sox were down 6-3.

                                                              Naehring drives in a run

Dana Kiecker came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Browne walked to start. Browne moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Baerga but Belle whiffed. Alomar took strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a golden chance to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth with Mike Huff taking over for the slumping Belle. Reed flied out to left but Greenwell doubled off the Monster. Clark singled to center to bring the tying run to the plate but Burks only could beat out a double play ball to score Greenwell. Burks then got caught stealing second to end the inning with the Sox down 6-4.

                                                            Greenwell scores a run

Kiecker returned for the top of the ninth and Jacoby grounded out to third to start. James grounded back to the mound and Fermin popped up to right in foul territory to end the inning. Doug Jones came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Brunansky grounded out to second to start. Quintana grounded out to first but Pena singled to short. Pena took second on defensive indifference and Naehring grounded out to third to end the game. The Indians had spoiled the home opener 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Danny Darwin. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings and put the Sox in a 6 run hole they couldn't get out of.

                                                               Jackass Darwin

The Good:

Mike Greenwell was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jack Clark was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Tony Pena was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Tom Bolton tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings to keep the Sox in the game.

Dana Kiecker tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jody Reed was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4.

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

Carlos Quintana was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Tim Naehring was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Well that sucked. Danny Darwin was signed to offset the loss of Larry Andersen and that was NOT a good debut. He was batting practice for two innings but hats off to Tom Bolton and Dana Kiecker for keeping the Indians off the board for the rest of the game. The Sox offense was asleep for most of the game and it woke up too late. Not the best home opener, that's for sure. It should also be noted Sox manager Joe Morgan let Naehring bat in the ninth. If the Sox didnt let Dwight Evans walk, they could have had him or Brunansky pinch hit instead. Its only 4 games into the season but that's a bad sign. Still there's a long way to go in the season so no sense panicking after 4 games. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when Roger Clemens (1-0) takes the hill opposite Greg Swindell of the Indians. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Stun Sox Late (4/10/91)

If last night's loss to the Toronto Blue Jays was frustrating for the Boston Red Sox, tonight's gag job was even worse. Matt Young made his Red Sox debut by tossing 5 gutty innings of 2 run ball. The Sox offense scored 3 runs off Jays starter Todd Stottlemyre. The Sox cruised until the bottom of the eighth when Jeff Gray (0-1, 11.57 ERA) served up the backbreaking 3 run home run to Pat Tabler. The Sox put the tying run on in the top of the ninth but Tom Henke slammed the door as the Jays stunned the Sox 4-3 at the Skydome.

                                                               "Damn you Gray!"

Stottlemyre got the ball in the top of the first and Wade Boggs grounded out to first to start. Jody Reed popped up to first and Mike Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. Young got the ball in the bottom of the first and Devon White struck out swinging to start. 

Stottlemyre had no control in the top of the second as Jack Clark and Ellis Burks were both plunked to start. Tom Brunansky singled in the hole at short to load the bases with nobody out. Carlos Quintana lined out to right and Tony Pena struck out swinging, but Tim Naehring doubled down the left field line to score Clark and Burks to give the Sox the lead. Boggs was intentionally walked to load the bases and Reed made them pay by walking home Brunansky with another run. Greenwell flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                 Naehring drives in a pair

Young got the Jays to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second inning as Joe Carter grounded out to short to start. Pat Tabler and Pat Borders both grounded out to short to end the inning.

Clark whiffed to start the top of the third but Burks drew a walk. Bruno lined out to left and Quintana flied out to right to end the inning. Mark Whiten walked to start the bottom of the third but Manuel Lee struck out swinging. Glenallen Hill banged into a double play to end the inning.

Pena grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Naehring hit one up the elevator shaft. Boggs walked and Reed singled to left but Greenwell grounded out to second to end the inning. White grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Alomar walked. Gruber walked but Carter struck out swinging. Tabler grounded out to second to end the inning.

Stottlemyre cruised in the top of the fifth as Clark whiffed to start. Burks popped up to second and Bruno whiffed to end the inning. The Jays struck back in the bottom of the fifth although Borders grounded out to short to start. Whiten grounded out to short but Lee doubled to right. Hill walked and White doubled home both runners to cut the lead. Alomar flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 3-2.

                                                         Young goes 5 strong

Jim Acker came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Quintana whiffed to start. Pena grounded out to short but Naehring singled to left. Boggs beat out an infield single to second but Reed whiffed to end the inning. Young returned briefly in the bottom of the sixth but he was chased by a Gruber single to short. Dennis Lamp came in to pitch and Gruber moved to second on the Carter ground out. Tabler walked but Borders popped up to first in foul territory. Whiten grounded out to second to end the inning.

Greenwell flied out to right to start the top of the seventh and Clark flied out to center. Burks grounded out to third to end the inning. Lee walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Rance Mulliniks pinch hit for Hill. Sox manager Joe Morgan countered by bringing in Joe Hesketh to pitch to him. Hesketh froze Mulliniks for strike three and got White to bang into a double play to end the inning.

Mike Timlin came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bruno whiffed to start. Quintana struck out swinging and Pena grounded out to third to end the inning. The Jays rallied in the bottom of the eighth when Hesketh walked Alomar to start. Jeff Gray came in and Gruber lined out to left. Carter walked but Traber hit a home run all the way to Montreal to give the Jays the lead. Borders grounded out to short and Whiten whiffed to end the inning but the Jays were ahead 5-3.

                                                           Tabler gives the Jays the lead

Tom Henke came in to close out the top of the ninth but Naehring singled to right to start. Boggs banged into a double play but Reed singled to second. Greenwell lined out to second to end the game. The Jays had won it 5-3.

Jackass of the Night is Jeff Gray. He gave up the 3 run bomb in the bottom of the eighth.

                                                            Jackass Jeff

The Good:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Jody Reed was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Ellis Burks walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Tim Naehring was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Matt Young tossed 5 innings of 2 run ball while walking 4 and striking out 3.

Dennis Lamp tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Mike Greenwell was 0 for 5.

Carlos Quintana was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Tony Pena was 0 for 4 with a strikeout

Joe Hesketh was charged with a run in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Jack Clark was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Tom Brunansky was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a swift kick in the junk for sure. The Sox had this game in the bag but Gray let it slip away in the eighth. This is the kind of game that comes back to haunt you come September when the AL East race rides on every game. The Sox had a chance to establish some dominance early against the Blue Jays and they failed miserably. Young lasted just 5 innings because he walked too many guys but the bullpen still could have held the foot. The Sox also scored no runs after the first inning and that also contributed to the loss. The less said of this disaster, the better. After an off-day the Sox are back in action at home against the Cleveland Indians. Danny Darwin makes his Red Sox debut opposite Eric King of the Indians. The game begins at 2 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Edge Sox (4/9/91)

It was a bad day in Boston sports as the Boston Bruins dropped Game 4 of their NHL playoff first round series to the Hartford Whalers and the Boston Red Sox lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. The feel good story of winning on Opening Day lasted just 24 hours as the Sox crashed down to earth in the second game of the opening set with the Jays. There was no magic tonight as the Jays scored 3 runs off Boston starter Greg Harris (0-1, 5.06 ERA) and another run off reliever Joe Hesketh. Jays ace Jimmy Key held the Boston bats to just 2 runs in 6 innings and the Sox scratched out just three overall. There was no grand slam this time as the Jays struck back to win this one 4-3 at the Skydome.

                                                       "DAMMIT HARRIS!!!"

Key got the ball in the top of the first and Wade Boggs grounded out to first to start. Jody Reed flied out to right and Mike Greenwell struck out swinging to end the inning. The Jays wasted no time getting to Harris in the bottom of the first as Devon White doubled to center to begin. Roberto Alomar bunted White to third but Kelly Gruber struck out swinging. Joe Carter doubled home White to give the Jays the lead. John Olerud popped up to center to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                                 Carter gives the Jays the lead

Jack Clark took strike three to start the top of the second and Ellis Burks grounded out to second. Tom Brunansky grounded out to third to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the second as Rance Mulliniks tripled into the right field corner to start. Mark Whiten grounded out to first but Greg Myers hit a sac fly to score Mulliniks with another run. Manuel Lee singled to left but White grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                                                        A triple for Mulliniks

The Sox tied the game instantly in the top of the third as Carlos Quintana singled to center and Tony Pena clobbered his first home run of the season. Tim Naehring got a bloop single to left and Boggs drew a walk, but Reed messed up the bunt and Naehring was thrown out at third. Boggs took third on a fly ball to right by Greenwell and Clark walked to load the bases. Burks grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was tied 2-2.

                                                               Pena jacks a home run

Alomar walked to start the bottom of the third then moved to second on the Gruber grounder. Carter popped up to short and Olerud grounded out to first to end the inning.

Brunansky grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Quintana grounded back to the mound. Pena flied out to right to end the inning. Mulliniks grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Whiten grounded back to the mound. Myers walked and Lee struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fifth although Naehring flied out to right to start. Boggs singled to center but was forced at second by Reed. Greenwell singled to short and Clark walked to load the bases, but Burks flied out to right to end the inning. That's twice Burks left the bases loaded now. The Jays threatened in the bottom of the fifth as White singled to right to start. Alomar walked but Gruber banged into a double play. Carter popped up to second to end the inning.

Brunansky lined out to third to begin the top of the sixth but Quintana singled to left. Pena lined out to Key and Naehring watched strike three go by to end the inning. Harris ran out of gas in the bottom of the sixth although Olerud flied out to center to start. Mulliniks walked to start and Whiten doubled him home to chase Harris. Joe Hesketh came in and struck out Myers swinging before Lee grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 3-2.

                                                             Average start by Harris

Duane Ward took over on the mound to start the top of the seventh and turned up the heat. Boggs, Reed and Greenwell all struck out swinging in short order. The Jays iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as White doubled to left to start. Alomar bunted him over to third and Sox manager Joe Morgan brought in Dana Kiecker to pitch to Gruber. Kiecker got a big out when Gruber grounded out to third but Carter doubled to left to increase the lead. Tony Fossas came in to pitch and Olerud popped up to left to end the inning with the Jays up 4-2.

                                                             "Dammit Kiecker!" - JH

The Sox fought back in the top of the eighth although Clark struck out swinging to start. Burks doubled down the left field line and Brunansky singled him to third. Quintana singled in the hole at short to score Burks to cut the lead. With a chance to tie the game....Pena popped up to right and Naehring lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                            Quintana drives in a run

Pat Tabler pinch hit for Mulliniks to begin the bottom of the eighth and he grounded out to third to begin. Boggs booted a grounder by Whiten for an error and Mark moved to second on the grounder by Myers. Lee walked and that was it for Fossas. Jeff Gray came in and got White to ground out to first to end the inning.

Tom Henke came in to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Boggs and Reed both flied out to left and Greenwell struck out swinging to end the game. The Jays had won it 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Dana Kiecker. The rbi double he gave up to Joe Carter ended up being the difference in the game.

                                                                Kiecker the Jackass

The Good:

Jack Clark walked twice in four plate appearances.

Carlos Quintana was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Tony Fossas tossed a full scoreless inning.

Jeff Gray retired the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Jody Reed was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Joe Hesketh was charged with a run in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked.

Mike Greenwell was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Tom Brunansky was just 1 for 4.

Tony Pena was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run homer.

Tim Naehring was just 1 for 4.

Greg Harris took the loss by allowing 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

So much for the feel good win of Opening Day. This game was frustrating as the Sox kept it close but couldn't complete the comeback. Harris was average as it gets but Hesketh and Kiecker failing to keep the fourth run off the board proved to be the difference. The Sox had their chance in the eighth but couldn't tie the game. Its only April and its only the second game of the season so no need to panic. Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action against the Blue Jays when Matt Young makes his Red Sox debut against Todd Stottlemyre. The game begins at 7:05 at the Skydome.

Clark's Grand Slam Wins Opening Day (4/8/91)

Way to go Lou Gorman. The Boston Red Sox general manager made a splash in free agency this off-season by signing Danny Darwin and Jack Clark to big contracts. For one day at least the Clark signing paid off as his third inning grand slam was instrumental in the Red Sox opening day victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Roger Clemens (1-0, 1.13 ERA) went eight strong innings to earn the win. Over 50,000 fans packed the Skydome to witness the Red Sox win the game 6-2.

                                             Arnie Becker approves of the win

Dave Stieb got the ball for the Jays and Wade Boggs greeted him with a single up the middle to start the season. Jody Reed whiffed on a curveball in the dirt before Mike Greenwell grounded out to first, moving Boggs to second. Jack Clark made his Red Sox debut by grounding out to third to end the inning. "Rocket" Roger Clemens took the mound in the bottom of the first and he blew away Devon White to start. Roberto Alomar grounded out to second but Kelly Gruber hit a high chopper to third for a base hit. Joe Carter stroked a base hit to right to move Gruber to third, but John Olerud whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Ellis Burks was retired on a squibber in front of the mound. Tom Brunansky grounded out to second and Carlos Quintana lined out to right to end the inning. The Jays struck first in the bottom of the second inning as Rance Mulliniks sliced a ground ball single to left to begin. Greg Myers hit a high pop up to left but Manuel Lee hit a ground rule double on a missed catch by Greenwell. Mookie Wilson scored Rance with a sac fly before White grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                Jays up 1-0

The Sox exploded to take command in the top of the third inning. Tony Pena doubled down the left field line to start and was sacrificed to third on the bunt by Tim Naehring. Boggs and Reed both drew walks to load the bases and Greenwell singled home Pena to tie the game. Clark served notice to the AL East that The Ripper was in town with a towering grand slam into the upper deck in left to give the Sox the lead. Burks was plunked but was picked off and Brunansky popped up to Alomar in shallow right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                               Sox take the lead

Clemens responded with a clean bottom of the third inning. Alomar grounded out to second before Gruber popped up to center. Carter hit a 390 foot out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the fourth inning as Quintana lined out to short to begin. Pena and Naehring both flied out to center to end the inning. Clemens cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Olerud and Mulliniks both grounded out to first. Myers whiffed to end the inning with Clemens retiring eight batters in a row.

Steib cruised in the top of the fifth as Boggs grounded out to second to start. Reed looked at strike three on the inside corner before Greenwell popped up to second to end the inning. Clemens continued to dominate in the bottom of the fifth as Lee whiffed on a ball down and in to begin. Wilson grounded out to third before White struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jim Acker came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Clark whiffed to begin. Burks looked at strike three on the outside corner before Brunansky grounded out to third to end the inning. Clemens continued to cruise in the bottom of the sixth as Alomar grounded out to second to begin. Gruber grounded out to short and Carter lined out to third to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the seventh as Quintana grounded out to third to start. Pena whiffed and Naehring grounded out to third to end the inning. Clemens ran into some trouble in the bottom of the seventh although Olerud grounded out to first to start. Mulliniks grounded a single up the middle but Myers whiffed. Lee singled to center and a sinkhole appeared in the infield, nearly sucking Jody Reed in while. Jody was pulled to safety and the hole was filled in. When play resumed, Wilson lined out to short to end the inning.

                                                      "Damn quicksand!" - Jody Reed

The Sox got some insurance in the top of the eighth with Al Leiter now on the mound. Boggs walked and was sacrificed to second by Reed but Greenwell whiffed on a pitch way outside. Clark walked and Burks doubled Boggs home to chase Leiter. Mike Timlin made his MLB debut and walked Brunansky, but Quintana grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                      Burks first RBI of 91

Clemens returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and he cruised. White grounded out to first, Alomar flied out to center and Gruber popped up to second to end the inning. Clemens was outstanding tossing 8 innings of 1 run ball. He scattered 6 hits and struck out 6 without walking anyone.

                                                    Clemens was brilliant

Timlin returned for the top of the ninth and Pena lined out to right to begin. Naehring grounded out to short but Boggs walked. Reed grounded into a force to end the inning. Jeff Gray replaced Clemens for the bottom of the ninth and got tagged immediately when Carter launched a 400,000 foot bomb to cut the lead. Olerud walked but Mulliniks flied out to left. Olerud took second on a passed ball but Myers flied out to center. Lee grounded out to second to end the game. Boston had prevailed on Opening Day with a 6-2 win.

Hero of the Night is Jack Clark. His grand slam proved to be the difference in the game

                                                             Jack The Hero



The Good:

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

Ellis Burks was 1 for 3, got hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

Roger Clemens was outstanding by tossing 8 innings of 1 run ball to earn the win. He scattered 6 hits and struck out 6.



The Bad:

Carlos Quintana was 0 for 4.

Tim Naehring was 0 for 3.

Jeff Gray allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth.



The Ugly:

Jody Reed was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

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

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 3 but walked.

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




Final Thoughts:

That's a good way to start the season. A grand slam on Opening Day is always fun but now the hard part begins. The Sox took a ton of criticism for letting Mike Boddicker go and now we see if the patchwork rotation from last year can repeat the magic. Is Tom Bolton ready to turn the corner, can Greg Harris' arm hold up, can Danny Darwin be the dominant pitcher he was last year? All these questions will be answered in due time. The Blue Jays will be breathing down their necks so the Sox will need all their weapons to hold them off this season. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Jays as Greg Harris makes his season debut opposite Jimmy Key at 7:00 PM at the Skydome.

White Sox Sweep Red Sox (9/16/90)

This is not good, not good at all for the Boston Red Sox. Needing to take three of four from the Chicago White Sox to put the pressure on the Toronto Blue Jays, the opposite happened. Today the ChiSox completed a four game sweep of the Red Sox and sent them packing to Baltimore in deep trouble with 15 games left to play. Dana Kiecker (6-9, 4.43 ERA) got knocked out in the 6th inning, White Sox starter Eric King tossed 7 innings of 1 run ball and the BoSox were swept out of Chicago with the White Sox winning 4-2 at Comiskey Park.

Eric King got the start for the White Sox and Jody Reed greeted him with a soft liner to third to start. Dwight Evans drew a walk before Wade Boggs flied out to the left field wall. Ellis Burks grounded into a force to end the inning. Kiecker got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ivan Calderon grounded out to short to start. Lance Johnson grounded out to second before Tom Brunansky made a running catch to rob Frank Thomas of extra bases to end the inning.

Mike Greenwell led off the top of the second inning by lining out to center to start. Tom Brunansky flied out to center but Mike Marshall was robbed of a home run by Johnson who deflected the ball back onto the field for a triple. Tony Pena grounded out to short to end the inning. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the second as Dan Pasqua blooped a double down the left field line to start. Pasqua moved to third on the grounder by Robin Ventura and Rob Karkovice scored Pasqua with a base hit to center. Sammy Sosa hit a blooper into right and Karkovice motored all the way around to score, Sammy taking second on the double. Scott Fletcher grounded out to short before Ozzie Guillen lined out to a running Greenwell to end the inning with Chicago up 2-0.

                                                      2-0 White Sox

The BoSox fought back in the top of the third inning as Randy Kutcher singled to right to start. Reed flied out to center but Kutcher swiped second base. ChiSox broadcaster and old friend Ken "Hawk" Harrelson brought up the big Notre Dame/Michigan college football game (featuring Elvis Grbac of Michigan and Rick Mirer of Notre Dame) the night before as Evans blooped a single to center. Kutcher made a mad dash for home to cut the lead and Boggs singled to left. Burks hit a grounder to third but Ventura bobbled it to load the bases. With a chance to do some damage....Greenwell banged into a double play to end the inning as Boston trailed 2-1.

                                                        Kutcher scores a run

Kiecker cruised in the bottom of the third as Calderon popped up to Boggs on the infield to start. Kiecker snuffed out a bunt by Johnson and Thomas grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bruno led off the top of the fourth by popping up to Guillen in shallow left. Marshall hit a bullet but right to the centerfielder for an out before Pena drew a walk. Kutcher flied out to right to end the inning but the comedy was Pena going back to first despite there being two outs. Oops! Pasqua singled up the middle to open the bottom of the fourth but Ventura banged into a double play. Karkovice struck out swinging to end the inning.

King cruised in the top of the fifth as Reed flied out to left to begin. Evans grounded out to third and Boggs flied out to left to end the inning. Sosa led off the bottom of the fifth by striking out swinging before Fletcher lined out to right. Guillen singled to center but was thrown out by Pena trying to steal to end the inning.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the sixth as Burks' bunt attempt was snuffed out to start. Greenwell flied out to left and Brunansky lined out to a running Sosa to end the inning. The White Sox finished off Kiecker in the bottom of the sixth as Calderon doubled down the left field line to start. Johnson blooped a single to left to score Calderon as Red Sox pitching coach Bill Fischer came out to tell Kiecker that Pee Wee's Playhouse reruns were on in the clubhouse and Kiecker was so excited that Thomas walked to chase him from the game. Kiecker got nailed for 4 runs in just 5 plus innings, not good.

                                                           Not today Kiecker

Rob Murphy sprinted from the bullpen as Phil Bradley pinch hit for Pasqua only to force Thomas at second on a grounder. Bradley took off for second and Pena threw down to chase Bradley back to first. The alert Reed then spotted Johnson taking off for home and fired home...OUT! Unfortunately the BoSox couldn't put the ChiSox away as Ventura drew a walk. Murphy made a mad dash to the dugout and Larry Andersen strutted in from the bullpen. Karkovice lashed a base hit to right to score Bradley with the kill shot. Sosa whiffed to end the inning but the ChiSox were up 4-1.

                                                Allowing inherited runners to score, ugh

Mashall tried to start a rally in the top of the seventh with a base hit to right but Pena flied out to left. Phil Plantier pinch hit for Kutcher and banged into a double play to end the inning. Jim Pankovits made his Sox debut taking over at second for the bottom of the seventh and Fletcher whiffed to start. Guillen took a slider on the outside corner for strike three before Calderon whiffed to end the inning.

                                                     Pankovits in his Sox debut

Barry Jones relieved King in the top of the eighth and Reed popped up to short to start. Evans grounded out to third and Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning in just 5 pitches. Jeff Gray came on for the bottom of the eighth and got Johnson to pop up to center to start. Thomas was rung up on strike 3 on the inside corner before Bradley whiffed to end the inning.

Bobby Thigpen came in to close out the top of the ninth and Burks grounded out to short to start. Greenwell blooped a single to left but Bruno whiffed. Down to their last out, Marshall blooped a single to center. Rookie Scott Cooper pinch ran for Marshall as Pena dumped a base hit to right. Greenwell went for home and the throw came in...SAFE! Cooper made it to third and Pena took second representing the tying run. Jeff Stone came in to run for Pena with Danny Heep pinch hitting for Pankovits. Heep was almost rung up for strike three and ending up drawing a walk to load the bases. Kevin Romine pinch ran for Heep and with a chance to tie the game....Reed lined out to Thigpen to end the game. The ChiSox had swept the BoSox with a 4-2 win.

               

Jackass of the Night is Jody Reed. he was 0 for 5 and left several men on base, including the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.

                                                             Jody Jackass



The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Mike Marshall was 3 for 4.

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

Randy Kutcher was 1 for 2 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Danny Heep walked as a pinch hitter

Rob Murphy got 2 outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Jeff Gray pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Ellis Burks was 0 for 4.

Tom Brunansky was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dana Kiecker took the loss with going just 5 plus innings and allowing 4 runs.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4.

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

Phil Plantier was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Larry Andersen allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



Honorable Mention:

Scott Cooper pinch ran for Marshall in the top of the ninth

Jeff Stone ran for Tony Pena in the top of the ninth.

Kevin Romine pinch ran for Danny Heep in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Well this loss was a kick in the balls. The BoSox had their chances to win this one but couldn't get the clutch hit when it counted. Kiecker only going 5 plus didn't help and Andersen giving up the kill shot could have been avoided but the BoSox couldn't crack King. The White Sox are the second best team in the American League and third best in all of baseball for a reason and the reason there's talk about bringing in a "wild card" system is because the White Sox have almost no chance to make the playoffs because the Oakland A's are in their way. The BoSox are in big trouble because they have the Toronto Blue Jays breathing down their necks and losses to good teams doesn't look good for potential October baseball. The loss dropped the Sox to 80-67, just 1 game ahead of the Blue Jays for 1st place in the AL East with 15 games left. The Sox look to right the ship in Baltimore with a set against the Orioles. Mike Boddicker (15-8) takes on Ben McDonald at 7:30 PM at Memorial Stadium.