Off-Day News (4/19/83)

On this day in Basebawful history:

1915 - Senators defeat Red Sox

1971 - Indians defeat Sox in 13 innings

1981 - Red Sox beat White Sox late

Tomorrow afternoon the Boston Red Sox are back in action against the defending AL Champion Milwaukee Brewers when Dennis Eckersley takes on Moose Haas of the Brewers. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Brewers Annihilate Sox on Patriots Day (4/18/83)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4 of their NHL playoff second round series. As for baseball, so much for the Boston Red Sox sending a message to the American League champion Milwaukee Brewers. The defending champs stomped a mudhole in the Sox to show that they're still the team to beat in the American League. As if yesterday's 1-0 loss to the Texas Rangers wasn't painful enough, the inept offense was blanked again, this time by Don Sutton. Harvey's Wallbangers pounded out 22 hits and 14 runs, pounding Mike Brown (1-1, 4.15 ERA). Doug Bird and Luis Aponte into submission. The Sox mustered just 6 hits and the Brewers to a two touchdown victory 14-0 over the Sox on Patriots Day at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

The Brewers wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning as Paul Molitor singled to right to start. Paul was erased on the force by Robin Yount before old friend Cecil Cooper walked. The Brewers pulled off a double steal before Yount scored on the grounder by Ben Simmons. Old pal Ben Oglivie grounded out to second to end the inning with the Brewers up 1-0.

The Sox blew a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the first as Wade Boggs doubled to left to begin. Dwight Evans struck out but Jim Rice singled Wade to third. Carl Yastrzemski hit one up the elevator shaft but Dave Stapleton walked to load the bases. With a chance to do some damage...Rich Gedman grounded out to second to end the inning.

The floodgates opened in the top of the second inning as Gorman Thomas and Roy Howell stroked back to back singles to begin. Charlie Moore singled home Thomas and a flyball by Jim Gantner moved Howell to third. Molitor singled home Howell and a wild pitch moved the runners over. Yount walked to load the bases and Cooper beat out a double play ball to score Molitor. Simmons flied out to center to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-0.

                                         Cooper making the Sox pay for trading him

Boston failed to answer in the bottom of the second as Reid Nichols flied out to left to start. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third but Jerry Remy beat out an infield single. Boggs grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Somehow Brown pitched a clean top of the third as Oglivie flied out to left to start. Thomas flied out to right and Howell flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as both Evans and Rice flied out to left, but Yaz singled off Sutton. Stapleton struck out to end the inning.

Brown cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Moore grounded out to third to start. Gantner flied out to center before Molitor grounded out to short to end the inning. Sutton got Gedman to pop up to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Nichols grounded out to short. Hoffman singled to center but Remy flied out to center to end the inning.

Yount tripled into the triangle to start the top of the fifth but was stranded as Cooper grounded out to first. Simmons also grounded out to first but Oglivie walked to put runners at the corners. Thomas grounded into a force to end the inning. Boggs lined out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Evans singled to left. Evans was erased on the force by Rice before Yaz flied out to left to end the inning.

Brown returned for the top of the sixth and Howell grounded out to second to start. Moore singled to left but Gantner banged into a double play to end the inning. After the dreadful start, Mike Brown recovered to toss 6 innings. Too bad the Sox couldn't generate any offense.

                                      Good recovery by Brown to keep the Sox in it

Too bad the Sox offense was asleep for the second straight day as Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the sixth. Gedman flied out to left and Nichols grounded out to third to end the inning,.

Doug Bird came in for the the top of the seventh inning as Molitor popped up to short to start. Yount and Cooper stroked back to back singles but Simmons banged into a double play to end the inning. Sutton cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Hoffman grounded out to short to start. Remy flied out to center but Boggs walked. Evans popped up to short to end the inning.

The Brewers iced the game with a huge rally in the top of the eighth inning. Oglivie took strike three and Thomas hit a routine grounder to Boggs....but Wade was too busy singing opera as Thomas reached on the error. The Brewers pounced on the Sox as Howell and Moore stroked back to back doubles to increase the lead. Gantner singled home both runners and took second on the throw. Molitor and Yount both flied out to center to end the inning but the Brewers were up 7-0.

                                                           Nice going Boggs

Tom Tellmann came in to get the Sox to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rice grounded out to second, Yaz grounded out to short and Stapleton grounded out to second in short order.

The Brewers pulverized the Sox in the top of the ninth as Cooper and Simmons stroked back to back singled to start. Oglivie singled home Cooper and Thomas doubled home Simmons. Howell singled home both runners and Moore doubled home Howell to chase Bird. The guy came in with a 4-0 deficit and left with it 12-0. Luis Aponte poured gas on the fire although Gantner flied out to left. Molitor singled home Moore before Yount and Cooper stroked back to back singles to load the bases. Simmons singled home Molitor to wrap up the scoring. Oglivie took strike three and Thomas hit one up the elevator shaft to end the carnage with the Brewers up two touchdowns 14-0.

                                                "Aye carumba!" - Aponte

Mercifully the game ended in the bottom of the ninth with Ed Romero at third. Gedman lined out to left and Nichols flied out to center, but Hoffman walked. Remy flied out to center to end the game. The Brewers had won it big 14-0.

Jackass of the Night is Doug Bird. He was charged with 9 runs in just 2 innings and gave up a staggering 11 hits.

                                                    Nice relief, Jackass


The Good:

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with a walk.



The Bad:

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 4.

Mike Brown took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 innings of work off 7 hits and 3 walks.

Luis Aponte allowed 2 inherited runners to score and 1 of his own in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk but his error allowed the floodgates to open.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4.





Final Thoughts:

Good grief what a massacre. The Brewers have the best offense in the American League and showed why this morning. If the Sox want to compete against the champs, they're going to need better starting pitching than Mike Brown. Wish they had John Tudor or Bruce Hurst going instead. The offense was nonexistent for the second straight game as well. It may or may not be a concern going forward but we'll have to wait and see. Doug Bird had his lunch handed to him but I think Sox manager Ralph Houk figured the game was over and wanted Bird to finish it no matter how many runs he gave up, unfortunately he couldn't. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow evening against the Brewers when Dennis Eckersley takes on Moose Haas at 6:05 PM at Fenway Park

Rangers Blank Sox in 14 (4/17/83)

What a waste of time this day was. The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their NHL second round playoff series and in a game where both teams had no desire to score runs, the Texas Rangers defeated the Boston Red Sox in 14 excruciating innings. If you are a fan of offense, this game was a snooze. If you like pitching and defense, have a ball. John Tudor tossed 10 shutout innings which should have been enough to win. Bob Stanley (1-2, 2.16 ERA) pitched well for a few innings but a throwing error by Glenn Hoffman scored the game's only one. The Sox were beaten 1-0 in 14 by the Rangers. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Tudor got in trouble in the top of the first inning when Billy Sample led off with a double to right. Mike Richardt grounded out to third but Sample swiped third. Buddy Bell walked to put runners at the corners but Tudor somehow struck out Dave Hostetler. Larry Parrish flied out to right to end the inning. Texas starter Rick Honeycutt was greeted by a Wade Boggs single to center to start the bottom of the first. Dwight Evans flied out to center and Boggs was erased on the force by Jim Rice. Tony Armas flied out to center to end the inning.

Tudor punched out Bob Johnson to start the top of the second but Jim Sundberg walked. George Wright popped up to third and Wayne Tolleson popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Reid Nichols grounded out to third to start. Dave Stapleton flied out to center and Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sample popped up to second to begin the top of the third before Richardt grounded out to short. Bell singled to left but Hostetler struck out again to end the inning. Gary Allenson grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Jery Remy lined out to center. Boggs flied out to left to end the inning.

Tudor cruised in the top of the fourth as Parrish popped up to first to start. Johnson flied out to left and Sundberg popped up to second to end the inning. Evans walked to open the bottom of the fourth but Rice banged into a double play. Armas struck out to end the inning.

Tudor dominated the top of the fifth although Wright singled to left to start. Tolleson banged into a double play and Sample struck out to end the inning. Honeycutt matched Tudor in the bottom of the fifth as Nichols flied out to right to begin. Stapleton grounded out to short and Hoffman struck out to end the inning.

Richardt flied out to left to start the top of the sixth before Bell did the same. Hostetler grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox got a rare baserunner in the bottom of the sixth although Allenson grounded out to third to begin. Remy singled to left but was erased on the force by Boggs. Evan grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Rangers threatened in the top of the seventh as Parrish popped up to third to begin. Johnson walked, Sundberg singled and Johnson swiped third to put runners at the corners. Tudor froze Wright for strike three as Bill Stein pinch hit to Tolleson only to take strike three to end the inning. Jim Anderson took over for Stein in the bottom of the seventh as Rice singled to center to start. Rice was forced at second by Armas before Tony was thrown out to steal to end the inning on a "strike em out, throw em out" double play by Nichols.

Sample lined back to the mound to begin the top of the eighth before Richardt grounded back to the mound. Bell popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox blew their only chance for a lead in the bottom of the eighth when Stapleton singled but was thrown out trying to stretch a double. Hoffman singled but Allenson struck out. Remy flied out to left to end the inning.

                                                  What were you thinking Dave?

Tudor cruised in the top of the ninth as Hostetler popped up to third to start. Parrish struck out and Johnson flied out to left to end the inning. If the game had ended, Tudor would have tossed a complete game 4 hit shutout. Instead the game moved to the bottom of the ninth where the Sox blew a chance to win the game against Odell Jones. Boggs doubled to left and Evans walked to put the winning run on second. Rather than have his best hitter drop down a bunt, Sox manager Ralph Houk let Rice hit away. All Rice did was fly out to right, but Boggs moved to third to put the winning run 90 feet away. Armas walked to load the bases and Ed Jurak pinch ran for him. All Nichols needed was a sac fly but he could only pop up to center. Stapleton popped up to second to end the inning, what a waste.

Tudor had one last inning in him and he cruised in the top of the tenth inning. Sundberg hit one up the elevator shaft before Wright grounded out to short. Anderson popped up to first to end the inning. Tudor tossed 10 innings of shutout ball, he deserved the win big time.

                                                      10 innings of shutout ball down the drain

Hoffman singled to start the bottom of the tenth and Rich Gedman pinch hit for Allenson just to drop down a bunt to sacrifice Hoffman to second. Remy was intentionally walked but the rally ended as Boggs flied out to left and Evans popped up to second to end the inning.

Bob Stanley came on for the top of the eleventh and walked Sample to start. Richardt banged into a double play and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. Rice flied out to center to start the bottom of the eleventh before Carl Yastrzemski pinch hit for Jurak...just to ground out to short. Nichols popped up to second to end the inning.

Stanley struck out Hostetler to start the top of the 12th inning but Parrish doubled to left. Bucky Dent ran for Parrish as Pete O'Brien pinch hit for Johnson only to line out to right. Sundberg popped up to first to end the inning. Larry Biittner took over at first for the bottom of the 12th and Stapleton flied out to center to begin. Hoffman popped up to second and Gedman grounded out to first to end the inning.

Stanley hung tough in the top of the 13th inning although Wright doubled to left to start. Anderson sacrificed Wright over to third but Sample grounded out to third. Richardt flied out to right to end the inning. Remy grounded out to third to start the bottom of the 13th before Boggs flied out to left. Evans singled to center but Rice grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Rangers finally took command in the top of the 14th inning although Bell grounded out to short to start. Hostetler struck out and all Stanley needed was one more out but Biittner singled to center. O'Brien doubled off the Monster and Biittner made a mad dash home. Rice threw to Hoffman who airmailed the throw over Gedman's head for an error to score Biittner with the game's only run. Sundberg grounded out to third to end the inning but the Rangers surged ahead on an unearned run 1-0.

                                                         Stanley the hard luck loser

Dave Tobik came in to close out the bottom of the 14th and Yaz flied out to right to start. Nichols doubled to left to put the tying run at second but Stapleton struck out. With a chance to atone for his error....Hoffman grounded out to third to end the game. The Rangers had won it 1-0.

Jackass of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. His throwing error allowed the winning run to score and grounded out with the tying run on to end the game.

                                                           Hoffman the Jackass


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 2 for 6.

John Tudor was amazing, tossing 10 shutout innings while allowing just 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7.



The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 2.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 1.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but walked twice.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 6.

Tony Armas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 6.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 6.

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Bob Stanley was the hard luck loser, allowing an unearned run in 4 innings of work.



Honorable Mention:

Ed Jurak pinch ran for Armas.




Final Thoughts:

What a bore that was. Its bad enough the offense was completely incompetent but to have the winning run score on an error is even worse. John Tudor pitched amazing and its a shame he didn't get the win for this. Pitching 9 innings of shutout ball is impressive and he did 10. The Sox thought Tony Armas would be a difference maker but so far he hasn't been that great. The Sox are still desperate for offense in the bottom of the order but hopefully Jerry Remy's knees can hold up. It was a boring loss but its only one game. If the Sox want to make a statement against the current AL Champion Milwaukee Brewers, they have their chance now with the Brewers coming to Fenway for a set. Tomorrow morning the Sox play their Patriots Day game with Mike Brown (1-0) on the hill opposite Don Sutton at 11:05 AM at Fenway Park.

Hurst Shuts Down Rangers (4/16/83)

The Boston Red Sox have been waiting for Bruce Hurst (1-1, 2.65 ERA) to develop into a stud pitcher and tonight's game against the Texas Rangers could be the start. Hurst dazzled the Rangers into the eighth inning allowing just one run. Jim Rice and Wade Boggs drove in the only runs Hurst needed as Mark Clear slammed the door on the hard fought 2-1 victory in front of a paltry crowd of 13,534 people at Fenway Park.

                                                   Father Mulcahy approves of the win

Hurst began the top of the first inning by catching Billy Sample looking to start. Mike Richardt whiffed but Buddy Bell singled to center. Dave Hostetler whiffed to end the inning. Jerry Remy grounded out to short to start the bottom of the first but Dwight Evans walked. Jim Rice forced Evans at second and Carl Yastrzemski lined out to center to end the inning.

Larry Parrish lined out to left to start the top of the second before Hurst punched out Bob Johnson. Jim Sundberg grounded out to short to end the inning. Reid Nichols tried to rally against Texas starter Danny Darwin with a base hit to begin the bottom of the second. Nichols swiped second but Wade Boggs whiffed. Nichols moved to third on the Dave Stapleton grounder but Rich Gedman whiffed to end the inning.

The Rangers threatened in the top of the third when George Wright and Wayne Tolleson stroked back to back singles to start. Hurst got a big out when Sample popped up to first before Richardt beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third before Remy grounded back to the mound. Evans hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Hostetler watched strike three go by to open the top of the fourth before Parrish whiffed. Johnson doubled off the Monster but Sundberg flied out to right to end the inning. Rice popped up to second to begin the bottom of the fourth but Yaz singled to right. Yaz was forced at second by Nichols and Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning.

Wright took strike three to begin the top of the fifth before Tolleson flied out to right. Sample hit a routine grounder to Boggs who kicked the ball over to first before running in a circle screaming "GOALLLL!" for an error. Richardt lined out to left to end the inning. Stapleton whiffed to begin the bottom of the fifth before Parrish dropped a routine pop up by Gedman for an error. Hoffman grounded out to short and Remy lined out to left to end the inning.

Hurst cruised in the top of the sixth as Bell flied out to center to start. Hostetler singled to left but Parrish banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox finally broke Darwin in the bottom of the sixth as Evans singled and Rice doubled him home to put the Sox on top just like that. Rice moved to third on the Yaz grounder before Nichols also grounded to third. Boggs made up for his error with a double to center to increase the lead. Stapleton singled to right and that was it for Darwin. John Butcher came in and froze Gedman for strike three to end the inning but Boston was up 2-0.

                                                        Rice puts the Sox ahead

Hurst pitched well with the lead in the top of the seventh. Johnson grounded out to second, Sundberg flied out to center and Wright whiffed to end the inning. The Sox tried to ice the game in the bottom of the seventh although Hoffman grounded back to the mound to start. Remy beat out an infield single but was forced at second by Evans. Rice walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Yaz was intentionally walked but Nichols flied out to center to end the inning.

Hurst ran out of gas in the top of the eighth although Tolleson flied out to center to start. Sample and Richardt drew back to back singles before Sample moved to third on the Bell fly out. Hostetler doubled home Sample and put the go-ahead run at second to chase Hurst. Sox manager Ralph Houk came out and brought in Mark Clear to finish the job. Hurst went strong for 7 2/3 innings, allowing just 1 run. With the pressure on, Clear got Parrish to fly out to center to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 2-1.

                                                          Clear gets the job done

Pete O'Brien took over at first for the bottom of the eighth and Boggs grounded back to the mound to start. Stapleton popped up to second and Hoffman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Clear came back to finish off the Rangers in the top of the ninth and got O'Brien to pop up to third to start. Sundberg whiffed and Wright was frozen for strike three to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 2-1.

Hero of the Night is Bruce Hurst. Hurst tossed 7 2/3 innings of 1 run ball while scattering 8 hits and striking out 8.

                                                          Hero Hurst


The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

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

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mark Clear earned his first save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4.

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.

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

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Bruce Hurst ladies and gentleman. The 25 year old looked great and could be a fixture in the rotation if he pitches like this more often. The weakness of the Red Sox last year was their rotation and if Hurst can become the ace they need, they may be able to knock off the Milwaukee Brewers for AL East supremacy. The bottom of the order needs a little work but today was a good win. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to jump above .500 when they send John Tudor to the mound up against Rick Honeycutt at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Eckersley, Sox Shut Down Rangers (4/15/83)

It was a good day for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins won Game 2 of their NHL second round playoff series with the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Red Sox made it two in a row as they defeated the Texas Rangers in tonight's game. Dennis Eckersley (1-1, 4.76 ERA) tossed 7 superb innings before Bob Stanley finished off the Rangers. Jim Rice provided the offense and the Sox took advantage of 3 errors, two of which from old nemesis Bucky Dent. In front of a paltry crowd of just 13,553 people, the Sox beat the Rangers 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Bruce Crowder approves of the win

The Rangers wasted no time scoring off Eckersley when Billy Sample lined the first pitch of the game into the bleachers for a solo home run. A pissed off Eckersley dominated the rest of his day as Mike Richardt popped up to short. Buddy Bell grounded out to short and Dave Hostetler struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 1-0.

The Sox instantly took the lead in the bottom of the first against John Matlack. Jerry Remy made his season debut by popping up to third to start. Dwight Evans singled to right before Jim Rice crushed his second home run of the year to give the Sox the lead. Tony Armas grounded out to short and Reid Nichols hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                          Home run Jim

Pete O'Brien began the top of the second with a bunt and Jerry Remy decided to dive on the ball and sing to it for an error. Eckersley shook his head and got Larry Parrish to fly out to left before Jim Sundberg flied out to center. George Wright flied out to center to end the inning. Boggs hit a routine grounder to short and Bucky Dent threw the ball away to allow Wade to reach second. Dave Stapleton hit a fly ball to right that moved Boggs to third, but Wade was stranded when Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third. Jeff Newman struck out to end the inning.

Dent walked to start the top of the third before Eck struck out Sample. Richardt flied out to center before Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. Remy struck out to begin the bottom of the third before Evans flied out to right. Rice struck a base hit to left before Armas popped up to first to end the inning.

Hostetler singled to open the top of the fourth but O'Brien flied out to left. Parrish flied out to center and Sundberg popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Nichols singled to start. Boggs hit a routine grounder to third but Bell threw the ball way to put runners on second and third. Stapleton beat out a double play ball to score Nichols to increase the lead. Hoffman walked to load the base but Newman popped up to first. Remy hit a routine grounder to Dent who muffed the ball, allowing Boggs to score. Evans walked to reload the bases but Rice popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1. Thank you Bucky Dent....never thought THAT would be said.

                                                      You owed us one Bucky

Wright grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Dent got a base hit. Dent was forced at second by Sample but Richardt singled. Bell flied out to center to end the inning. Wayne Tolleson took over for Dent in the bottom of the fifth as Armas grounded out to third to begin. Nichols looked at strike three before Boggs grounded out short.

Hostetler flied out to right to open the top of the sixth before O'Brien lined out to second. Parrish grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Stapleton flied out to left to start. Hoffman flied out to center and Newman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Eckersley returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh as Sundberg popped up to first to begin. Wright singled to center but Tolleson popped up to left. Sample lined a double to left and Wright tried for home. Rice gunned it to Hoffman who gunned it home...YER OUTTA THERE!!! Wright was out, Eck was fired up and the Sox kept their 4-1 lead. After the leadoff home run, Eckersley was outstanding, tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball.

                                                        Eck gets the job done

Remy grounded out to third to open the bottom of the seventh before Evans hit one up the elevator shaft. Rice pounded a double off the Monster but Armas popped up to first to end the inning.

Bob Stanley took over for the top of the eighth and Richardt greeted him with a base hit. Bell hit one up the elevator shaft before Hostetler flied out to right. O'Brien singled to center but Parrish grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the eighth as Nichols popped up to first to start. Boggs lined out to short and Stapleton lined out to left to end the inning.

Stanley came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Mickey Rivers pinch hit for Sundberg...only to ground out to short to start. Wright drew a walk but Larry Biittner pinch hit for Tolleson only to force Wright at second. Sample popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

Hero of the night is Jim Rice. He went 3 for 4 and knocked in more runs than the Rangers did combined.

                                                           Rice the Hero


The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Wade Boggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Dennis Eckersley earned the win with 7 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and struck out 2.

Bob Stanley earned his second save of the year with 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Tony Armas was 0 for 4.

Jeff Newman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Reid Nichols was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Look at that, the Sox won 2 in a row. Dennis Eckersley was due for a good game and this was it. He was masterful in this one and Sox manager Ralph Houk pulled the trigger to bring in Stanley at the right time. The Sox do have a problem with the bottom of the order, they aren't going to scare too many teams out there, especially compared to Harvey's Wallbangers in Milwaukee. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to break even on the season when Bruce Hurst (0-1) looks to win his first game of the year against Danny Darwin of the Rangers at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (4/14/83)

On this day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History: 

1915 - Pennock, A's blank Sox

1930 - Sox win Opening Day

1970 - Sox crush Yankees in Fenway Opener

1971 - Senators rally past Sox

1973 - Sox drop Yankees

1974 - Sox smash Tigers

1982 - White Sox rally past Red Sox

Sox Explode on the Royals (4/13/83)

So much for the four game losing streak. Tonight the Boston Red Sox took a big fat dump on the Kansas City Royals in their home park. Nearly every member of the Sox offense had an rbi or a run scored and Mike Brown (1-0, 3.18 ERA) threw a gutty game to earn the win. The Sox offense pounded out 20 hits and 18 runs to break their losing streak with an 18-4 pasting of the Royals in Royals Stadium.

                                              Charles Bradley approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time scoring against Royals starter Paul Splittorff in the top of the first inning. Wade Boggs drew a leadoff walk before taking off for second. The throw went into center and Boggs made it to third on the error. Dwight Evans struck out but Jim Rice tripled home Boggs to give the Sox the lead. A wild pitch scored Rice before Tony Armas walked. Reid Nichols banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                     Rice gets the party started

Mike Brown (1-0, 3.18 ERA) got the start for the Sox and the Royals tagged him in the bottom of the first. Willie Wilson opened with a single and U L Washington singled him to third. George Brett forced Washington at second but Wilson scored. Amos Otis forced Brett at second and Hal McRae flied out to center to end the inning but it was 2-1 Sox.

Dave Stapleton singled and Glenn Hoffman walked to start the top of the second but Jeff Newman made his season debut by banging into a double play. Julio Valdez flied out to left to end the inning. Willie Aikens lined out to center to start the bottom of the second but Frank White singled to center. Jerry Martin singled but Don Slaught banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third although Boggs struck out to start. Evans doubled to right but Rice flied out to center. Armas singled home Evans as an error moved Tony to second. Nichols looked at strike three to end the inning but it was 3-1 Sox.

                                                      Armas drives one in

Wilson singled and stole second to start the bottom of the third but Washington flied out to right. Brett grounded back to the mound and Otis flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox attacked in the top of the fourth although Stapleton grounded out to second to begin. Hoffman singled and Newman got his first hit of the season when he doubled Glenn home. Valdez singled Newman to third but Boggs lined out to left. Evans hit a double play ball to short but Washington booted it. Newman scored, Valdez went to third and Evans moved to second on the error. That was it for Splittorff as Bill Castro came in to pitch. Rice walked to load the bases but suddenly Armas keeled over in the dugout and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital. Rick Miller pinch hit for Tony and singled home both Valdez and Evans. Nichols was plunked to load the bases but Stapleton lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                       Big hit by Newman

The Royals struck back in the bottom of the fourth as McRae started the inning with a double. McRae moved to third on the fly ball to center by Aikens and scored on the sac fly by White. Martin popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

The Sox continued to slug in the top of the fifth as Hoffman doubled to start. Hoffman went to third on the grounder by Newman before Valdez popped up to third. Boggs doubled home Hoffman and Evans singled home Boggs. Rice cracked his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Miller grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-2.

                                                     Boggs adds to the lead

Brown held the fort in the bottom of the fifth as Slaught grounded out to third to start. Wilson walked before Washington flied out to center. Wilson grounded out to second before Brett flied out to left to end the inning.

Nichols singled to open the top of the sixth but Stapleton banged into a double play. Hoffman singled but Newman grounded into a force to end the inning. Brown came back for the bottom of the sixth and Otis began with a single. McRae flied out to center and that was it for Brown. He lasted 5 1/3 innings and allowed just 2 runs, not bad. Bob Stanley came in and got Aikens to ground into a double play to end the inning.

                                                      Brown gets the job done

The Sox tacked it on in the top of the seventh inning with Joe Simpson now playing center. Valdez grounded out to second to start but Boggs singled to left. Boggs moved to second on the grounder by Evans but Rice was plunked. Miller singled home Evans and moved Rice to third before Nichols hit a hard grounder to short. Washington booted it which allowed Rice to score and Miller to go to third. Stapleton hit a routine grounder to Brett and he booted it which allowed Miller to score and Nichols to go to third. Hoffman singled home Nichols to increase the lead. Newman struck out to end the inning but the massacre was now 15-2.

                                                      Hoffman joins the fun

The Royals went quietly in the bottom of the seventh as White flied out to center to start. Martin looked at strike three before Slaught grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bob Tufts came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Valdez looked at strike three to start. Boggs popped up to short but Evans drew a walk. Rice popped up to first to end the inning. The Royals finally got to Stanley in the bottom of the eighth as Wilson singled to start. Washington flied out to left but Brett doubled home Wilson. Simpson singled in Brett but McRae flied out to left. Aikens flied out to right to end the inning with the Royals down 15-4.

The Sox kept at it in the top of the ninth when Miller was plunked to start. Nichols walked and Stapleton singled to load the bases. Hoffman struck out but Newman hit a routine grounder to Washington who booted another ball for an error that scored Miller and reloaded the bases. Valdez forced Nichols at home on a comebacker to the mound. Boggs singled home Stapleton and Newman to wrap up the scoring. Evans lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 18-4.

                                                      Miller comes off the bench to contribute\

Stanley finished off the Orioles in the bottom of the ninth when White grounded out to third to start. Martin popped up to right but Slaught singled. Wilson walked but Washington grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 18-4.

Hero of the Night is Jim Rice. He paced the offensive attack by going 2 for 4 with a walk, hit by pitch, 3 rbis, 3 runs scored and a 2 run home run.

                                                      Rice is the Hero


The Good:

Wade Boggs was 3 for 6 with a stolen base, a walk, 3 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 6 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Tony Armas walked, singled and drove in a run before leaving.

Rick Miller was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch, 3 rbis and 2 runs scored off the bench.

Reid Nichols was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch, walk, rbi and run scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 5 for 6 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Mike Brown earned his first win of the season with 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 5 but walked and scored a run.

Jeff Newman was just 1 for 6 but drove in two runs and scored twice.

Julio Valdez was just 1 for 6 but scored a run.

Bob Stanley allowed 2 runs in 3 2/3 innings to earn his first save of the season.




Final Thoughts:

Finally the streak is over. It was if the frustration of losing four in a row guided the Sox to pound the Royals into submission. The offense isn't built to be THIS good unless Tony Armas hits 40 home runs and Carl Yastrzesmki can the turn the clock back for one last year. It was nice to see the JV team so to speak with Valdez, Newman and Miller step up to help win this one. Brown got his first win and hopefully he can step up and be an ace pitcher to go with Dennis Eckersley. All in all it was a good win and maybe they can build on it. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Friday night at home. The Texas Rangers are in town and will be sending John Matlack to do battle with Dennis Eckersley (0-1) at 6:05 PM at Fenway Park.