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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9 April 11, 1986 ... The moment of truth may have come early for Roger Clemens on three magnificent pitches to Chicago's Harold Baines. Baines struck out to end the second inning of a 7-2 victory, saving Clemens from an early departure and giving the Red Sox momentum to beat the White Sox, who have opened the season with four straight losses. Boston won this one by scoring four times in the top of the third inning. A single by Wade Boggs, a double by Bill Buckner and Marty Barrett's two-run triple sent Chicago's Floyd Bannister to defeat. Don Baylor hit a solo home for the Red Sox in the eighth, which won its second straight game after two opening losses in Detroit. But the offensive seemed secondary after watching Clemens come back after two shaky innings. After walking four batters and throwing 39 pitches, Clemens settled down and went on to record his first victory since Aug. 3. Chicago could manage but six hits off Clemens through 8 2/3 innings, including a solo home run in the eighth by Carlton Fisk. Clemens had thrown 130 pitches when he retired in favor of Joe Sambito. Boston pounded out eight hits, including a home run by Don Baylor and a triple and double by Barrett. Baines came up in the second with bases loaded and two out. The White Sox had take a 1-0 lead on a wild pitch, and Sammy Stewart was already warming up. But he wasn't needed. As Baines missed each one, you could feel the confidence growing where only moments before there had been indecision. After the strikeout, and the four-run third by Boston, Clemens took command and only Fisk's home run spoiled a otherwise perfect night. There was nothing wrong with Clemens' velocity. He threw a fastball in the 90 mile-an-hour range and he showed no trace of a shoulder problem. Clemens walked two batters on eight pitches in the first inning and escaped unharmed, but ran into trouble in the second. With one out, Ozzie Guillen reached on a throwing error by shortstop Ed Romero. Bryan Little flied to left, but Marc Hill singled, sending Guillen to third, and John Cangelosi walked to load the bases. Then, with Wayne Tolleson at bat, Clemens threw a wild pitch, scoring Guillen. Tolleson walked, loading the bases again, but the Red Sox right- hander settled down and fanned Baines. Floyd Bannister wasn't much better, using 44 pitches in two innings and walking three. He gave up the tying run in the top of the third inning when Boggs, singled, moved to third on Buckner's double and scored on Jim Rice's groundout. After walking Don Baylor, and striking out Tony Armas, Bannister gave up a two-run triple to Barrett. Romero reached on an error by Tolleson, with Barrett scoring, and the Red Sox had a 4-1 lead. The Red Sox explosion seemed to breath new life into Clemens, who had a 1-2-3 inning in the third and gave up a harmless single to Guillen in the fourth. Clemens then retired three in a row in the fifth. In the sixth, Greg Walker lined a ground-rule double to left. The ball might have cleared the wall, but a fan reached out and touched it. That cost Chicago a run as Clemens got Ron Kittle to pop to first and then retired Guillen and Little on fly balls. Red Sox shortstop Glenn Hoffman again was sidelined by a sprained right ankle. With Rich Gedman suffering a sore back, Marc Sullivan caught for Boston. |
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