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THE SUMMER OF "MORGAN'S
MAGIC" ...
Oil Can Boyd keeps the Sox moving along
July
21, 1988 ... Oil Can Boyd was near perfect in
a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox before a rain-drenched crowd
of 32,049 at Fenway Park, the Red Sox' eighth win in as many games
under new manager Joe Morgan. Boyd retired the first 19 batters he
faced before Steve Lyons ended his bid for a perfect game with
one-out single in the seventh. After
completing his seven-inning stint, in which he threw only 80 pitches and allowed
but one hit, Boyd went to the clubhouse and watched his teammates provide
further support with four runs in the eighth.
The game
was not without its anxious moments. Boyd departed with a 2-0 lead, but reliever
Tom Bolton turned it into a one-run game by surrendering three straight singles
in the eighth. Bob Stanley bailed out Bolton and notched his second save.
In Boyd's
last 11 starts, he had gone 2-5 with a 6.10 earned run average. Against the
White Sox, he was in command, as evidenced by his six strikeouts, equaling his
season high. His fastball was better, but it wasn't his lone weapon. His curve
was a hammer, and he dropped it several times. He kept the White Sox off balance
with an assortment of sliders, which is why he lost his no-hit bid.
Boyd was
given the support he needed in the first when the Red Sox scored two unearned
runs off Jack McDowell (4-8). Wade Boggs led off by reaching on an error by
second baseman Fred Manrique, one of four Chicago blunders for the night. Boggs
advanced to second on Marty Barrett's single, took third on Daryl Boston's error
on the play and scored on Mike Greenwell's fielder's choice. Ellis Burks made it
2-0 when he doubled home Greenwell.
The game
was still in doubt when Bolton failed in the eighth. The lefthander began the
inning by striking out Greg Walker. Then Dave Gallagher batted for Boston and
singled to right. Donnie Hill hit for Mark Salas and beat out a grounder to
third. When Ozzie Guillen singled up the middle, scoring Gallagher, it was a 2-1
game and the call went to Stanley.
The
Steamer worked quickly and efficiently. Manrique grounded into a forceout at
second. Then Stanley slipped a third strike past Ken Williams to end the threat.
The Red
Sox came charging back for four runs in the bottom of the eighth, again taking
advantage of Chicago's porous defense. Singles by Todd Benzinger and Jody Reed
set the table. Kevin Romine, who had replaced Larry Parrish at first base, hit a
grounder to short, and Benzinger seemed dead as he tried to score from third.
But catcher Ron Karkovice failed to hold on to the ball as Benzinger bumped him.
Down, 3-1,
Chicago manager Jim Fregosi brought in lefty Rick Horton, who retired pinch
hitter Rick Cerone. Boggs then delivered a two-run triple, extending his hitting
streak to 14 games and boosting the Red Sox lead to 5-1. Barrett's single
brought Boggs home, and the beat goes on.
As a result, the Red Sox moved within 4 1/2 games of idle
first-place Detroit in the American League East and rewrote a couple of lines in
the club record book. Their 8-0 mark is their best getaway ever after the
All-Star break. It also gives Morgan the best start ever by a Boston manager,
with one more win than Steve O'Neill chalked up in his debut in 1950. |
