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THE SUMMER OF "MORGAN'S
MAGIC" ...
The Red Sox rally and come from behind
July
23, 1988 ... The Red Sox made Chicago their
10th straight victim and remained perfect under manager Joe Morgan,
courtesy of an 11-5 victory before a home crowd of 35,129. Coupled
with Detroit's 4-1 loss to Oakland, the Sox moved within 2 1/2 games
of the AL East-leading Tigers. Timely hitting was in vogue, as the
Sox rallied from a 5-1 deficit en route to a 20-hit performance.
Every starter got into the act. With
Chicago lefthander Dave LaPoint on the mound, the Red Sox were concerned. Not
only did Boston rise to the challenge offensively, but right-hander Mike
Smithson provided 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief after rookie Steve Curry
(five runs, four walks in 2 1/3 innings) had been roughed up.
LaPoint
had been a thorn in the Red Sox' side. He brought a lifetime 3-0 record against
the Sox to Fenway, and had allowed just one run and 13 hits in 23 innings. But
today, the Sox made LaPoint the main target of their hit barrage. He exited
after yielding six runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The rally
was quick and decisive, and after the fifth inning the outcome was never in
doubt. But the manner in which Sox hitters attacked Chicago pitching excited the
fandom. The Red Sox began their comeback from a 5-1 deficit in the third,
loading the bases on line singles by Mike Greenwell and Ellis Burks, and a bunt
hit by Jody Reed. With two out, Rick Cerone, who had been 0 for his last 11,
stroked a soft liner over the head of shortstop Ozzie Guillen, making it 5-3.
The end for LaPoint came the next inning. His woes began
when Evans singled past third with one out. LaPoint then retired Greenwell on a
fly ball, but Burks singled to right, keeping the inning alive. LaPoint then
tried to intimidate Reed with a pair of high and inside pitches, and the
diminutive shortstop responded with a run-scoring single past short. Evans and
third base coach Rac Slider gambled, and the DH should have been out at the
plate. But in another display of Chicago's woeful defense, catcher Mark Salas,
who had the plate blocked, failed to catch Dan Pasqua's throw from left. Evans
slid and then crawled around Salas to make it 5-4. Burks then scored on Larry
Parrish's fluke infield grounder off relief pitcher Carl Willis. Todd
Benzinger's double off the wall drove in two more runs, and the Sox were on
their way. |
