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Wil Cordero's walk-off pulls the game out in extras May 17, 1996 ... In a season full of early despair, the Sox continued their mild surge, bouncing back to win in extra innings for the second time in three games. They pulled out a 5-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wil Cordero's two-out, two-run homer to left off Todd Van Poppel before a Fenway Park crowd of 28,690. On Tuesday night, the Red Sox overcame a 3-0 deficit to trip the California Angels in 12 innings, 4-3. Tonight first-inning home runs by Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire helped the A's jump to a 3-1 lead through three, offsetting Boston's lone early response, Mo Vaughn's 15th homer in the bottom of the first. But in winning for the ninth time in 13 games, the Sox displayed confidence and resiliency. They stayed close with good pitching, particularly in relief. And after tying the game with runs in the fourth and eighth, they shrugged off two late lapses. The first was leaving the bases loaded in the ninth and runners at second and third in the 10th was the second. Then Wil Cordero settled the issue. In fact, Boston had the winning run in scoring position three times after tying the game. The fourth time was the charm. Cordero, who has driven in 22 runs in his last 21 games, also saved his teammates with defensive plays. In the sixth, he ranged to his right and threw out Terry Steinbach from behind second base. In the seventh, he went the other way to flag down a grounder by former Red Sox outfielder Phil Plantier. But he saved his best for his bat. After stroking a two-out eighth-inning double and scoring the tying run on John Valentin's single, Cordero flied to right to end the ninth. In the 11th, he came to the plate with two out and Troy O'Leary on base. O'Leary, who had begun the night on the bench because the A's started lefthander Steve Wojciechowski, had kept the inning alive by hustling out an infield single behind second base. Cordero didn't leave any doubt this time, cracking his second homer of the year into the left-field screen. After Tim Wakefield was lifted in the eighth, Kennedy gave the ball to his bullpen of Eric Gunderson, Heathcliff Slocumb, Rich Garces and Mike Stanton, who didn't allow a run in 3 1/3 innings. Stanton (2-1), who got the victory, showed his stuff as a closer in the top of the 11th. With runners on first and second, he got Terry Steinbach to ground into a double play. Troy O'Leary's play in the 11th was a big play. He hustled to beat that ball out and he gave Cordero a chance to get a pitch he can drive. |
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