The Indians keep the Red Sox
in check
September 30, 1998
...
The Cleveland Indians spotted the Red Sox a manager, a starting
pitcher, and a two-run lead four batters into Game 2 of their
American League Division Series. Add the ejections of Indians manager
Mike Hargrove and pitcher Dwight Gooden by plate umpire Joe Brinkman.
But a loss of composure doesn't always translate into defeat.
Instead of
surrender, the Indians opted for inspiration. With Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield
barely sticking around longer than Gooden, and with a Jacobs Field crowd of
45,229 energized by the first-inning fireworks between Brinkman and the home
side, the Indians rallied for a 9-5 win behind Gooden's emergency stand-in, Dave
Burba, to even the best-of-five series at a game apiece.
David
Justice hit a three-run home run off reliever John Wasdin in a five-run second
inning, which might have ended sooner if rookie catcher Jason Varitek had been
less cautious when he had Kenny Lofton trapped between second and third after
the runner in front of him, Joey Cora, elected to stay put on Omar Vizquel's
one-out fly ball to left.
The Indians
then had an answer each time the Red Sox tried to climb back into the game,
knocking out seven extra-base hits, including six doubles, and putting runners
on base in every inning.
Gooden
walked the first two batters, Darren Lewis and John Valentin, whiffed Mo Vaughn,
then was gone when he barked in Brinkman's face after Nomar Garciaparra doubled,
missing a home run by 6 inches, and the umpire called Valentin safe when replays
showed he was clearly out despite his best headfirst slide.
That was
only the beginning of it. Gooden, who had been backing up home plate when he
crossed paths with Brinkman, had to be restrained from charging the umpire when
he returned to the mound and discovered belatedly that he'd been ejected. Then
he had to be physically wrestled back to the Indians dugout by coach Jeff
Newman, who'd become manager-for-a-day when Hargrove was tossed. Then Gooden
tossed his cap and glove onto the field in Brinkman's direction.
The pitching
was left to Burba, who was supposed to be Cincinnati's Opening Day starter but
was traded here the day before the season. He seized this opening, limiting the
Red Sox to a run through 4 2/3 innings before tiring in the sixth, when the Sox
scored twice.
But despite
three RBIs from Garciaparra, giving him seven in two games, the Sox could not
overcome the early exit by Wakefield, who couldn't blame Brinkman for his
unscheduled departure.
Wakefield,
who was forced to warm up twice because the top of the first lasted so long, was
charged with more runs (5) than he got outs (4) in his shortest outing of the
season. A 17-game winner in the regular season, Wakefield gave up a run in the
first when Lofton walked, stole second, and eventually scored on Justice's
sacrifice fly, then failed to survive the second, when he gave up a single to
Travis Fryman, doubles to Sandy Alomar and Lofton, and a walk to Cora. Justice
hit the first pitch he saw from Wasdin, a split-fingered fastball, into the
right-field seats.
There was
one last sour note, when a fastball by closer Mike Jackson came this close to
creasing Valentin's nose. Valentin made a move toward Jackson, the pitcher
started flapping back, benches and bullpens emptied, but there was no rumble,
only grumble. And when the noise ended, there were flights to Boston to be made.
