July 29, 2003
...
In one of the most memorable offensive explosions in Red Sox history,
Bill Mueller swatted three homers and became the first switch hitter
in major league history to slug grand slams from each side of the
plate in a game, as he knocked in nine runs and propelled the Sox to
a 14-7 devastation of the Rangers before 24,632 at The Ballpark in
Arlington.
Mueller
became the 12th player in major league history to uncoil two grand slams in a
game, joining Nomar Garciaparra (1999) and Jim Tabor (1939) and Rudy York (1946)
among the Sox who have accomplished the feat. Boston pitching coach Tony
Cloninger also launched two slams for the Braves in 1966. In addition, Mueller
became the first Sox player to drive in nine runs in a game since Garciaparra
knocked in 10 May 10, 1999, the day he hit two slams against the Mariners.
Mueller's
second homer of the game, and his first grand slam, was the most crucial, as the
Sox batted around and struck for seven runs in the seventh inning to erase a 4-2
deficit. Fourteen times this season, Little's Comeback Kids have entered the
seventh trailing, only to recover and triumph. In fact, the seventh inning has
been their most lopsided of all, as they have outscored their foes, 88-51.
David
Ortiz's two-run double off reliever Rosman Garcia gave the Sox the lead in the
seventh after Gabe Kapler singled home Garciaparra earlier in the outburst. And
Mueller's first slam, from the right side of the plate off lefthander Aaron
Fultz, capped it.
Their latest
seventh-inning eruption helped hard-luck Tim Wakefield improve to 8-5 after his
erratic knuckleball caused problems and prompted him to rely more than usual on
the rest of his repertoire as he held the Rangers to four runs (two earned) over
the first six innings. His knuckler danced so much that catcher Doug Mirabelli
had four pitches elude him for passed balls, contributing to the two unearned
runs. It hardly helped that the temperature, which was 97 at game time, made the
knuckleball even more difficult to control.
After
Garciaparra homered leading off the eighth to give the Sox a 10-4 edge, Mueller
scorched right-hander Jay Powell for his second slam to make it 14-4. Mueller
also struck a solo homer in third on his way to setting a career high in homers
with 13. Trot Nixon also homered.
No pop, they
said. No power. Bill Mueller could slash singles and doubles until the cows come
home, the baseball wizards said after the Red Sox acquired him with an eye
toward replacing Shea Hillenbrand at third base. But he was no slugger, they
said. If only they could see him now.
