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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 10 April 7, 1986 ... Ouch! It took only one day. In just one game, the Red Sox gave us a glimpse of the best and worst that they have to offer this year. And the end result was just about what you expected. Like the gladiator days of the late '60s and '70s, the Red Sox flexed their muscles for four home runs and 12 hits before an Opening Day crowd of 51,437 at Tiger Stadium today. Dwight Evans hit a line-drive home run before most had their first morsel of popcorn. Jim Rice, Don Baylor and Rich Gedman all hit home runs, and normally that would be a cause for rejoicing. But despite all that, they were devoured by the Tigers in a 6-5 loss that brought up all the unanswered questions from spring training and brought out the worst fears of Red Sox management. Who says Kirk Gibson isn't worth a million or two? He put himself in the early lead for the triple crown by batting 1.000 (4 for 4), hitting two home runs and collecting five RBIs. His offensive display made shambles of what had been decent work by Bruce Hurst and Sammy Stewart. With the game tied at 2-2 in the fifth inning, Gibson hit Hurst's first offering into the jet stream, and when it came down in the upper deck in right-center, the Tigers had a 4-2 lead. Hold off making Sammy Stewart the savior of the Red Sox' bullpen. After Boston had rallied in the top of the seventh for three runs and a 5-4 lead, Stewart not only coughed up a game-winning two-run homer to Gibson in the bottom of the inning, but he did it on an 0-2 pitch. That, you may recall, is one of the sins that Sox manager John McNamara feels should be punishable by firing squad. Indeed, stranding runners came back to haunt the Red Sox, as it so often has. Evans' rocket to left off Jack Morris' first pitch in the first inning gave Boston a 1-0 lead. But the Sox couldn't score Bill Buckner, who doubled two outs later. Rice's home run in the third gave Boston a 2-0 lead, but that was only after Wade Boggs had struck out with the bases loaded to end the second. And in the fourth, Evans tripled with two out, but Boggs, amazingly, struck out for the third straight time. Detroit squeezed across a run off Hurst in the third on a one- out single by Gibson. Darnell Coles scored from second, despite a fine throw by Evans to Gedman, who seemingly had the ball in time, but never got around to making the tag. In the fifth, Darrell Evans singled and with one out scored on a wind- aided triple by Dave Collins. One out later, Gibson hit his first homer, and Hurst's day was complete. It was like a man biting a dog. Wade Boggs struck out three straight times. He wasn't even close. That seemed to disturb the defending American League batting champion, who began the 1986 season with a magnificent 0 for 5 in the Red Sox' 6-5 Opening Day loss to the Tigers. For a right- hander, even if it was Detroit ace Jack Morris, to strike him out three straight times was unthinkable. Boggs, who hit only .286 in spring training, twice came up with runners on third base (once with the bases loaded) and two outs and struck out. It was as if he was still in spring training, but he knows better. |
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