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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9 April 10, 1986 ... The day started with a scene fit for a Currier & Ives Christmas card as the two teams took batting practice during a southeast Michigan snow squall. It ended with an antique left-handed reliever recording his first save in four years as frosty Al Nipper soaked his 149-pitch arm in ice. Fear not, folks. The Red Sox are not going to go 0-162. The bullpen is not going to lose leads after the seventh inning of every game. The Red Sox beat Detroit, 4-2. Nipper pitched 8 2/3 innings of four-hit ball before giving way to reconstructed reliever Joe Sambito. With two on and two out in the ninth, Nipper yielded to Sambito, who got Larry Herndon on a game-ending grounder to the mound. It was the 33-year-old Sambito's first save since April 27, 1982. It was 36 degrees and windy when the Sox left for the ballpark. By the time they reached the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, it was snowing and the temperature was nearing 40 degrees. The conditions didn't bother Nipper. He surrendered two walks and an unearned run in the second, but got all the runs he would need when the Red Sox erupted for four in the fifth against Tiger starter Dan Petry. Ironically, Boston's winning rally started when sub shortstop Ed Romero hit a two-out, 0-2 pitch to left for a double. Boston's pitchers surrendered five hits (including two homers) on 0-2 pitches in the first two games of the series. McNamara was tearing his white hair out after the second day of dumbbell deliveries and vowed to put an end to the annoying practice. In rapid succession, Evans singled to left to score Romero, Wade Boggs walked and Buckner doubled to right (his 2,300th career hit), scoring Evans. Jim Rice was Boston's next batter, and he muscled a high and tight fast ball into center field for a two-run single. Nipper got stronger after he was handed the 4-1 lead. He retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Dave Collins grounded to first to score another run, but Nipper got Lou Whitaker on a fly to shallow center to end the inning. Nipper had one final burst in the eighth when he got the Tigers in order again, striking out Kirk (a back-to-earth 0 for 4) Gibson and Darrell Evans. Gibson and Evans hit four homers in Detroit's Monday and Wednesday victories, but went 0 for 7 yesterday. There was trouble in the ninth. Darnell Coles led off with a wind- blown pop down the line in right. Second baseman Marty Barrett made a long run and a nice catch. After Barrett's catch, Buckner made a second error, allowing Mike Laga to reach. Then catcher Rich Gedman made a nice catch on a Chet Lemon foul pop near the screen. Dave Bergman was next, and Nipper walked Detroit's pinch hitter on four pitches. McNamara went to the mound. Nipper's elbow was stiff, and Sambito got the call. Collins was due up for the Tigers, but manager Sparky Anderson summoned right-handed-hitting Herndon to face Sambito. Herndon grounded Sambito's fourth pitch back to the mound, and the Sox were in the win column. Dwight Evans had two hits and two walks. Glenn Hoffman sat out the game because of his twisted right ankle. Bill Buckner cracked a double in the fifth inning, the 2,300th hit of his career. He also committed two errors. Buckner continues to play with a sore left elbow, but has cut down on his batting practice. Marty Barrett tried a hidden-ball trick on Darnell Coles in the seventh. It didn't work. |
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