THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
The Sox rally and overtake Seattle

April 30, 1986 ... Reality returned to Yawkey Way and 13,161 watched the Red Sox stagger to a sloppy but satisfying 9-4 victory over the strikeout-crazed Seattle Mariners. It had none of the magic of Roger Clemens’ epic, but it served to stretch the Sox' modest winning streak to three.

Bruce Hurst had been knocked out and the Sox trailed, 4-2, when the Mariners went out to sea in the slapstick seventh.

The Sox won it with five runs (four unearned) after the seventh-inning stretch. It all started when Wade Boggs reached on an error by shortstop Spike Owen, then took third on a double to right by Buckner. Ivan Calderon crashed into the right-field wall chasing Buckner's hit. Right-hander Edwin Nunez replaced Mark Langston and faced Jim Rice. Boston's caption hit a playable bloop to shallow right. Three Mariners gave chase, and Calderon came closest, but the ball dropped between the confused visitors and Boggs scored. After Don Baylor popped up, Rich Gedman singled to left. Buckner came roaring around third (waved on by Rene Lachmann, who must know something about Phil Bradley's arm) and would have been out by 20 feet with a normal throw. Bradley's throw sailed high over catcher Bob Kearney's head, Buckner scored, Rice took third and Gedman trotted into second. 4-4.

There was plenty more. Karl Best replaced Nunez (shoulder injury). Marty Barrett grouded to second for the second run (no advance), and Steve Lyons was intentionally walked. Ed Romero was next, and Sox manager John McNamara didn't have many options (Glenn Hoffman was not available because of blurred vision). Romero worked the count to 2-1, then slashed a soft two-run double down the right-field line. Dwight Evans walked to reload the bases, and Matt Young replaced Best. Boggs worked the count to 3-2, then beat out a chopper to second. Lyons scored, and it was 7-4. Buckner popped up and Barry Bonnell caught the third out as he crashed into Danny Tartabull. The interminable inning was over and the Sox were set.

Sammy Stewart worked the eighth and ninth to nail down the win.

Earlier in the evening, folks were wondering about Hurst's chances of catching strikeout mate Clemens. Hurst picked up Clemens' acetylene torch, fanning four Seattleites in the first two frames. Bradley was one of Hurst's victims. He fanned four times against Clemens Tuesday, and also struck out in his final at bat Sunday at Oakland. Bradley's six straight strikeouts set a franchise record.

Hurst got the side in order in the third, then ran into trouble in the fourth. Calderon started the two-run rally with a one-out double down the left- field line. Gorman Thomas walked, and Jim Presley was called out on strikes. Then Danny Tartabull delivered the big blow, a towering double to the deepest part of the ballpark in right-center. Calderon and Thomas scored. Barry Bonnell popped to Boggs to end the inning.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox let Langston off the hook, leaving the bases loaded in the first and second innings. Boggs walked with one out in the first. Boggs was erased on a Buckner grounder. Buckner held at third on a Rice double off the center-field wall, and the crowd booed. Baylor was walked intentionally, and Gedman grounded to first to end the inning. With two outs and no one on in the second, Romero and Evans dumped back-to-back singles to right. Boggs walked to load the bases, but Buckner struck out.

Langston settled down in the third, fanning Rice and Baylor, then getting Gedman on a tapper to the mound.

Barrett led off the fourth with a sharp single to left but got picked off first. So much for the fourth.

The Sox tied it with a pair in the bottom of the fifth. Evans and Boggs walked to open the inning, then moved to third and second on a hard groundout to first by Buckner. Rice strode to the plate, worked the count to 3-1, then fouled off five straight pitches. He drove Langston's next offering into center for a game-tying two-run single. Gedman walked after Baylor lined to left, but Barrett flied to center to end the inning.

Hurst couldn't live with Boston's offensive outburst. He was knocked out when Seattle scored two in the sixth. After Boston's southpaw starter picked up his eighth and final strikeout, he issued a two-out, none-on walk to Thomas. Presley followed with a single to left, then Tartabull walked to load the bases. Sox pitching coach Bill Fischer visited the mound.

The immortal Bonnell (batting .071) was next, and he slashed a liner toward right. Baylor gave it a Greg Kite leap, but the ball clanged off his glove and into right field. Two runs scored, and McNamara came out to get a fuming Hurst. It marked the first time a Red Sox starter hadn't completed six innings since Opening Day, when Hurst lasted 4 1/3 against Detroit.

Stewart came in and walked Dave Henderson to reload the bases, then fanned Bob Kerney (Seattle's ninth of the night) for the third out. It was Stewart's game to win, and he did.