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JOSE CANSECO |
THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
Joaquin Andujar
subdues the Red Sox
May
2, 1986 ... The
Oakland A's turned the tables on the Red Sox, combining effective
pitching and power hitting to end Boston's four-game winning streak.
Former National League star Joaquin Andujar (3-1) subdued the Sox,
4-1, at Fenway Park, and was supported by three homers.
The most
important of those blasts was by rookie Jose Canseco, who like Andujar was
making his Fenway debut. Canseco blasted a 1-1 pitch off Sox starter Al Nipper
(2-3) for a two-run homer in the fourth inning, and Boston never recovered.
Nipper also gave up back-to-back solo homers to Dave Kingman and Bruce Bochte in
the sixth. Boston got its run in the fourth on a single by Dwight Evans, a walk
and single by Jim Rice.
Andujar, a
two-time 20-game winner who helped the St. Louis Cardinals into the World Series
last year, was not razor sharp. But he pitched well enough to make Boston regret
not trading for him last winter, scattering five hits. The Sox hit nine other
balls hard off Andujar, but they were all caught. The Red Sox' first look at
Andujar wasn't pleasant as he didn't allow a hit in the first three innings.
Steve Lyons reached base in the third when Andujar bobbled his bunt for an
error, but Lyons was wiped out on a double play.
Oakland,
winner of five of its last seven games, also had a difficult time with Nipper,
getting only one hit in three innings. But the A's asserted themselves in the
fourth when Canseco cracked his seventh homer, giving Oakland a 2-0 lead. The
inning started with an opposite-field double to left by Dwayne Murphy. Canseco
drilled a shot that sailed over the right- field fence.
Boston got
answered with its lone run in the bottom of the inning, and might have done more
damage had not two hard drives to center been knocked down by a chilling wind
that blew from left to right. Evans got the first hit off Andujar, a single
through the pitcher's legs, and moved to second on a walk to Wade Boggs. With
one out, Rice fought off an inside fast ball for a bloop single to center,
scoring Evans. But then drives by Don Baylor and Rich Gedman died in the wind.
The strong
breeze was no factor in the sixth, when Kingman hit his 10th career homer at
Fenway, giving Oakland a 3-1 lead. It was a monster shot that cleared the screen
and was last seen headed toward New Hampshire. Bochte followed with a homer that
definitely was helped by the wind. It was a fly to right that drifted until it
landed in the lower seats.
Boston's
answer was weak. Evans doubled to left to lead off the bottom of the sixth. But
he advanced no further as Andujar mowed down Boggs, Bill Buckner and Rice to
maintain the three-run lead. Another Boston bid came up short in the seventh.
Marty Barrett singled to right with two out. But Lyons' line drive to right was
caught by Davis.
Nipper left
in the eighth inning. He walked Kingman with two out and was relieved by Tim
Lollar, who got out of the inning by retiring Bochte. |
