THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
The Red Sox fight Seattle to a victory

May 7, 1986 ... The pitching that has been the dominant theme for the Red Sox against the Mariners was overshadowed by a power barrage and several sideshows. Boston starter Al Nipper (3-3) received abundant support from his teammates, who pounded out 13 hits in an 11-5 victory over Seattle that marked a successful start to this eight-game West Coast swing. Bill Buckner and Jim Rice hit home runs to pace Boston to its fourth straight triumph over Seattle.

But Nipper didn't let his teammates hog the spotlight. His 6 1/ 3-inning stint included a one-punch knockdown of Seattle's Phil Bradley during a free-for-all in the fifth. And that wasn't the evening's only distraction. Bradley, Buckner, Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman and Seattle manager Chuck Cottier were ejected at various points in the proceedings, which lasted nearly 3 1/2 hours.

Nipper had two runs with which to work before he took the mound. Both came off former Tiger Milt Wilcox, who had been signed by Seattle in the off-season and made the club as a non-roster player. Wilcox got in trouble when he gave up a single to Wade Boggs and walked Buckner. Boggs scored easily and Buckner went to third on a double to right-center by Rice. Don Baylor then hit a ball to short right and should have been credited as a sacrifice fly. Buckner tagged up after the catch and came charging into catcher Bob Kearney. Buckner's momentum had knocked the ball out of Kearney's hand, and he was ruled safe. But the official scorer gave Kearney an error, and Baylor lost an RBI. Still, Boston led, 2-0.

Nipper struggled in the first, giving up a one-out double to Bradley and walking Alvin Davis. But he got Gorman Thomas and Ivan Calderon to fly out.

The Red Sox couldn't do much in the next two innings, but Cottier did. He got ejected in the bottom of the third. Kearney, who had led off with a single, tried to break up a double play by throwing a rolling block at Red Sox shortstop Ed Romero after a grounder to first by Spike Owen. Since Romero had already crossed the bag and was out of the baseline as he returned the throw by Baylor to first, umpire Dale Ford ruled interference and an automatic DP. Owen was called out even though he beat the throw. Cottier argued for several minutes, then was tossed out by Ford.

Kearney's blunder wound up costing Seattle the lead. After Bradley reached on Boggs' first error in 74 chances, Davis hit a line-drive homer over the left-field fence. That tied the game, 2- 2, instead of putting the Mariners ahead. Boston came storming back in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. Wilcox, who hadn't allowed a hit for three innings, hit leadoff batter Romero with a pitch. Evans lined to short. But Boggs singled up the middle and Buckner followed with a homer over the right- field fence. Boston had a chance to chase Wilcox as Rice walked. But then Baylor, in the throes of a 1-for-21 slump, hit into a 5-4-3 double play.

The Red Sox explosion was only a prelude to the fireworks in the bottom of the fifth. Dave Henderson led off with a homer over the 410 mark in center field, pulling Seattle within 5-3. After Kearney struck out, Owen singled. With the count at 2-2 on Bradley, Nipper threw a fastball that apparently grazed Bradley's helmet. Bradley went down, then came up on a gallop toward Nipper.

Nipper stood his ground and got in a jarring left hook before he went down amid a mass of bodies, including Owen, who piled on from the blind side. Both dugouts and bullpens emptied. When the furor died down, Bradley was ejected, as was Gedman, who apparently had argued too vehemently that a warning by plate umpire Al Clark had been given to both benches, not just Seattle. Al Cowens ran for Bradley, and Marc Sullivan took over the catching duties for Boston.

When play resumed, things got worse for Nipper. First, he walked Davis to load the bases. Then he threw a wild pitch, which scored Cowens, cutting Boston's lead to 5-4. The pressure eased when Thomas flied to short right, both runners holding. Calderon ended the fifth- inning festivities with another fly to right.

Nipper's escape seemed to revive the Red Sox, who came back with three runs in the sixth to take an 8-4 lead. It started with a double to the right-field corner by Sullivan and a perfectly placed bunt single by Barrett. Lefthander Matt Young relieved Wilcox. Sullivan was wiped out as he was caught in a rundown after Lyons hit a grounder to first. But he stayed alive long enough for Barrett to move to third and Lyons to second. From there, both scored on a single by Romero. Romero came around on a walk to Evans, a wild pitch and a grounder by Boggs.

Boston chased Young in the seventh after Rice and Baylor led off with singles. Former Sox farmhand Pete Ladd took over for Young and struck out Sullivan. But Barrett dumped a double to right and Rice scored for a 9-4 lead.

The Mariners finally chased Nipper in the seventh. Doubles by Kearney and Cowens ended Nipper's night. After Kearney opened the inning with his two-base hit, Cowens hit a towering fly ball that Lyons just missed in center; because he came so close to catching the ball, Kearney could advance only to third. Steve Crawford replaced Nipper and immediately gave up a single to Davis, making it 9-5. But he struck out Thomas and got Calderon to ground into a forceout, ending the threat.

The Sox wrapped it up when Rice hit a two-run homer in the eighth, which made him the fourth player in Red Sox history to drive in 1,200 runs.