|
THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
The Red Sox sweep the Indians
June 4, 1986
... The
Sox are off to the best start (36-15) since their pennant predecessors of 1946.
They reached those heights by turning aside the Cleveland Indians for the sixth
straight time with a 6-4 decision at Fenway Park. The AL East leaders
have won five in a row and nine of the last 10, courtesy of their second series
sweep of Cleveland in as many weeks.
There was more solid pitching. Rookie Rob Woodward
outshone 300-game winner Phil Niekro. There was
more timely hitting with home runs by Rey Quinones,
Bill Buckner and Don Baylor. And if nothing else,
this edition of the Red Sox may be good enough to
make you forget the franchise's penchant for
turning June cheers into September tears.
With
23-year-old Woodward going against 47-year-old Niekro, there was no guarantee
the Fenway Faithful would enjoy an enchanting evening. Niekro's knuckler has
made him a Hall of Fame shoo-in. But last night he looked like an ancient
veteran, out of step with a young, aggressive team.
The solo
homers by Buckner (No. 5, in the seventh) and Baylor (No. 13, in the eighth)
provided insurance. But the key blast, the game-winner, in fact, was Quinones'
first major league homer, a two-run shot that snapped a 2-2 in the fourth. A
red-hot ballclub is one that can hurt you from anyplace in the lineup. Or one
that can get 6 1/3 innings out of a rookie who had been shelled in his last
start, a 13-5 loss in Minnesota Friday.
Quinones'
blow off Niekro came on a knuckleball that didn't knuckle. One of the things
people like about Quinones is his patience at the plate. And he provided an
example of that after Dwight Evans singled to lead off the fourth. He doesn't
feel like a rookie under fire, and he certainly isn't playing like one. He is
improving at the plate because of an adjustment suggested by batting instructor
Walt Hriniak.
For another
rookie, Woodward, this was an important test. After being promoted from
Pawtucket, he pitched decently in his debut. But his second start, against the
Twins, raised genuine doubts about him. The doubts lingered when Woodward
squandered a 2-0 third-inning lead, allowing Cleveland a pair of runs in the top
of the fourth.
But Quinones
responded with his homer in the bottom of the inning, and Woodward, who allowed
10 hits, pitched out of jams in the fifth and sixth before leaving in favor of
Steve Crawford with two on in the seventh.
Woodward had
done his job, and Crawford lasted until the ninth, when he left with a sore leg.
Bob Stanley came in and picked up his ninth save, although he allowed a run.
Add Steve
Crawford to the Red Sox list of walking wounded. Crawford was forced to leave
the game in the ninth inning because of a leg problem. He was hit below the left
knee while fielding a ground ball by Andre Thornton. He was limping, and manager
John McNamara took him out of the game.
|
