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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9 June 30, 1986 ... In a 10-9 Boston victory in 10 innings over the Blue Jays, the Red Sox pounded out 15 hits and rallied from a 9-5 deficit. The Fenway Park crowd of 30,770 went home happy because of a bases-loaded walk to Dwight Evans that scored Marty Barrett with the winning run in the 10th. Boston pitching was dreadful for seven innings, but Bob Stanley (5- 2) took over in the eighth and settled things down. It wasn't Al Nipper's night. The adrenaline that had carried him to victory in his first outing since coming off the disabled list was not there. He gave up 11 hits and eight runs to the Blue Jays. Tim Lollar was no better in relief. He walked the first man he faced to load the bases in the sixth, after Boston had cut a 6-3 deficit to 6-5. Then he threw a wild pitch and gave up a two-run single as Toronto surged to a 9-5 lead. In eight relief appearances since Sammy Stewart got hurt, Lollar has walked nine, given up nine runs and nine hits, and compiled an 8.91 earned run average. But fortunately for Boston, this happened on a night when the Toronto pitching was no match for Red Sox bats. Boston chased Toronto starter Jim Clancy and tied the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Boston got all sorts of offensive help, with Barrett collecting his four hits, and Jim Rice and Wade Boggs three apiece. Rice hit his first home run since June 10th, and his first at Fenway Park since May 3rd. Still, all the offense might have gone for naught had not Stanley stepped into the gap. The Sox bullpen was short, with Rob Woodward having been demoted and Steve Crawford unavailable after a death in his family. Boston started its 18th comeback victory of the season with its sixth-inning rally. Both Clancy and relief pitcher Dennis Lamp were raked as Boston got four runs. Clancy departed after walking Evans. Lamp came on and gave up a single to Rich Gedman. Kevin Romine (starting in center for a hobbled Tony Armas) hit into a forceout at second, with Evans moving to third. But then Boston bats began to smoke. Ed Romero doubled up the gap, scoring Evans and Romine to make it 9-7. Barrett followed with a ground-rule double to right, scoring Romero for 9-8. Barrett then stole third without a throw and scored on a wild pitch. That tied the game at 9-9. Lollar left after walking Willie Upshaw as leadoff man in the eighth. Buck Martinez batted for Whitt against Stanley and hit into a double play. After Damaso Garcia singled to right, Fernandez grounded into a forceout at second. Boston had scoring chances in the eighth and ninth. In the eight, Boggs singled but was wiped out in a double play. Rice narrowly missed a home run with a double off the wall, but was stranded as Don Baylor fouled to third. In the ninth, Evans led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second. But he also was stranded as Jim Acker, the fourth Toronto pitcher, retired both Romine and Rey Quinones, sending the game went into extra innings. It was Boston's fifth straight victory and ended a five-game winning streak for Toronto, which now must find a way to beat Tom Seaver, Roger Clemens and Oil Can Boyd in the next three nights. Don Baylor was hit by a pitch for the 18th and 19th times this year, wiping out the Red Sox record of 17 set in 1916 by Jack Barry. It was the 211th time Baylor has been hit in his career, extending his American League record. Jim Rice's home run into the left-field screen was his first since June 10th, and first at Fenway Park since May 3rd. Rice also picked up his 24th double, tops in the AL, and with three hits raised his average to .330 Rob Woodward was sent to Pawtucket to make room for Tom Seaver. |
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