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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9 July 4, 1986 ... Rookie righty Jeff Sellers and the first-place Red Sox last beat the Seattle Mariners, 6-5, extending their American League East over the Yankees to eight games. Boston had lost two straight going into tonight's game. The Red Sox sent a 22-year-old rookie to the hill, and for the second time in six days, Sellers had enough to win. The poised righty from Long Beach stopped the Mariners for 7 1/ 3 innings before Danny (Son of Jose) Tartabull crushed a three-run homer into the net. Sellers gave up five hits, walked four, and threw 145 pitches. Joe Sambito relieved Sellers and put some drama into the game. Sambito got out of the eighth with little trouble, but Jim Presley hit a majestic two-out, two-run homer to center in the ninth. Sambito retired Jim Phelps on a hard liner to right to end it. En route to the first Fenway victory of his nine-start career, Sellers got his support from Boston's power brokers. Dwight Evans hit a three-run homer (his 10th homer of the season) in the fourth, and Rich Gedman added a solo shot one out later. The Sox scored two runs in the seventh when Wade Boggs, Bill Buckner, Jim Rice and Don Baylor hit four straight shots off the weary wall. The Mariners had Sellers (2-3) on the ropes in the first three innings. They left the bases loaded in the first and stranded Phil Bradley in scoring position in the second. In the third, Seattle made Sellers throw 32 pitches to four batters. He settled down after the third. He allowed a two-out single in the fourth but got the side in order in the fifth and had a two- hitter at the end of five. Presley tapped Sellers for a leadoff single in the sixth but expired on first. With one on and one out in the seventh, Rice made a nice diving catch on Spike Owen's sinking liner. John Moses grounded to short to end the inning. Pitching coach Bill Fischer made a trip to the mound when Sellers walked two in the eighth. Tartabull was next, and he sent Sellers to the showers with a blast to left. The Red Sox held off on the fireworks until it started to get dark. Boston hit into double plays in each of the first three scoreless innings. The Sox eschewed the bunt in the first, and it cost them. After Marty Barrett and Boggs led with singles, Buckner hit away and grounded sharply to the mound. Beattie (0-3) fired to second to start an easy double play. Rice lined to right, and the inning was harmlessly over. Fenway fans were treated to an instant replay in the second. Baylor led off and was hit by a pitch. Baylor has been hit 21 times, and we're still waiting for some angry pitcher to charge the plate after hitting Boston's daredevil DH. Baylor took second on a single to left by Evans. Tony Armas came out swinging and grounded to third for an easy double play. Gedman was intentionally walked, and Rey Quinones (0 for 22) struck out. There was more frustration in the third. After a leadoff double by Barrett, Moses robbed Boggs of a hit with a tumbling catch on a dying fly to shallow center. Then Buckner lined to second, and Barrett was doubled off easily. The Sox finally broke through in the fourth when Evans homered into the Boston bullpen. Rice led off the inning and reached on a boot by shortstop Owen. Baylor followed with a sharp single to center, and Evans drove an 0-1 pitch into the pen. After Armas grounded to third, Gedman drove an 0-1 Beattie serving over the Seattle bullpen. It was Gedman's fifth homer and his first at Fenway since April 22nd. The Sox struck twice in the seventh, but should have had more. With one out, Boggs rattled a double off the wall. Buckner scored Boggs with a wall shot, but was thrown out going for two. Rice tapped the wall for another double, then scored on a wall shot by Baylor. Like Buckner, Baylor was called out going for two. Baylor wasn't happy with Vic Voltaggio's call, but was steered away from the ump by his teammates. The extra runs turned out to be important. Those extra runs gave up the leeway to let Sambito pitch to Phelps for the final out. |
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