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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
The Angels rain on the Red Sox
July 13, 1986
... Not even a resounding 12-3 thumping by the California
Angels today at Fenway Park could dim the glow of the Red Sox' best start
(56-31) since 1978. Nor did it dampen the spirits of a team that made its first
positive move for the second half by quietly taking Oil Can Boyd back into the
fold.
Had they anticipated the
outcome, the Sox would have preferred listening to
Mother Nature, whose rains caused a 2-hour
53-minute delay before a pitch was thrown, and
called the whole thing off. But the game was in the
hands of the umpires, and once play started, the
Red Sox lacked the pitching and firepower to stay
with the AL West leaders, who salvaged a split of
the four-game series.
The Angels took the lead for keeps in the second inning
when Brian Downing singled, moved to second on a wild pitch by substitute
starter Jeff Sellers, and scored on a two-out single by Bobby Grich. When
diminutive Dick Schofield was credited with a controversial fourth-inning home
run that appeared to hit off the top of the wall, you knew it was going to be a
long three-day vacation for the Red Sox. Schofield's home run was just one
chapter in a frustrating saga. Replays appeared to show that his ball hit high
off the wall, but umpire Terry Cooney ruled otherwise, and no amount of pleading
by a disbelieving Jim Rice could change his mind.
As depressing as that episode was for the crowd of 29,374,
it was nothing compared to the sight of Schofield blasting a two-run double in
the sixth inning off reliever Tim Lollar, or Bob Stanley being greeted by
Downing with a two-run homer in the seventh. Joe Sambito replaced Stanley in the
eighth, and the Angels pounded him, too. For a bullpen that had 26 saves in 30
chances covering 28 games, it was not an outing that will show up in the
first-half highlights.
The Sox didn't figure to stick with Sellers (3-4) very long
if things didn't go right. But they also didn't figure on Angels lefthander John
Candelaria being dazzling for 5 1/3 innings in which he allowed only two hits
and struck out six. Rey Quinones singled with two outs in the second, and Wade
Boggs broke an 0-for-13 slump with a single in the sixth. Ahead, 6-0, California
had no compunction about giving Candelaria an early night off. He left after
Boggs' hit in favor of Doug Corbett. Boston didn't get another until Kevin
Romine beat out an infield hit to third base in the bottom of the eighth; by
then the Angels had a 10-0 lead.
The Angels exploded for four runs in the eighth, chasing
Stanley. They also roughed up Sambito and Mike Brown for two runs each. After
the game, Brown was sent to Pawtucket to make room for Sammy Stewart, who hasn't
worked since June 8.
Boston's offense didn't come to life until the eighth.
Romine singled but was erased in a force play on which Marty Barrett hurt his
foot and had to leave the game. Pinch runner Dave Stapleton moved to third on a
double by Wade Boggs. Both men scored on a single by Bill Buckner.
After California scored two off Brown, making it 12-2,
Quinones came back in the bottom of the ninth with a two-out home run, his
second of the year.
Mike Brown got caught in a revolving door again, and he is
headed back to Pawtucket. It is the first of two moves the Red Sox are expected
to make this week to make room for Sammy Stewart and Bruce Hurst. Stewart, who
hasn't pitched since June 8th, was activated. He threw again with no problems,
and will be in the bullpen Thursday in Seattle when the Sox resume play against
the Mariners after the All-Star break. |
