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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9 August 11, 1986 ... Sparky Anderson finally went with his best and Detroit ace Jack Morris fired a three-hit, 5-0 shutout at the Red Sox, snapping Boston's four-game winning streak and dashing Boston's hope of a rare sweep in Tiger Stadium (the last was in 1976 when Luis Tiant, Bill Lee, Rick Wise and Rick Jones beat the Tigers). Oil Can Boyd pitched a serviceable eight full innings, but was tagged for homers in the second (John Grubb) and third (Lou Whitaker) innings, en route to his second straight loss since returning from four weeks in suspended animation. Boyd gave up 10 hits, walked three, and struck out a season-high of seven while completing his sixth game of the season. But the Can was no match for Morris, the American League's best pitcher at this hour. In his last 11 starts, Morris is 8-3 with four shutouts and a 1.19 ERA (12 earned runs in 11 starts). He has allowed only 64 hits and 20 walks while fanning 77 in 90 2/3 innings. Morris was pitching on three days' rest (he once pitched a no-hitter on three days’ rest). Scheduled starter Eric (Steven) King conveniently came up with a bad arm that allowed Anderson to save face and get Morris into this series. Sparky had taken the macho route earlier, refusing to change his plans for any series in August. He said it was too early. Tonight might have been too late, but Morris was still masterful. Detroit's stopper had early control problems. Two walks and an Alan Trammell error filled the bases in the third, but Morris got Dwight Evans on an inning-ending grounder to third. Boston's other best chances to score came when Bill Buckner hit foul shots into the upper deck in right. Buckner came very close to getting a homer in the fourth, and hit another foul blast in the sixth. Boston's hits were: 1. a leadoff single by Evans in the second; 2. a one-out single to left by Wade Boggs in the fifth; 3. a two-out double to left by Marc Sullivan in the seventh. Morris got stronger as the game progressed. He got the Red Sox in order in the eighth and ninth. Boyd got the Tigers in order in the first, striking out Kirk Gibson (three strikeouts last night, 3 for 17 in the series) to end the inning. Leading off the second, Sox Killer Grubb homered to left. It was Grubb's 10th homer of the year and the club-high 22d surrendered by Boyd. The Can walked the immortal Dwight Lowry (Detroit's No. 9 hitter) to lead off the third. Whitaker was next and he drove Boyd's first pitch into the upper deck in right to make it 3-0. The Tigers clawed Boyd for another run in the sixth. Grubb hit a one-out single to right and Darrell Evans walked. After a force play wiped out Evans, Darnell Coles scored Grubb with a single to left. Anti-cigar Tim Lollar was warming up in the pen. Grubb was in the middle of another rally in the seventh. Lowry (who needs Lance Parrish?) led with a single, took second on Trammell's walk and scored on another single to right by Grubb (27 RBIs in his last 25 games). The Can gave up two more hits in the ninth, but got Whitaker to ground to second and kept Lollar safely in the pen. Rich Gedman wasn't in the starting lineup for the second straight game. Gedman aggravated his sore back when he slid into second Saturday night and didn't start Sunday. He won Sunday's contest with a pinch grand slam, but manager John McNamara wanted to give the All- Star catcher another night off. |
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