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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9 August 22, 1986 ... After a night of offensive ecstasy, it was back to basics for the Red Sox, who combined the elements of strong pitching and clutch hitting for a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians that couldn't have been accomplished any other way. Part of the reason a crowd of 45,138 showed up was some expected fireworks. The Indians staged a postgame show with rockets and bombs blasting above the lakefront stadium. Calvin Schiraldi, who hadn't pitched since last Sunday, picked up Bruce Hurst in the seventh inning. Trailing, 4-3, the Cleveland Indians had runners on first and third with one out. The Sox right-hander shut them down. Hurst pitched 6 1/3 innings, scattering seven hits. He left with a 4-3 lead after walking a batter with one out in the seventh. The Red Sox clawed back from a 3-1 deficit to take the lead in the seventh inning on a two-run single by veteran Bill Buckner. It was almost predictable last night that the Red Sox would have to scratch for this victory. Right-hander Ken Schrom of Cleveland (11-5), the man who was given the spot on the All-Star team Oil Can Boyd wanted, was in a stingy mood. Boston's first run came in the third inning without benefit of a hit. Catcher Rich Gedman reached on an error and moved to third on a sacrifice and a throwing error. With one out, Jim Rice lofted a sacrifice fly to right. Hurst didn't overwhelm the Indians by any means. In fact, after being given a 1-0 lead, he gave up three runs in the next two innings. Cleveland scored twice in the bottom of the third on a single by Carmen Castillo, a sacrifice, a double by Julio Franco and a single by Joe Carter, both with two out. In the fourth, Cory Snyder singled and moved to second on a passed ball. He scored on a hit by Brook Jacoby. But that is when Boston started its comeback, with Don Baylor providing the opening and finishing kick. It was his single in the fifth, following hits by Marty Barrett and Rice, that sent home Boston's first earned run off Schrom. After Boston rallied to take the lead in the seventh inning and got an unearned run in the eighth, Baylor hit a solo home run in the ninth to seal the victory. It was more than Baylor's 24th home run. It was the 100th home run this year by the Red Sox, the 40th time in 41 years that Boston hitters have reached that milestone. The Red Sox got the timely hitting in the seventh when they loaded the bases against Schrom. It began with Wade Boggs, who was hitless in Thursday's explosion and carried an 0-for-8 streak into the seventh. As leadoff man, he singled to left, and was sacrificed to second by Barrett. Then the poise that had made Schrom tough started the vanish. Rice was hit by a pitch, and felt so grateful that he rolled the ball back to Schrom. Baylor flied to left for the second out. But then Evans worked Schrom for a walk, filling the bases and prompting a pitching change. Lefthander Scott Bailes took over and went ahead of Buckner, 0-2. But then the tough veteran drilled a single to right, scoring Boggs and Rice. The Red Sox kept the Indians tame just long enough to pick up their third straight victory and eighth in 10 games. They also maintained their six-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. |
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