THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
A walk-off for the Indians on "Bob Feller Day"

August 23, 1986 ... The Red Sox recovered from a three-run deficit in the final two innings, only to stagger through a nightmare ninth that produced a 5- 4 loss to the Indians. It was shaping up as another cheerful chapter in the Sox success story when the Crazy Horse Tribe broke a 4-4 tie and took back the fight in the final half-inning.

The key play was a high fly by Joe Carter with two on and one out. Dwight Evans was set to catch the lazy lob, but Bill Buckner crashed the party as Marty Barrett joined the impromptu team meeting in shallow right. The ball dropped, loading the bases and setting the stage for Andre Thornton's game-winning single off Bob Stanley.

The Sox had KO'd knuckleballer Tom Candiotti with two runs in the eighth, then tied the game on Wade Boggs' foul sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth. Sox manager John McNamara figured it was OK to bring Stanley in to start the ninth. Calvin Schiraldi pitched 2 2/3 innings Friday and Sammy Stewart had already blanked the Tribe for 2 2/3 innings in relief of Tom Seaver. The Steamer got off to a bad start, walking No. 9 hitter Chris Bando to open the inning.

Tony Bernazard was next, and he dropped a perfect bunt toward the third- base side of the mound. Stanley and Boggs collided in pursuit of the ball, but there seemed to be little to gain by fielding the bunt. Julio Franco followed with another bunt. Stanley pounced and wiped out pinch runner Andy Allanson at third. Enter Carter. He lofted his soft fly down the right-field line. Evans was camped under the ball as Buckner came across Evans' space. The ball clanged off Buckner's glove. Barrett picked it up and fired high to home. Stanley backed up the throw, holding Bernazard at third. The slumping Thornton (.224) pinch hit for Nixon and drove Stanley's second pitch into center for a clean, game-winning single

The first 8 1/2 innings were comparatively quiet. Boggs put the Sox on the scoreboard with a one-out solo homer to right center in the third. He crushed a 3-and-2 Candiotti knuckler and drove it over the 385-foot sign to give Boston a 1-0 lead. It was Boggs' seventh homer, but only his second since May 25th.

The Indians answered with two runs on three hits off Seaver in the bottom of the second. Cleveland reached Seaver for solo runs in the fourth and fifth. In the fourth, Pat Tabler led with a single to center, took second on Brett Butler's bunt and scored on a sharp single to center by (brother of Sal) Bando. Carter led off the fifth with his 20th homer, pulling a hanging curveball off the outside of the plate.

Seaver left in the sixth after Bando dumped a two-out single to right. It marked the first time in 11 Boston starts that Seaver failed to complete six innings. Stewart came on and slammed the door on the Tribe as the Sox started to crack Candiotti.

Barrett (three hits, .296) started Boston's two-run eighth with a one-out double to left center. When Jim Rice walked, Cleveland manager Pat Corrales summoned righty reliever Ernie Camacho. Camacho walked Don Baylor to load the bases. Evans hit a high chopper to short. By the time Franco gloved the ball, Barrett had splashed across home plate and Evans was already at first with an RBI single. Thinking he might have missed the plate, Barrett went back and tapped the dish with his foot.

Buckner grounded to first to get another run home, and the Sox tied it in semi-dramatic fashion in the eighth. Rich Gedman led with a ground-ball double over the first baseman's head. Ed Romero ran for Gedman and took third when pinch hitter Mike Greenwell rounded to short. Boggs was next, and he lifted a foul fly to deep left. Nixon, who had been inserted for defensive purposes, made the catch and Romero cruised home with the tying run.

It was Cleveland's first victory over Boston in nine tries this season. The Red Sox had beaten Cleveland 11 straight over two seasons. Cleveland is 26-38 against the AL East. The Sox dropped to 19-9 in one-run ballgames.

Dwight Evans is the first Red Sox to hit the 80-RBI plateau this season.

Don Baylor was thrown out trying to steal in the fourth and didn't like umpire John Shulock's call. Baylor is 2 for 7 on steal attempts.

Indians Hall of Famer Bob Feller was honored before the game. It was the 50th anniversary of Feller's first big league appearance -- a six-hit, 15-strikeout complete game against the St. Louis Browns at Old League Park.