THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
The Sox rally to beat the Rangers

September 1, 1986 ... The Sox knew going into tonight’s game that Toronto had won its ninth straight contest in the afternoon and was poised to close the 3 1/2 game gap between the American League East's top two teams. The score was right there on the scoreboard when the Sox took the field, and it stared down at them ominously when they fell behind, 2-0, after three innings.

But after Boston rallied for three runs in the third, another in the fifth and two in the seventh, then withstood a ninth-inning, two-out home run derby by the Rangers, the scoreboard didn't look so threatening.

The Red Sox weren't the only team at Fenway for whom a win was vital. The Rangers had a chance to creep up in the AL West race on the California Angels, who lost.

All four Texas runs came on solo homers, two each off starter Bruce Hurst (9-7) and reliever Steve Crawford. The first two, by rookie Pete Incaviglia (his 21st) in the second inning and Larry Parrish (22) in the third, had provided the Rangers with the 2-0 lead.

But by the time Oddibe McDowell (17) and Darrell Porter (8) hit back-to-back pinch homers off Crawford in the ninth, the Sox had scored six times and were comfortably ahead. Three runs scored in the bottom of the third on a bases-loaded double by Tony Armas. Boston scratched and clawed for two more runs, on infield outs in the fifth and seventh, and got Jim Rice's 14th home run, also in the seventh.

With Boston trailing, 2-0, the "playoff" picture appeared hazy. Hurst had pitched out of a jam in the first inning, but then gave up home runs by Incaviglia and Parrish that must have traveled a combined 900 feet.

But all that changed when, after squandering chances in the first and second, Boston bats came to life to animate the crowd of 26,196. The first Boston rally started with a 60-foot-6-inch chopper by Wade Boggs that went off the hands of starter Ed Correa (8-12). Marty Barrett grounded to third, with Boggs moving to second. Buckner struck out, but when the pitch got away from catcher Don Slaught, the first baseman hustled to first safely. Boggs moved to third on Correa's wild pitch.

The uprising was stalled when third baseman Steve Buechele made a spectacular leaping catch of a line drive by Rice. But then Correa walked Don Baylor to set the stage for Armas, who ended an 0-for-9 slide against the right-hander with a booming double off the wall.

This was only the midpoint of a strange night, in which Boston had two runners tagged out trying to score, a popup turn into a force play and a sure double turned into a Buckner mad dash into a surprisingly easy out at third.

Boston added a fourth run in the fifth inning. Buckner hit a routine grounder to first, but Correa did a tap dance around the bag as he went over to cover, and Buckner was called safe. The Rangers argued the point, but to no avail. Rice sent Buckner to third on a hit-and-run single up the middle, and Baylor followed with a hard grounder to third for what looked to be a sure double play. Buechele's throw to second, however, was to the left of the bag, making the relay difficult for second baseman Toby Harrah. Baylor beat the play, and Buckner scored.

Hurst was still nursing a 4-2 lead in the seventh when he ran out of gas, and McNamara went to his bullpen for Crawford, who had just returned from Pawtucket and a 20-day rehabilitation program. With runners on first and second and none out, Crawford induced shortstop Scott Fletcher to pop up a bunt. Then he got Ruben Sierra, who beat Calvin Schiraldi a week ago with a home run, to ground into a double play, ending the rally.

Buckner led off the bottom of the seventh with a 420-foot shot to deep center but was out trying for a triple. Rice followed with his home run off Dale Mohorcic, the Rangers' relief ace, and the Texans never recovered. A walk to Baylor was followed by an Armas double and an intentional walk to Rich Gedman. Baylor scored when Buechele fielded Dave Henderson's grounder and elected to go for a double play to end the inning, and his throw to second put Harrah in just the spot where a strong slide by Gedman ruined whatever chance Harrah had to get Henderson.

And the bullpen is coming through, even if Crawford did give up two blasts the ninth.

Boston had six doubles, tying their own season and American League high. Red Sox pitchers have now struck out 10 or more batters in 21 games. Hurst struck out nine, Crawford one. The Sox now have 30 come-from-behind victories.

The absence of Dwight Evans from the Red Sox lineup has gone beyond a day-to-day status. The pulled right thigh muscle, which has caused him to miss five of seven games since Aug. 24th, has required five hours of therapy each of the last two days.