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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9 September 3, 1986 ... The Red Sox came back in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on a run-scoring walk-off double by Wade Boggs. The win went to Bob Stanley, the 100th of his career. Boggs' blow with one out scored pinch runner LaSchelle Tarver from first and gave the Sox their fifth straight victory. Tarver was running for Mike Greenwell, who led off with a pinch single off loser Dale Mohorcic. The Sox tried to move Tarver on a bunt, but Spike Owen struck out on three pitches. That brought up Boggs, who found a hole in the Ranger outfield, defense, which was shifted to left. He slashed a 3- 2 pitch, and the ball rolled all the way to the wall in left-center. Tarver, who was running on the play, never hesitated. The Sox found out how tough knuckleballer Charlie Hough could be in the first inning. With one out, he walked Marty Barrett and Bill Buckner. But then he induced Jim Rice to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. The Rangers took the lead with two out in the second. Greg Petralli, best known for his home run in Texas that deprived Roger Clemens of his first try for 20 victories, hit a towering double off the wall in left. Toby Harrah singled to drive him in. The Red Sox evened it up in the third. With two out, Boggs crashed a homer into the Ranger bullpen, his eighth of the year, tying his career best. The Sox made another bid in the fourth when Don Baylor was hit by a pitch for the 28th time this year. Hough was upset with the call, claiming Baylor never moved. Tony Armas followed with a single, but Dave Henderson flied to right and Marc Sullivan struck out. After the second, Tom Seaver retired nine straight batters. But the Rangers threatened again in the sixth, and it took some deft pitching for Seaver to escape. Scott Fletcher led off the inning with a single, and Oddibe McDowell walked. Both moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Gary Ward, and Pete O'Brien was intentionally walked to load the bases. Then, like clockwork, Larry Parrish grounded to the mound and Seaver started a 1-2-3 double play to get out of the inning. Rice singled with one out in the sixth, moved to second on a ground ball by Baylor and scored on Armas' ground single past second to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. But Petralli struck back for the Rangers with two out in the seventh. His line drive eluded Dave Henderson, who tried for a backhand catch, and went for a triple. Harrah followed with a roller to third which Boggs threw away, and Texas was back in business. In the bottom of the seventh, the Red Sox succeeded in getting rid of Hough with two out and regained the lead against Mitch Williams. Boggs singled to center and moved to third as Barrett pulled a Hough knuckleball past third for a hit. Williams took over and Buckner rapped his third pitch for a solid single to right, scoring Boggs and putting Boston ahead, 3-2. Mohorcic took over and retired Rice on a ground ball. Stanley came on in the ninth and quickly dug a hole for himself by giving up ground singles to Parrish and Ruben Sierra. Rookie Bob Brower ran for Parrish. Stanley struck out Pete Incaviglia and got Harrah to hit a one hopper back to the mound. But Stanley's throw to second was off line, and shortstop Spike Owen, who had a hard time making the force play at second, threw wildly to first. Buckner prevented an error by coming off the bag but didn't notice that Brower was heading home. When he looked up, he dropped the ball and Brower scored the tying run. The victory completed a three-game sweep for Boston and enabled the Sox to maintain their 4 1/2-game bulge over Toronto in the American League East. |
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