THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
Marty Barrett's game walk-off hit
finishes off a "Can" gem

September 6, 1986 ... The Red Sox' 3-2 victory would not have been possible if Oil Can Boyd (14-9) hadn't become razor tough after falling behind by two runs in the third inning. The skinny right-hander mowed down the last 12 batters he faced in setting the stage for Boston's sixth-straight come-from- behind victory. In the ninth inning alone, he struck out three men (Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti and Tom Brunansky) who have a combined total of 78 home runs.

Without Boyd's effort, second baseman Marty Barrett might never have gotten the chance to deliver pinch runner Dave Henderson with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth.

Minnesota starter Mark Portugal had pitched 6 1/3 strong innings before leaving with a 2-0 lead. But The Can shut the door on the last-place Twins, and he and the 31,236 at Fenway waited for the Sox' usual late-inning uprising.

Boyd, who has not talked to the Boston media since returning from his suspension, has let his pitching do his talking, although today he gave new meaning to the term "body language." He pumped, fumed and pranced around the mound more than ever this season, becoming equally aroused by both his mistakes and his successes. When he retired the side in the third inning after giving up two runs, for instance, Boyd spiked the ball in anger with Hrbek not 5 feet away. Then, after striking out the side in the ninth, Boyd strutted off the mound like a prize peacock.

His only more animated moment came when he charged out of the dugout after Barrett's game-winning hit, gave the second baseman a bear hug and proceeded to give high fives to everyone in sight except groundskeeper Joe Mooney.

The Can is once again The Can.

Two of Boyd's mistakes came in the third inning, when Minnesota took its 2-0 lead. He was 0 and 2 to Jerry Reed, but the Minnesota catcher singled to left. After Greg Gagne singled one out later, Boyd got two quick strikes on Kirby Puckett but let him get away. Boyd tried to jam the fastball hitter, and Puckett drilled a two- run double off The Wall.

The Sox have a tough lineup, of course, and it found life a lot better after chasing Portugal in seventh. The Minnesota starter ran out of gas and luck at the same time, giving up a leadoff single to Rice and then hitting Don Baylor with a pitch. The inning could have ended when Dwight Evans grounded to third base, but Gaetti, perhaps thinking triple play, rushed his throw after tagging third and overthrew Steve Lombardozzi at second base. The Sox wound up with runners on first and third, and Portugal wound up in the shower. George Frazier came in and promptly gave up a broken-bat single to Armas that scored Baylor. Frazier then retired the side on a double play, however, making Miller's strategy look good. That decision came back to haunt Minnesota in the eighth after a double by Wade Boggs and Rice's two-out single produced a 2-2 tie.

Then, in the ninth, Frazier retired Armas and Rich Gedman before the Red Sox took the game away from the Twins. It started with rookie Pat Dodson, who hit a two-strike pitch between first and second. Lombardozzi made a diving stop but had no play. Boggs then walked, bringing up Barrett. Keith Atherton replaced Frazier and worked the count to 2 and 2 on Barrett, who then drilled a solid single to right. Dave Henderson, who was running for Dodson, got a good jump on the play and slid home before Reed could apply a tag.

When Wade Boggs popped up in the sixth inning, it was only the second time he has popped out in fair territory this season. He has fouled out twice.

Boggs, by the way, regained the American League batting lead with two doubles. He is batting .350, to .349 for the Twins' Kirby Puckett. Boggs has 39 doubles, five short of his career high.

Don Baylor was hit by a pitch again, No. 29 this season. Tony Armas has hit safely in seven straight games and has 28 RBIs in his last 24 games. Jim Rice picked up three more hits to raise his average to .329. He has 12 RBIs in his last 10 games and 52 multiple-hit games.