THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
Another Jim Rice grandslam highlights a sweep

September 7, 1986 ... There were fifteen hits, including the second grand slam in three days by the sizzling Jim Rice. There were enemy runners cut down at the plate on successive plays when there was still no score. It was a complete game, no-walk shutout by Bruce Hurst. It was, quite frankly, Dreamworld Baseball for the 30,359 in attendance at Fenway Park. The Red Sox bludgeoned Minnesota, 9-0, to conclude a weekend sweep of the Twins and a fabulously successful homestand, during which they expanded their lead over Toronto to 6 1/2 games and lowered the magic number to 20. They have won eight straight and are playing their best all-around baseball of the season.

The microcosm of the group effort was the scintillating performance submitted by Rice, who, in addition to breaking the game open with his third- inning grand slam off Minnesota starter Neal Heaton, threw out a runner at the plate and conducted a Yaz-like clinic with balls hit off, or anywhere near, the left-field wall. He'd have to jump over the screen to rob someone of a homer to have a better day in the field.

But as impressive a show as he put on in the field, it was the bases-loaded homer that commanded the most attention. After going well over a calendar year without hitting more than a two-run homer, he smashed two grand slams in three games, each, ominously, carrying into the Red Sox' bullpen. The score was 1-0, courtesy of a clever Spike Owen RBI single (he faked a bunt and ripped a pitch through the empty middle of a rotating infield with Tony Armas on third), when Rice came up with the bases loaded in the third. Heaton (6-13) tried to slip a fastball on the outside corner, but Rice rode the pitch up into the strong wind, the ball carrying over the fence to the intersection of the bullpens. They were RBIs Nos. 92 through 95 for Rice, who, as usual, says he isn't keeping count. However, be advised that during the nine-game homestand, Rice picked up four homers and 14 RBIs. And be further advised that during said homestand, he fanned exactly one (1) time. This is a terrifying Jim Rice.

The Sox added four more in the fifth. Bill Buckner led off with a homer off the right-field foul pole, and before rookie Andy Anderson could retire the side, successive when-you're-hot-you're-hot right-field bloopers by Armas and Marc (2 for 3) Sullivan had produced three more runs.

Mr. Hurst was a very grateful recipient of this offensive largesse. He was never in jeopardy after the quirky third in which two runners died in Sullivan's mitt. With Malden's Steve Lombardozzi on third and Ron Washington on first with one away in a scoreless game, Puckett chopped a ball to Wade Boggs, who made a nice throw to Sullivan, who made an even nicer tag and plate block to erase Lombardozzi. Gary Gaetti promptly spanked one to left, but when Washington tried to score he was thrown out by Rice.

Hurst's staff-leading third shutout of the season raised his record to 10-7. The lefthander struck out seven and walked none. It was the second straight walk-less performance by a Fischer Flinger in as many days, Oil Can Boyd having accomplished the feat on Saturday.

You'd need a caravan of tractor trailers to cart away all the cautious postgame clichés uttered by the Red Sox, but no matter how much they wish to play down the importance of this devastating homestand, the fact remains that anyone wishing to see baseball played properly could have seen it in Fenway these past nine days. They did it coming from behind and they did it by early assaults.

Spike Owen had a three-hit day, the most impressive of which was a single in the third that accounted for the official game-winning RBI. There were men on first and third with none out, and Owen came up with orders to bunt. But after taking a pitch, he saw the Twins rotating into defensive position, leaving the middle of the diamond open, so he swung and knocked a single to center.