The Sox blitz the Angels to force a
Game #7
October 14, 1986 ...
With sheer stubbornness and remarkable resiliency, the Red Sox
pounded the California Angels, 10-4, at Fenway Park and reached the
doorstep of the World Series. One out away from elimination on
Sunday, they have forced a seventh and deciding game in the AL
Championship Series.
The Red Sox have met challenges all year, and tonight was
no exception. They trailed in the first inning, 2-0, and saw their starter, Oil
Can Boyd, roughed up so badly that he was on the verge of an early and
demoralizing exit.
But when Boston bounced back for two runs without a hit in
the bottom of the first off loser Kirk McCaskill, the spirit that had carried
the Sox to an emotional 7-6 victory Sunday seemed to turn Fenway Park into a
house of horrors for the Angels.
The Red Sox broke open the 2-2 game with a five-run
outburst in the third inning that chased McCaskill. In all, they reeled off 16
hits, including four by Spike Owen and three by Marty Barrett.
After his shaky first inning, Boyd settled down and turned
in six more innings of effective, if not inspiring, pitching. The Can and all
his gyrations were not on display. Staying within himself, Boyd allowed nine
hits and three runs before giving way to Bob Stanley. When Boyd left, the Fenway
Faithful broke into a chant of "Oil Can, Oil Can," in appreciation of the
troubled right-hander who got them to where they've wanted to be since the
opening day of spring training.
The decisive rally wasn't a classic home run barrage. The
Sox cracked out timely base hits and took advantage of California mistakes.
Boyd and the Red Sox hardly looked like winners in the top
of the 28-minute first inning. Reggie Jackson and Doug DeCinces each had a
run-scoring double off Boyd, who escaped by getting Rob Wilfong on a pop to
first in an 11-pitch effort with two out and the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the inning, the Sox tied the game with two
walks, a run-scoring passed ball by Bob Boone and an RBI groundout by Jim Rice.
It was hardly a powerful display. But it did indicate that McCaskill was
vulnerable and had little control of his breaking ball.
Boyd seemed to perk up in the second, pitching out of
trouble after Gary Pettis singled with one out. In the third, he struck out two
and found a groove he kept for the rest of his outing.
When McCaskill mowed down the side in order in the second,
there was reason to doubt Boyd's theory. But not in the third, when the Red Sox
jumped on McCaskill for six hits and took a 7-2 lead.
Owen got the first Sox hit of the night, a single to
center. He moved to second on a single by Wade Boggs. And then the fun began.
Barrett came up with orders to bunt. But with two strikes, he swung away and
doubled, scoring Owen and giving Boston the lead for good, 3-2. Bill Buckner was
next, and his single up the middle brought home Boggs. Rice grounded into a
fielder's choice for the first out as Barrett was caught in a rundown and tagged
out by Boone. McCaskill might have escaped had it not been for the most bizarre
play of the night. It followed a single to right by Don Baylor that should have
loaded the bases.
Ruppert Jones charged the ball in short center, and his
throw home was cut off by first baseman Bobby Grich. Since Rice had rounded
second and Buckner decided to stop at third, the Angels had a couple of options
for a play, depending on Grich, who was filling in for ailing Wally Joyner.
Grich made the wrong choice, electing to throw to first to get Baylor, who had
also made a wide turn. The throw got past second baseman Wilfong, who was
covering on the play, and rolled into the photographers' booth. Buckner and Rice
were waved home and Baylor to third. Now it was 6-2.
McCaskill lasted one more batter. When Dwight Evans
followed with a single to center, scoring Baylor, McCaskill was replaced by
lefthander Gary Lucas. One game late, Lucas struck out Rich Gedman. He also got
Dave Henderson to pop to short. But the damage was done, and Boston was on its
way to Game 7.
The Sox' big inning meant big trouble for the Angels. After
McCaskill, they used Lucas, Doug Corbett and Chuck Finley in an effort to stem
the tide. Because of that workload, the bullpen isn't exactly at peak strength.
Boyd was humble in victory, saying he'd only paved the way
for an even bigger triumph.
