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THE SOX WIN THE AL EAST IN
SPECTACULAR
FASHION, BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT ...
Brunansky's
bat leads the Sox over the Twins
May
19, 1990 ... Tom Brunansky was at the center
of a storm that crashed over the Minnesota Twins at Fenway, hitting
two homers and driving in seven runs in a 13-1 victory. The Sox had
20 hits, of which Brunansky had five, and with Roger Clemens pitching
a five-hitter through seven innings despite the flu, the team showed
what an impressive force it can be. The Twins
have been baseball's hottest team this month, losing just three of 15 games
before today. But the Sox drummed on their pitching relentlessly until manager
Tom Kelly chose outfielder John Moses to work the ninth. Lefthander Allan
Anderson, the 1988 ERA champion and the league's most successful southpaw the
past two seasons, allowed five hits and five runs in two-thirds of an inning.
In fact, Brunansky said his day may have been tipped off by
reliever Jeff Reardon, who, when he played with Brunansky in Minnesota, often
predicted his home runs. Reardon said he predicted a home run for Brunansky
while the Old-Timers Game was being played. In retrospect, his prediction was
modest. In the fourth, Brunansky hit a two-run shot off Juan Berenguer onto the
platform of a light stanchion nearest the foul line above The Wall. In the
seventh, he hit a three-run homer into the Twins bullpen that might have been
caught had right fielder Shane Mack not become disoriented.
He had a
run-scoring double to left in the five-run first, a single in the second, when
Boston loaded the bases with one out and failed to score, and finally a
run-scoring single off lefthander Gary Wayne in the seventh.
The Sox
last had as many runs in a game last August 29th. Mike Greenwell, who may be
coming out of his slump, went 3 for 4. Luis Rivera went 3 for 4 and extended his
hitting streak to eight games, during which he is hitting .517 (15 for 29).
Carlos Quintana had a two-run single, ending an 0-for-13 slide. Every Sox
starter had at least one hit.
Clemens
(6-2 this season, 11-1 lifetime vs. the Twins) fell asleep immediately after the
game ended, which tells you what kind of shape he was in. Trainer Rich Zawacki
said he vomited before he came to the park and had diarrhea before the game
started. Manager Joe Morgan said he doubted Clemens could play until the pitcher
phoned at about 11 a.m.
Under
those circumstances, The Rocket was a heroic figure, handling fairly easily a
lineup that was hitting 16 points higher than any other team in the league. He
struck out two, his fewest of the season, but he walked only one. Minnesota
scored its only run in the third, when Brian Harper led off with a single and
scored on Dan Gladden's two-out triple into a difficult spot in the right-field
corner. |
