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DUQUETTE PUSHES ALL
THE RIGHT BUTTONS ...
A crazy win is settled by a walk-off HR
May 14, 1995
...
After Zane Smith gave the Red Sox six shutout innings and left with a
2-0 lead in his American League debut, the finale of the series
against the Yankees built to a crescendo.
The Mother's Day crowd saw a mother of a ninth inning, during which everything
happened except the sun dropping onto the Prudential Building. But as much
activity as the Yankees created to tie the game at 2-2, the ending was tidy and
without fuss. A 1-0 fastball down the middle from New York's Steve Howe that
catcher Mike Macfarlane was smashed into the center-field bleachers to propel
the Sox to a 3-2 victory over its archrival.
The Red Sox had seven hits against New York starter Jack McDowell, who pitched
eight innings. Troy O'Leary knocked in Boston's first run in the fourth inning
with a two-out single to right that scored Greenwell, who had doubled.
Boston's second run came in the seventh, after O'Leary singled into the
left-field corner and went to third on Randy Velarde's two-base throwing error.
Luis Alicea, hitting .130, singled home O'Leary.
Rheal Cormier pitched an effective seventh and eighth after Smith had thrown 75
pitches, his limit. Cormier allowed a single to Jim Leyritz in the ninth before
manager Kevin Kennedy opted for Stan Belinda, not Ken Ryan.
But the eccentricity of the inning began to appear when on ball four to Danny
Tartabull, Macfarlane threw to second base. The ball went into short
right-center field, advancing pinch runner Luis Polonia to third. Mike Stanley
singled up the middle, plating the Yankees' first run. Gerald Williams then hit
what looked to be a double-play grounder to John Valentin, who threw to second
for the first out. But Alicea had to avoid a take-out slide by Stanley. On a
close play, first base umpire Tim Welke called Williams safe. The next batter,
pinch hitter Tony Fernandez, belted a long liner to right, where O'Leary was
blinded by the sun and dropped the ball, allowing the tying run to score. But a
funny thing happened to Fernandez on his way to second base. He passed Williams,
becoming the second Yankee out. After Wade Boggs pinch hit and was walked
intentionally, Derek Lilliquist relieved Belinda and threw a wild pitch, putting
runners on second and third. Lilliquist then walked pinch hitter Dion James. But
Alejandro Pena came on to retire Bernie Williams on a fly to right-center.
In the bottom of the inning, Macfarlane struck. Howe left the field. The Red Sox
celebrated at home plate. The zaniness was over.
The Red Sox took two of three from the Yankees after losing three of four last
week at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox are 11-5 and on top by 1 1/2 games in the
American League East. |
