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DUQUETTE PUSHES ALL
THE RIGHT BUTTONS ...
August 11, 1995 ... It had been too easy for the Red Sox. For the past two weeks, they could do little wrong. Manager Kevin Kennedy made all the right moves, resulting in the longest winning streak of the year. Tonight the Sox turned to some late-inning magic to pull out a 5-4, 12-inning victory over the Orioles that stretched their winning streak to nine games and their American League East lead to the same number. This was a struggle, even on the climactic play, when Juan Bell scored from second on a fluke double by Lee Tinsley. Bell fell rounding third, and you could have bet a million dollars he'd never make it home before a throw from left by Bobby Bonilla, who had played Tinsley's fly tentatively as it glanced off his glove along the left-field line. But Bell made it with inches to spare and sent a crowd of 33,143 home from Fenway Park more confident than ever that they're watching what might be the best team in major league baseball. The win was the fourth in a row on this homestand that was supposed to test the Sox but instead is separating them from the pack. Indeed, after six innings, the Sox were in a groove and seemingly untouchable. With Kevin Brown pitching, the Orioles figured to be tough, and they were. Boston fell behind, 1-0, in the first, went ahead, 2-1, in the fifth, and gave the run right back to Baltimore in the sixth. When Troy O'Leary slammed a two-run homer off Brown with two out in the sixth, a few patrons headed toward the exits. Mike Maddux had pitched six strong innings, and with a rested bullpen, the night seemed over. Wrong … Harold Baines brought the Orioles within one with a leadoff homer in the seventh off Joe Hudson, the first the rookie has allowed in 17 appearances. Pinch hitter Jeff Manto greeted Mike Stanton with a leadoff blast in the eighth, making it 4-4. Stan Belinda and Rick Aguilera had to leave their cocoon to keep Baltimore in check. It almost ended in the 10th. Jose Canseco came to the plate with one out, the bases loaded and the crowd roaring for a home run. But all he got off reliever Terry Clark was a soft liner to short, which Cal Ripken quickly turned into a double play by catching John Valentin straying from second. Clark's luck ran out in the 12th after a leadoff single by Chris Donnels. Bell ran for him and advanced to second on Luis Alicea's sacrifice. Then Tinsley lofted his double to left. The task of catching it fell to Bonilla, who in his Pittsburgh days was a strong-armed outfielder, as well as a third baseman, which is where he began. Playing left for the first time at Fenway, he tried to backhand Tinsley's sinking drive, and the ball glanced off his glove. Bell should have scored easily. But he didn't. Like Luis Aparicio in 1972, he slipped rounding third. But he recovered quickly and headed home, bowling over catcher Greg Zaun for the run that knocked the third-place Orioles 12 games back. Tinsley, who had failed in a sacrifice attempt in the 10th, was happy with his efforts in the 12th, though the ball should have been caught. |
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