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DUQUETTE PUSHES ALL
THE RIGHT BUTTONS ...
1995
ALDS, GAME #2
October 4, 1995
...
Hershiser and three relievers shackled the Red Sox, 4-0, to move the Indians within a game of sweeping the best-of-five American League Division Series. Meanwhile, Boston set an all-time record for postseason futility with its 12th straight playoff loss, dating to Game #6 of the 1986 World Series. Speaking of futility, the Sox again got nothing out of their bruisers, Mo Vaughn and Jose Canseco, who are now 0 for 20 in the series. A crowd of 44,264 watched Hershiser allow only three hits before leaving after 7 1/3 innings and squirm out of a bases-loaded jam in the second which seemed to set the tone of the game. When Hershiser left with one out and one on, Julian Tavarez got John Valentin on a pop to second and Paul Assenmacher struck out Vaughn. By then, Cleveland owned a 2-0 lead, courtesy of Omar Vizquel's two-run double off Erik Hanson in the fifth. Eddie Murray completed the carnage with a two-run homer in the eighth following a walk to Albert Belle. There were virtually no repercussions from Batgate in Game #1, when the Sox had Belle's confiscated to check for cork after his tying homer in the 11th. The results were negative; still, Indians manager Mike Hargrove was visibly upset with the actions of his counterpart, Kevin Kennedy, in a playoff situation. Hanson, who had been pitching marvelously for four innings, lost it in the fifth, a bizarre inning. He walked Paul Sorrento leading off, and after Sandy Alomar sacrificed the runner to second, Hanson crossed up Mike Macfarlane with an incredible curveball that hit the catcher in the groin and allowed Sorrento to take third. Macfarlane was charged with a passed ball. After a walk to Kenny Lofton, Vizquel pounded a double to right-center, scoring both runners for a 2-0 Indians lead. The scoring occurred just two pitches after Al Nipper visited the mound to offer words of advice, which were probably "Be careful." Still, as promised, Hanson was throwing his curveball. It wasn't often, but certainly at the right time and right location. He struck out Jim Thome twice with curves, none any bigger than in the fourth after he'd allowed a one-out triple to the left-center-field wall by Murray. He then got Thome with a curve and Manny Ramirez with a changeup. The game started rather ominously, as if Belle had a large wad of cork in the pocket of his glove. Dwayne Hosey hit a first-pitch liner to left that Belle simply dropped. Hosey wound up at second. On Valentin's grounder to shortstop, Sorrento came off the bag too quickly for Vizquel's throw because Hosey was breaking for third. Sorrento fired over and Thome made a sweeping tag to get the lead runner. Vaughn, 0 for 6 in Game 1, struck out, and Canseco flied out to end the inning. The Sox loaded the bases in the second on a pair of singles by Willie McGee and Macfarlane (two hits in as many at-bats) and a walk to Luis Alicea with two outs. But Hosey grounded out to end the threat. Hanson finished the regular season 15-5 with a 4.24 ERA in a team-high 29 starts. He lost his curveball when he suffered an elbow strain in an early June start against the Tigers and pitched most of the season without being able to throw his best pitch. Hanson won Pitcher of the Month honors for August, going 5-0 with a 5.01 ERA, as he came up big during Boston's 20-2 run. Hanson was extremely effective against the Indians, going 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA in four starts. The Indians have an abundance of lefthanded hitters, and Hanson allowed a .215 average to lefties. The righthander, who was signed out of Camp Homestead in spring training, was a consistent force for the Sox all year and was named the No. 2 starter in the playoffs because of his effectiveness against the Tribe. |
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