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THE ALL STARS
& PEDRO'S HISTORIC YEAR
1999
ALDS, GAME #4
The Sox pummel the Indians
and force a final game
October 10, 1999
...
On a night that was both historic and hysterical, the Red Sox
pummeled the Indians, 23-7, to force a fifth and deciding playoff
game, in Cleveland. What happened on the Fenway lawn in Game 4 long
will be remembered by the legions of Red Sox Nation. Boston put 18
runs on the board in the first five innings. After seven, the Sox
line score read, 2-5-3- 5-3-0-3.
Men have
been playing postseason baseball since 1901 when the Red Sox beat the Pirates in
the first World Series at the Huntington Grounds . . . but no team in playoff
history scored as many runs as the Red Sox did tonight.
It was hard
to believe. Playoff baseball is supposed to be tight. This was loose, like a
backyard Wiffle ball game between siblings. Yeah, Wiffle ball. That's when you
get scores like 23-7. That's when you get 24 hits by one team in a single game.
Consider one
John Valentin. In the first four innings he hit two homers, a single, and a
bases-loaded double. That's 4 for 4 with two homers and seven RBIs in four
innings. And that came on the heels of his Game 3 performance when he homered
and doubled, knocking in three runs. This means that in a seven-inning stretch
over two games, Valentin went 6 for 7 with three homers, two doubles, and 10
RBIs. Let's see somebody do that again in postseason play.
The Sox
chased Bartolo Colon, scoring seven runs before the Cleveland ace could get a
man out in the second inning. The routing of Colon put a ton of pressure on the
Tribe and its beleaguered manager, Hargrove. Cleveland won the first two games
of this series and the Sox were presumed dead when they went to work Saturday
without stars Pedro Martinez (back) and Nomar Garciaparra (wrist). Dealing with
a suddenly depleted pitching staff, Hargrove sacrificed young Jaret Wright in a
9-3 Saturday loss, then brought back Colon with only three days of rest. It's
the first time all year Colon pitched without four days off and the Dominican
fireballer had nothing.
It was
heaven for Boston fans. They spent the day worrying about rain and Nomar's
wrist, but by 9:15 it was 10-2, Nomar was looking OK, and Sox Watchers were
contemplating tonight's starting pitcher.
It will be
interesting to see how much psychological damage the Red Sox inflicted with
their Game 4 barrage. By mid-game last night, it looked like the Indians had
quit. All their pitchers seem to be hurt and there was little resistance to the
Sox onslaught. Manny Ramirez, who knocked in 165 runs this year, is hitless for
the series
Sox fans
were chanting "Ped-ro, Ped-ro, Pe-dro" at 11:20 as the 22d run crossed the
plate. Then they switched to "We Want Pedro!" It was a happy ending to what
could be the final game at Fenway in this century.
But there
might be more. One more win and it'll be Red Sox-Yankees, best-of-seven, and a
chance to exorcise some of the Pinstripe Ghosts that have haunted Olde Fenway
for 81 years. |
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