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ON THIS DATE (June 16, 1996)
...
No matter how many times you've been to Fenway Park, it's always a
treat when the home team can send you home with a little reminder of
the good old days. Certainly, many among the crowd felt, as left
fielder Reggie Jefferson delivered a three-run homer in the ninth,
giving the Red Sox a come-from-behind 10-9 victory over the Texas
Rangers in one of the most exciting finishes of the year. Texas once led, 9-3, but Boston
came back to score seven runs in the last three innings. In the ninth,
Jefferson's blast was preceded by clutch singles by Mo Vaughn and Jose Canseco,
and a wild pitch by loser Mike Henneman. Given the foot speed of the three men
who batted in the ninth, Jefferson could just as easily have hit into a triple
play.
Nobody thought the Rangers
would lose in such a manner, especially after the visitors recovered from a 3-2
deficit by scoring five runs in the fifth inning to lead, 7-3, and then gave
Lynn's Ken Hill a six-run cushion with two more in the seventh.
Little things made the
difference. Outfielder Lee Tinsley made a diving catch in the first. Reliever
Joe Hudson (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win.
The intensity of the Red Sox
lineup was exemplified in the 3-4-5 slots. Vaughn, Canseco and Jefferson
combined for 10 hits in 13 at-bats and eight of the 10 RBIs. Vaughn and Canseco
(four RBIs) each had four hits, and Jefferson had four RBIs with his two hits.
Henneman faced all three in the ninth inning, and he needed to be on his game.
He wasn't.
Henneman might not have even
pitched the ninth if the Big Three hadn't been on deck. Former Red Sox closer
Jeff Russell retired three batters in the eighth, but he's the setup man.
Henneman pitched both Vaughn and Canseco tough, but they each singled. Then,
with Jefferson at the plate, he threw a wild pitch, easing the threat of a
double play. Kennedy said he never considered the bunt. Nobody appreciated
Jefferson's presence more than Vaughn, who stood on third base and watched the
ball go out.
But after months of struggling
offensively, the Red Sox are playing with greater intensity these days. They won
two of three from Chicago early last week and then won three of four against the
Rangers. |
