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GEORGE BELL |
THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
The Blue Jays stop
Roger Clemens
July 2, 1986
... After 14 straight victories, the fifth-longest streak
ever at the start of a season, Roger Clemens' mastery came to a halt in a 4-2
loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a defeat that left a Fenway Park crowd of
27,493 stunned. But they also went home most appreciative of the young
right-hander who has been the hottest pitcher in baseball for three months.
Most realized that, with luck,
Clemens could have wound up with a three-hit
triumph instead of a loss that cost him a chance to
tie the AL record of 15-0 (shared by Johnny Allen
of the 1937 Indians and Dave McNally of the 1969
Orioles).
Toronto's George Bell hit a solo homer in the fourth. But
the Blue Jays could not dent Clemens until the eighth, when they put together a
three-run rally for their first Fenway victory since 1984.
The American League East leaders had won six straight and
had beaten the Blue Jays twice in the series despite giving up 16 runs and 29
hits. Clemens was pitching one of his best games this season, a one- hitter,
when the roof caved in.
In the eighth, trying to protect the one-run lead, Clemens
faltered, setting the stage for his demise by walking leadoff man Ernie Whitt
and giving up a single to Damaso Garcia, the No. 9 hitter, on an 0-2 pitch. The
game was 2-2 when he left, and the winning run came with Bob Stanley on the
mound. But before that, it was obvious the game had gotten away from Clemens.
Even after he'd foiled a bunt attempt by Tony Fernandez
with a perfect throw to third in the eighth, Clemens was in trouble because the
next hitter was Rance Mulliniks, a longtime Red Sox tormenter and a good
high-fastball hitter. Prior to last night, Mulliniks had only two hits in 13
at-bats against Clemens. Now he has three. His double scored Garcia with the
tying run and chased Clemens.
Stanley intentionally walked Lloyd Moseby to load the
bases. But Bell, who had been 1 for 10 against Stanley, hit the first offering
for a single that knocked in the tie-breaking run. The fourth run scored on a
sacrifice fly by Jesse Barfield.
It was Stanley who had lost a 5-2 lead for Clemens May 9th
in the Sox ace's only no-decision of the year. Boston won that game in 10
innings.
And Red Sox hitters are not robots. With the exception of
Marty Barrett's two-run homer in the fifth, lefty Jimmy Key (7-5) shut them down
on eight hits before leaving with two out in the eighth because of a shoulder
problem. Reliever Tom Henke (save No. 11) finished up for the victory that still
left Toronto 10 1/2 games behind Boston.
Of Clemens' 102 pitches, only 69 were strikes, the fewest
he's thrown all year. |
