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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 9
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER"...
Buckner & Clemens get
the Sox back on track
July 12, 1986
... After a spell of upheaval and turmoil, and on a day
of drizzle and cold, Roger Clemens was the ray of sunshine the Red Sox needed to
defeat the California Angels, 3-2, marking their best start (56-30) since the
1978 team went 57-28.
The Angels got only five hits
off Clemens, who ended a personal two-game losing
streak. The righty's 15th victory was assured when
Bill Buckner hit a two-run homer in the sixth
inning to wipe out a 2- 1 California lead. It was
Clemens' sixth complete game in 18 starts. But more
important, it was the first by a Red Sox pitcher
since June 29 in Baltimore, and the first in Fenway
since May 17. Eight of his victories have come
following a Red Sox loss.
If any in the Fenway crowd of 32,932 thought the losing
streak or the events of the last few days would affect Clemens, they were sadly
mistaken as the major leagues' winningest pitcher lowered his league-leading ERA
to 2.48. He struck out four of the first six batters he faced, and five of the
first nine (en route to a total of eight). Then he settled down to pitch the
kind of solid game that people who don't get to see him very often are
frequently surprised to see.
After California took leads of 1-0 and 2-1. Clemens pitched
out of jams in both the fourth and sixth innings to keep the game close enough
for Boston to win on a single by Marty Barrett and Buckner's 10th homer in the
sixth.
California took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth when
Jack Howell reached on an error by Buckner, a stolen base and a double by Wally
Joyner. But once Boston got the lead back, Clemens took command.
In the fourth, with the Sox trailing, 1-0, Wade Boggs
opened with a walk and moved to second on a single by the veteran first baseman.
Next Rice singled sharply to right, scoring Boggs. But when Buckner tried to go
to third, he was thrown out by Ruppert Jones. Two strikeouts later, the rally
was over.
In the sixth, the Sox got two runs instead of one because
of a heads-up play by Barrett, who led off with a single. Boggs followed with a
line shot to Bobby Grich at second, but Barrett got back to first safely without
a throw. Buckner hit his homer next, but it was no sure thing. Jones barely
missed catching the ball by inches as it sailed into the Angels' bullpen.
Fifteen wins for Roger! Not bad for a first half.
Shortstop Glenn Hoffman is going to work. After working out
several days with the Red Sox' Double-A New Britain farm club, he has been
placed on a 20- day rehabilitation program.
Jim Rice extended his hitting streak to 10 games. The Red
Sox have 23 come-from-behind victories. Six of the 10 homers Bill Buckner has
hit this year have either tied the game or put the Red Sox ahead. |
