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THE SOX WIN THE AL EAST IN
SPECTACULAR June 23, 1990 ... Dwight Evans did the ripping, belting two homers, one to tie the game in the eighth inning and the other a two-run shot in the 10th, as the Red Sox beat the Orioles, 4-3, at Fenway Park to remain a half-game out of first place in the American League East. Evans has hit all seven of his homers, knocked in 21 of his 36 runs and compiled a .296 average in the daylight this season. Appropriately, just prior to his blast against Olson, the sun came out for the first time on a muggy, dreary day. Tom Brunansky actually saved the day in the 10th with a two-out single on a 3-2 pitch. Randy Kutcher pinch ran and soon strode home on Evans' net job. Just prior to the homer, Olson threw a wild pitch to advance Kutcher. Evans thought the first strike of the at-bat was a ball. He then turned and got angry at umpire Mark Johnson after a checked swing was called a strike. The winner was Jeff Gray, who earned his first major league victory by pitching two-thirds of an inning, including a strikeout of Craig Worthington after he'd gone 3-0. Gray replaced the embattled Rob Murphy, who had been on a decent streak. Murphy had three saves in his last three appearances, but came in to start the 10th and with one out allowed a rocket shot over the wall and net by Mickey Tettleton, who was making his first righthanded at-bat of the day, to give the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Murphy, who has served up eight home runs in 34 2/3 innings, struck out Tettleton to preserve a 6-5 win in Baltimore last week. In that game, Joe Morgan brought Murphy in because he hoped that turning Tettleton around to hit righthanded would work to Boston's advantage, which it did. Not so this time. Red Sox starter Roger Clemens left the game after nine innings. He struggled with his control, walking a season-high five. He struck out four and surrendered six hits. In the eighth, Evans, who said his back is feeling better after exercises Don Mattingly suggested to him when the Yankees were in Boston two weeks ago, hit a Dave Johnson breaking pitch into the net in left-center, his first homer since June 3rd and first Fenway bash since April 28th. Three infield errors behind Clemens certainly gave the Orioles a good feeling, since all figured in the two runs that led to their 2-1 lead. Luis Rivera, mired in a 2-for-41 slump at the plate, opened the wickets in the third inning and saw Mike Devereaux punch one through. After Clemens walked Steve Finley, Billy Ripken's bunt toward third was fumbled by Wade Boggs, loading the bases. Clemens induced a ground ball to Jody Reed by the ever-patient Randy Milligan, who ran the count to 3-2. Reed started the double play, but the first Orioles run came across. Clemens got the third out on a ground ball to Carlos Quintana at first by Tettleton, with Clemens covering. The righthander, upset with himself, kicked the dirt and then threw a 100-m.p.h. fastball into the Fenway infield and walked off cursing himself. Clemens breezed until the eighth. With two outs and Tettleton on second after a walk and a ground out, Morgan made an appearance. Cal Ripken was the next hitter, and Morgan and Clemens decided they were not going to be beaten by him. So they walked him to face lefthanded-hitting Greg Walker. The former White Sox first baseman hit a spinning grounder toward second that eluded Reed, hitting off his glove and going into center field, scoring Tettleton with the go-ahead run. Clemens started throwing harder in the last two innings. He was blazing in the ninth. Ask Finley, who took a fastball off the earflap of his helmet but was able to walk away from it. The Sox' defense was schizophrenic. They made three errors, yes, but also four double plays that were invaluable in keeping Clemens out of serious problems. |
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