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Tom Brunansky comes thru again in extras August 26, 1992 ... Tom Brunansky hit a fourth-inning homer to tie the score, 1-1 and then delivered a two-out, bases-loaded single off reliever Kevin Campbell in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 2-1 victory at Fenway Park as the Red Sox concluded their homestand 4-5. Brunansky's heroics saved the day for his former Minnesota Twins teammate, Frank Viola, who in hot and steamy conditions threw 151 pitches as he improved to 11-10. He posted Boston's second dramatic one-run victory over the A's in less than 24 hours as the American League East cellar dwellers took two of three from the West leaders. Brunansky is now hitting .283 with 14 homers and 63 RBIs -- all team highs -- to go along with a .494 slugging percentage. Bruno was the DH and helped Viola, who has been a profile in frustration since coming to Boston. Viola had pitched 10 innings only once before -- on Sept. 20, 1984, for the Twins against the Chicago White Sox, a no-decision. Manager Butch Hobson said there was no way Viola would have gone out for the 11th. The 10th was hard enough. The lefthander loaded the bases, thanks in part to a throwing error on a Walt Weiss grounder by shortstop John Valentin, who threw off balance into the dirt, where Mo Vaughn again couldn't come up with the kind of scoop the Sox were accustomed to last season when Carlos Quintana gobbled up everything in sight. The ball wound up near the photographers' pit, and Weiss was awarded two bases, advancing Randy Ready (infield single) to third. Viola walked No. 9 hitter Scott Brosius to load the bases before Rickey Henderson grounded to short. Valentin threw just in time to get the force at second. Viola, whose ERA fell to 3.11, allowed a fourth-inning run. Former Sox draft pick Lance Blankenship doubled to left-center, and Viola walked Jose Canseco. After Terry Steinbach flied out into a double play as Bob Zupcic doubled Canseco off first, Carney Lansford poked a double to right, scoring Blankenship. The rest was a breeze, so to speak. Viola had three straight 1-2-3 innings from the seventh through the ninth. The Sox, meanwhile, could not solve righthander Kelly Downs. They had two on with one out in the third when Billy Hatcher hit into a double play. In the eighth, the Sox had two on and two out, but Herm Winningham flied out. They had two on in the ninth against Campbell. But Jody Reed flied out and Scott Cooper struck out swinging. Hobson sent Wade Boggs up in the 10th to bat for Tony Pena. Boggs, saddled with a stiff lower back, walked. Then Hobson sent in burly catcher Eric Wedge to run for him. He made it to second on Valentin's sacrifice. After Hatcher was walked intentionally, Winningham struck out. Zupcic then walked, loading the bases. Brunansky was up there cutting. It was 1-2 when he roped a single to left-center. These days, Brunansky is into it, reviving a career that was almost over. |
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