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FROM LAST TO FIRST
AND BACK ... May 30, 1993 ... At Fenway Park it appeared the Texas Rangers were going to stick a fork in the Red Sox, who appeared all but well done after trailing by a run on two occasions late in the game. But thanks to a couple of guys deep in the batting order, catcher Bob Melvin and shortstop John Valentin and some ninth-inning wildness from Texas reliever Tom Henke, the Red Sox made it a three-game sweep of the Rangers, 6-5, on Valentin's 12th-inning double that scored Tony Pena. This one took 4 hours 14 minutes and every position player that each team had. Texas used four pitchers, Boston six, with Jose Melendez going the final 2 1/3 innings for his first American League win. The Rangers, who were blasted by manager Kevin Kennedy after Saturday's 15-1 trouncing, had to let losing pitcher Jeff Bronkey bat in the top of the 12th because designated hitter David Hulse had gone in to play center field. The Red Sox finally cleared their bench as well when Pena came on to run for Andre Dawson, who led off the 12th with a base hit off third baseman Dean Palmer's glove. Manager Butch Hobson had already inserted outfielder Billy Hatcher at second to continue the game of musical players. Valentin, who had committed an eighth-inning error that opened the door for Texas to take a 4-3 lead, ended things with a flare down the line in left. It was the first time this season Boston had come back to win after trailing in the ninth. After Andre Dawson's hit, Carlos Quintana, whose 10th-inning, one-out infield-single started the Sox' second game-tying rally (5-5), laid down a sacrifice bunt, sending Pena to second. Bob Zupcic, who had two doubles, including a clutch wall-banger in the 10th, was intentionally walked, leaving it up to Valentin. Frank Viola was fortunate to get out of the early innings as the Rangers pounded him for nine hits through five innings. Melvin got him out of a jam in the first by gunning down Gary Redus attempting to steal third. A 4-6-3 double play with two runners aboard in the second also helped. But Viola settled down nicely after giving up single runs in the third and fourth, allowing one hit from the fifth through seventh. By that time, the Red Sox had chipped away for single runs in the second, fifth and sixth off Ranger starter Kevin Brown, with Melvin (3 for 4, 3 RBIs) knocking in two of those with singles to right-center. That 3-2 lead came undone in the eighth. Viola was cruising, having retired nine consecutive batters, but with one out, Valentin couldn't handle Gonzalez' grounder and Rafael Palmiero scorched a double to right. Greg Harris came on for Viola, but surrendered a line-drive double to Palmer that kissed the left-field line for a 4-3 lead. Comeback No. 1 came courtesy of some clutch hitting and Henke's shakiness in the last of the ninth. Melvin singled with one out and Ivan Calderon's low shot to second went off Doug Strange's glove, moving Melvin to third. Scott Fletcher then took one for the team when he was hit by a pitch, after which Henke walked Hatcher on four fastballs, forcing in the tying run. Mo Vaughn had a chance to end the game in dramatic fashion, but bounced into a double play. By the 10th, the Red Sox' bullpen gate needed an oiling and fans keeping score probably needed erasers. The Rangers went up, 5-4, when Melendez, the third Red Sox pitcher of the inning, was touched for a two-out RBI single by pinch hitter Julio Franco. But Melendez, who was activated Saturday after his callup from Pawtucket, gave up just one hit the rest of the way, and got off the hook when Melvin came through again in the bottom of the 10th with a hard sacrifice fly to center to make it 5-5. |
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