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FROM LAST TO FIRST
AND BACK ... July 20, 1993 ... It was the bottom of the ninth in a 1-1 game when Scott Cooper, who claims he has hit "maybe five or six" balls to the left-field corner in the last two years, slapped one there against Angels reliever Gene Nelson, triggering a rally. It featured the perfect sacrifice bunt by John Valentin, the perfect strategy from manager Butch Hobson of pinch-hitting Mo Vaughn for Tony Pena (Vaughn drew an intentional walk), and Scott Fletcher's grounder up the middle that was taken by second baseman Torey Lovullo in front of shortstop Gary DiSarcina. Lovullo threw well late to the plate, and Cooper scored. Another 2-1 win. Nelson took the loss, while Tony Fossas, who pitched to two batters in the ninth, earned his first win of the year in a clutch performance. He came into the game with one out and one on, and struck out lefthanded-hitting catcher Greg Myers and righthanded-hitting Stan Javier to keep it at 1-1. The contest featured not only the pitching of Frank Viola, who went 7 1/3 innings but still failed to earn the second win in his last 14 starts, but great defense by catcher Tony Pena, who threw out three runners, and game-saving catches by Bob Zupcic and Carlos Quintana in the sixth inning with the bases loaded. Zupcic made a shoestring catch an inch from Joe Mooney's sod in left field to rob Rene Gonzales for the second out. Then Quintana ranged back on a DiSarcina pop up along with second baseman Fletcher. Both players converged, and Quintana came up with the catch. But it appeared it was Pena whom the baseball gods were trying to lift to a new level. Pena, who lately felt like a spare part with his .169 average, knocked in Boston's first run in the fifth with a double to left, his first RBI since June 25. Then his double scored Cooper, who paced the Sox' attack with three hits. Cooper singled and moved to third on Valentin's single off The Wall. Pena's best effort came when he threw out pinch runner Jim Walewander as he tried to steal third with runners at first and second in the eighth in a 1-1 game. The Sox stranded 10 runners and could do little against starter Hillary Houston Hathaway. Hillary's hairdo was nothing to speak of, but he allowed just one run in his six innings. Over this unconscious surge of 20 wins in their last 25 games, Sox fans have been asking for oxygen while their team has won eight games by one run and four games by two runs. They've done this in such a cool manner, ice is now growing on their backs. The victory moved the Red Sox up a spot in the American League East standings to fourth place, 1 1/2 games behind first-place Baltimore. The voyage from fifth to fourth took 11 days in a division now so cramped it looks like a neighborhood in the Bronx. |
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