[GAME 1 - Camden Yards - Baltimore, MD - BAL 2, BOS 1]
A combination of 4 Oriole pitchers stymied the vaunted Red Sox offense and take the first game of this all important AL East battle. Red Sox hurler Ellis Kinder went the distance, but needed to sue for non-support. The Orioles scored an unearned run in the first when Robby Alomar Singled to left and Teddy F-in Ballgame booted the ball. With 2 outs Palmeiro singled Alomar in. Boston tied it in the top of the 3rd when Bill Goodman doubled home Birdie Tebbetts. That would be all the scoring for the Bosox. The O's took the lead for good in the 5th when Chris Hoiles led off with a solo shot. Shawn Boskie pitched 2 scoreless innings for his 1st save of the season.
[GAME 2 - BOS 7, BAL 2 - 14 innings]
Don't let the score of this contest fool you. This game was an edge of your seat nail biter that went 14 full innings. Adding to the equation was an hour rain delay in the first and you have yourself a 5 hour contest. Both teams exchanged runs in the 4th. For Boston Bobby Doerr doubled home Ted Williams. For the O's Lenny Webster singled home Eric Davis, but Mel Parnell was able to get Mike Bordick out and leave the bases loaded. The hometown O's took a 2-1 lead in the 7th when the Iron Man, Cal Ripken, Jr. singled home Brady "sideburns" Anderson. Parnell again was able to wiggle out of a jame when he got Berroa to hit into a tailor made 6-4-3 DP. Baltimore squandered a chance to burry the Bosox, something they would live to regret. The resilient Red Sox fought back to tie it in the 8th when Dom DiMaggio singled with 1 out and stole second. Williams flew out to center and the O's looked to be out of the inning, but reliever "Messy" Jesse Orosco walked Vern Stephens and Bobby Doerr seized the moment by singling up the middle to score Dommie. And so the saga of endless goose eggs began. For 5 consecutive innings neither team could score. Frank Quinn was spot on clutch throwing 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief after Parnell exited with 2 outs in the
9th. Mills, Boskie and Williams matched Quinn's efforts for the O's. Quinn was adept at getting out of jam after jam until Tex Hughson replaced him in the 13th. The bottom of the 14th would be Baltimore's undoing as Esteban Yan fooled no one, except for the GM who inked his contract.
In just 1 inning of work Yan yielded 5 runs on 3 hits and made this classic look like a laugher. Johnny Pesky led off with a single. Billy Hitchcock walked and Dom DiMaggio doubled home Pesky. Yan pitched around Williams and walked him on 4 pitches to load the bases for Vern Stephens who hit a ball that is still in orbit somewhere deep inside the asteroid belt. Just like that Hughson had a 5 run lead to defend in the bottom of the 14th. Palmeiro and Tarasco led off the home half of the inning with singles, but Hughson was able to get Bordick to hit into a DP. Alomar lined out to Hitchcock at first to end this marathon.
[GAME 3 - Fenway Park - Boston, MA - BOS 6, BAL 0]
Chuck Stobbs scattered 9 hits in this complete game shutout that was never easy. Stobbs was in and out of trouble all afternoon, but managed to make the big pitch when he needed to. Baltimore's ace, Mike Mussina started and gave 7 solid innings, but left on the short side of a 2-0 score. Allan Millis came on in relief and gave up 4 runs in less than an inning's worth of work. Ted Williams looked to be in MVP form as he crushed his 13th and 14th homers of the season and increased his average to .344. Aaron Ledesma went 3 for 4 for in a losing effort. The top 4 hitters in Boston's lineup (Pesky, Goodman, DiMaggio and Williams) are all hitting over .330.
[GAME 4 - BOS 7, BAL 5]
After finding out that the Tigers swept their series vs the Bombers, Boston knew they had to win this game to keep their divisional title hopes alive. Mickey McDermott was tapped to take the hill for the Bosox and Baltimore, who was now officially eliminated, elected to go with Scott Kamieniecki. The O's came right out of the shoot and posted 2 runs in the top of the 1st off of McDermott, who walked 3 of the first 4 batters he faced. To say the young lad was nervous, would be an understatement. In fact McDermott walked 9 batters on the day and even had an error in the field. Thankfully Mike Bordick hit into a DP to end the first or the damage could have been much worse. To say that Red Sox Nation was a bit beside themselves would be an understatement. Their nerves would be soothed once the home half of the opening stanza ended. Pesky led off with a bunt single and was bunted over to second by Goodman. DiMaggio singled to make it 1st and third with one out. Up stepped Ted Williams, who shockingly fanned on a Kamieniecki change up. That left it up to Vern Stephens who has been a clutch performer all year. Stephens, who's average has hovered in the .230's delivered a 2 run double off the green monstah. For good measure Bobby Doerr followed Stephens with an RBI single to put Boston up 3-2. The score would stay that way until the top of
the 4th when Baltimore struck for 2 runs to go up 4-3. It all started with a throwing error my McDermott that allowed Bordick to reach base. Hoiles walked to make it 1st and 2nd and Kamieniecki bunted both of them up to 2nd and 3rd. Ladesma grounded out to score Bordick and tie the game at 3. Another McDermott walk put Eric Davis on base and that allowed Cal to single Hoiles home. Jeffrey Hammonds hit a line shot that Doerr had to lay out for to save the inning and strand 2 runners. The bottom of the 5th was a huge frame for the Bosox as the lit the scoreboard up with a 3 spot. Goodman led off with a single and Dom DiMaggio hit a 2 run shot over the Green Monstah. Tebbetts later singled home Bobby Doerr to make it 6-4. Both teams
exchanged runs in the 6th and that's how the scoring would end. The action, however, did not end there. T wild and crazy McDermott kept flirting with danger, especially in the 8th when a Jerome Walton double play ball was able to erase another Baltimore threat. Ellis Kinder came on in the 9th to notch his third save of the season and ensure that Boston will at least qualify for the post season. Pending the outcome of the Cleveland / Philadelphia series, Red Sox nation will sit back and wait to see if they win the AL East.
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