PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #138
1967 Boston Red Sox (92-70) vs 1996 San Diego Padres (91-71)
Before there was the miracle Mets of 1969 one could say there was a miracle Red Sox team of 1967. In what was a magical season in a great pennant race for Boston, the club came one game away from winning it all. At the center of it was Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski who had one of the best seasons in the history of the game. Yaz had a 12.5 WAR with 44 home runs and 144 driven in but more then anything carried the team hitting over .500 in the last 12 games. He was the stuff of legend with a 1/040 OPS. Reggie Smith hit only .246 in center with 16 steals but at 22 was still too young to be the player he would become. Popular Tony Conigliaro played in 95 games with 20 home runs and a .287 average but injury was the tale of his unfair career. Joe Roy played third and hit .251 with a 113 OPS+ but drove in only 49 runs. Rico Petrocelli hit 17 home runs with 66 driven in and a.750 OPS, he too seemed to play his best when it mattered most. Geroge Scott had some muscle at first hitting 19 home runs with 82 RBI and 10 steals with 263 total bases. Mike Andres played in 142 games at second hitting .263 but had little power and contributed 18 sacrifices. Mike Ryan was the catcher hitting only .199 and solely there for his ability with the glove. Jerry Adair played in 89 games hitting .291 and Jose Tartabull was the most frequent sub in the outfield but hit only .223. Elston Howard was also there at 38 years old and little left. The Boston pitching also followed suit throwing great ball for the season under pressure. Jim Lonborg went 22-9 and a 3.16 ERA and 246 strikeouts. He also hit 19 batters showing his style while allowing 23 home runs mostly when it didn’t matter. Lee Stange was 8-10 with a 2.77 ERA in 24 starts but soon became an important piece throwing 2 shutouts, converting a save, with a 1.11 WHIP. Gary Bell had a 3.16 ERA and a 3.33 FIP striking out 6.5 per nine and finally Dennis Bennett made 11 starts with a 3.88 ERA from the left side with a 1/34 WHIP and 4 complete games. Darrell Brandon lost some of the confidence of his manager Dick Williams and turned a 4.17 ERA into a bullpen role. Jose Santiago also made 16 starts and had a nice 12-4 record in 145 innings. John Wyatt saved 20 games with a 2.60 ERA and 1.179 WHIP and will prove to be an important piece for sure in a close series. Dan Osinski and 22 year old Sparky Lyle also played a part in relief with some good work from both sides. It will be fun to se this club play again to recreate when made them a mythical group for at least one season lead by the great Yaz.
A good Padres team lead by Bruce Bochy that won the NL West will be the adversary for the Red Sox. A well balanced team with a dominant closer is deep and hard to plan for. Trevor Hoffman is in his heyday saving 42 games with a 0.90 WHIP and 2.25 ERA. He struck out 11.4 batters per nine and was a sure thing in close games. Scott Sanders and Tim Worrell were solid in setting up the big closer as Sanders had a FIP of 2.94 and Worrell the leader in holds. The rotation was steady and dependable with vast experience. Joey Hamilton had the most innings with 2.11 and a 4.17 ERA with 15 wins and almost 8 batters K/9. Bob Tewksbury would have hoped to be more effective with a 4.31 ERA and a 10-10 record. His 92 ERA+ is below average but as a veteran he knew how to pitch out of trouble. Fernando Valenzuela had a good run with 13 wins and a 3.62 ERA with his split finger pitch still getting outs. He did have a 4.52 FIP and a higher WHIP so some of his effectiveness may be a mirage. Andy Ashby won 9 games with a 3.23 ERA in 24 starts with a 1.20 WHIP and may be the most underrated arm on the staff. Sanders also made 16 starts but was better in relief while Sean Bergman was a spot starter with limited effect. Ken Caminiti rarelt smiled but should have in 1996. He had a 1.028 OPS with 130 RBI and a .326 average. He hit everything hard and was best to be avoided in the lineup. Wally Joyner in his 30’s was still producing showing some great glovework and hitting .277 with 29 doubles. Jody Reed at second hit only .244 with 20 doubles and 45 runs in 146 games; nothing special at all. Shortstop was a weak point with Chris Gomez played in 94 games at short with an 89 OPS+ and a .262 average with Andujar Cedeno also seeing work at the spot. In the outfield was the great Tony Gwynn who hit .353 at 36 years old with 27 doubles and a .400 OBP, he did miss some time as his body wasn’t what it used to be. He was joined by fellow Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson who played left hitting only .241 but did generate 125 walks for a .410 OBP and 37 steals; speedy Rickey scored 110 runs. In center was Steve Finley who hit .298 with an .885 OPS and 195 hits. Finley played everyday scoring 126 runs with 45 doubles and was a big of part of this team as anyone else. John Flaherty was the catcher who managed a .303 average while splitting duty with Brian Johnson who hit .272. Marc Newfield and Greg Vaughn were the most often used replacements in the outfield, Vaughn managing 10 home runs. Archi Cianfrocco and Scott Livingstone shored up the roster as emergency options. This series between Boston and San Diego is just about as good as it gets in the preliminary round. Two teams with great managers all Hall of Fame talent as well as the confidence on both sides that they should win.
Game 1 at Fenway Park
Rain 56
1992 Padres............................5
1967 Red Sox..........................2
WP: S. Sanders (1-0) LP: J. Lonborg (0-1) S: T. Hoffman (1)
HR: None
POG: Scott Sanders
1992 Padres lead series 1-0
Jim Londborg struck out 13 Padre hitters but when they did make contact they hit him hard in what turned into a San Diego win. Scott Sanders went seven innings for the win despite walking five but his defense was true behind him and Boston stranded 8 runners. Tony Gwynn went 3-5 with 2 RBI as the Padres pushed across nine hits on a soggy night at Fenway.
Game 2 At Fenway Park
Partly cloudy 55
1996 Padres........................8
1967 Red Sox......................0
WP: J. Hamilton (1-0) LP: L. Stange (0-1)
HR: K. Caminiti 2 (2), A. Cedeno (1)
POG: Ken Caminiti
1996 Padres lead series 2-0
The party atmosphere at Fenway Park was ended early when Ken Caminiti hit a two run home run over the green monster in the first inning off of Lee Stange. Caminiti would add another home run later and would end the game with 4 RBI. Joey Hamilton goes nine innings for the shutout striking out 8 and walking two. The Padres head home with a 2-0 lead and have taken the wind out of the sails of the Red Sox.
Game 3 At Jack Murphy Stadium
Clear 80
1967 Red Sox.........................1
1996 Padres............................2
WP: T. Hoffman (1-0) LP: J. Wyatt (0-1)
HR: R. Henderson (1)
POG: Bob Tewksbury
1996 Padres lead series 3-0
Rickey Henderson lead off the first inning with a home run and Bob Tewsbury took that slim lead and carried it deep into the night. The Red Sox became desperate and starter Dave Morehead did keep them in the game. Finally in the 8th, an error by Craig Shiply allowed the tying run to score and it seemed like Boston would find a way. However in this crucial game, it became a battle of the closers. Hoffman did his job but John Wyatt had trouble in the ninth. A single and a wild pitch put Wally Joyner on second. With one out Brian Johnson singled to center and Joyner beat the throw to walk off the win and probably break the hearts of the Red Sox who are now down three games to none.
Game 4 At Jack Murphy Stadium
Rain 71
1967 Red Sox....................5
1996 Padres......................4
WP: J. Wyatt (1-0) LP: A. Ashby (0-1) S: S. Lyle (1)
HR: T. Gwynn (1), S. Finley (1), C. Yastzremski (1), J. Foy (1)
POG: Joe Foy
1996 Padres lead series 3 to 1
With their backs completely against the wall, the Red Sox trailed by three runs in the 8th inning and a cruising Andy Ashby on the mound for San Diego. Bruce Bochy did not go to Trevor Hoffman who needed rest and rolled the dice before Boston came roaring back, the biggest blow being a three run home run by third baseman Joe Foy. Sparky Lyle struck out the side in the 9th and we move to game 5 with the last thing the Padres wanting is another trip to Fenway. Tony Gwynn went 2-4 with a home run and is hitting .444 for the series.
Game 5 At Jack Murphy Stadium
Clear 69
1967 Red Sox........................3
1996 Padres..........................2 (12 inn)
WP: S. Lyle (1-0) LP: T. Worrell (0-1) S: D. Osinski (1)
HR: C. Shipley (1), T. Conigliaro (2)
POG: Jim Lonborg
1996 Padres lead series 3-2
Another grueling classic game in this series where Boston once again refuses to lose and pulls out a win in 12 innings after pinch hitter Bob Tillman singles in a run. The biggest star of the game was Jim Lonborg who threw 10 innings on 141 pitches and struck out 12 and literally had to be dragged off the field. Tony Conigliaro hit a two run home run early but the Padres tied the game in the 7th when Craig Shipley went deep. Both managers pulled out all the stops with Trevor Hoffman throwing 3 scoreless innings and neither team giving in. It was Boston who prevail and now the series moves back East for its exciting finish.
Game 6 At Fenway Park
Clear 62
1996 Padres.....................0
1967 Red Sox...................8
WP: L. Stange (1-1) LP: J. Hamilton (1-1)
HR: M. Andrews (1)
POG: Lee Stange
Series tied at 3
The perfect time for a shutout as Lee Stange and the Red Sox were glad to be home and made game six an easy one winning by 8 runs. Stange went the full nine allowing only 5 hits, striking out five, and walking none on only 106 pitches. Mike Andrews had three hits including a home run and scored four times while Rico Petrocelli drove in two. The Red Sox are almost all the way back and it all comes down the the two best words in sports, game seven.
Game 7 At Fenway Park
Clear 57
1996 Padres.....................3
1967 Red Sox...................0
WP: B. Tewksbury (1-0) D. Morehead (0-1)
HR: S. Finley (2)
POG: Bob Tewksbury
A four hit shutout in game seven puts the Red Sox to bed and douses the enthusiasm at Fenway Park. Steve Finley hit a solo home run in the second inning and and Ricky Henderson hit an RBI triple in the third and that would be all they would need. Bob Tewksbury threw a four hit shutout striking out eight and walking only two in what was a commanding effort at the perfect time. The Boston comeback was so close to reality, but it takes three not four to win a series, and San Diego gets the spoils.
1996 San Diego Padres Win Series 4 Games To 3
Series MVP:
Bob Tewksbury
(16.2 IP, 0 ER, 11 K, 0.72 WHIP, 4 hit shutout game seven)