May 15, 1985: Seattle Mariners (16-16) @ Boston Red Sox (17-14)
I think I've said this before but, man it’d be nice to have the ability to grab the good form when it comes and keep some in a bottle for when it deserts you. Who knows why it ebbs and flows the way it does, both during a season and over a career? In the end, I reckon the guys who have the most success over a longer period aren’t just the most talented ones – although obviously that’s the foundation for it – but rather the ones who best manage this aspect of the game.
A tough assignment today against young Mark Langston, who is already renowned around the league for murder on us lefties. I’ve only managed the one hit and a couple walks off him so far in 5 ABs so this’ll be a real challenge to see if I can carry things over from yesterday. Mac seems to like my chances, as he's pushed me up to hit third. Al Nipper is on for us.
Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game
Game Recap
After a slow start as the hurlers hold sway over the first couple, we get something going in the 3rd and eventually score 3, with two of them coming when I crack one out to the deepest part of the Triangle but it just stays in the park and I end up with a double. Another two-base hit by Tony Armas then brings me in.
They get on the board with one in the 5th but we match it in the home half to reinstate our 3-run lead. Things start really livening up in the next, however, as they find their range and Bob Kearney doubles in a pair to make it 4-3.
It stays that way until the bottom 7th, when Reid Nichols gives us some wiggle-room with a huge 3-run blast over the Monster—a timely power surge indeed seeing as he’s only got about a dozen homers in his career.
It gets a bit hairy to say the least in the 9th, with Mark Clear struggling to close it out. He puts all three of the guys he faces on base and all three of them eventually score before Bobby Ojeda finally nails it down with the tying and go-ahead runs stranded at the corners. Getting all 27 outs and these late innings in particular are really becoming problematic for us. Still, a win’s a win and, for now at any rate, we're back on top of the division.
Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day
- He may have just achieved the feat in-game, but Andy Van Slyke never hit for the cycle IRL.
The Real Deal
- MLB Debuts: NIL
- Daily Notes: On this day in 1951, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Red Sox' first game in the AL, Ted Williams hits his 300th career homer but Boston loses 9-7 to the White Sox after Nellie Fox goes deep for the first time in the bigs.