May 22, 1985: Boston Red Sox (21-16) @ Minnesota Twins (20-18)
The final game of this Minnesota visit sees Frank Viola up for them against Rocket Clemens. I was speaking with Rog yesterday and he reckons he’s made a couple mechanical tweaks and feels much better for doing so, so it’ll be interesting to see how he goes today. Viola is a tough one for us lefties, although I haven’t done too badly against him in limited chances, going 2-for-6 in a couple games last year.
Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game
Game Recap
Tony Armas opens the scoring here with a solo shot in the 2nd and we add two more in the next on another homer by Dewey Evans and then an RBI double by Armas to plate me after I’d been HBP.
Whatever changes Roger claims to have made might need some more work as the Twins bats tear him apart in the bottom 3rd with 6 runs on 6 hits and that’s it for him tonight. They add another one in the 5th to make it 7-3.
I get one of those back with a leadoff jack in the next but our opponents are on their game tonight and all but put us away with a pair in the home half. That in fact finishes the scoring as we head to the Lone Star State with a somewhat sour taste in our mouths.
Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day
- The A's-O's game is a beauty, with Baltimore taking a 2-run lead into the bottom 9th before Oakland manages to square it up and send it into extra innings. It takes a bunch of those before Carney Lansford wins it 4-3 for the A's in the 16th with a walkoff solo HR.
The Real Deal
- MLB Debuts: NIL
- Daily Notes: On this day in 1977, the Red Sox and Brewers tie a major-league record when they combine for 11 home runs in a game, taking to 23 the two have belted in the past three games.