Anatomy of a Season

[luckymann]

September 6, 1985: Game rained out, rescheduled for 09/07/85

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

• MLB Debuts: John Perlman
• Daily Notes: NIL

[luckymann]

September 7, 1985: Cleveland Indians (65-69) @ Boston Red Sox (69-64)

Mother Nature has thrown us a curveball, with yesterday’s rainout necessitating another DH today. Still, small mercies that we’re at home—coping with these sorts of hiccups are much trickier on the road. The early game sees Mike Trujillo take on righty Roy Smith, whom I have only faced in a couple games during his rookie season last year and gone 2-for-4 against. Saturday afternoon game makes for a big crowd here at the Fen.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

Jim Rice bombs out a 2-run jack in the 1st to already equal his 28 HR of last season and put us in front early, but not for long as they knot it back up in the very next frame.

Dewey Evans singles one in for us in the bottom 2nd, but our inability to keep the opposition bats quiet continues as Trujillo gives up 2 more runs in the 3rd to put us behind once more, 4-3.

This has been some sort of crazy series and looks like we’re in for more of the same today as we leapfrog them with a pair on another Rice longball in the home 3rd.

Then, nothing. Not until the top 8th, when Mark Clear gives up a run to put it at 5-5 and then Steve Crawford gives up another in the 9th and we lose 6-5. Play with fire, you will eventually get burned.

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

[luckymann]

September 7, 1985: Cleveland Indians (66-69) @ Boston Red Sox (69-65)

We’ll need to regather, regroup and rebound from that loss for the nitecap, which sees Al Nipper taking on young southpaw Curt Wardle. Him starting means they'll likely be approaching this as a bullpen start, understandable given the recent schedule. A few more seem to have snuck in, giving Fenway its usual Saturday night ebullience. Always a fun experience and they might just get their money's worth tonight.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

Me and my big mouth…

They open the game in a blinding flash, with a 2-run homer to Bernazard and a grand slam by George Vukovich to put six on us in a blink.

Three more in the 4th turn this one into a joke with us as the punchline, although we do manage to cancel them out in the bottom half of the same inning with three of our own, as Tony Armas goes yard.

They kick away again with a deuce in the next, then 4 more in the 6th. I’ve not seen as ordinary pitching as has been on display during this series for a long time, and our staff is just shredded.

It finishes a humiliating 18-5, with Vukovich torching us for 8 ribbies.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

• Houston's Jose Cruz reaches the 2000-hit mark for his career.

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Gus Polidor
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1979, Carl Yastrzemski collects three hits to pass Ted Williams on the all-time total bases list.

[luckymann]

September 8, 1985: Cleveland Indians (67-69) @ Boston Red Sox (69-66)

We continue our homestand with the final game in this series with the Tribe, a lefty-lefty matchup between Tim Lollar and Neal Heaton. Too afraid to make any predictions for this one—it’s as likely to be a 1-0 pitchers’ duel as a 14-13 shootout, so I’m just gonna keep my mouth shut and hopefully go out and gets me some hits!

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

A somewhat more sedate start to this one, as we take an early lead with a run in the 2nd and double our lead a couple frames later on a solo jack by Mike Easler.

We add three more in the 6th including a long overdue RBI single from myself as Lollar gives us a thrill with six hitless before they finally get on the board with a run on 2 hits in the 7th.

That’s all they get, though, as Lollar pitches a complete game gem for the win.

What a crazy old series.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

• Yankees veteran Phil Niekro earns his 300th career win with a 5-1 decision over slumping Oakland.

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Rich Surhoff, Stu Pederson, Ralph Bryant
• Daily Notes: NIL

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

September 9, 1985: Game rained out, rescheduled for 09/10/85

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

• Another win for Houston's Mike Scott, now 21-2 on the season.

The Real Deal

• MLB Debuts: Brian Holton
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1974, the Yankees beat the Red Sox 6-3 for their first win in Boston since July 31st of last year and just their second in 24 games at Fenway since 1972.

[luckymann]

September 10, 1985: Baltimore Orioles (74-59) @ Boston Red Sox (70-66)

More waterlogged weather means another rainout and now our third doubleheader in a week to make up the lost game. Not ideal for either team as we face the division-leading Orioles, in town for a 4-game run. Fair to say we need to take at least three of them to give ourselves much chance of catching the Orange Birds, and it’ll be Bruce Hurst trying to nail down the first of those today in a twilight game against Storm Davis.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

We get the sort of start we’re after with a deuce in the 1st and I knock in a third for us a couple digs later with a single.

Hurst doesn’t give up his first hit until the 4th, but then gives up a couple more in the one after as they tag him for 3 to tie it up again.

We get our noses back in front in the 6th on a Barrett sac fly and it is still 4-3 when Mac decides to go to Steve Crawford for the 9th. Of course, he proceeds to blow the save as they get a run on a wild pitch to make it 4-4.

Thankfully, with it already shaping up as a long night, we save ourselves from the prospect of spares with a walkoff solo shot by Dewey Evans getting us the win.

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

[luckymann]

September 10, 1985: Baltimore Orioles (74-60) @ Boston Red Sox (71-66)

And so, the excitement having died down after that dramatic finish to the early game, we move to the nitecap. Oil Can Boyd facing Mike Boddicker and two from two would really put a spring in our step and some wind in our sails, guaranteeing that we’ll at least not lose ground in this series.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

Once again, we fly out of the blocks with 3 in the 1st, including a leadoff HR by Evans, giving him two from his last two ABs.
Boyd looks to be cruising until they put 4 on us in the 6th to take the lead as these big innings continue to prove our Kryptonite.

Boddicker has hung tough since that early stumble, but we finally get something going and Jim Rice comes through with a clutch two-out 2-run triple in the 7th to make it 5-4.

Boyd comes out after 8 and this time Crawford nails down the save without incident for a dogged win.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Pat Keedy, Jose Guzman
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1978, the Yankees complete a four-game sweep of the Red Sox that will become known in lore as the "Boston Massacre", in which they outhit the Sox 67-21, and outscore them 42-9, leaving the teams in a tie for first place and capping a remarkable Yankee march to the top from fourth place and 14 games out.
• Transactions of Interest: To bolster their pitching staff for the pennant race, the Angels acquire veteran Don Sutton from the A's for two players to be named later (Bob Sharpnack and Jerome Nelson are sent on September 25, 1985).

[luckymann]

September 11, 1985: Baltimore Orioles (74-61) @ Boston Red Sox (72-66)

We continue this key homestand against the O’s as Bob Ojeda takes on “El Presidente” himself, Dennis Martinez. We need to press home the advantage of those pair of wins yesterday that have brought us back to within 3 ½ games of the lead. The breeze is up and blowing out at the Fen tonight, so we might see some runs scored.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

Dewey Evans is in the action again early as he leads off with a double and scores on a Boggs single to get the scoring underway.

That run holds up until the top 4th, when we’re lucky to only give up 2 runs as they leave the bases loaded, but Eddie Murphy extends their lead with a solo shot in the next.

Evans’ hot form continues as he cancels out that Murray run with an RBI single after Steve Lyons had tripled, and Lyons repeats the dose a couple of frames after that, knocking in Mike Easler to tie the game at 3 apiece.

Ojeda runs out of puff in the next and they skip away again with a deuce, only for us to get one of them straight back on a single by Geds.

In the end, our BP has to wear another bad showing as they give up 4 more in the 9th on a Mike Young slam (giving him 7 RBI for the game) and we lose 9-4. Hate to say it, but our relievers may well end up costing us a shot at the playoffs this year – they’ve been pretty abysmal.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Mike Woodard, Billy Jo Robidoux, Bobby Moore, Mike Felder
• Daily Notes: IRL, Pete Rose becomes baseball's all-time hit leader, singling to left-center off Eric Show in the 1st inning of the Reds' 2 - 0 win over San Diego for his 4192nd career hit and breaking Ty Cobb's record before 47,237 fans at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium.

[luckymann]

September 12, 1985: Baltimore Orioles (75-61) @ Boston Red Sox (72-67)

The closing game of this series with the O’s but we do have one final 3-game meeting with them in Baltimore right at the end of the season—will it have special significance? Can’t be getting ahead of ourselves thinking like that, only we can make it happen and a win today would at least mean we’ve picked up a couple games on them for now. A loss means we split the series, advantage them.

Tonight’s game sees Al Nipper facing second-year player Ken Dixon, who I’m 2-for-6 against to this point, with both hits being singles when we faced him a couple times down the stretch last season.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

Larry Sheets bombs one out in the 2nd to give them an early 2-0 lead but Geds replies with a leadoff shot in the home half to get one of them back straight away.

Mike Young is back at it, putting them up 5-1 in the 5th with a 3-run jack that sees the end of Nipper and then Eddie Murray adds another one a couple frames later with a solo job.

Dixon had held us pretty quiet to this point but we finally swing into action with a 3-run 7th to make a game of it.

Not for long, however, as they put us away with 3 on 4 hits in the 8th then 4 more in the 9th as this woebegone bullpen of ours implodes again and it finishes a 13-5 laugher. Not for us, though, as at 5 1/2 games back with 20 to play that might well be our season done. An 0-for-5 game by yours truly does not improve my mood.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Pat Perry
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1979, Carl Yastrzemski reaches the 3000 hits milestone when he singles off Yankee Jim Beattie.

[luckymann]

September 13, 1985: Boston Red Sox (72-68) @ Milwaukee Brewers (51-87)

Off for a quick jaunt to Milwaukee for four against the Brewers, starting tonight with two Tims facing off – Lollar for us and Leary for them. This will be Tim Leary’s first appearance of the season after coming across from the Mets in the offseason but I faced him a couple times during my time as a Cub without managing a hit in three tries. Let’s hope I can do better today as we try to rebound from that dismal end to the Baltimore series. Our opponents were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

A leadoff shot by Dewey Evans gets the scoring underway in this one but they come straight back with a run of their own.

We add two more in the 3rd including one on a Billy Buck sac fly but once again they respond immediately as Randy Ready makes it 3-3 via the longball.

Easler goes solo yard in the next to edge us ahead once more and this time our lead lasts a few frames until they knot it up again in the 6th on a Molitor single.

Lollar comes out, relived by Woodward, who gives up 2 in the 8th and it looks like we’re set to drop another one.

But the boys drag themselves off the deck, with Evans once again the main man as he puts us ahead 7-6 with a 3-run homer. What a stretch he is having!

Of course, Steve Crawford proceeds to blow the save but we eventually win it 8-7 in 12 after Geds mashes a solo tater and Trujillo closes it out. Molitor ends up with 5 hits in valiant a losing effort.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

• Mike Scott overcomes a 4-run 1st to nail down a 6-4 win over the Friars and move to 22-2 on the season.

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Rob Murphy
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1946, Ted Williams hits the only inside-the-park home run of his career (over the Boudreau Shift) to help the Red Sox clinch the AL pennant with a 1-0 defeat of the Indians.
• Transactions of Interest: The Yankees sign Bernie Williams as an amateur free agent, while the Phillies trade Rich Surhoff to the Rangers for Dave Stewart.

[luckymann]

September 14, 1985: Boston Red Sox (73-68) @ Milwaukee Brewers (51-88)

Game two in the series with the Brew Crew sees Bruce Hurst up against rookie Bill Wegman, who is making his very first start in the bigs, having pitched just a third of an inning so far. Man, does it seem a lifetime ago when I was in his shoes at the start of my career and yet, at the same time, those sixteen-odd seasons feel like they’ve flown past in the blink of an eye. What an odd paradox time becomes as you age. Anyway, enough with the philosophical hooey, let’s go get another much-needed win.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

They get a jump on us in the 1st, posting a deuce on a leadoff homer and a sac fly, but we square it up again with a pair in the 4th and then chase Wegman with 3 more in the next, two of which come via a Tony Armas double.

We exchange runs and then they keep coming at us with another one in the 7th to make it 6-4 and one more in the 9th as our BP unconvincingly holds on for the narrow win.

Another 0-for-5 game for me as the hits have dried up a bit this past week or so.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: NIL
• Daily Notes: NIL

[luckymann]

September 15, 1985: Boston Red Sox (74-68) @ Milwaukee Brewers (51-89)

Down to our final 20 games for the season as we continue this Brewers series with a first career start for Jeff Sellers. Our hosts send Jaime Cocanower to the hill, against whom I am 1-for-5 in my career. Sadly our two wins in this series so far have not allowed us to make up any ground on the O’s, who still hold a 1½ game lead over Detroit and are five to the good of us. Still, we can only catch them if we keep winning, as we must do here on a brisk Sunday afternoon with few in attendance.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

We give Sellers a couple runs to play with in the top 1st and hopefully settle his nerves, adding a third in the 4th.

They finally get to him with a pair in the home 4th but he hangs tough and that scoreline holds thru eight, only for Mark Clear to blow the save and send us into extra innings tied at 3.

Pretty much sums up the year we have had, really, as they walk it off with a double by Cecil Cooper in the 12th.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: NIL
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1979, Bob Watson of the Red Sox becomes the first modern major leaguer to hit for the cycle in both leagues, doing so in a 10-2 victory over the Orioles.
• Transactions of Interest: The Yankees trade pitcher Jim Deshaies and two other players to be named later to the Astros for 40-year-old Joe Niekro, reuniting him with brother Phil as teammates for the first time since 1974 with the Braves.

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

September 16, 1985: Boston Red Sox (74-69) @ Milwaukee Brewers (52-89)

We wrap up this series in Milwaukee tonight before heading back to Boston for our next-to-last homestand for the year and it’s getting ever harder to look past the likelihood that we’ll not be figuring in the playoffs this season. Plenty of pride still at stake with a winning record always the obvious goal and if we can keep stringing together some wins then who knows? Especially with us still having six games to play against the Tigers and three against the O's.

Bob Ojeda up for us in this one, with righty Moose Haas going for them. Super keen to turn around my recent mini-slump before it gets away from me.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

We fly out of the blocks with a 3-run 1st and then the pitchers take control, with just a smattering of hits between then and the 5th, when we add 2 more after I lead off with a single and Tony Armas puts one into the LF stand.

That sends Haas off to the showers and Ojeda does well until he flags a bit and gives up a deuce in the 8th.

He gets into more strife in the 9th and Crawford has to come in and he gives up one more in what ends up a pretty close-run thing with a 5-4 final scoreline.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: NIL
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1965, Boston's Dave Morehead pitches a 2-0 no-hitter against the Indians at Fenway Park.

[luckymann]

September 17, 1985: Toronto Blue Jays (73-70) @ Boston Red Sox (75-69)

The Blue Jays pop into Boston for two games and, with them sitting just a smidgen behind us in the standings and presumably still holding some hope of a miracle, these contests promise to be highly competitive. Two of the most intense competitors in the game today square off in the opener, with Oil Can Boyd and Dave Stieb going mano e mano. A big crowd has turned out at the Fen to cheer us on, and the lads certainly seem up for the fight. Let’s hope that translates into how we play tonight. Was nice getting a couple hits in yesterday’s game. Be even nicer to get a few more in this one.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

A rude start from our visitors as they tag Can with three on four hits in the 1st but things go quiet from there with no more scoring until the 4th.

It is us who puts one across, with Geds going solo yard, and Rice picks me up after I am caught stealing with a two out hit in the next that gats us to within a run.

But while we have to scratch for ours, they manage to score their runs in bursts, adding another three and ending Can’s night in the 7th.

We get two of those back in the 8th to make it 6-4 but Henke shuts us down to close it out for them by that score.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Tony Ferreira
• Daily Notes: NIL

[luckymann]

September 18, 1985: Toronto Blue Jays (74-70) @ Boston Red Sox (75-70)

The dogfight at the top of the AL East continues, with just a half-game separating the O’s, Tigers and Yanks. Ourselves and our opponents tonight, Toronto, are down to our last few outs it would seem, at 5 GB the leader. Still, until we get that X next to our name, we fight on. Al Nipper gets the ball for us tonight, taking on righty Jim Clancy. Very much looking forward to tomorrow’s off day ahead of our final stretch of games for the season.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

The pitchers hold sway early in this one, with the first run of the game not coming until the bottom 3rd and doing so via a Wild Pitch.

That all changes in the top 5th when they just tear Nipper apart, scoring 4 runs on 6 hits to take control of the game, then 3 more in the next to pretty much seal it and end Nipper’s night.

We exchange runs in the 7th to make it 8-2 but then our bats finally show a pulse and score three in the 8th to make things look a bit more respectable.

But they knock out 2 more in the top 9th in another disastrous night from our pitching staff and I think that will just about do us for this year.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

• Mike Scott moves to 23-2 on the year with an 8-2 win over LA.

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Ed Correa
• Daily Notes: IRL, Catcher Rich Gedman hits for the cycle and drives in seven runs as the Red Sox rout Toronto, 13-1.

[luckymann]

September 19, 1985: No game scheduled

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

• MLB Debuts: NIL
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1912, the Red Sox lose an unusual doubleheader to the Cleveland Naps, dropping the early game 9-3 when the game is called on account of rain after five innings, then losing the second game 6-0 after six innings when it gets called because of darkness.

[luckymann]

September 20, 1985: Detroit Tigers (79-67) @ Boston Red Sox (75-71)

The odds are stacked against us even if we manage to take some games off the Tigers in this 4-game homestand, because of course we also trail the Yanks and O’s by similar amounts. All the same, our odds drop to zero if we don’t so we know which result works better for us. A tough start for us as Bruce Hurst takes on the indomitable Jack Morris in the opening game.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

We start with a bang in the bottom 1st as I double in a run and two more come home on a Tony Armas triple.

Hurst doesn’t give up his first hit until the 6th but Morris has also found his groove to keep that scoreline intact.

Hurst finally cracks in the 8th as they tag him for a deuce but Crawford comes in for the 9th to preserve the 3-2 win.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: NIL
• Daily Notes: On this day in 1960, Red Sox OF Carroll Hardy pinch-hits for Ted Williams; the following season, Hardy will do likewise for rookie Carl Yastrzemski, making him the only player to go in for both future Hall of Famers. Hardy also hit his first major league home run pinch-hitting for Roger Maris when both were at Cleveland.

[luckymann]

September 21, 1985: Detroit Tigers (79-68) @ Boston Red Sox (76-71)

We remain six adrift despite yesterday’s win, with the Yankees now leading the O’s by a half-game with 15 to play. At least if we can’t catch ‘em, we might have a say in who gets it done. Jeff Sellers up for us tonight taking on Walt Terrell, who at 16-7 / 3.48 is putting together a nice season indeed for the Tigers. A nice little Saturday afternoon crowd of about 30 thousand in attendance at the Fen.

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game




Game Recap

Doubles to Sweet Lou Whitaker and Kirk Gibson get them a 1st-inning run and a Johnny Grubb solo shot adds another in the 2nd.

Sellers looks no match for their big top-order bats as he gives up two more in the 3rd, but I manage to get one of them back in the home half with a single to make it 4-1.

Give Jeff credit, he hangs tough and holds them until we get a couple more to make a game of it in the 5th as I add a couple more ribbies to the season’s tally.

They edge away again with a run in the next and that’s Sellers done for the day with Lollar relieving him and getting us out of a big bases-loaded jam with a timely GIDP.

Loose defence costs us another run in the 7th and it ends up being a costly one as we get it back to 6-5 on a 2-run double by Hoffman in the 8th but go down quietly in the 9th to lose a close one.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

• Some ferocious contests today as you'd expect with all four races tight; the Twins' 8-7 win in 16 over the Royals - despite 5 hits from Frank White - is undoubtedly the pick of them.

The Real Deal

(click link for BBRef boxscore)

• MLB Debuts: Colin Ward
• Daily Notes: IRL, Wade Boggs ties Tris Speaker's club mark of 222 hits with a single in the 2nd inning of their game against Detroit. Another in the 5th, his 185th, breaks the mark set by Willie Wilson in 1980 to set a new AL record. His final total for the season of 187 will stand as the record until 2001.