Saturday June 18 vs the Red Sox

Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Outcome: L
Score: 0-5
Streak: L1
Record: 18-48
Rank: 7th
GB: 23

As a Red Sox fan in the second half of the 1980's there was nothing more exciting then a game in which Roger Clemens was pitching.  So I was very excited to be at the ballpark today because Clemens was starting.  And even better - I had front row seats for the game.  I was sitting on the third base side just up from the Orioles dugout.

Clemens was on today and the Orioles really had no shot.  He pitched a complete game shut out (his sixth of the season so far) for his tenth win and struck out nine.  He did give up nine hits and walked one but no base runner reached third until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Meanwhile the Sox offense was taking care of business.  They scored two runs in the top of the first (a Dwight Evans double scored Wade Boggs and a Mike Greenwell single scored Evans) and added another in the top of the second (a Boggs single scored Pat Dodson).  An RBI single by Evans in the top of the fourth scored Spike Owen with the fourth run and effectively ended the day for the Orioles starting pitcher Jose Bautista (although manager Frank Robinson left him in to intentionally walk Greenwell before lifting him for Doug Sisk).  Boston got their fifth and final run of the game in the eighth when a single by Marty Barrett scored Rich Gedman.

I lingered after the game for a bit, just enjoying being at the ballpark on a nice afternoon after watching my favorite team win.  Orioles bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks was walking by on his way to the dugout and I called out to him "Hey Elrod, when are they going to let you manage again?"  He stopped and looked at me, then just shook his head and chuckled as he walked away.

Here's the game articles from the next day's Sun paper: