Monday September 5 vs the Red Sox

Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Outcome: L
Score: 4-1
Streak: L1
Record: 48-88
Rank: 7th
GB: 27.5

The Orioles returned home after 10 days on the road to face the Red Sox on Labor Day.  A lot had changed for Boston since the Birds last faced them in June.  I had previously mentioned that the Red Sox had fired manager John McNamara on July 14th just after the All Star break and replaced him with third base coach Joe Morgan (who was not the Joe Morgan of the 1970's Reds).  The Red Sox promptly won 19 of their next 20 games (including their first 12 in a row under the new manager) and catapulted themselves from a fourth place tie with the Brewers to a first place tie with the Tigers on August 2.  The Sox spent most of the month of August in second place but their victory over the Angels on September 4th combined with the Tigers loss to the Brewers put them back into a first place tie coming into tonight's game.

The Red Sox put a couple on the board early.  Dwight Evans had an RBI single in the first and Larry Parrish (who the Red Sox had signed in mid-July after he'd been released by the Rangers) had a solo home run in the second to put the Sox up 2-0.

The key play of the night happened in the bottom of the second.  Larry Sheets and Jim Traber started off the inning with back-to-back singles.  Rene Gonzales attempted to move the two runners up with a sacrifice bunt but Sheets was thrown out at third.  Wade Boggs throw to first where Red Sox second baseman Marty Barrett was covering was too late to double up Gonzales.  Bill Ripken stepped into the batters box and Red Sox pitcher Mike Smithson stood behind the mound acting like he was getting ready to pitch.  No one on the Orioles realized that Smithson didn't have the ball - Barrett still had it.  He waited until Traber took a lead off of second then threw the ball to shortstop Jody Reed who tagged Traber out with a successful execution of the hidden ball trick.  Ripken flew out to left to end the inning.

The Orioles had many opportunities to score in this game - they got 10 hits and three walks but left nine men on base and went 1-9 with runners in scoring position.  They pushed across their lone run in the fifth.  Gonzales and Bill Ripken hit back-to-back singles.  After Joe Orsulak flew out Brady Anderson doubled, scoring Gonzales.  Ripken stopped at third however and I think Anderson ended up overrunning second as the throw from Evans in right field was cut off by Smithson who threw to Reed to catch Anderson trying to get back to second.  Cal Ripken then flew out to end the inning.

The Red Sox got a two run home run from Evans in the top of the ninth to make the score 4-1.  Combined with Detroit's loss to Toronto the victory put the Red Sox into first place by themselves for the first time all season.  They would not fall out of first the rest of the season although I don't think they actually clinched the division title until October 2nd, the last day of season.  The loss by the Orioles mathematically eliminated them from the division race.

I was at this game - as I did in June I decided to go to all of the games the Red Sox were playing in Baltimore this week.  Here's the clippings from the next day's Evening Sun: