Wednesday September 14 at the Red Sox

Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Outcome: L
Score: 3-4
Streak: L3
Record: 51-93
Rank: 7th
GB: 30.5

Tonight was the Mike Greenwell show.  The Red Sox left fielder went 4 for 4, hitting for the cycle and scoring three runs.

The Red Sox starting pitcher this evening former Oriole Mike Boddicker who had been traded to Boston back at the end of July.  This was Boddicker's first start ever against his former team.  He had a bit of a rough going early on.  With one out in the second inning he loaded the bases by walking Larry Sheets and Mickey Tettleton and giving up a single to Jim Traber.  Rick Schu then came through with a single that brought in Sheets and Tettleton to put the O's up 2-0.  Boddicker struck out Bill Ripken and got Joe Orsulak to ground out to get out of the inning without giving up any more runs.

Greenwell led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run to cut the Birds' lead in half.  Boston pulled ahead a couple innings later.  After Dwight Evans struck out to open the fourth, Greenwell hit a shot into the right field corner that bounced into the stands for a ground rule double.  Ellis Burks followed with a single that moved Greenwell to third.  Burks then stole second with Jim Rice at the plate.  Rice hit a sacrifice fly that scored Greenwell with the tying run and then Larry Parrish put the Red Sox up by a run when Burks scored on his single.  But the Orioles came back in the top of the fifth, tying the game at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly by Eddie Murray that scored Brady Anderson (who had been acquired from Boston in the Boddicker trade).

Boston went up for good in the sixth inning.  Greenwell led off the inning with a ball that was misplayed in deep left-center field by Sheets.  Greenwell ended up on a third and was given credit for a triple.  He then scored on a sacrifice fly by Burks to put the Red Sox up 4-3.

Greenwell led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to complete his cycle but for the first time in the game he failed to score. 

Boddicker ended up going seven innings against his former team tonight, giving up three runs (only two of which were earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out five.  He got his 12th win of the season - it was his sixth win since joining the Red Sox.

Here's a YouTube clip showing Greenwell's four hits from that night:



My friend Steve had moved up to Boston at the beginning of the month and was at this game.