If the past two weeks have been a disaster for Red Sox Nation, the week of October 13, 1986, represents a walk in the clouds.
Writing about the fifth game of the ALCS, Larry Whiteside wrote: “Perhaps it didn’t quite match game 6 on the 75 World Series. But few games will feature the intensity and excitement of the Red Sox’ 7-6 victory over the California Angels that salvaged their drive for their first pennant in 11 years. It cut the Angels’ lead to 3-2….and it was achieved after the Sox came within one strike of elimination.” One strike.
Until Dave Henderson’s ninth inning homer to give the Bosox a 6-5 lead, the day seemed like a double-dip for Boston teams. The Pats had lost in Foxboro to the Jets 31-24, as New York jumped out to a 24-0 lead by halftime. Meanwhile in Anaheim, the Sox went up 2-0 on Rich Gedman’s second inning homer. But Angel hurler Mike Witt settled down, shutting out the Townies through the eighth. For the home squad, homers by Bob Boone and Bobby Grich gave Cal a 3-2 lead, and when Bob Stanley failed again in relief, allowing two more in the seventh, it appeared over. But it wasn’t. Don Baylor’s two-run homer with one out in the ninth narrowed it to 5-4. Dwight Evans popped to third for out number 2, and Angel skipper Gene Mauch went to reliever Gary Lucas to finish it off. But Lucas hit Gedman with a pitch, putting the tying run on base. Donnie Moore came in, and up came Henderson. “He worked the count to 2-and-2,” wrote Whiteside, “and fouled off two pitches. Then he stroked a fastball into the distance. Henderson savored every minute of it. As he ran up the first base line and watched the ball sail over the fence, he staged an impromptu celebration, leaping twice and dancing in delight-shades of Carlton Fisk.”
The Sox bullpen couldn’t hold it, however. Stanley and Joe Sambito allowed another run, and it took Steve Crawford to keep it tied at 6. In the eleventh, with Moore still on the mound, the Sox quickly loaded the bases and Hendu came through again, with a sac fly to make the count 7-6. Calvin Schiraldi, recovering from the previous night’s blowup, retired the Angels 1-2-3 to preserve the incredible win.
Leigh Montville’s story about the ninth inning seems a bit eerie, given what was to happen in the World Series. “One pitch away. All Southern California seemed to hang from the triple-decked stands of Anaheim Stadium, waiting to romp across the neatly mowed field for a civic celebration….Noise rolled around the square ballpark as a constant. Kids could be seen in the outfield, their legs hanging over the fence as they prepared to rush the field in joy. A line of orange-coated ushers protected each of the baselines. A line of cops protected the Red Sox dugout and bullpen….’.Did you hear that the champagne corks had already been popped in the Angels locker room?’ Sox owner Haywood Sullivan said….’That’s what I heard. With two outs, some of the kids in the clubhouse were popping the champagne so each player could have a bottle ready when he came in.” There is no record of a message board congratulating either the Sox or the Angels.
Like the 04 World Series against St Louis, games 6 and 7 were a bit anticlimacatic. Deep down, the Angels seemed to know that they had blown another one. Many older Sox fans remember Oil Can’s implosion in game 3 of the World Series, but fewer probably recall his strong-though not perfect- performance in Game 6 of the ALCS, a 10-4 Sox victory. After allowing a pair of first-inning runs, Can shut down the Angels for the next 5 as Boston exploded for five in the third to take a 7-2 lead. Boston banged out 16 hits, including 4 from much-maligned shortstop Spike Owen and 3 from Marty Barrett. Boyd went 7 innings, allowing 9 hits and 3 runs, but walked only one. He even spoke confidently after the win. “I knew here the crowds wouldn’t be against us. I knew here we were going to go out and score some runs. Now you’ve got to believe Roger will do it. Big Tex will be ready.”
No problem. According to Dan Shaughnessy, a man bumped into Reggie Jackson in a bookstore early Wednesday and said: “Reggie, what’s gonna happen tonight?” “We’re done, man,” he replied. Though weakened by the flu, Roger gave one of his best postseason performances, scattering 4 hits over 7 innings in an 8-1 victory to give the Sox their first pennant since 1975. Jim Rice and Dwight Evans homered, as the Bosox breezed to a 7-0 lead after 4. Owens continued his hitting at with 2 for 4 in a game that was over in 2:39. Spike led the team in ALCS hitting with a .429 mark, while Barrett was series MVP, hitting .367 with 11 hits and 5 rbi’s.
As the Sox prepared to face the Mets, who went in as 2 1/2 to 1 favorites, Globe writers chimed in with their predictions. Some were lame attempts at humor. Michael Madden had Tim Lollar hitting a grand slam at Shea to win it. Shaughnessy had Boyd throwing an ephus pitch to Keith Hernandez, and Hernandez homering to tie game 7. Whiteside bravely proclaimed: “Nobody expected anything from the Red Sox, and all they’ve done is win…the Red Sox in seven.” The great Peter Gammons wrote: “They can’t compare to the Mets, but they’re fated to win.”
Almost, Peter.
A day before game 1, a large headline in the Globe World Series Notebook said “Buckner Sidelined”. It said that his debut in the series would be delayed a couple of games because of a strained Achilles tendon, and that Don Baylor would play first base in the two games in New York. John McNamara was quoted as saying that the injury would be reevaluated, and that Buck should be ready for game 3.
When the series started on Saturday night, however, Buckner was in his usual place at first, batting third. He was replaced late in the game by Dave Stapleton, as Bruce Hurst and Calvin Schiraldi pitched the Sox to a 1-0 win. Much more on the Fall Classic next week.
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