Sox 88 – 12 in a Row

Not since the Impossible Dream year of 1967 had a Sox team captured the hearts of New England fans is this way. The group that had been the butt of jokes under John McNamara suddenly became the darlings of the Nation, as they ripped off 12 consecutive wins and shot into the AL East race.

 

Much-maligned Oil Can Boyd hurled 7 one-hit innings for streak victory number 8, a 6-1 triumph over the White Sox. The contest was in doubt until a four-run explosion in the bottom of the eighth, paced by Wade Boggs' two-run triple. The next day's Globe headline announced "Red Sox on Cloud Nine", as another new hero shut down Chicago. Wes Gardner survived a shaky first inning, pitching 7 1/3 and and allowing 5 hits and 3 runs to run his record to 4-1. Down 3-1 , Boston tied it in the sixth, with new DH Larry Parrish doubling in a pair. They then eked out the winner in the eighth, taking advantage of a costly error by second baseman Donny Hill. The victory pushed the Sox, who were 9 out at the break, within 3 1/2 games of the first place Tigers.

 

The team was finding new ways to win every day. When shaky rookie Steve Curry was kayoed in the third after surrendering 4 hits and 5 runs, versatile Mike 
Smithson contributed 6 1/3 one-hit shutout innings in relief and his teammates responded with 20 hits in an 11-5 drubbing for victory number 10. The Sox batting average on the homestand was .369, with Boggs, Jody Reed, Todd Benzinger and even Jim Rice hitting over .400. They were averaging almost 7 runs per game. Everything seemed in synch.

 

The streak reached 11 on Sunday the 24th with a 3-2 victory and series sweep, marked by the return of Bruce Hurst to the rotation. Even Michael Madden ,who a month earlier had mocked the team's internal problems, exulted "There is magic and merriment and mystery and Morgan in Boston these days. Each day…the Sox skip into their locker room, smiles and backslaps and odes sung to teamwork and the 24th man

 

Boston then took their show on the road, and pushed the win streak to 12 in Texas, as Roger Clemens threw his seventh shutout (2-0) and tenth complete game of the year to run his mark to 14-5. In nearly 100 degree temperatures, the Rocket threw an incredible (by today's standards) 161 pitches, but no one seemed to be worrying.

 

It was also around this time that Joe Morgan's operative phrase "six two and even" was first mentioned by Dan Shaughnessy. Asked what it meant, the manager replied "it means six two and even, que pasa, who gives a hell, anything you want. It's just six two and even boys, let's go."

 

Morgan must have really enjoyed throwing out the first ball on Tuesday night in the presence of stars like Clemens, It showed that the present day Sox management has a sense of history- a period which 25 years later it is still hard to describe.