Sox 99 August Resurgence

Slumping since early June, the Red Sox woke up in August to stay close in the wild card race. They did it mostly on the strength of their lineup, but also had some good efforts on the mound.

The Cleveland Indians invaded Fenway sporting the best record in the majors at 64-41. Though the Sox captured only one of three contests, they gave the Tribe a good battle in every game.

The visitors captured the opener 5-4, overcoming a 4-2 deficit with two in the eighth (Jim Thome homer, his second of the game) and won it in the ninth on an Omar Vizquel single after two walks. Pedro Martinez, still coming back slowly from shoulder problems, went 5 innings, allowing 3 hits and a run and left with a 3-2 advantage. But relievers Rich Garces and Bryce Florie gave up one in the sixth, and though the Sox got it back in the seventh, Tim Wakefield failed in his closer role. Cleveland  jolted the Sox with 5 in the first the following night, but Boston rallied with 3 in the bottom half on 4 hits. A Nomar Garciaparra homer cut it to 5-4 in the third, and two more safeties tied it in the fourth. The Sox bullpen did a good job, holding the Indians scoreless for 7 innings, but Mark Guthrie was victimized by a two-run blast in the ninth from David Justice to win it 7-5. Starter Doc Gooden went only 2 2/3, surrendering 6 hits and 4 runs. Mike Jackson hurled the ninth, picking up his 25th save.

Erratic Mark Portugal came through in game 3, allowing 10 hits but just 2 runs over 8 1/3 in a 7-2 victory. The righty walked none and fanned 5. The Bosox jumped to a 7-1 lead after 6 off Bartolo Colon and aging Mark Langston, led by Garciaparra’s 3-for-5 with 2 rbi’s.

West Coast trips have often undone even good Sox teams, and it looked bad early as the last-place Anaheim Angels ripped Boston 8-0 in the first of four games. For the seventh time in 8 starts, Brian Rose was unable to get past the fifth, leaving with a 3-0 deficit. Troy Glaus’s three-run homer in the fourth started it off, and relievers Florie and Guthrie were also ineffective. Ace Chuck Finley went 7 scoreless innings.

Things began to turn around the following night, however, as the visitors triumphed 5-1. Troy O’Leary led the parade with 4 hits, including a two-run double, and Brian Daubach homered off starter Steve Sparks. Still-ailing Bret Saberhagen left after 5, allowing 6 safeties and a run while fanning 7. Derek Lowe and Wakefield were strong in relief. The Angels were sporting a 4.74 team ERA, and they looked hapless in the next contest as the Sox pounded out 19 hits in a 14-3 shellacking. Every Sox starter got at least one hit. Boston accumulated 13 runs in the first 6 innings, as the home squad’s defense made a number of bad decisions on the bases. Daubach, Garciaparra, and Jose Offerman had 3 hits each, with Jose knocking in 3. Pinch-hitter Butch Huskey contributed a three-run double. Starter Pat Rapp had it easy, allowing 6 hits and a run in 7 frames.

Game 4 was another laugher, as the Bosox went out to a 7-1 advantage after four in a 9-3 final. Pedro was removed after 5, allowing one earned run and fanning 5, as Garces and Rheal Cormier finished up. Daubach, O’Leary and Mike Stanley had round-trippers in a 13-hit attack. Martinez ran his record to 16-3, best record in the majors.

The Sox were now 61-50, and in a virtual tie with Toronto for second. They had outscored Anaheim 28-7 in the final three contests, and their team average was up to .279. Garciaparra still led the AL in hitting, and Daubach, now in the Rookie of the Year running, was at .324 with 16 homers and 51 ribbies. His struggling predecessor at first, Mo Vaughn, did not even play in the series because of a strep throat.