Sox 99 – Bouncing Back

After being swept in Texas, the Red Sox bounced back in late August against much weaker competiton. The Minnesota Twins, 51-72 and 25 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central, fell in the first game 4-1. The Sox rode two-run homers from Trot Nixon in the second and Troy O’Leary in the fifth. Pat Rapp, doing some of his best pitching of the year, went 6 frames allowing 8 hits and a run while walking 3 and fanning 6. The home squad managed 10 hits, but stranded 10.

Pedro Martinez was back in business the following night, blinding the Twins with an 8-inning, 4-hit performance, walking 1 and fanning 15 in a 7-1 drubbing. Boston broke it open with 3 in the fifth, capped by Jason Varitek’s two-run double. Jason Ryan, in his first major league start, walked 6 in 4 2/3, allowing 4 hits and 4 runs. Darren Lewis, Mike Stanley and Donnie Sadler had 2 hits each. Pedro now stood at 18-4, and would not lose again all year. Minnesota did manage a victory in game 3 behind ace Brad Radke, who went 7 1/3, permitting 4 hits and 1 earned run in a 6-3 victory. Mark Portugal was hit hard in 5 2/3 and saw his record fall to 7-12.

Kent Mercker, a veteran lefty obtained that week from St Louis for two minor leaguers, began to pay dividends early in a 4-3 win at Fenway over the last-place Anaheim Angels. Mercker went 6, allowing 6 hits and 3 runs, walking 1 and fanning 2. The Sox fell behind 3-0, but began their comeback with Butch Huskey’s two-run single in the fifth. Two innings later, O’Leary doubled in the tying and winning tallies off closer Troy Percival after a Stanley single and a walk. Rich Garces picked up the win, Derek Lowe the save.

Percival was victimized again on the 28th as Boston triumphed 7-6 in a seesaw contest. The Angels went ahead 4-1 with 4 in the third, but the Townies came right back with 4 in their half, featuring Varitek’s three-run triple. Anaheim would tie at 6 with 2 in the eighth, but Jose Offerman would double in the winner in the bottom half. Lowe took a rather shaky win in relief of Garces, running his mark to 5-2. Tim Wakefield allowed 9 hits and 3 earned runs in his return to the rotation.

The Sox completed the sweep the following day, easing to a 7-4 victory behind Rapp, who had not lost in two months. The righty went 6 frames, allowing 6 hits and a run, walking 2 and fannng 4. Boston broke open a 1-1 game with 3 in the fifth (Lewis two-run single) and 3 more on 3 sixth off starter Tim Belcher and three relievers. The Angels made it interesting with 3 off Bryce Florie in the ninth, but Lowe got the final out for his ninth save.

It must have brought often-embattled GM Dan Duquette some pleasure in comparing  the stats of Mo Vaughn and his emerging replacement Brian Daubach. Vaughn, who was batting .150 against Sox pitching in 10 meetings ( 9 won by Boston). Mo was at .263 for the last-place Angels with 21 homers and 74 ribbies, while Daubach, though slumping lately, was at .317 with 19 and 70 on a contending team.

Boston had now moved to 72-58, a game ahead of Oakland in the wild card and 4 ahead of fading Toronto. Sox power was a team effort, as O’Leary led in homers with 25, followed by 19 from Daubach, 18 from Nomar Garciaparra, 16 from Stanley and 13 from Varitek. Nomar continued to lead the AL at .350. The same was true of rbi’s, as O’Leary topped the team at 88, backed by 78 from Garciaparra, 70 from Daubach and 68 from Valentin. Offerman, who would have one of the best seasons of his career, led the AL with 10 triples.