Following their amazing 24-game Fenway win streak, the Sox seemed to return to their former selves- an average home squad. In mid-August, they faced a good team (Detroit), a bad team (Seattle) and a great team (Oakland), and emerged with a 5-4 record.
After taking 2 of 3 from the Tigers, the Bosox saw their bats put down by Mariner hurlers Scott Bankhead and Mark Langston. Bankhead threw a 7-0 shutout in the series opener, permitting 9 hits but walking just one and fanning 8. Former Sox shortstop Rey Quinones sealed the contest with a three-run homer in the eighth off Bob Stanley, who saw his comeback disappear, at least for a night. Wes Gardner started for the Townies, but lasted only 5 1/3, charged with 4 runs. Journeyman catcher Scott Bradley had a 4-for-4 night for the last-place visitors.
Bruce Hurst got one back on a rainy evening in a 7-2 victory. Boston bats were strong early, jumping to a 6-0 lead after three. Hurst allowed 8 hits and 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings, but was replaced by Stanley after a long rain delay. Steamer and Lee Smith held Seattle the rest of the way, as the Sox smashed six Mariner hurlers for 12 hits, including a Rich Gedman homer. The attack went silent again the following night, however, against Langston. The young Seattle ace, who would eventually be a four-time all-star, went 7 1/3, giving up 5 hits and a run in a 6-1 victory. Mike Boddicker was hit hard, knocked out in the sixth already down 5-0. A bases-loaded triple by Jim Pressley sealed Mike's fate. Commenting on the series, the late, great Larry Whiteside wrote "Where, oh, where, is the killer instinct?
In what would be a preview of the ALCS, Sox bats awoke to take 2 of 3 from the A's, who were dominating in the West. The Townies won the opener 7-6, overcoming a 4-1 deficit with 5 in the fifth off Dave Stewart and paced by Mike Greenwell's two rbi's. Starter Mike Smithson could not hold the two-run advantage, surrendering back-to-back homers to Luis Polonia and old pal Dave Henderson, but Stanley (5-1) relieved and picked up the victory. Greenwell also plated the winner, his sixth game-winning rbi.
Oil Can Boyd, also working on a comeback, failed the next afternoon, but Boston rallied with strong relief pitching to take a 7-5 decision. Boyd left in the third after being spanked for 4 runs, though his team had a 7-4 advantage. Sox bats went to work early on rookie starter Todd Burns. Ellis Burks doubled in a pair in the first to start the onslaught, and his team knocked 11 hits, including 3 from Wade Boggs and 2 from Marty Barrett. Boddicker made a rare relief appearence, giving up a hit and a run, but the victory went to hard-luck Jeff Sellers, his first after 6 defeats. About the same time, a Globe piece commented on MVP candidate Jose Canseco: "Seeing him materialize into a base-stealing, Gold Glove-level fielder to augment 100-plus rbi's has placed the Oakland brass on the edge of ecstacy." Hmmm.
The A's did salvage the final game 5-4 on a late Polonia hit off Smith. The Sox, now 4 behind Detroit, were finding that getting to first place was much harder than staying there. They were also functioning without Roger Clemens, who missed 10 days with a pulled back muscle. The Rocket's value to the Boston pitching staff was still huge. Without his presence, the staff had a 54-46 record, 7 complete games (a small number in 1988), and a 4.53 ERA. Hurst and Boddicker were having good years, but couldn't make up for Clemens. Starters 4 and 5 were a crapshoot. I'm sure Joe Morgan was praying every night for Roger's quick return.
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