A five-game win streak in late June saved John McNamara's job for the time being. The Sox power hitting finally appeared, though it was against the weak staffs of the Orioles and Indians.
In the final game of a road trip, the Bosox fell in Cleveland by a 3-1 score. A young hurler named John Farrell, who would win 14 games in 88 before injuries curtailed his career, threw 8 innings, allowing just 4 hits and fanning 6. Oil Can Boyd pitched well before a two-run rally in the eighth broke a 1-1 tie.
A six-game homestand began on a down note, as Roger Clemens suffered a right leg cramp and was removed after 2 1/3 innings. The lowly O's had already reached the Rocket for 7 hits and 5 runs, and they cruised over the Sox 6-2. The only bright spot for the Townies was 6 2/3 innings of shutout relief from injury-riddled Wes Gardner.
All season, lack of both power and clutch hitting had dogged the team, but they appeared to come out of their funk in the next few contests. They first dispatched Baltimore 10-3, with a seven-run explosion in the eighth to break a 3-3 tie. The winning hit was a bases-loaded single by beleaguered Jim Rice, who finally heard some cheers at Fenway. Boston slammed 14 hits, with 3 from Marty Barrett and 3 rbi's from torrid Mike Greenwell, who ran his hitting streak to 16 games. The Orioles staff was sporting a 5.00 ERA, and it showed again on Sunday the 27th, as seven Sox doubles contributed to a 10-1 shellacking. Boston jumped to a 7-1 lead after two and cruised in with a 12 hit attack featuring homers by Greenwell (number 14) and Rice (number 4). Greenie was now 32 for 70 in 17 games for a .457 mark and had 8 homers in June. The Bosox also got an unexpected complete-game effort from Mike Smithson, who limited Baltimore to 4hits.
The Indians then came to Fenway and fell by scores of 9-5, 6-1, and 5-1. The opener featured Jody Reed's first major league homer, as the Sox exploded for 5 in the sixth to erase a 5-4 deficit. Farrell and three relievers couldn't do the job this time around. Another unlikely hero emerged the next day, as Gardner threw 7 three-hit innings in his second career start. The Townies again struck early, with a 5-spot in the second paced by Dewey Evans' two-run homer. The Rocket then completed the sweep with a 7-inning, 3 hit effort featuring 10 K's.
The Sox had now outscored the opposition 40-11 in their streak and were hitting with power. Greenwell was fourth in the AL in batting (Wade Boggs was the leader), had 14 homers and led the league with 61 rbi's. On the Sox, Evans, Barrett, and Ellis Burks were also over .300. Their record was up to 39-34, trailing Detroit by only 6 games.
However, the squad was embarking on a western road trip, and the stops didn't include Cleveland or Baltimore.
