Sox 99 – Cooling Off

The roaring Sox cooled a bit in mid-August, but hung on in a three-team wild card race.

Brian Daubach, now being referred to as the Belleville (Illinois) Basher, assumed the hero’s role once again on the 17th, with a three-run double for a 6-5 walkoff win over Oakland. Daubach, who had barely missed a grand slam to right a few pitches before, connected off Tim Worrell. Struggling starter Brian Rose was again ineffective, allowing 4 runs on four hits in the third. The Sox would inch back with single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh, but trailed 5-3 entering the ninth. They then loaded the bases on singles by John Valentin and Butch Huskey and a Jose Offerman single. A’s skipper Art Howe then replaced closer Doug Jones  with Worrell, who couldn’t get the final out. The Sox smacked 11 hits, including 3 by Offerman. Derek Lowe picked up the win in relief.

Bret Saberhagen was again hurting and it showed the following night in a 12-1 loss. The hard-hitting A’s fell on the righty for 4 runs and 5 hits in the second. Eight more crossed the plate in the seventh off Tim Wakefield and John Wasdin. Oakland had 17 hits, including homers by Miguel Tejada, Scott Spezio, and Ben Grieve. The Sox did recover for a 7-4 victory in game 3. Boston jumped to a 4-0 lead off Kevin Appier, but the visitors rallied to tie  in the sixth, capped by Jason Giambi’s three-run double off Rheal Cormier. But Trot Nixon and Offerman led the seventh with triples (a Fenway rarity), and a Valentin double and Troy O’Leary single plated three for the  win. Lowe, now the designated closer, picked up save 6.

Pedro Martinez, still incensed  over Jimy Williams’ scratch for lateness in his previous game, pitched well, but not well enough as the A’s triumphed the next night 6-2. Pedey went 7 innings, allowing 7 hits and 3 runs while fanning 11. Rookie sensation Tim Hudson went 8, giving up only 4 safeties and 1 earned run. Giambi continued hot with 3 hits. Martinez’ record fell to 17-4.

A weekend trip to steamy Texas produced three defeats, as Daubach and the rest of the bashers cooled down. The Rangers, leading the West at 73-50, jumped to a 4-0 lead off Mark Portugal and held on for a 4-3 triumph. Esteban Loaiza allowed all three runs in 6 frames, but 4 relievers held Boston scoreless, with John Wetteland picking up save 34. A Butch Huskey homer was one of the few bright spots.

Bad times continued for Rose, as the home squad jumped on the righty for 6 hits and 4 runs in 4-plus innings and went on to a 9-2 blowout. Rose had now allowed 14 homers in 49 innings and his ERA had jumped to 4.98. The Rangers pounded 13 hits off three Sox pitchers, led by 3 from Rafael Palermo.

The final contest was a doubly-tough defeat- a 6-0 shutout by former Soxer Aaron Sele, who had been dealt to Texas two years ago in one of Dan Duquette’s poorer deals. Sele allowed 8 hits and fanned 5 as the Sox missed several opportunities to score. Wakefield, returning to the rotation in place of the injured Saberhagen, was hit hard, reached for all 6 tallies in 7 innings.

The loss was the Sox’ fourth in a row and fifth in 6 games. In sweeping the series, the Rangers outscored Boston 19-5. The Townies were still in the thick of the wild card race, however, trailing the A’s by a game. The Yanks were running away with the East, with an 8 1/2 game bulge.