The Red Sox continued as one of the hottest teams in baseball as September unfolded. They first took 2 of 3 from Cleveland, owner of the best record in the majors. In a battle of hot-hitting clubs, the Tribe prevailed in the first constest 11-7 before over 43,000 at Jacobs Field. The home squad went up 8-1, but had to hang on as Boston continued to pound the ball. Starter Tim Wakefield surrendered 9 hits and 8 runs in 4 innings of work, with homers by Kenny Lofton and Richie Sexson. The Sox countered with 4 in the sixth on round-trippers by Trot Nixon and Mike Stanley. The clincher came in the eighth as Harold Baines slammed a three-run job off Bryce Florie. Paul Shuey picked up the save in relief of Charles Nagy.
The Bosox rebounded, however, to take the next two contests. They first slammed Doc Gooden and five relievers for 16 hits, including 4 for 4 from Jose Offerman, 3 for 5 with 4 rbi’s from Troy O’Leary, and 3 for 5 from Wilton Veras in a 12-3 drubbing. The Sox went out 7-3 after 5 and never looked back. In his second Sox start, Ramon Martinez allowed 3 hits and 3 runs in 4 2/3, while Derek Lowe picked up the victory with 3 1/3 hitless innings. The Sox then ended a 9-3 road trip with a 6-4 triumph in 13 innings. Power twins Jason Varitek and Trot Nixon each homered in the 13th off Jim Brower for the victory. They had tied it in the ninth on a Nixon sac fly. Pedro Martinez allowed 2 runs in 7 innings while fanning 14. Rod Beck and John Wasdin shut Cleveland bats down over the final 5, with Wasdin picking up the win. Boston remained 3 1/2 behind the Yanks for the division lead.
The struggling Tigers, 60-86 and buried in the AL Central, were easy pickings for the Bosox, as they came home to sweep a series by scores of 14-3, 9-1 and 7-3. In game 1, Boston slammed starter Willie Blair for 7 in the first three innings and exploded for 6 more in the eighth off Masao Kida, who faced 6 batters without recording an out. Eight Sox batters had hits, including 3 from Nomar Garciaparra and Offerman. Florie got the victory with 4 solid relief innings. The onslaught continued the next night, as Bret Saberhagen returned from injury to hurl 6 shutout frames to run his record to 10-5. The home team again started early, jumping to a 6-0 lead off starter Jered Weaver. Varitek, O’Leary and Garciaparra were a combined 10 for 16 with all 9 rbi’s.
Boston completed the sweep on the 19th behind Wakefield and Lowe, who hurled 3 1/3 shutout innings for save 14. The contest was close early, with two homers from Juan Encarnacion, but shots by Garciaparra and Nixon settled it. Nomar’s September figures were Yaz-like: .429 with 7 homers, 20 rbi’s, and a .387 mark at Fenway. His .360 average led the AL, with 25 homers and 90 ribbies.
The Sox stayed 3 back of NY, who tallied to beat the Indians, and had now taken 5 in a row, 11 of 13 and 20 of 25. Seven regulars were batting over .280, and they had homered 161 times. Thanks largely to Pedro and Saberhagen, their ERA was a very respectable 4.14.
Next week we will jump ahead to the Sox wild card series with the Indians.
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