April 17, 1986: Baylor’s Blast Saves the Day
Two games at Fenway Park had resulted in two losses, and the Red Sox entered the finale at 3-5 on the young season. While it was still early, much of Red Sox Nation was wondering when the vaunted Boston offense was going to make its way back from spring training in Florida and join the rest of the team. For the most part, the pitching had been outstanding, but without much run support, the club continued to fall short of expectations.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
Two third-year right-handed pitchers matched up on this Thursday afternoon. Mark Gubicza was looking to complete the sweep for the Royals, while Roger Clemens was trying to end Boston’s losing streak and record his second win of the season.
The Red Sox lineup remained the same for the finale:
Dwight Evans (RF)
Wade Boggs (3B)
Bill Buckner (1B)
Jim Rice (LF)
Don Baylor (DH)
Tony Armas (CF)
Rich Gedman (C)
Marty Barrett (2B)
Ed Romero (SS)
Game Recap
It looked as though the losing trend might continue early, as Clemens didn’t appear sharp to start the game. Fortunately, with a little help from his friends, he escaped the opening inning without allowing a run. Royals left fielder Rudy Law led off the game by working a walk but was quickly picked off thanks to a nice throw by Buckner at first base. After Willie Wilson grounded out, Kansas City immediately regretted the baserunning mistake when future Hall of Famer George Brett doubled off the Monster. Clemens responded by getting designated hitter Hal McRae to ground out to shortstop and end the threat.
In the bottom of the inning, Gubicza also allowed the leadoff hitter to reach when he plunked Dwight Evans. Like Clemens, he recovered quickly, getting Boggs to bounce into a 1-4-3 double play before retiring Buckner on a ground ball to third to keep the game scoreless.
Both pitchers settled in during the second, retiring the side in order. Clemens matched that effort again in the third, and this time the Red Sox offense finally gave him some support. With one out, Marty Barrett doubled and scored on a two-out double by Dwight Evans to give Boston a 1-0 lead.
Clemens posted another scoreless inning in the fourth, and Boston added to its lead in the bottom half. Tony Armas worked a two-out walk before Rich Gedman followed with another RBI double, extending the advantage to 2-0.
Both pitchers retired the side in order in the fifth, but Kansas City finally broke through in the sixth. Law doubled with one out, and after Wilson struck out, Clemens walked Brett to put the tying run on base for McRae. Clemens induced another ground ball, but it was hit slowly enough for McRae to beat it out. Unfortunately for Boston, Romero’s throw sailed wide of first, allowing Law to score and cut the lead to 2-1. Clemens ended the threat by striking out the always-dangerous Frank White.
Gubicza kept the Sox quiet in the bottom of the sixth, giving Kansas City another opportunity in the seventh. Royals slugging first baseman Steve Balboni wasted little time, launching his third home run of the season into the net above the Green Monster to tie the game at two. Gubicza then delivered the all-important shutdown inning in the bottom half, and the tension around Fenway continued to build as the possibility of a Royals’ sweep loomed.
Clemens answered with a dominant eighth, striking out two of the three batters he faced before handing things over to the offense.
Looking for a spark, John McNamara turned to his bench. Steve “Psycho” Lyons pinch hit for Romero to lead off the inning but grounded right back to Gubicza. It looked like more of the same until Dwight Evans worked a walk. After Boggs flew out to left, Buckner ripped Boston’s third two-out double of the afternoon, moving Evans to third and bringing Jim Rice to the plate.
Dick Howser wasn’t about to let Gubicza face Rice for a fourth time, so he summoned right-hander Steve Farr from the bullpen. Unfortunately for the Royals, the move backfired. Rice worked a walk to load the bases, and Don Baylor delivered the knockout blow, crushing his third home run of the season to give Boston a commanding 6-2 lead.
Clemens had no intention of letting anyone else finish what he had started. He returned for the ninth and retired Kansas City in order for the fifth time, securing Boston’s first victory at Fenway in 1986.
Pitching Notes
Roger Clemens was outstanding, going the distance to record his second win of the season. He allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits while walking three and striking out seven. The performance lowered his ERA to 1.02 and was only a precursor of what was still to come for the Rocket.
Player Notes and Season Stats
The Red Sox managed only five hits on the afternoon, four against Gubicza, but they made them count. Every hit went for extra bases, and four of the five came with two outs.
Don Baylor: 1-4 with a home run (3), four RBI, and a run scored.
Dwight Evans: 1-2 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
Rich Gedman: 1-4 with a double and an RBI.
Bill Buckner: 1-4 with a double and a run scored.
Marty Barrett: 1-3 with a double and a run scored.
Boston’s first Fenway victory of the season, and in dramatic fashion, brought a little optimism back to the “Fenway Faithful.” New addition Don Baylor was making an immediate impact on the club, and Roger Clemens’ dominant start had everyone buzzing. Little did they know that this was just the appetizer for what Clemens had in store for the month.
Stay tuned as we continue our day-by-day journey through the memorable 1986 Boston Red Sox season.
Image courtesy of https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/08/07/don-baylor-for-pennant-winning-red-sox-dies/CtYQ91mihCRc6jH1IMCJeK/story.html