May 21, 1990
Boston may have shown that they are turning a corner after a horrendous start to the season. It was clear that they were playing more competitive ball at the end of their long road trip, though it hadn’t yet translated into the win column. After taking 2 out of 3 from the Minnesota Twins over the weekend, the Red Sox enter a new week feeling much better about themselves.
Jody Reed and Wade Boggs have been catalysts at the top of the order. After a slow start to the season, Boggs is hitting .361 with a .451 on base percentage in the month of May. Ellis Burks and Dwight Evans, the club’s regular 4 and 5 hitters, have really struggled. May has not been kind to Evans in particular, who is hitting just .120 over 50 at bats during the month.
Roger Clemens has continued to pitch like an ace, and the team recently has gotten stronger contributions from the other members of the rotation as well. The team finds themselves in a very deep hole, but they may have taken the first steps in digging out of that hole.
After posting 4 hits in his final 7 at bats while in Pawtucket on rehab, 2B Marty Barrett returned to the Major League club over the weekend. His role moving forward is a bit unclear given that Tim Naehring has filled in admirably in his stead. In a corresponding roster move, the Red Sox optioned backup SS Luis Rivera to AAA. Rivera had been struggling throughout the season, with just 3 hits in his 34 at bats.
Around the League
Voting begins today for the All-Star game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Sammy Sosa of the Chicago White Sox was named American League Player of the Week, going 9-for-17 with 2 home runs this week. Mets catcher Darren Reed took home the honors for the National League with a .666 batting average, 1 home run and 7 RBI.
Atlanta outfielder David Justice strained an oblique this week and is expected to be out until around the All-Star break.
Week in Review
Boston took the first game of a 3 game series at Royals Stadium with a 4-2 win against Kansas City. Making his return after spending a month at AAA, John Dopson started and pitched 7 innings of two hit ball. He took a no hitter into the 6th inning, where the Royals loaded the bases against Dopson but he was able to induce Danny Tartabull to groundout and end the inning. This was a big step forwad for Dopson, and his emergence would be a welcomed development for the rotation. Mike Greenwell hit a 3 run home run in the 2nd off Royals starter Mark Gubicza to stake the Red Sox to an early lead. Jody Reed went 4-for-5 atop the order, giving him 9 hits in his last 3 games.
The Royals got the best of Boston in game two of their series tonight, beating the Red Sox 10-3. Kevin Appier pitched 6.2 innings to earn the victory. On the Boston side, Kevin Ritz continued his struggles, lasting just 2.2 innings and allowing 8 runs (4 earned) to put the Red Sox in a deep early hole that they would never be able to climb out of. Catcher Rich Gedman went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles in the losing effort for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox dropped the rubber match at Royals Stadium, 5-4, in a game that included a 44 minute rain delay in the 6th inning. Tom Bolton and Tom Gordon got the starts, but neither factored into the decision in a back and forth affair. After a Bo Jackson home run gave the Royals a 1-0 lead, Jody Reed hit a two run shot in the 3rd inning to give Boston a 2-1 lead. The Royals fought back with single runs in the 4th and 5th, before Dwight Evans tied the game with a solo home run in the 6th inning. Kansas City would score 2 runs off reliever Greg Harris in the 7th, which proved to be the difference. Steve Farr pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 7th save for the Royals.