Sahx sweep A’s

GAME 1 - Fenway Park
Stewart vs Hanson
Red sox 8, A's 7 (14 inn)

Both Andy Sexton and I agreed that this was an "ESPN Classic" game if there ever was one.  There were at least 7 or 8 moments where either team could have won or lost this game.  The five extra innings, while yielding just one run, was riveting.  In the end the game was when Mo Vaughn lined a single between 1st and second to score Tinsley with 2 out in the bottom of the 14th.  That same scenario could have played out a number of times along the way.  It just happened that the law of averages finally caught up and Vaughn was the delivery guy.  Besides Vaughn unheralded Reggie Jefferson (4-6, 4 RBI, 2 HR) was Boston's hitting star.  Oakland had 3 guys who posted 3 hits.  The game took almost 4 hours (Koch time) to play and 35 minutes of real time to play.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  What most surprised me about this game was the fact that "The Eck", who won the Cy Young in '92, gave up 3 runs on 6 hits in the bottom of the 9th to blow the save and force extras.  No one saw that coming that's for sure, least of all me.  When Oakland scored 2 runs in the top of the 9th to go up by 2 I put this one down as a loss.

GAME 2
Slusarski vs Sele
Red Sox 5, A's 3

Oakland's 3-1 lead was erased by 2 Boston runs in the 4th and in the 5th.  Mike Greenwell (2-4) hit two homers and Aaron Sele gave Red Sox Nation one of those (cough/cough) 6Ip/3ER quality starts for the win.  Aggie got the save, his second of the season.  His ERA is not "down to" 7.50.

GAME 3 - Oakland Coliseum
Z.Smith vs Darling
Red Sox 12, A's 6

Once again neither team received quality pitching and the Red Sox managed to get more offense.  Greenwell (5-6) hit another homer and had another monster day at the plate.  At one point Boston was up 5-0, but Oakland rallied back with 5 runs in the 4th to tie it.  Ron Darling (7.1IP/10R) was more generous than John Kerry at a nuclear negotiation with Iran.  Zane Smith was like a beer league softball pitcher who benefited from having the best hitters on his side.  A 6th run 8th inning by the Sahx sealed the deal in this one that had as much scoring as a Raiders Patriots game.  Red Sox catcher Mike Macfarland (0-5) was the only Red Sock to go hitless.  Tinsley and Alicea each had 3 hits.  In total 6 Boston players had double digit hits.  Oakland lost it’s 9th game in a row.