BOSTON - GAME RECAP

September 4th - Cleveland Indians 8, Boston Red Sox 5 - Attendance 32,145

After a scoreless first, Jim Thome hit a massive homer to center off Boston starter Hideo Nomo to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. But the Red Sox responded with 3 of their own in the bottom half on a lead off walk followed by five straight singles.

Nomo prepares to deliver a pitch

In the fourth, the Indians regained the lead as Omar Vizquel and Roberto Alomar led off with walks and Juan Gonzalez doubled home a run. Thome and Ellis Burks then hit sacrifice flies and the Indians were up 4-3. Again, the lead was short-lived as Boston tied it in the bottom of the 4th on a Jose Offerman double and two groundouts. 

The game continued the pattern of scoreless odd innings as the fifth went by without a threat, but in the sixth, Thome hit is second homer of the game and the Indians were on top again, 5-4. The Red Sox couldn't muster a comeback in their half of the 6th and the Tribe put the game away in the 7th as Gonzalez singled home two more runs. Cleveland added a run in the ninth to make the score 8-4 and the game was nearly over. But Charlie Manuel brought in John Rocker to open the 9th, and he quickly allowed an infield single and a walk before being replaced by Bob Wickman. After Manny Ramirez flew out, Carl Everett singled in a run to bring Boston within 3. Dante Bichette came up as the tying run with only one out, but he swung at the first Wickman offering, grounding into a game-ending double play. Exciting at the end, but overall a demonstration that Cleveland is playoff-bound and Boston isn't as they have now lost 9 in a row, this game gets a 7/10 for Thome's two dingers and Cleveland's seemingly unbeatable offense. 

September 6th - Cleveland Indians 6, Boston Red Sox 4 - Attendance 32,500

Frank Castillo started for Boston and got in trouble immediately, walking Kenny Lofton to start the game and giving up a single to Omar Vizquel following. Roberto Alomar singled home a run and the Juan Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Cleveland before Boston had even got to bat. 

Chuck Finley, making his first start since an injury was fantastic on the mound for the Tribe. Through the first 3 innings, he had given up only a single to Carl Everett, and when Gonzalez hit another sacrifice fly, the Indians had a solid 3-0 lead. In the fifth, Lofton singled, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out, and score as Gonzalez singled, his 3rd RBI of the game. Finley continued to baffle the Red Sox, completing six innings, giving up only 2 hits. In the top of the 7th, the Indians added another run as Lofton doubled and Alomar singled him home - it was 5-0 Indians, and the only question was how far Finley could go.

The answer came quickly because in the 7th, he finally tired, allowing a single to Ramirez, a walk to Everett, and a double to Izzy Alcantara before being relieved. Shea Hillebrand grounded out to score Everett to make the score 5-2. The Indians continued their small-ball game, adding another run in the 8th on their third sacrifice fly of the game, this one by Lofton.

Manny singled here to score 2 runs

The Red Sox tried to rally again, but their two runs in the 8th were not enough. John Rocker pitched a perfect ninth to get the save as the Indians truly ended the Red Sox hopes of the post-season with a 6-4 victory. A 5/10 for a rather humdrum affair.