The 1985 Topps set was a major gift for me as a child. To this day I receive a new set from my parents each and every Christmas. I studied the 1985 cards passionately, and was fascinated by the 1984 stats on the card backs. One team that really stuck out to me was the Red Sox. They had fearsome sluggers with gaudy numbers. Evans, Rice, Boggs, Gedman, Armas, Easler...to my grade school mind they were a juggernaut. I was an O's fan through and through, but I had a lot of respect for Boston. That's why I'm surprised to have found myself rooting against them this season. I'm not sure if its backlash against their obnoxious fan base, the World Series drought ending with a bunch of PED-mashers, or what. I just know I was bummed to see the Mariners fall short in this replay.
Seattle had an outstanding start to the game. Mike Moore struck out two Red Sox in the top of the first, and the M's scored four runs in the bottom of the inning. Three of those came from a Ken Phelps moon shot. The Red Sox answered back. Mike Easler knocked in Wade Boggs in the third, and they got four more in the fifth no thanks to an Alvin Davis error and a Bob Kearney passed ball. Moore was still fanning Boston left and right, though, ending the game with 12 K's in seven innings of work.
The game was tied 5-5 in the eighth when Rich Gedman jacked his own three run homer to give Boston a seemingly comfortable lead. But the Mariners got two more runs in the eighth to pull within one. Still trailing in the bottom of the ninth Seattle got runners on the corners with two outs. But weak hitting, back up catcher Orlando Mercado was up. Nobody else on the Mariners roster could play catcher, so they had to let him hit. He grounded out to Marty Barrett and Boston has a four game win streak.
Winning Pitcher - John Henry Johnson
Losing Pitcher - Edwin Nunez
Player of the Game - Rich Gedman
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
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