The Imperfect Schedule - Games 141-151

The Sox keep the winning ways going after the brief blip in the last stretch.  At 150-1 they’ve probably clinched the AL East at this point but they are continuing to work hard.  Eleven games in this segment and the next one to get to 162.  This one features a bunch of Yankee games for some reason.  It should have included Roger’s second 20K game also (game 151) but the game I chose just had some names I wanted to include and a unique event in Red Sox history so I went with it.  I also cheat on my 1980-2019 stated plan as one game has a nice childhood memory for me.

Game 141 - Sox 3 at Yankees 1 - 1999 - Jeter, Williams, Ledee, Brosius, Girardi, Martinez, Davis, Ledee, Girardi, Jeter, O’Neill, Williams, Davis, Ledee, Brosius, Strawberry, Knoblauch.  17 names, but Pedro is the only name that mattered.
Game 142 - Yankees 2 at Sox 9 - 1979 - CHEATING ALERT - Yup, I’m going outside the range of seasons for this one but this is a special memory.  The game itself I didn’t see until there were two outs in the 8th.  My parents woke me up and I went downstairs into our family room and watched Captain Carl Yastrzemski ground one between first and second and into right field for his 3,000th career hit.  This is a really fond memory.  It was part of my logic when I told my best friend in answer to his question to wake up his 9 year old baseball mad son for the ninth inning in LA two years ago.
Game 143 - Sox 12 at Yankees 8 - 2013 - I swear I’m not seeking out Yankee games but not surprisingly the Yanks are involved in late season games of meaning.  Anyway, I was a company dinner and missed the first several innings.  I got in my car for the seventh with the Sox mounting a rally down 8-4.  Just in time I flipped on the radio to hear Joe Castiglione’s call as Mike Napoli drove a ball to right that hit the top of the wall and went out for a game tying grand slam.  A Victorino homer and a series of walks were followed by a two run single by Drew in a four run 8th as the Sox notched a big win.
Game 144 - Sox 6 at Orioles 4 - 1988 - The Sox were grinding toward a hoped division title with Mike Smithson on the mound.  When you’ve got Mike Smithson starting a big game you need a star to come through and while Jim Rice wasn’t the player he’d been he is a Hall of Famer and his third inning grand slam put the Sox in front to stay.  Bob Stanley made it interesting but a Jody Reed single in the ninth provided some insurance and Lee Arthur Smith closed it out.
Game 145 - Devil Rays 4 at Sox 11 - 2004 - The Sox put the hammer down on a series of “who the hell is that guy” pitchers for the Devil Dogs building an 11-1 lead.  Off-season acquisition Curt Schilling ran out of steam giving up a few late runs and turned it over to the bullpen but when Terry Adams (holy crap, forgot about him) closed it out Theo Epstein’s thanksgiving dinner surprise had earned his 20th win.
Game 146 - Yankees 5 (again, yup) at Sox 7 - 2016 - I was at this one and for seven innings it was not much fun for the locals as Eduardo Rodriguez had the Sox in an early 5-1 hole.  In the eighth they got some consolation as David Ortiz passed Mickey Mantle on the career home run list with a drive into the bleachers.  In the ninth the Sox rallied to make it 5-4 with two on and two outs.  Hanley Ramirez came to the plate and after a gift on a 2-1 check swing he took a mighty rip and slammed one high and far and we watched as Ellsbury ran back, then turned and watched helplessly as the ball sailed into the bleachers as Fenway went into a frenzy.  I remember a 12 year old (or so) kid behind me and I high fives about ten times screaming with delirious joy.
Game 147 - Blue Jays 6 at Sox 18 - 2011 - Things had gotten squirrelly at this point but this was a special night.  The Sox got four hits and four runs apiece from Ellsbury and Pedroia (who added two homers and five RBI) and a seven run 8th put it away.  When Junichi Tazawa finished it Tim Wakefield had victory number 200.
Game 148 - Sox 7 at Orioles 3 - 1990 - The Sox clung to a one game lead in the division and sent former Oriole Mike Boddicker to the hill for this one.  Boddicker worked seven innings backed by Tony Pena (2 for 4 with 3 runs scored and 2 ribbies) while Kevin Romine (2 hits), Mike Marshall (1) and Luis Rivera (2) combined to run the offense from the 6-9 spots.  Larry Andersen’s 1-2-3 8th and a scoreless ninth from Jeff Gray gave the Sox the crucial victory.
Game 149 - Sox 6 at Tigers 4 - 1982 - A meaningless but fun late season game.  Reid Nichols homered and had two hits and Carney Lansford clubbed an 8th inning grand slam.  Mark Clear surrendered three runs over the final two innings but fanned Glenn Wilson to end it and give John Tudor the victory.
Game 150 - Sox 10 at Orioles 8 - 2017 - Doug Fister had the Sox down big early but a 6 run fifth highlighted by Mookie Betts’ three run two bagger turned the game on its ear.  The clubs traded runs until leadoff hitter Xander Bogaerts homered in the seventh to tie it.  Addison Reed survived the eighth with a runner at third and one out and in the eleventh the Sox loaded the bases on three walks and Andrew Benintendi grounded a single to right for two runs and the victory for Matt Barnes.  Carson Smith worked a 1-2-3 bottom half for the only save of his Red Sox career.
Game 151 - Orioles 6 at Sox 7 - 2004 - An early slugfest (5-4 O’s after five) settled down and the Sox led 6-5 headed to the ninth.  Palmeiro homered off Foulke to tie it and give the fans free baseball.  Curtis Leskanic escaped a one out bases loaded situation in the eleventh for what appears to be the only 3-2-4 double play in club history.*  Orlando Cabrera then stepped to the plate and slammed one over the Monster for the walk off victory.  This was Leskanic’s final regular season victory though he had one in the post-season that is a bit more memorable.
*Per a search of BBRef’s Stathead which is worth the money.