The Perfect Schedule - Games 51-60

With the Sox not playing their 51st game today against Tampa Bay we continue our perfect schedule.  The Sox run their record to a solid 60-0 today with some dramatic wins.

Game 51 - 2017 - Sox 13 at Other Sox 7 - Chris Sale’s much ballyhooed return to Chicago was a bit of a dud as the elite pitching matchup against Jose Quintana became a slugfest.  Jackie Bradley (4) and Deven Marrero (5) combined for nine RBI out of the 8&9 spots in the order.
Game 52 - 2006 - Sox 3 at Tigers 2 - I remember this one because I was at a bar with friends from out of town.  I can’t remember why they were in town but we whooped it up when Kevin Youkilis’ 2 run homer in the ninth made a winner of Rudy Seanez with pinch runner Willie Harris jogging around the bases ahead of Youk.
Game 53 - 1998 - Sox 13 at Yankees 7 - The Sox erupted for an 11 run third inning then had to hang on as the Yanks got the tie run to the plate in the 7th. Lou Merloni started a DP with a diving grab to end that frame while I tried not to scream in the library where I working on a final paper for a tax class I was taking.
Game 54 - 2007 - Yankees 6 at Sox 11 - This was a wild one.  Dustin Pedroia had three hits and started getting the Eckstein treatment on Fox and Doug Mientkiewicz got knocked silly by Mike Lowell as he tried to grab an errant throw on a possible double play ball.  Hideki Okajima earned his first Red Sox victory.
Game 55 - 1995 - Blue Jays 3 at Sox 4 - After 8 shutout innings Erik Hanson couldn’t finish the job and allowed 3 runs in the ninth.  Luis Alicea’s two out single in the bottom of the inning plated Mike Greenwell and made a winner of reliever Stan Belinda.
Game 56 - 2004 - Sox 5 at Royals 3 - Trailing 3-0 entering the 6th the Sox rallied as the murderer’s row of Ortiz, Cesar Crespo and Pokey Reese drove in runs and Johnny Damon’s two run double put the Sox ahead to stay.
Game 57 - 1986 - Sox 4 at Blue Jays 3 - Mike Stenhouse’s bases loaded walk in the tenth forced in the winning run.  It was using Stenhouse on MicroLeague Baseball for my Apple IIC (anyone else have that game?) that I first appreciated the base on balls as a weapon.  .095/.424/.143, the dude was a force as a pinch hitter.  This was his only RBI of the season and the final one of his career.
Game 58 - 1984 - Yankees 6 at Sox 9 - The Yanks held a 6-3 lead heading to the ninth.  The Sox rallied with RBI singles by Rice (1) and Buckner (2) to tie the game and then Reid Nichols slugged the only pinch hit homer of his career to plate all three for the victory.
Game 59 - 2007 - Sox 1 at Athletics 0 - Trying to snap what would prove to be a season long four game losing streak the Sox turned to Curt Schilling.  For 8 2/3 innings the big righty held the A’s without a hit and while Shannon Stewart put an end to that dream he retired Mark Ellis to make David Ortiz’ first inning tater stand up.
Game 60 - 2006 - Rangers 4 at Sox 5 - On a rainy weekend the Sox won the first of a double dip when David Ortiz sizzled a three run homer into the bullpen and the Boston Beer Works where a friend and I waited for game two erupted and cranked “Dirty Water” over the loudspeaker.  The pride of Hyde Park Manny Delcarmen earned his first career victory.