Red Sox Come Back From Dead Sox to Win : Angels Fall in 11th, 7-6, After Apparent Victory

The Boston Red Sox, stung a night earlier, turned stinger Sunday and stayed alive in the American League playoffs.

Dave Henderson, whose defensive misfortune enabled the Angels to take the lead in the sixth inning, capped a four-run rally in the ninth with a two-out, two-run homer and then hit a winning sacrifice fly in the 11th that gave Boston a 7-6 triumph over the Angels.

The victory, which enabled the Red Sox to cut California’s lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2, came a few hours after Boston had suffered its most a bitter defeat. In that loss, pitching ace Roger Clemens blew a 3-0 lead in the ninth and the Angels won 4-3 in the 11th.

“These two ballgames might be the most exciting I’ve ever seen,” Boston Manager John McNamara said.

This time, down to their final at-bat, Don Baylor hit a two-run homer and Henderson connected on a 2-2 pitch as Boston rallied to overcome a 5-2 deficit against the Angels’ top pitcher, Mike Witt. After the Angels tied it in the bottom of the ninth and came close to winning the first AL pennant in their 26-year existence, Henderson and the Red Sox won it.

Henderson, normally a late-inning defensive replacement, had entered the game in the fifth in place of injured center fielder Tony Armas. But in the sixth, a fly ball by Bobby Grich deflected off Henderson’s glove and went over the center-field fence for a two-run homer that put California ahead.

“I thought I had it all the way,” Henderson said.

But he redeemed himself in the ninth with a home run of his own.

“We’re ballplayers. We fail most of the time,” Henderson said. “I had to step out of the batter’s box and gather my thoughts.”

Henderson’s three runs batted in matched the total he had this season with the Red Sox, who acquired him in an August trade with Seattle.

The Angels almost earned their first trip to the World Series in the ninth. They tied it 6-6 and had the bases loaded with one out, but Doug DeCinces hit a shallow fly ball and Grich hit a soft liner back to the mound.

“I’ve got no place to sleep tonight. I bet my house DeCinces would get a run home in the ninth,” California Manager Gene Mauch, who has never guided a team into the World Series in his 25-year career, said.

Game 6 is scheduled Tuesday night in Boston with Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd facing California’s Kirk McCaskill.

Baylor, leading off the 11th, was hit by a pitch from Donnie Moore. It was the 36th time Baylor was hit this year and the 228th time for the AL leader in that department.

Dwight Evans singled Baylor to second and Rich Gedman’s fourth hit of the game, a bunt single, loaded the bases. Henderson followed with his sacrifice fly to medium-deep center.

The victory went to Steve Crawford, who pitched out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the ninth and also worked the 10th.

Calvin Schiraldi, tagged with Boston’s heart-breaking loss in Game 4, worked a perfect 11th for the save.

The Angels battled back against three Boston relievers to tie it 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth.

Trailing 6-5, Bob Boone led off with a single against Bob Stanley. Boone, 3 for 3 Sunday and 9 for 17 in the series, was replaced by pinch-runner Ruppert Jones, who took second on a sacrifice by Gary Pettis.

Joe Sambito relieved Stanley, and Wilfong grounded his first pitch just beyond the reach of second baseman Marty Barrett. Jones was running all the way and slid home safely, just ahead of right fielder Evans’ strong throw to Gedman.

Dick Schofield then greeted Crawford with a single that sent Wilfong to third, and Brian Downing was intentionally walked to load the bases.

But with the winning run 90 feet from home plate and the outfield drawn in, Crawford managed to get out if by retiring Doug DeCinces on a shallow fly to right and after, after going 2-0 on Grich, got him on a soft liner back to the mound.

Earlier, it appeared Henderson was the goat as the Red Sox took a 2-1 lead into the sixth behind Bruce Hurst.

With two outs, DeCinces doubled before Hurst worked a 1-and-2 count on Grich, who had struck out in his previous two at-bats. This time, Grich hit a long drive that Henderson seemed to have within range.

Henderson leaped just short of the fence and got his glove on the ball, but his momentum carried his glove above the wall and the impact knocked the ball loose and over the fence for a two-run homer.

Henderson threw his arms up in despair and Hurst knelt with his head down near the mound as Grich circled the bases triumphantly.

Witt, who won Game 1, had cruised into the ninth with a 5-2 lead. But with the crowd of 64,223 screaming for the Angels to wrap up their first AL pennant, Bill Buckner opened the inning with a single.

One out later, Baylor homered over the left-field fence and cut the deficit to 5-4. Witt retired Dwight Evans on a pop-up, and then was relieved by left-hander Gary Lucas. But Lucas hit lefty Rich Gedman with a pitch and Moore was summoned.

Henderson fouled off a 2-2 pitch before launching a drive over the left-field fence. Henderson danced down the first-base line and his teammates streamed onto the field to greet him while the crowd sat in shocked silence.

The Red Sox blew a chance to go ahead in the 10th when Barrett, who had bunted into a forceout, took third on Dave Stapleton’s one-out single. But Rice, 4 for 22 in the series, grounded into an inning-ending double play. Ironically, Rice, who set a major league record by grounding into 36 double plays two years ago and 35 in 1985, had spent this season trying to reduce that number and had cut it to 19 this season.

In the bottom of the 10th, Jerry Narron walked with two outs and Pettis sent Rice to the wall in left field for the final out.