Eddie Murray stunned the Boston Faithful drilling the fifth solo home run of the game off Red Sox reliever Dick Radatz to give Baltimore a 3-2 Game 5 victory in the All-Time East ALDS. The eleventh inning bomb by Murray was his second of the series. His first homer was also a decisive factor in Game 4 keeping Baltimore alive and forcing the pivotal fifth game. No one in the history of the game has played more games at first base than "Steady Eddie", and he is the only switch hitter to belt 500 homers and collect 3000 hits. Murray ranks second overall behind Mickey Mantle for most dingers by a switch hitter with 504.
The Red Sox dramatically forced bonus baseball in the bottom of the ninth trailing 2-1. Oriole ace Jim Palmer passed the baton to the bullpen after chucking 6 remarkable innings. Palmer surrendered 5 hits with one of those clearing the left-field wall. Bobby Doerr was the author of this blast to open the scoring in the third inning, but Palmer locked things down and Billy O'Dell and Darren O'Day had the luck of the Irish to combine for two scoreless innings.
Oriole all-time saves leader Gregg Olson was asked to continue to trend in the ninth, but he was greeted with a mighty drive to deep center by Carl Yastrzemski to send the home crowd into delirium. All five homers in this game were not only solo shots but were also struck by the leadoff hitter. Bobby Grich tied the game in the fourth, and it looked as though Cal Ripken Jr.'s seventh-inning rocket had a chance to give Baltimore the win before Yaz's last call bridge ball. Just as in Game 2, this was the second game in which all of the Red Sox runs would come on homers.
Thinking this game could be a lengthy battle, Baltimore gave the ball to starter Mike Cuellar for the extra innings, and he was within a whisper of being the hard-luck loser in the tenth. Wade Boggs began the proceedings with an infield single and after Jim Rice popped out to Oriole catcher Rick Dempsey, Ted Williams delivered a single to push Boggs into scoring position. Manny Ramirez nailed one right on the screws, but his liner died in the glove of center fielder Brady Anderson. Then Carl Yastrzemski was back in the spotlight with a chance to be the series hero driving an outside fastball to the base of the Green Monster. Left fielder Boog Powell galloped back to flag the arcing fly ball and snared it in the tip of his glove to quiet the throng anticipating a wall ball.
Game 1 winner Pedro Martinez was very stingy once again and had held Baltimore to two runs on 7 hits pitching into the seventh. Much like Baltimore, the Boston bullpen allowed the offense an opportunity to win the game. Boston ushered out the formidable tandem of Koji Uehara and Jonathan Papelbon, and they combined for 2 shutdown innings with 5 strikeouts. Papelbon did get a scare in the ninth when Frank Robinson doubled to left field. With two down, Mel Parnell was called on to face lefty Brady Anderson, and he struck him out on an outside sinker.
Dick Radatz breezed through the tenth with a couple of strikeouts as he simply overpowered Baltimore hitters. With the stuff Radatz was displaying, there was no thought of pulling him, and he went out for the eleventh. He challenged Murray with his blazing fastball, but this time, Murray caught up to it just enough and sent a rising liner into a left field sponsor banner atop the Green Monster. The rippling banner sent shockwaves through the sellout crowd at Fenway. Radatz regrouped and retired Baltimore in order with two more strikeouts, but it would be another painful ending for the hulking flamethrower. He wore the goat horns in Game 3 when he gave up a game-winning homer to Ken Singleton.
Cuellar granted a free pass to David Ortiz to kick off the home half, but he struck out Nomar Garciaparra with a slider and doubled up pinch hitter Jason Varitek to send Baltimore to the All-Time East ALCS where they will face the Toronto Blue Jays. For his efforts, Cuellar was named the player of the game. The Jays stunned the New York Yankees taking the fifth game of their ALDS at Yankee Stadium. The NLCS will feature the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves.
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