Fenway Flashback: 1986 - One Mistake, One Run, One Loss

April 16, 1986: One Mistake, One Run, One Loss

After dropping the home opener at Fenway and stewing over it during the scheduled day off in case of weather, the Sox looked to get back into the win column against the Royals on a Wednesday afternoon in early April. Sitting one game below .500 after the first seven games wasn’t the worst possible start imaginable, but expectations for this team were higher, and Red Sox Nation was not interested in dealing with another slow start.

Right-hander Al Nipper was given the task of trying to record the first win at Fenway for the ‘86 team, while Kansas City turned to its reigning Cy Young Award winner, Bret Saberhagen.

The Red Sox lineup for the matinee:

• Dwight Evans (RF)• Wade Boggs (3B)• Bill Buckner (1B)• Jim Rice (LF)• Don Baylor (DH)• Tony Armas (CF)• Rich Gedman (C)• Marty Barrett (2B)• Ed Romero (SS)

The two righties got off to hot starts, throwing zeros on the board in the first inning and hoping to set the tone for the game. In the top of the second inning, Nipper made a mistake to the Royals’ power-hitting first baseman, Steve Balboni, and he drove his second homer of the season into the net above the Monster. As it would turn out, that would be the only mistake Nipper would make, but unfortunately for him, it would still be one more mistake than the Royals’ ace would make.

Both pitchers dominated the opposing lineups, retiring them in order in 10 of the 18 half-innings combined. In four of the other eight half-innings, they combined to allow only one baserunner. The day was completely dominated by the pitchers, and in total the offenses combined for only seven hits. Kansas…