clarinews@clarinet.com (09/21/89)
TORONTO (UPI) -- After suffering a drubbing at the hands of the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue embarked on a six-game road trip with a pocketful of hopes and a barrelful of concerns. Toronto lost for the fifth time in its last nine games Wednesday night, as Dwight Evans homered and drove in three runs and Wade Boggs and Jody Reed each contributed two RBI in a 10-3 Boston rout. The loss, combined with Baltimore's victory over Detroit, trimmed the Blue Jays' lead in the AL East to one game. After a day off, Toronto goes on the road for six games against Milwaukee and Detroit before returning home for a season-ending three-game set with Baltimore. ``We're just not sharp,'' said Toronto's Kelly Gruber, who was 3 for 5 with one RBI. ``With the way the pennant race is going, you'd expect everybody to be sharp.'' Fred McGriff, one of Toronto's least sharp players these day, went 0 for 3, including two strikeouts against Roger Clemens, 16-10. McGriff is 8 for his last 49 and although he leads the league with 36 homers, McGriff hasn't homered since Sept. 4. ``He might snap out of it,'' said Toronto Manager Cito Gaston, not sounding particularly convinced. ``He's struggled a little, but he might jump out of it on Friday. I hope so.'' Gaston's biggest worry was reserved for team RBI leader George Bell. Bell injured his right elbow making a throw early in the game, and was removed after singling in the fifth. ``As far as I know, he has a bit of tenderness inside the elbow and he can't throw,'' said Gaston. ``He might have to DH.'' Bell refused to confirm he would be available to hit. ``Hurt is hurt, man,'' he said. But he quickly added, ``If I get up tomorrow and feel like playing a game of golf, I'll go play golf. You guys worry too much. You guys worry more than I worry.'' Toronto trainer Tommy Craig was clearly concerned. ``George is a tough guy and he plays hurt,'' said Craig. ``If he feels he has to take himself out of the game, we'd better back off and take a look. Bell will be X-rayed Thursday morning in Toronto. The Blue Jays' loss came on a night when Clemens was ripe for the taking. Though not as shaky as Jimmy Key, Clemens gave up three runs and nine hits in eight innings. He struck out five, walked two and hit a batter. ``My location was horrible,'' said Clemens. ``(Catchers Rick) Cerone and (Rich) Gedman said I was throwing the ball well into the 90s but it felt like the 80s. I didn't have any giddyup at the plate.'' The Red Sox shelled Key, 12-14, for six runs and 10 hits in three innings. Key had a five-game winning streak end. Boston took a 3-0 lead in the second. With one out, Kevin Romine doubled and scored on Luis Rivera's two-out triple. Rick Cerone followed with an RBI double and scored on a bloop single by Boggs. Toronto closed to 3-2 in its half of the second on Tony Fernandez's sacrifice fly and Gruber's RBI single. Boston stretched its lead to 4-2 in the third on Evans' 19th homer of the season. The Red Sox took a 6-2 lead and chased Key in the fourth. Cerone led off with his second double and scored on a single by Boggs. Boggs advanced to second when Bell bobbled the ball for an error, and Jody Reed greeted reliever Mauro Gozzo with a run-scoring single. Toronto made it 6-3 in the fourth on Nelson Liriano's RBI single. The Red Sox extended their lead to 9-3 with three runs in the fifth. Pitcher Frank Wills entered the game with the bases loaded and walked Reed to force in a run, and surrendered a two-run single to Evans. The Red Sox scored in the ninth when Rivera crossed the plate on a wild pitch by Jose Nunez. Cerone left the game after the fourth inning with a sore left hamstring muscle. -- This, and all articles in this news hierarchy are Copyrighted by the wire service or information provider and licenced to Clarinet Communications Corp. for distribution. Only paid subscribers may access these articles. Any unauthorized access, reproduction or transmission is strictly prohibited. We will reward the first provider of information that helps us stop violators of this copyright. Send reports to reward@clarinet.com.