Number Forty-Eight: Dave Henderson.

October 12, 1986. Game 5 of the ALCS, top of the ninth. The California Angels lead the series 3-1 and the game 5-4.

But it's not as bad as it was moments before: The inning started with the Sox down 2-5, facing Mike Witt (in 1986, Witt pitched fourteen complete games, was third in Cy Young voting, and beat Roger Clemens in game 1). Bill Buckner shot a single up the middle and was pinch run for by Dave Stapleton. Jim Rice struck out. One down. Don Baylor closed the gap slightly with a two-run home run to left. Score is 4-5. Dwight Evans popped out to third. Two down. In a seemingly puzzling move, Angels manager Gene Mauch decided to go to his bullpen and called for Gary Lucas to pitch to Rich Gedman, who was three for three in the game. Lucas hit Gedman and Donnie Moore is called upon to pitch to Dave Henderson.

Henderson sidles up to the plate with the tying run on base. He takes two pitches: one for a ball and one for a strike. He swings at the next pitch but misses. To borrow a phrase, the Sox are down to their last strike. He watches the fourth pitch go by for a ball. The count is 2-2. And then foul. And then another. And then a ball hit hard to left and the Sox are up 6-5.

After Ed Romero flies out to end the top of the inning, it turns out that the Angels aren't willing to give up quite so easily. In his third inning of relief, Bob Stanley gives up a single to the lead-off man, Bob Boone, and Gary Pettis moves him (well, the pinch runner Ruppert Jones) over with a sacrifice bunt. Bob Stanley's afternoon is done and he's replaced with Joe Sambito. Rob Wilfong gets one through on the right side and the score is tied when Jones tears around the bases. Steve Crawford is called upon to get them out of the mess. Crawford gives up a single to start the inning and Wilfong (as the Angels are wont to do, goes first to third.) Crawford intentionally walks Brian Downing to load the bases. Doug DeCinces hits the first pitch he sees for a fly ball to right but it's not deep enough. Two down. And then Bobby Grich hits one back to the pitcher and we're headed for extras.

The Sox make some noise in the top of the tenth: Wade Boggs walks but is forced out at second on a Marty Barrett groundout. Dave Stapleton hits a line drive to right and Barrett heads for third. But then Jim Rice grounds into an inning ending double play. Steve Crawford pitches the bottom of the tenth relatively well: A groundout, a strike out, a walk, and a fly out.

The top of the eleventh: Donnie Moore is still pitching for the Angels. Don Baylor is hit by a pitch. Dwight Evans shoots a single up the middle and Baylor takes second. Rich Gedman pushes a little dribbler down the third base line for a hit. The bases are now loaded with nobody out for the man of the hour, Dave Henderson. Henderson again puts the Sox on top when he a sacrifice fly to center. 7-6. Ed Romero flies out for the second out of the inning and Wade Boggs ends it with a ground out.

Calvin Schiraldi is brought out to finish the game. And he does so with a swinging strikeout, a swinging strikeout, and a foul ball caught off first base.