Description

On April 11, 1998, Boston’s Pedro Martinez made his Fenway Park™ debut with a two hit gem against the Seattle Mariners™. Here, artist Bill Purdom captured the event with Nomar Garciaparra at shortstop and Troy O’Leary in left field. It was a scene that foreshadowed a classic ending to the American League™ Division Series against the Cleveland Indians on October 11, 1999. Facing a two game deficit, Boston rallied to force the decisive game, but trailed early. In the third inning, an intentional walk to Garciaparra, who had hit a two-run homer in the first, loaded the bases. On the next pitch, O’Leary made the Indians pay, launching the ball into the right centerfield seats to give the Sox a 7-5 lead. That lead was short lived, and with the game tied at eight in the fourth, Martinez entered from the bullpen. A question mark since game one due to an injured back/shoulder, Martinez hurled no-hit ball over the final six innings while striking out eight. In the seventh, following another intentional pass to Garciaparra, O’Leary hit a three-run blast giving the Sox the lead for good. A Garciaparra RBI double in the ninth made it 12-8 and when Martinez struck out Omar Vizquel to end the game, Boston had a series with the Yankees for the pennant. Bill Purdom’s trio, once shown on a cool April day, would return to Fenway in October with hopes of bringing home the elusive World Championship that has escaped Beantown since 1918.