Boggs Swings and Misses; A's Win, 2-1

Dave Henderson again became a playoff hero in Boston, while Carney Lansford and Dennis Eckersley starred once more at Fenway Park.

Too bad they did it for the Oakland Athletics.

Henderson singled home Lansford for the tie-breaking run in the eighth inning and Eckersley preserved the lead yesterday afternoon as Oakland shut down Wade Boggs and the Red Sox, 2-1, in Game 1 of the American League playoffs.

"I always get a good reception here," Henderson smiled. "And any hit is a good hit."

The biggest hit of Henderson's career came in the 1986 playoffs with Boston. His home run rescued the Red Sox when they were one out from elimination in Game 5 against California. He went on to bat .400 in the World Series loss to the New York Mets, but was traded to San Francisco midway through the next season.

Eckersley, a former 20-game winner with the Red Sox, was traded away in 1984. He came back to haunt his former teammates, pitching the last two innings for a save.

"I was pretty nervous at first and then I got nervous again," Eckersley admitted. "I wanted to keep the crowd out of it."

But it was Boggs, baseball's best hitter, that really kept the Red Sox out of it.

Boggs, who led the majors with a .366 average, came to the plate with eight runners on base and advanced only one of them, striking out with men on first and second to end the game. Coming into the game, he had struck out once since September 9.

"That's not a good way to have to beat the Red Sox. But that's how we had to do it today," Oakland manager Tony La Russa said. "I hope that's the last time in this series we have to go through that."

"I'll take the blame," Boggs said. "I take this loss personally. The goat one day can be the hero the next."

Boggs led off the first with a solid single and came up again in the second with the bases loaded, two outs and the game scoreless. Boggs, a career .373 hitter with the bases loaded, struck out on four pitches from Stewart.

"I just went right at him," Stewart said. "I didn't pitch him any differently."

It was the first time Boggs had fanned against Stewart in 22 career at-bats. He had gotten seven hits.

Boggs flied out in the fifth and came up again in the seventh against Rick Honeycutt with the bases loaded and Oakland ahead, 1-0, on Jose Canseco's fourth-inning home run. Boggs tied it with a sacrifice fly, but did no more damage.

"We were unlucky when Boggs' line drive went at the left fielder," Boston manager Joe Morgan said. "That was pretty much the ballgame."

With two outs in the ninth, Jody Reed doubled off Eckersley and Rich Gedman walked. Again, it was Boggs' turn, and he fanned on four pitches.

"I don't remember when the last time I struck out twice in a game," Boggs said.

Canseco's home run had held up since the fourth inning as Stewart and Hurst hooked up in a pitching duel on a chilly afternoon at Fenway. After Boggs tied it in the seventh, Oakland came right back in the eighth.

Dodgers 6, Mets 3

Despite a bases-loaded threat by the Mets in the ninth inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated New York, 6-3, to even the National League playoff series at one game apiece.

Alejandro Pena, who saved the game for winner Tim Belcher, got Gary Carter to fly out to right field for the final out of the game. Los Angeles gave New York starter David Cone a quick exit with a four-run inning in the second.