Orioles fans remember Stone as a symbol of the 0-21 disaster in 1988. He went 1-for-32 batting leadoff to start the season. He watched a line drive go through his legs in leftfield for Loss No. 9. And who can forget the time he was thrown out going first-to-third on a grounder?
It was part comedy, part tragedy, but Stone will always have Friday night. Why, he had such a good week, he even recovered the Jeep Cherokee that was stolen in Boston the day of his promotion earlier this month.
"Yeah, I guess my luck is changing," Stone told the Boston Globe. "All I've had my whole career has been bad luck. I got my truck sideswiped, then it was stolen. I got it back and I got the big hit. That's life, I guess."
* INJURY REPORT: Toronto third baseman Kelly Gruber, recovering from a virus, said, "I'm still a little off-balance." Gruber went 0-for-4 yesterday, but scored three runs. His ninth-inning grand slam Saturday was his only hit of the series, but he narrowly missed a three-run homer on a drive that sailed just foul down the leftfield line.
Boston leftfielder Mike Greenwell said he felt like he had whiplash when he woke up yesterday, but went 2-for-4 with an RBI and recorded his 12th assist, all since June 28. Not bad for a guy who crashed into the Green Monster making a catch the day before.
* AROUND THE HORN: Toronto shortstop Tony Fernandez was 9-for-14 in the Boston series. First baseman Fred McGriff was 7-for-15, centerfielder Mookie Wilson 6-for-15. Fernandez has a 10-game hitting streak in which he is batting .468.
Boston manager Joe Morgan said Roger Clemens had a sore back after pitching Saturday, but that was expected. His shoulder? "There was no swelling, or any of that junk," Morgan said. Clemens could toss lightly on the side today. Morgan refused to guess when he would pitch next.
