BoSox Explode, 17-7

Wade Boggs had the first five-hit game of his career, sparking a 20-hit attack last night, and the Boston Red Sox rode a six-run first inning in routing the Minnesota Twins, 17-7.

The win, Boston's fourth in a row, coupled with the New York Yankees 2-1 loss at the hands of the Oakland A's left the Red Sox with a two-game lead in the AL East. Boston, at 25-13, now sports the second-best record in baseball.

Unbeaten Roger Clemens breezed to his seventh victory of the season without a loss, going seven innings while backed by Boston's biggest explosion of the season. Clemens gave up five runs on nine hits.

Boggs, who led the major leagues with a .368 average last year, went 5-for-6 with four singles and a double, raising his average to .383, tops in the majors.

Gary Gaetti hit two homers and a double for the Twins.

Minnesota committed five errors in losing for the ninth time in the last 10 games.

Tony Armas had a double and three singles and Marc Sullivan collected three singles as the Red Sox mauled five Minnesota pitchers.

Minnesota starter and loser Frank Viola (now 4-4) failed to retire a batter in the Red Sox first inning. After Marty Barrett led off the game with a single, Boggs singled and Dave Stapleton walked to load the bases for Jim Rice.

The Red Sox slugger hit a little broken-bat flare into right that dropped in for a run-scoring single. Don Baylor and Tony Armas (who raised his average 40 points with his four-hit performance) follwed with back-to-back doubles to put the Sox up 5-0 and send Viola to the showers.

Coincidentally, Viola's father, Frank Sr., was at Fenway last night celebrating a birthday.

But it was the Red Sox who did all the partying in front of the 20,000-plus Fenway faithful. After winning two straight games in their last at-bats, Boston decided to secure this one early.

Boston added a run in the second inning, two in the third, and four in both the sixth and seventh to augment its first-inning outburst.

Boston's most inventive run came in the third when Boggs, on second after an RBI double, scored when strike-three on Dave Stapleton got past Twins' catcher Mark Salas. The catcher proceded to throw wildly to first base where Stapleton and Kent Hrbek collided, allowing Boggs to scoot home.