Mel Stottlemyre took the mound in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews began the game with a flyout to center. Reggie Smith also flied out to center but Carl Yastrzemski singled. Yaz took off for second and the throw got away, advancing Carl to third. George Scott walked but Rico Petrocelli popped up to third to end the inning. Peters got the opening day start and began the bottom of the first by allowing a Horace Clarke single. Thurmon Munson dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Clarke to second. Roy White grounded out but Clarke moved to third but Peters froze John Ellis for strike three to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as Tony Conigliaro singled. Tony C was erased on the force by Luis Alvarado. Jerry Moses singled Alvarado to third but was foolishly thrown out in a run-down. Peters himself struck a ground rule double to score Luis to give the Sox the early lead. Andrews grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Peters ran into trouble in the bottom of the second inning although Danny Cater grounded out to short to start. Bobby Murcer singled but Curt Blefary lined out to short. Gene Michael singled but Stottlemyre flied out to left to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the third inning although Smith grounded out to short to start. Yaz and Scott poked back to back singles before Petrocelli doubled home Yaz. Tony C was intentionally walked to load the bases but the rally ended when Alvarado lined out to third and Moses flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.
Once again Peters ran into trouble in the bottom of the third when Clarke singled to start the frame. Munson walked but White struck out. Ellis beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Cater flied out to left to end the inning.
Stottlemyre settled down in the top of the fourth as Peters grounded out to short to begin although Andrews walked. Smith hit a squibber in front of the plate and Peters nailed Andrews at second. Yaz lined out to center to end the inning. Peters cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Murcer struck out, Blefary popped up to second. Michael struck out to end the inning.
Peters continued to pitch well in the bottom of the fifth inning as Ron Woods pinch hit for Stottlemyre only to hit one up the elevator shaft. Clarke popped up to first and Munson lined out to left to end the inning.
Ron Klimkowski took over in the top of the sixth for New York and cruised. Peters grounded out to first, Andrews grounded out to third and Smith lined out to center to end the inning. Peters finally fell apart in the bottom of the sixth although White popped up to second to begin. The wheels fell off as Ellis was plunked and Cater walked before Murcer singled to left. Ellis made the turn for home and Yaz fired......300 feet over the head of Moses at the plate for an error that advanced Cater to third and Murcer to second. Blefary smacked a ground rule double to score Cater and chase Peters after 5 1/3 innings and the Yankees rallying. Bill Lee got the call out of the bullpen and got the biggest out of the game when Ron Hansen pinch hit for Klimkowski and lined out to center without advancing anyone. Clarke grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3 with nine outs to go.
Joe Verbanic came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Yaz popped up to third to begin. Scott flied out to center and Petrocelli popped up to short to end the inning. Lee came back for the bottom of the seventh and got Munson to ground out to second to start. White grounded out to third but Ellis singled. Cater grounded into a force to end the inning.
Tony C walked to start the top of the eighth and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Alvarado. Moses walked but both Lee and Andrews struck out to end the inning. Lee returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Murcer to pop up to third to begin. Blefary flied out to center but Michael walked. Pete Ward pinch hit for Verbanic and struck out to end the inning.
Jack Aker was brought in to pitch the top of the ninth and Smith singled to start. Reggie moved to third on the groundout by Yaz but Scott popped up to third. Petrocelli hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Lee came back out to close out the bottom of the ninth and got Clarke to ground out to third to start. Munson also grounded out to third and White grounded back to the mound to end the game. Lee had shut the Yankees completely down and the Sox had won it 4-3.
Hero of the Night is Bill Lee. He pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings, getting out of a 2 base jam in the 6th inning to earn the save.
The Good:
Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 5 with a stolen base and a run scored.
George Scott was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 5 with 2 rbi's and a run scored.
Tony Conigliaro was 1 for 2 with 2 walks
Jerry Moses was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Gary Peters got the win with 5 1/3 innings of 3 run ball. He also was 1 for 3 with an rbi at the plate as well.
The Bad:
None
The Ugly:
Mike Andrews was 0 for 4 but walked.
Reggie Smith was just 1 for 5.
Luis Alvarado was 0 for 3 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Nothing like beating the hated Yankees on Opening Day in New York. Peters ran out of the gas in the sixth inning but thank God for Bill Lee. The offense was timely and it should only get better as the season progresses. A healthy Tony C, Yaz, Scott and Smith is a very good core and if Jim Lonborg can recapture his 1967 magic, this team could be a threat to the Baltimore Orioles for American League supremacy. After an off-day the Sox and Yankees return to action Thursday afternoon with Fritz Peterson going for the Yankees against Ray Culp of the Red Sox at 2:00 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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