Lolich got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews popped up to first to start. Reggie Smith doubled to right but Carl Yastrzemski struck out swinging. George Scott walked but Rico Petrocelli popped up to second to end the inning. The Tigers wasted no time getting to Lee in the bottom of the first as Mickey Stanley doubled to right to start. McAuliffe then hit a home run all the way to Milan, Italy to give the Tigers the lead. Al Kaline grounded out to short but Willie Horton singled to left. Jim Northrup beat out a squibber to the mound but Bill Freehan flied out to right. Don Wert singled to center and Smith did a cannonball on the ball for an error to score Horton. Smith did manage to nab Northrup at home to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 3-0.
McAuliffe puts Detroit on top
Tony Conigliaro popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the second before Luis Alvarado singled in the hole at short. Gerry Moses and Lee both struck out swinging to end the inning. Lee got knocked out in the bottom of the second as Cesar Gutierrez singled to center to start. Lolich dropped down a bunt to move Gutierrez to second and Cesar moved to third on the Stanley grounder. McAuliffe walked and that was it for Lee. Sox manager Eddie Kasko was about to be sick as he pulled Lee after just 1 2/3 innings. Ed Phillips came in and Kaline singled home Gutierrez to increase the lead. Horton flied out to center to end the inning. Lee was tagged for 4 runs in just 1 2/3 innings, brutal.
Elliott Maddox replaced Wert for the top of the third and the Sox had their only real really of the day. Andrews walked and Smith singled to left, but Yaz struck out swinging. Scott was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Petrocelli walked home Andrews to cut the lead. With the tying run at first base....Tony C flied out to right and Alvarado popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance and trailed 4-1.
Phillips cruised in the bottom of the third as Northrup popped up to third to start. Freehan took strike three and Maddox grounded out to third to end the inning.
Moses lined out to first to start the top of the fourth and Phillips grounded out to second. Andrews walked but Smith took strike three to end the inning. Gutierrez hit a routine grounder to Alvarado who jumped up and down on the ball and wagged his finger back and forth at it for an error to start the bottom of the fourth. Lolich hit one up the elevator shaft but Stanley hit a little roller to third for a single. McAuliffe lined out to center and Kaline flied out to left to end the inning.
Yaz tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth with a single in the hole at second but Scott banged into a double play. Petrocelli singled to center but Tony C grounded out to third to end the inning. Horton was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the fifth but Northrup took strike three. Freehan walked and Petrocelli booted a grounder by Maddox to load the bases. Phillips struck out Gutierrez swinging and Lolich flied out to right to end the inning.
Alvarado popped up to first to start the top of the sixth but Moses doubled to left. Billy Conigliaro pinch hit for Phillips and singled Moses to third, but Andrews banged into a double play to end the inning. Ray Jarvis came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Stanley singled to center to start. Stanley moved to second on a wild pitch but McAuliffe grounded out to third. Kaline struck out swinging and Horton grounded out to short to end the inning.
Smith popped up to third to open the top of the seventh but Yaz took strike three. Scott struck out swinging to end the inning. Northrup was hit to start the bottom of the sixth and moved to second on the Freehan grounder to short. Maddox grounded out to third and Gutierrez grounded out to first to end the inning.
Petrocelli singled to left to start the top of the eighth but was forced at second by Tony C. Alvarado singled to right but Moses lined out to left. Don Pavletich pinch hit for Jarvis and popped up to second to end the inning. Ken Brett came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and somehow walked Lolich to begin. Stanley dropped down a bunt to move Lolich to second and McAuliffe walked. Kaline doubled home Lolich to ice the game and Horton was intentionally walked to load the bases. Northrup and Freehan both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 5-1.
Andrews singled to left to start the top of the ninth but Smith grounded into a double play. Yaz grounded out to first to end the game. The Tigers had won it 5-1.
Jackass of the Night is Bill Lee. He put the Sox in a 4 run hole they couldn't climb out of early in the game.
The Good:
Mike Andrews was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Reggie Smith was 2 for 5.
Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Luis Alvarado was 2 for 4.
Billy Conigliaro singled as a pinch hitter.
Ed Phillips tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
Ray Jarvis tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 4.
Don Pavletich was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Ken Brett allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.
The Ugly:
Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
George Scott was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.
Gerry Moses was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Final Thoughts:
Hard to beat Lolich when he's on and he was on today. Not getting to him early cost the Sox the game considering Lee laid an egg today. Tony C and Alvarado failing to get a runner home in the third was the difference in the game. Maybe they could have cracked Lolich or got him rattled enough to get to him for more runs later. As it was, the Sox couldn't get a clutch hit to save their lives. Time and time again they failed with men on base and it was an epidemic by the end. On the other side of the ball, the Sox committed 3 errors but pitched well once Lee was gone. Phillips and Jarvis tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings to keep the Sox in it but they couldn't generate any offense against an elite pitcher. The good news is Lolich is one of the best so its only going to get better from here. Tomorrow night the Sox look to rebound when they send Ray Culp (1-1) up against Earl Wilson of the Tigers. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.
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