Sox Snap Streak, Beat Indians (5/16/70)

Hey look, the Boston Red Sox finally won a game. After getting walked off twice and dropping 5 straight games, the Sox are back in the win column....briefly anyway. Ray Culp (3-4, 2.39 ERA) was the stopper in this one, outdueling Dean Chance of the Cleveland Indians while tossing a complete game 5 hitter. Culp went the distance allowing 2 unearned runs to help the Sox win the game. Offensively the Sox put two runs up against Chance but got 4 more against Dennis Higgins to put themselves up for good. Tony Conigliaro, Carl Yastrzemski and Rico Petrocelli all went deep to help the Sox snap their streak with a 6-2 win over the Indians at Fenway Park.

                                                   Helen Mirren approves of the win

Culp got the ball in the top of the first inning and Larry Brown popped up to short to start. Ted Uhlaender struck out swinging but Tony Horton singled to left. Horton swiped second but Vada Pinson took strike three to end the inning. Chance got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dick Schofield grounded back to the mound to start. Reggie Smith singled to center but Carl Yastrzemski flied out to center. Tony Conigliaro singled Smith to third but Rico Petrocelli forced Tony at second to end the inning.

Duke Sims flied out to right to start the top of the second before Graig Nettles struck out swinging. Ray Fosse struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as George Scott grounded back to the mound to start. Mike Andrews popped up to second and Gerry Moses grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jack Heidemann singled to left to start the top of the third and Chance hit a routine grounder to Culp. Ray tried to kick the ball over to first for an error but Brown beat out a double play ball. Uhlaender popped up to first and Horton forced Brown at second to end the inning. Culp grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Schofield was plunked. Smith doubled to right and Yaz was intentionally walked to load the bases. Tony C banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth as Pinson singled to right to begin. Sims flied out to right but Nettles singled to center. Culp had Pinson picked off second but he airmailed the throw, allowing Pinson to score and Nettles made it all the way to third. Fosse then dropped down a suicide squeeze to score Nettles to increase the lead. Heidemann grounded out to first to end the inning with the Indians up 2-0.

                                                       Stop throwing the ball away

Petrocelli tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Scott struck out swinging. Andrews banged into a double play to end the inning.

Culp froze Chance for strike three to start the top of the fifth and Brown grounded out to third. Uhlaender popped up to third to end the inning. Chance matched Culp in the bottom of the fifth as Moses flied out to left to start. Culp grounded out to third and Schofield struck out swinging to end the inning.

Horton grounded out to third to open the top of the sixth but Pinson singled to center. Sims struck out swinging and Nettles grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Smith lined out to center to start. Yaz doubled to right and Tony C whalloped his eighth home run of the season to tie the game. Petrocelli and Scott both grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Tony C ties it

Foss struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Heidemann walked, Russ Nagelson pinch hit for Chance but struck out swinging before Brown flied out to left to end the inning. Dennis Higgins came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Andrews was plunked to start. Andrews was thrown out trying to steal second and Moses grounded out to third. Culp took strike three to end the inning.

Uhlaender walked to start the top of the eighth but Horton hit into a double play. Pinson flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the eighth as Schofield walked to start. Smith walked as well and Yaz pulverized a 3 run home run to give the Sox the lead. Tony C grounded out to first but Petrocelli smashed his fifth home run of the season to ice the game. Scott grounded back to the mound but Andrews walked. Moses was intentionally walked to get to Culp and Ray hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                          Yaz with a 3 run bomb

Culp returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Sims flied out to center to start. Nettles flied out to left and Fosse also flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had snapped their losing streak with a 6-2 win.

We have Co-Heroes of the Night is Ray Culp. He went the distance allowing just 5 hits and 2 unearned runs for the complete game win.

                                                                Culp The Hero

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk, 3 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a 2 run homer.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a home run.

The Bad:

George Scott was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Dick Schofield was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Mike Andrews was 0 for 2 but walked.

Gerry Moses was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Thank god the Sox finally won a game. Its a shame the Sox fell flat on their face after the April they had but the pitching just isn't that good. If Jim Lonborg could rediscover his 1967 self and Mike Nagy developed into the ace everyone thought he would, they'd be right there with the Baltimore Orioles this season. A rotation of ace Lonborg, Sonny Siebert, Culp and Nagy all doing well could put them with Baltimore but it doesn't look like it'll happen. It was a good win today with the offense producing but down the road offense can only do so much without pitching. Still, a win is a win even if its over the worthless Cleveland Indians. The win improved the Sox to 15-17, 8.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Detroit Tigers to Fenway for a set. Mike Nagy goes for the Sox up against Joe Niekro of the Tigers tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Beat Angels for 5th Straight Win (5/1/70)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox have gotten hot. After wiping out the Oakland A's in four straight games, the Sox made it five in a row with the California Angels as their latest victims. Ray Culp (2-3, 3.16 ERA) went the distance, allowing 6 hits and 3 runs to earn his second win of the season. On the offensive side, the Red Sox pounded out four home runs. 2 from Carl Yastrzemski and one from both Reggie Smith and George Scott. The Sox as a team pounded out 12 hits and 8 runs as they defeated the Angels 8-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Barbara Hillary approves of the win

Culp got the ball in the top of the first inning and Sandy Alomar lined a base hit to center to start. Alomar stole second but Roger Repoz struck out swinging. Jim Fregosi singled to left to put runners at the corners but Alex Johnson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Angels starter Tom Murphy as Mike Andrews popped up to third to start. Reggie Smith singled to right, took second on a wild pitch and stole third. Carl Yastrzemski then smashed a 2 run bomb to put Boston on top. Tony Conigliaro walked but Rico Petrocelli banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                      Yaz goes deep

Culp cruised in the the top of the second as Jim Spencer grounded out to first to start. Ken McMullen struck out swinging and Bill Voss flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as George Scott belted his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Luis Alvarado doubled to left and moved to third on a fly ball to right by Gerry Moses. Culp aided his own cause with a base hit to center to score Alvarado to add to the lead. Andrews banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 4-0.

                                                          Scott goes deep

The Angels struck back in the top of the third as Joe Azcue hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Murphy grounded out to short but Alomar reached on an error by Alvarado. Repoz walked and Fregosi lashed a base hit to left to load the bases. Johnson singled to left to score Alomar and Repoz to cut the lead. Spencer struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels down 4-2.

                                                       Johnson inches the Angels closer

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Smith grounded out to first to start. Yaz grounded out to second and Tony C grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Angels got another run in the top of the fourth as McMullen doubled to center to start. McMullen moved to third on a grounder by Voss to first and scored on the sac fly to center by Azcue. Murphy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels down 4-3.

                                                     Azcue drives in a run

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Petrocelli doubled to left to start. Scott doubled home Rico to chase Murphy from the game. Eddie Fisher came in and Alvarado moved Scott to third with a grounder to first. Moses grounded out to short and Culp grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                              Petrocelli scores a run

Culp cruised in the top of the fifth as Alomar flied out to center to start. Repoz grounded out to first and Fregosi grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Andrews grounded out to third to start. Smith grounded out to second but Yaz smashed his second home run of the game to ice it. Tony C singled to left but Petrocelli flied out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 6-3.

                                                              Yaz with another home run

Johnson flied out to center to open the top of the sixth before Spencer struck out swinging. McMullen struck out swinging to end the inning. Scott singled to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Alvarado struck out swinging. Moses flied out to left and Culp forced Scott at second to end the inning.

Voss flied out to center to start the top of the seventh before Azcue struck out swinging. Jay Johnstone pinch hit for Fisher and popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Wally Wolf came in to pitch. Andrews flied out to right but Smith clobbered his fourth home run of the season to add to the lead. Yaz walked and stole second before Tony C struck out swinging. Petrocelli doubled to left to score Yaz but Scott struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                            Smith with his fourth homer

Alomar took strike three to open the top of the eighth and Repoz struck out swinging. Fregosi grounded out to short to end the inning. Alvarado flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth before Moses took strike three. Culp took strike three to end the inning.

Culp came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Johnson grounded back to the mound to start. Spencer flied out to center but McMullen singled to left. Voss popped up to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

Hero of the Night is Ray Culp. Not only did he go the distance to earn the win, he also knocked in a run of his own.

                                                                  Hero Culp

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 2 for 4 with a stolen base, solo home run and 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk, stolen base, 2 home runs, 3 total rbis and 3 total runs scored.

Tony Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

George Scott was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 total rbis.

The Bad:

Mike Andrews was 0 for 4.

Gerry Moses was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Luis Alvarado was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

After the up and down month of April the Red Sox have, starting May on the right foot is just what the doctor ordered. Culp looked good in this one and the Sox needed a start like that from him big time. The offense is clicking even if Moses has come down to earth. Swapping Tony C and Scott in the batting order has done wonders since Scott has been tearing the cover off the ball lately. The offense was always going to score runs, its preventing them that's the problem. Culp got the job done today and hopefully the trend can continue this month. The win improved the Sox to 12-8, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for win number six in a row tomorrow afternoon when Vicente Romo gets the start against Clyde Wright of the Angels. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.