Its been that kind of season for the Boston Red Sox. After winning 8 out of 10 games including the possible win of the season against the Chicago White Sox, the Sox come back from an off-day and lay an egg against the Minnesota Twins. Jim Perry held the Sox bats to just one run in 6 innings and the Twins bullpen allowed just one run the rest of the way. Meanwhile Gary Peters (3-7, 5.33 ERA) got tagged for 3 runs in 5 innings. The Sox did cut the lead to 1 but Cal Koonce imploded in the bottom of the eighth and the Twins scored two big insurance runs. Ron Perrranoski slammed the door and the Twins had beaten the Sox 5-2 at Metropolitan Stadium.
Perry got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews got a base hit to left to start. Dick Schofield grounded into a double play but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Yaz was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Peters got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cesar Tovar flied out to right to start. Rod Carew grounded out to third but Harmon Killebrew walked. Tony Oliva flied out to right to end the inning.
Reggie Smith grounded out to second to start the top of the second but Leo Cardenas booted a grounder by Rico Petrocelli for an error. Petrocelli was thrown out at second trying to steal when George Scott struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins struck first in the bottom of the second as Rick Renick grounded out to short to start. Schofield booted a grounder by Brant Alyea. Cardenas got a base hit to left but George Mitterwald flied out to right to move Alyea to third. Perry beat out a roller to third to score Alyea and Tovar walked to load the bases. Carew flied out to left to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.
Billy Conigliaro struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Tom Satriano took strike three. Peters got a base hit to right but Andrews lined out to left to end the inning. Peters got in trouble in the bottom of the third as Killebrew walked to start. Oliva walked but Renick popped up to short. Alyea struck out swinging but Cardenas got a base hit to left to load the bases. Mitterwald flied out to center to end the inning.
Schofield walked to start the top of the fourth and he was thrown out at second trying to steal. Might want to stop running on Mitterwald. Yaz flied out to left and Smith popped up to first to end the inning. Perry popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Tovar struck out swinging. Carew lined out to left to end the inning.
Petrocelli flied out to right to open the top of the fifth but Scott grounded out to short. Billy C lined out to short to end the inning. The Twins finished off Peters in the bottom of the fifth as Killebrew popped up to second to start. Oliva singled to left but Renick flied out to left. A wild pitch moved Oliva to second but Alyea doubled to left to score Tony. Jim Holt ran for Alyea and Cardenas got a base hit up the middle to score him. Mitterwald forced Cardenas at second to end the inning with the Twins up 3-0. Peters was done after 5 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits and 4 walks.
The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Satriano blasted his first home run of the season to start. Mike Derrick pinch hit for Peters and struck out swinging, begging the question why didn't Sox manager Eddie Kasko just let Peters hit there? Andrews and Schofield both got base hits to left but Yaz lined out to right. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.
Lee Strange came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Charlie Manuel pinch hit for Perry. Manuel popped up to short and Tovar grounded out to short. Carew grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh with Stan Williams now on the mound for Minnesota. Petrocelli got a base hit to center and Scott lined out to right. Conigliaro popped up to short but Satriano beat out a roller to third. Mike Fiore pinch hit for Strange and ripped a base hit to center to score Rico, moving Satriano to third. Ron Perranoski came in to face Andrews with the tying run at third. Andrews struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
Cal Koonce came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Killebrew singled to center to start. Oliva hit a bullet to Koonce who doubled off Harmon. Rich Reese pinch hit for Renick and grounded out to second to end the inning.
Schofield led off the top of the eighth with a grounder to short. Yaz struck out swinging and Smith grounded out to short to end the inning. The Twins iced the game in the bottom of the eighth as Holt walked to start. Cardenas got a base hit to left and Mitterwald also got a base hit to left to score Holt with the insurance run. Sox manager Eddie Kasko brought in Sparky Lyle to stop the bleeding and Perranoski struck out swinging. Tovar lined out to left but Carew doubled to left to score Cardenas. Killebrew was intentionally walked and Frank Quilici ran for him. Oliva flied out to center to end the inning but the Twins were up 5-2.
Petrocelli grounded out to third to start the top of the ninth but Scott got a base hit to left. Conigliaro grounded out to third to move Scott to second and Jerry Moses pinch hit for Satriano. For some stupid reason Moses tried to bunt and popped it up to Perranoski to end the game. The Twins had won it 5-2.
Jackass of The Night is Cal Koonce. He allowed 2 runs in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.
The Good:
Mike Andrews was 2 for 4.
Tom Satriano was 2 for 3 with a home run.
Mike Fiore singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.
Lee Strange pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
The Bad:
Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.
Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jerry Moses was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Mike Derrick struck out as a pinch hitter.
Gary Peters got tagged for 3 runs in 5 innings off 6 hits and 4 walks.
The Ugly:
Dick Schofield was 1 for 3 with a walk but committed an error.
Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
George Scott was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Sparky Lyle allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning of work.
Final Thoughts:
That game was a kick in the pants. The Sox are clearly in a different bracket compared to teams like the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles. Jim Perry didn't even pitch that great but him and the bullpen shut down the Sox. Not having Tony Conigliaro hurt but at the same time, Cal Koonce and Sparky Lyle allowing the final two runs hurt even more. The Sox just can't seem to play consistent baseball either on the field or on the mound. Peters dropped to 3-7 and if he was supposed to be your big off-season acquisition to topple the Orioles, he failed big time so far. He got outpitched by Jim Perry in this one. Still, its only June and the Sox have another two months to go on a run. Beating teams like the Twins and Orioles are crucial for them to get back in the race.....if they can. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-27, 9.5 games behind Baltimore for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Ray Culp (4-6) takes on Jim Kaat of Minnesota. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Metropolitan Stadium.
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