Dobson took the mound in the top of the first and Mike Andrews led off by flying out to center. Reggie Smith singled to center and moved to second on a passed ball before Carl Yastrzemski drew a walk. Tony Conigliaro flied out to right and Rico Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning. Romo got the ball and cruised in the bottom of the first as Bert Campaneris flied out to right to begin. Rick Monday lined out to left and Felipe Alou grounded out to short to end the inning.
George Thomas drew a walk to begin the top of the second but John Kennedy flied out to center. Jerry Moses struck out and Romo flied out to right to end the inning. Sal Bando walked to start the bottom of the second but Don Mincher took strike three. Reggie Jackson walked but Dave Duncan struck out. Dick Green grounded out to first to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as Andrews walked to start. Smith singled to right but was erased on the Yaz force. Tony C flied out to left but Petrocelli clubbed his 17th home run of the year to put Boston on top. Thomas grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.
Romo got Dobson to take strike three to begin the bottom of the third and Campaneris lined out to right. Monday beat out an infield single to third but Alou grounded into a force to end the inning.
Kennedy flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Moses struck out. Romo beat out an infield single to third but Andrews grounded out to short to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Bando singled and Mincher smashed a 50,000 foot home run to put the A's back in it. Then Jackson hit a 5,000 foot home run to tie the game just like that. Duncan lined out to left, Green struck out looking and Dobson grounded out to third to end the inning but the A's had tied it 3-3.
Smith put the Sox back on top instantly in the top of the fifth with his 14th home run of the season. Yaz popped up to third, Tony C grounded out to third and Petrocelli popped up to first to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.
The A's clawed back in the bottom of the fifth although Campaneris hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Monday grounded back to the mound but Alou beat out an infield single to short. Bando made the Sox pay by bashing a 5 million foot home run into the Pacific Ocean to give the A's the lead. Mincher struck out to end the inning but the A's had regained the lead and chased Romo 5-4.
Thomas popped up to second to start the top of the sixth before Kennedy struck out. Moses drew a walk and Dick Schofield pinch hit for Romo, taking a walk as well. Marcel Lachemann came in for Dobson to pitch to Andrews and Mike grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ken Brett was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and he struck out both Jackson and Duncan to start. Green walked but Tommy Davis pinch hit for Lachemann. Brett got Davis to strike out to end the inning.
If the Sox had to rally, they would have to do it against arguably the best relief pitcher in baseball in Mudcat Grant in the top of the seventh. Smith singled to right but Yaz flied out to left. Tony C forced Smith at second but Petrocelli singled to put the tying run at second. Thomas struck out to end the inning. Brett cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Campaneris flied out to left to start. Monday struck out and Alou flied out to center to end the inning. Brett retired 4 of the 7 batters he faced by strike out, not bad.
The Sox could do nothing against Grant in the top of the eighth as Kennedy flied out to center to start. Moses flied out to left and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Brett only to line out to second to end the inning. The A's hit the kill shot in the bottom of the eighth against Sparky Lyle as Bando walked to start. Joe Rudi pinch hit for Mincher and dropped down a bunt. Kennedy threw out Rudi at first but Yaz turned and fired the ball into the first base dugout for no apparent reason to score Bando with the insurance run. Jackson took strike three and Duncan grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 6-4 Oakland.
Grant finished off the Sox in the top of the ninth as Andrews flied out to left to start. Smith popped up to third but Yaz singled to center. Tony C flied out to left to end the game. The A's had won it 6-4.
Jackass of the Night is Vicente Romo. He got slammed for 5 runs in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 3 home runs and 2 walks while striking out 5.
The Good:
Reggie Smith was 4 for 5 with a home run.
Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 including a 3 run home run.
Dick Schofield walked as a pinch hitter
Ken Brett tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 5.
John Kennedy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Sparky Lyle allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.
The Ugly:
Mike Andrews was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked and scored.
George Thomas was 0 for 3 but walked.
Jerry Moses was 0 for 3 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
The way the Baltimore Orioles are going, even if the Sox were to be on a hot streak it seems like there would be no way to catch them. The bottom line is the O's have the starting rotation the Sox don't. Jim Lonborg didn't revert to 1967 form and the others just aren't good enough. The Sox still have 2 months to turn it around but they're falling dangerously behind. The error by Yaz should never have happened and the offense went cold after the fourth inning. Mudcat Grant has found new life as a reliever after strong-arming the Minnesota Twins to the AL pennant 5 years ago, not much you can do with him. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-48, 11.5 games behind the O's for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the A's. Ray Culp (10-9) takes on Diego Segui at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.
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