Sox Wipe Out, Sweep Senators (9/27/70)

Amazing how the Boston Red Sox flipped the switch too little, too late this season. The red hot Red Sox have now won 11 of their last 12 games including today's four game sweep of the lowly Washington Senators. Gary Peters (16-11, 4.06 ERA) finished his season strong by throwing a complete game 8 hitter while allowing just 1 run. The bats came to play big time by tagging Washington starter Dick Bosman for 4 runs before cracking the bullpen for another 6. George Scott, Tony Conigliaro and Peters himself all went deep as the Sox pounded out 14 hits and 10 runs against the hapless Senators. Poor Ted Williams could only watch as his Senators were swept with a 10-1 beat down at RFK Stadium.

                                                           Sharon Clark approves of the win

Bosman got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Luis Alvarado grounded back to the mound to start. Joe Lahoud popped up to third but Carl Yastrzemski singled to center. Tony Conigliaro grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Peters got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Ed Brinkman lined out to third to start. Tom Grieve grounded out to third and Frank Howard grounded out to second to end the inning.

George Scott took strike three to begin the top of the second inning before Billy Conigliaro struck out swinging. John Kennedy grounded out to third to end the inning. Rick Reichardt struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second before Aurelio Rodriguez flied out to right. Mike Epstein struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bob Montgomery grounded out to short to start the top of the third inning before Peters grounded back to the mound. Alvarado struck out swinging to end the inning. Paul Casanova led off the bottom of the third with a base hit to center but Tim Cullen flied out to center. Bosman struck out swinging but Brinkman walked. Grieve flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth although Lahoud grounded out to second to start. Yaz singled to right, Tony C beat out a roller to first and Scott mashed his 15th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Billy C singled to left and Kennedy doubled him to third, but Montgomery watched strike three go by. Peters took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                            Scott hits a 3 run shot

Howard grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fourth before Reichardt singled to right. Rodriguez and Epstein both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Alvarado struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Lahoud popped up to second. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning. Peters cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Casanova popped up to second to start. Cullen flied out to right and Bosman grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth when Tony C belted his 36th home run of the season to increase the lead. Scott grounded out to second, Billy C popped up tp short and Kennedy flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Number 36 for Tony C

Brinkman singled in the hole at short to begin the bottom of the sixth but Grieve banged into a double play. Howard walked but Reichardt struck out swinging to end the inning.

Darold Knowles came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Montgomery flied out to right to start. Peters grounded out to first and Alvarado grounded out to short to end the inning. Mike Fiore came in for Yaz to start the bottom of the seventh and Rodriguez singled to left to start. Epstein singled to center and Billy C threw himself on the ball and sang to it for an error to put runners at the corners. Casanova hit a fly ball to right and Rodriguez tried for home. Tony C came up gunning and Rodriguez was called out on the play. Cullen flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth as Lahoud grounded out to second to start. Fiore popped up to third but Tony C singled to left. Scott then blasted his second home run of the game to ice it. Billy C lined out to third to end the inning but it was 6-0 Red Sox.

                                                            Scott hits another one out

Greg Goossen pinch hit for Knowles to start the bottom of the eighth and flied out to right. Brinkman flied out to left and Grieve popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox poured it on in the top of the ninth with Horacio Pina now on the mound. Kennedy singled to center, Montgomery singled to right and Peters himself mashed his first home run of the season to turn this into a laughter. Alvarado popped up to short but Lahoud doubled to right to chase Pina. Cisco Carlos came in to pitch and Fiore moved Lahoud to third with a ground out. Tony C blooped a single to center to score Lahoud to wrap up the scoring. Scott forced Tony C at second to end the inning with the Sox up 10-0.

                                                Gary driving in more runs than he's allowed

Peters returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and Howard flied out to left. Reichardt hit a home run all the way to Walden Pond to break up the shutout and Rodriguez singled to left. Epstein struck out swinging but Casanova doubled to left. Cullen flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-1.

Hero of the Night is Gary Peters. He threw a complete game while allowing just one run. He also hit a 3 run home run at the plate.

                                                           Peters The Hero

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Tony Conigliaro was 4 for 5 with a two run homer and 3 total runs scored.

George Scott was 2 for 5 with two home runs and 5 total rbis.

John Kennedy was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 2.

The Ugly:

Joe Lahoud was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Billy Conigliaro was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Bob Montgomery was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Amazing how once the pressure was off, the Sox can't lose. This little hot streak proves to be meaningless when it comes to this season but hopefully it carries over into next season. There was no stopping the Baltimore Orioles this season and the Sox could never get good enough pitching to compete with them this season. As for this game, the Sox beat around one of the worst teams in the league and swept them out of their own stadium. Tony Conigliaro had a hell of a season and its nice to see Scott have a late season surge as well. The Sox have a great core with Reggie Smith, Yaz, Tony C, Petrocelli and Scott but every other spot is a black hole. The Sox need a stud catcher, second baseman and shortstop and another ace to compete with Baltimore next season. But that's next year, this year there's still two games left. The win improved the Sox to 86-74, 19 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now return home to play their final two games of the season against the second place New York Yankees. Ken Brett gets the start for the Sox against Steve Kline of the Yankees. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Culp Wins Final Start Against Senators (9/25/70)

If nothing else, Ray Culp (17-14, 3.04 ERA) had a good season all things considering. If he had gotten a little bit of run support, maybe he could have won 20 games this season. As it was, he won his 17th and final game of the season by beating the Washington Senators tonight in front of a paltry crowd of 5,354 people. Culp no-hit the Senators for 6 innings but ended up going the distance, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks. Rico Petrocelli and George Scott both drove in 2 runs apiece to pace the offense as Culp mowed down Washington to earn the victory. The Sox are hopelessly out of playoff contention but at least they can hang their hat on beating Washington 5-1 at RFK Stadium.

                                                            Melodye Prentiss approves of the win

Jim Shellenback got the start for Washimngton in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews flied out to left to start. Reggie Smith grounded out to short but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Tony Conigliaro flied out to right to end the inning. Culp got Ed Stroud to begin the bottom of the first to ground out to third. Del Unser popped up a bunt to Culp and Frank Howard popped up to second to end the inning.

Rico Petrocelli popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the second but George Scott singled to right. Billy Conigliaro singled to right but Bob Montgomery grounded out to short to end the inning. Mike Epstein flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Aurelio Rodriguez flied out to left. Ed Brinkman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Culp grounded out to short to start the top of the third but Andrews singled to left. Smith banged into a double play to end the inning. Dick Billings grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Dave Nelson popped up to third. Shellenback flied out to right to end the inning.

Yaz grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Tony C popped up to second. Petrocelli dropped a pop up in shallow left for a double but Scott flied out to center to end the inning. Stroud grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth but Unser walked. Howard banged into a double play to end the inning.

Billy C grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Montgomery grounded back to the mound. Culp took strike three to end the inning. Epstein flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Rodriguez popped up to short. Brinkman grounded out to short to end the inning, that's 5 no-hit innings for Culp.

The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth as Andrews doubled to left to begin. Smith took strike three but Yaz singled Andrews to third. Tony C walked to load the bases and Petrocelli singled home Andrews and Yaz to give the Sox the lead. Casey Cox came in to pitch and a passed ball moved both runners over. Scott lashed a base hit to center to score Tony C and Petrocelli to increase the lead. Billy C popped up to left and Scott foolishly tried to tag up and go to second, getting thrown out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                       Petrocelli puts the Sox ahead

Billings popped up to left to begin the bottom of the sixth before Nelson grounded out to short. Bernie Allen pinch hit for Cox and flied out to center to end the inning. Culp was 9 outs from a no-hitter.

Jackie Brown came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Montgomery singled to right to start. Bob moved to second on a passed ball but was thrown out at third. Culp struck out and Andrews popped up to short to end the inning. The Senators struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Stroud broke up the no-no with a base hit to second.  Unser singled Ed to third and he scored on the grounder by Howard. Epstein walked but Rodriguez struck out. Brinkman singled to second to load the bases but Billings struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                            Damn Stroud

Denny Riddleberger came in for the top of the eighth and the Sox added an insurance run. Smith popped up to short but Yaz doubled to right, taking third on an error. Tony C scored Yaz with a sac fly before Petrocelli walked. Scott lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                          Herculean sac fly by Tony C

Nelson lined out to second to start the bottom of the eighth as Tom Grieve pinch hit for Riddleberger just to hit one up the elevator shaft. Stroud singled to first but Unser grounded into a force to end the inning.

Cisco Carlos came in for the top of the ninth and Billy C lined out to third to start. Montgomery grounded out to short and Culp struck out to end the inning. Culp returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and Howard grounded back to the mound to start. Epstein struck out and Rodriguez flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-1.

Hero of the Night is Ray Culp. Culp no-hit the Senators for 6 innings but settled for a complete game 4 hitter. He allowed just 1 run to earn his 17th win of the season.

                                                  Culp the Hero

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

George Scott was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 2 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Billy Conigliaro was just 1 for 4.

Bob Montgomery was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

As the season winds to a close, the Sox suddenly got hot to finish the season respectably. Where was this a month ago? Still, Culp winning 17 games makes up for the fact Jim Lonborg hasn't been the same in 3 years. If only the Sox had the same Lonborg from 1967, they'd be able to match the Baltimore Orioles rather than be a mile behind them. Culp no-hit the Senators through 6 then held on to win the game. Good on the offense to give him some run support for once. The win improved the Sox to 84-74, nowhere near the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to beat the Senators again when they send Sonny Siebert (14-8) to the mound up against Bill Gogolewski of the Senators. The game begins at 7:05 PM at RFK Stadium.

Siebert Outduels Hand, Sox Win Sixth Straight (9/21/70)

Oh sure, NOW the Boston Red Sox get hot? With the Baltimore Orioles already clinching the division, the Red Sox have ripped off six consecutive wins. Tonight the Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians on the back of Sonny Siebert (14-8, 3.44 ERA). Siebert dazzled the Indians for 7 1/3 innings while allowing just 1 run. The Sox offense got just two runs off home runs by Carl Yastrzemski and Rico Petrocelli against Indians starter Rich Hand but that happened to be enough to win. It was a good pitcher's duel and the Sox came out on the right end of it by taking the game 2-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                 Yvonne De Carlo approves of the win

Siebert got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ted Uhlaender struck out to start. Graig Nettles grounded out to second but Vada Pinson singled to center. Roy Foster flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Hand in the bottom of the first inning although Mike Andrews hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Reggie Smith popped up to third in foul territory but Carl Yastrzemski crushed his 40th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Tony Conigliaro struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                       Yaz hits number 40 of the season

The Indians fought back in the top of the second as Duke Sims grounded out to second to start. Chuck Hinton walked but was forced at second by John Lowenstein. Lowenstein took off for second and Sox catcher Bob Montgomery threw the ball to the first base umpire for some inane reason, which allowed John to take third on the error. Eddie Leon singled home Lowenstein to tie the game and Hand hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                               Nice error Bob

The Sox jumped back in the lead in the bottom of the second when Petrocelli cracked his 28th home run of the season to start. George Scott lined out to center, Billy Conigliaro also lined out to center and Montgomery struck out to end the inning with Boston ahead 2-1.

                                                             Petrocelli jacks one

Siebert settled down in the top of the third as Uhlaender popped up to short to start. Nettles grounded out to second and Pinson lined back to Siebert to end the inning. Boston failed to rally in the bottom of the third as Siebert singled to left to start. Sonny moved to second on the Andrews grounder and Smith flied out to center. Yaz was intentionally walked but Tony C grounded into a force to end the inning.

Foster flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Sims grounded out to first. Hinton walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal by Montgomery to end the inning. The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the fourth as Petrocelli singled to third to start. Scott walked but Billy C struck out and Montgomery banged into a double play to end the inning.

Lowenstein doubled to center to start the top of the fifth before moving to third on the liner to right by Leon. Hand struck out and Uhlaender flied out to right to end the inning. Hand cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Siebert grounded out to second to start. Andrews grounded out to short and Smith popped up to second to end the inning.

Things got hairy in the top of the sixth although Nettles flied out to right to start. Pinson singled to third but Foster flied out to center. Pinson swiped second and Sims walked, but Hinton grounded into a force to end the inning. Yaz flied out to left to begin the bottom of the sixth before Tony C popped up to second. Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lowenstein flied out to left to begin the top of the seventh but Leon singled to left. Ted Ford pinch hit for Hand and struck out but Uhlaender singled Leon to third. Nettles grounded out to second to end the inning. Vince Colbert came on for the bottom of the seventh and Scott got a base hit to left to start. Billy C banged into a double play and Montgomery grounded out to third to end the inning.

Siebert returned briefly for the top of the eighth to get Pinson to fly out to center. Foster and Sims struck back to back base hits to chase Siebert. Sonny was game for 7 1/3 innings and allowing just 1 run. Bobby Bolin came in and got Hinton to hit one up the elevator shaft. Lowenstein popped up to short to end the inning.

                                                         Siebert goes 7 1/3 strong

Bolin stepped to the plate to start the bottom of the eighth and grounded out to short to start. Andrews walked but Smith flied out to center. Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning.

Bolin came back to close out the top of the ninth and Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson pinch hit for Leon to draw a walk. Steve Hargen pinch ran for Ken and Buddy Bradford pinch hit for Colbert. Bradford popped up to short but Hargan moved to second on the grounder by Uhlaender. Nettles struck out to end the game. The Sox had won their 6th straight game with a 2-1 victory.

Hero of the Night is Sonny Siebert. He dazzled the Indians by allowing just 1 run in 7 2/3 innings. He won his 14th game of the season. He was also 1 for 2 at the plate.

                                                          Hero Siebert

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk including his 40th home run of the season.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 3 with a home run.

George Scott was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Bobby Bolin earned his second save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox may be out of it but finishing strong in September gives hope for the future. Sonny Siebert had the season the Sox hoped Jim Lonborg could have given them. If Lonborg had stayed healthy and had 10 more wins at this point, the Sox would at least be in contention with Baltimore. Still, Siebert had a heck of a season and he pitched a great game. The offense didn't do much against Hand but home runs by Yaz and Petrocelli are always exciting. Its a shame so many things went wrong this season because the offense was so much fun to watch. Hopefully the Sox can make a few moves to shore up the pitching next season to complete with the Orioles. The win improved the Sox to 81-73, 18.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox to make it 7 in a row when they send Gary Peters (14-11) to the mound up against 20 game winner Sam McDowell of the Indians. The showdown begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Thrash Sox in Game 2 (9/7/70)

Well so much for the feel good win of Game 1. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians in the first game of today's doubleheader but got creamed in Game 2. Dean Chance held the offense to just two runs in 7 innings of work. Cal Koonce (3-6, 3.55 ERA) got lit up for 6 runs in just 4 innings. Chuck Hartenstein and Dick Mills each got tagged for runs and the Indians cruised to an easy 8-2 victory at Cleveland Stadium.

                                          "Hey Koonce, yeah you...you stink!" - BB

The Sox did manage to strike first in the top of the first although Mike Andrews popped up to first to start. Joe Lahoud grounded out to first but Carl Yastrzemski clobbered his 37th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Tony Conigliaro followed with his 29th homer of the year to increase the lead. Billy Conigliaro grounded out to short to end the inning. As sad as this sounds, the Sox would have just 2 hits the rest of the game but led 2-0.

                                                          Back to back jacks

Koonce made the Indians beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the first as Graig Nettles grounded out to second to start. Eddie Leon grounded out to short and Vada Pinson grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

John Kennedy grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Luis Alvarado flied out to center. Tom Satriano grounded out to second to end the inning. The Indians struck back in the bottom of the second although Ken Harrelson grounded out to short to start. Duke Sims walked and Ted Uhlaender singled him to third. Roy Foster walked to load the bases and Larry Brown cleared them with a triple to give the Indians the lead. Chance whiffed and Brown was picked off by the alert Satriano to end the inning but the Indians led 3-2.

                                                   Brown gives the Indians the lead

The Sox went quietly in the top of the third as Koonce flied out to right to start. Andrews singled to left but Lahoud banged into a double play to end the inning. Nettles grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third but Leon singled to center. Pinson struck out and Harrelson grounded into a force to end the inning.

Yaz grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Tony C flied out to right. Billy C struck out to end the inning. Sims walked to begin the bottom of the fourth but was forced at second by Uhlaender. Foster caught the Sox asleep with a bunt singled and Uhlaender moved to third on the fly ball Brown. Chance grounded into a force to end the inning.

Kennedy got a base hit to center to start the top of the fifth but Alvarado hit into a double play. Satriano popped up to short to end the inning. The Indians iced it in the bottom of the fifth when Nettles walked to start. Leon singled to right and Pinson smashed a 500,000 foot home run to chase Koonce. Chuck Hartenstein came in and Harrelson singled to right. Chuck Hinton pinch ran for Harrelson but Sims grounded into a double play. Uhlaender singled to right and scored on the double to left by Foster. Brown was intentionally walked and Chance struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 7-2.

Dick Schofield pinch hit for Hartenstein to start the top of the sixth but grounded out to second to start. Andrews took strike three and Lahoud grounded out to first to end the inning. Dick Mills got tagged in the bottom of the sixth as Nettles singled to right to start. Leon sacrificed Graig to second and he moved to third on the Pinson grounder. Hinton singled home Nettles to wrap up the scoring. Sims grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

Chance cruised in the top of the seventh as Yaz flied out to center to start. Tony C grounded out to third and Billy C flied out to right to end the inning. Uhlaender singled to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Foster flied out to right. Brown walked and John Lowenstein pinch hit for Chance only to fly out to center. Nettles struck out to end the inning.

Vince Colbert came in for the top of the eighth and Kennedy grounded out to short to start. Alvarado struck out and Satriano flied out to center to end the inning. Leon doubled to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Pinson flied out to right. Hinton lined out to short but Sims walked. Uhlaender took strike three to end the inning.

Mike Fiore pinch hit for Mills to start the top of the ninth and grounded out to second to start. Andrews popped up to first but Lahoud walked. Yaz walked but Tony C lined out to second to end the game. The Indians had won it 8-2.

Jackass of the Night is Cal Koonce. The Sox offense did nothing after the first inning but Koonce giving up 6 runs didn't help.

                                                       Koonce you Jackass



The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

John Kennedy was 1 for 3.



The Bad:

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Tom Satriano was 0 for 3.

Dick Schofield was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Chuck Hartenstein allowed a run in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 3 but walked.

Tony Conigliaro was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Dick Mills allowed a run in 3 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Good thing there are only 22 games left in this season. Watching the Sox throw guys like Koonce out to pitch while the Baltimore Orioles have four starters that could be an ace anywhere else is frustrating. The offense isn't really exciting apart from Yaz, Tony C and Reggie Smith either. The magic of 1967 is long gone and they have a long way to go to get back to the top. Koonce sucked today and using their bench in the second game because of the doubleheader wasn't going to yield much results. Still, the bright side is the season is almost over. Hopefully the Sox can make some moves in the off-season to shore up this mess and draft well. Say what you will about Dick Williams but he got the most out of the homegrown players on the 67 Sox. Hopefully Eddie Kasko can improve on this mediocre year with the right personnel. The loss dropped the Sox to 72-68, 17 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Ken Brett (6-7) goes for the Sox up against Steve Hargan of the Indians at 8:05 PM at Cleveland Stadium.

Sox Defeat Indians in Game 1 (9/7/70)

Today's doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians started well for the Boston Red Sox. Gary Peters (14-10, 4.15 ERA) won his fourteenth game of the season while Sparky Lyle earned his 20th save of the year. The Sox tag team of George's, Scott and Thomas, supplied the offense with three rbi's between them. The Sox haven't had much go right for them this season but as the season winds to a close, every win should be celebrated like today's 4-3 victory in Game 1 at Cleveland Stadium.

                                                  Roger Daltrey approves of the win

Sam McDowell got the start for Cleveland and Mike Andrews greeted him with a base hit to left. George Thomas drew a walk but Carl Yastrzemski banged into a double play. Tony Conigliaro struck out to end the inning. Peters took the mound in the bottom of the first and Graig Nettles popped up to first in foul territory to start. Eddie Leon also popped up to first and Vada Pinson struck out to end the inning.

Rico Petrocelli walked to start the top of the second but George Scott took strike three. Petrocelli moved to second on the grounder by Billy Conigliaro and Bob Montgomery grounded out to third to end the inning. Old pal Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson singled to left to start the bottom of the second before Roy Foster struck out. A wild pitch moved Harrelson to second but Buddy Bradford flied out to right. Duke Sims walked but Jack Heidemann took strike three to end the inning.

Peters whiffed to start the top of the third before Andrews grounded out to second. Thomas flied out to right to end the inning. McDowell bunted foul for strike three to start the bottom of the third before Nettles grounded out to short. Leon also grounded out to short to end the inning,.

Yaz walked to start the top of the fourth but was erased on the Tony C force. Petrocelli was plunked but Scott banged into a double play to end the inning. Pinson singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Harrelson popped up to right. Pinson was forced at second by Foster and Bradford flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fifth although Billy C grounded out to third to start. Montgomery and Peters drew back to back walks before both moved over on the grounder by Andrews. Thomas got a base hit to left and Montgomery scored easily but Peters had to beat the tag home for the second run. Thomas advanced to second on the throw but Yaz struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                               Thomas drives in a pair

Peters did his part in the bottom of the fifth as Sims struck out to start. Heidemann was plunked and moved to second on the McDowell grounder, but Nettles flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Tony C walked to start. Luis Alvarado pinch hit for Petrocelli and sacrificed Tony to second with a bunt. Scott lashed a base hit to center to score Conigliaro with another run. A passed ball moved Scott to second but he was thrown out trying to steal third. Billy C grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                    Scott drives in a run

The Indians struck back in the bottom of the sixth although Leon struck out to start. Pinson grounded out to second but Harrelson walked. Foster was hit with a pitch and Harrelson scored on the double by Bradford but Sims flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 3-1.

                                                The Hawk scores a run

The Sox tried to rally when Montgomery singled to center to start the top of the seventh before moving to second on the sacrifice bunt by Peters. He was stranded as Andrews struck out and Thomas flied out to right to end the inning. John Kennedy took over for Andrews in the bottom of the seventh and Larry Brown pinch hit to Heidemann. Brown popped up to left in foul territory and Ted Ford pinch hit for McDowell only to strike out. Nettles grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth with Jim Rittwage now on the mound. Yaz singled to center and took second on a passed ball before Tony C walked. Yaz moved to third on the fly out by Alvarado and Kennedy hit a pop up to Bradford...DROPPED! Conigilaro was forced at second but Yaz scored on the error to increase the lead. Billy C and Montgomery both walked to load the bases as Steve Mingori came in to pitch. Sox manager Eddie Kasko let Peters hit away and he struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                      Yaz scored a run

The decision to let Peters hit came back to haunt Kasko as Leon singled to left to start the bottom of the eighth. Pinson then hit a home run all the way to Lake Michigan to cut the lead and chase Peters after 7 plus innings of 3 run ball. Gary Wagner came in and got Harrelson to fly out to left before Foster popped up to third. Bradford struck out to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 4-3.

                                                 7 good innings, 1 bad eighth

Vince Colbert came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Andrews flied out to right to start. Thomas singled to center but was picked off. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning. Wagner returned for the bottom of the ninth and Sims singled to right to start. Lou Camilli ran for Duke and Brown sacrificed Lou to second with a bunt. Ted Uhlaender was sent in to pinch hit for Colbert until Sox manager Eddie Kasko countered by bringing in Sparky Lyle. Uhlaender was called back and Chuck Hinton was put in to pinch hit. Hinton grounded out to third and Vern Fuller pinch hit for Nettles. Fuller grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox held on to win Game 1 by a score of 4-3.

Hero of the Night is George Thomas. He drove in 3 big runs to guide the Sox to victory.

                                                 Thomas the Hero


The Good:

Rico Petrocelli walked and was hit with a pitch before he left the game.

Tony Conigliaro walked twice and scored a run in 4 plate appearances.

George Scott was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Bob Montgomery was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Gary Peters tossed 7 innings of 2 run ball to earn the victory. He was 0 for 2 at the plate but walked and scored a run.

Gary Wagner tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Sparky Lyle earned his 20th save by getting the final two outs of the ninth inning.



The Bad:

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 1.

John Kennedy was 0 for 1.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

As this ho-hum season draws to a close you have to look at any and all positives.....which aren't much. The Sox seem to be getting worse every year and can't come anywhere close to the Baltimore Orioles. The key to the game is pitching and the Sox just don't have enough to match Baltimore. They either need to make a trade or scout someone worth a damn if they hope to ever contend again. As for this game, good win by Peters and good on Lyle to get the final two outs. Everything else....yawn. The win improved the Sox to 72-67, nowhere near the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox are back in action shortly against these same Indians in Game 2. Cal Koonce (3-5) goes for the Sox against Dean Chance at 5:05 PM Eastern Time at Cleveland Stadium

Sox Drop Fourth Straight (8/6/70)

So much for the Boston Red Sox offense. For the fourth consecutive game the supposed high powered offense has been held silent. The mediocre Washington Senators were the latest to shut the Sox down. Casey Cox held the Sox bats to just 6 hits and 2 runs in 7 1/3 innings. Gary Peters (10-9, 4.08 ERA) was game but couldn't keep pace. Sparky Lyle gave up the big runs in the eighth and the Senators knocked off the Sox 5-2 at RFK Stadium.

                                                         "This team STINKS!"

The Sox did nothing in the top of the first inning as Mike Andrews struck out to start. Reggie Smith grounded out to short and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to left to end the inning. Peters struggled in the bottom of the first as Ed Brinkman lined out to second to start. Wayne Comer grounded out to third but Frank Howard beat out an infield single. Aurelio Rodriguez was hit with a pitch and Paul Casanova walked to load the bases. Mike Epstein struck out to end the inning.

Tony Conigliaro singled to center to start the top of the second but Rico Petrocelli banged into a double play. Billy Conigliaro flied out to right to end the inning. Tom Grieve struck out to start the bottom of the second before Tim Cullen flied out to left. Cox grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as John Kennedy doubled to left to begin. Jerry Moses hit one under the glove of Epstein for an error to score Kennedy to give the Sox the lead. Peters banged into a double play but Andrews cracked his 11th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Smith lined out to short to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.

                                                      Andrews hits a homer

The Senators struck back in the bottom of the third as Brinkman doubled to center to begin. Comer grounded out to third and Howard grounded out to short, but Rodriguez doubled home Brinkman to cut the lead. Casanova grounded out to short to end the inning but the Senators were down 2-1.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fourth as Yaz grounded out to second to start. Tony C grounded out to third and Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning. Peters got Epstein to fly out to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Grieve struck out. Cullen flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the fifth as Billy C lined out to left to start. Kennedy grounded out to short but Moses singled to center. Peters popped up to first to end the inning. The Senators struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Cox struck out to start. Brinkman grounded out to first but Comer walked and took second on a wild pitch. Howard singled home Comer to tie the game. Rodriguez grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

Andrews grounded out to short to begin the top of the sixth before Smith popped up to third. Yaz doubled to left but Tony C grounded out to short to end the inning. Peters cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Casanova popped up to third to start. Epstein struck out and Grieve popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt again in the top of the seventh although Petrocelli walked to start. Billy C forced Petrocelli at second, Kennedy forced Billy C at second and Moses grounded out to short to end the inning. The Senators finished off Peters in the bottom of the seventh although Cullen flied out to right to start. Cox struck out but Brinkman singled. Comer walked and Howard singled home Brinkman to give the Senators the lead. That was it for Peters as he left trailing after giving up 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Chuck Hartenstein came in and got Rodriguez to fly out to center to end the inning with the Senators up 3-2.

                                                     Not good enough

Dick Schofield pinch hit for Hartenstein and reached on an error by Epstein to start the top of the eighth. Andrews singled Schofield to third to put runners on the corners with nobody out. For some reason Schofield didn't come home on the force at second by Smith. Darold Knowles came in for Cox and struck out both Yaz and Tony C to end the inning. The last gasp by the Sox failed miserably.

                                                     What was that, Dick?

Sparky Lyle came in to pour gas on the fire in the bottom of the eighth. Casanova grounded out to short to start but Epstein singled to right. Grieve then crushed a home run into the Potomac River to ice the game. Cullen grounded out to third and Knowles popped up to first to end the inning but the Senators had iced it 5-2.

Del Unser took over in right as Knowles closed out the top of the ninth. Petrocelli grounded out to short, Billy C took strike three and Kennedy flied out to center to end the game. The Senators had sent the Sox to their fourth straight loss in this 5-2 defeat.

Jackass of the Night is Sparky Lyle. He turned a 3-2 deficit into 5-2 by giving up the bomb to Grieve.

                                                          Lyle you Jackass!



The Good:

Mike Andrews was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

Jerry Moses was 1 for 3.

Chuck Hartenstein retired the only man he faced.



The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dick Schofield was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 and a strikeout.

Tony Conigliaro was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3 but walked.

John Kennedy was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Gary Peters took the loss by giving up 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings. 4 times out of 5 that should be enough to win. He was 0 for 2 at the plate as well.




Final Thoughts:

Gadzooks what happened to the offense? They've scored just 7 runs in the last 4 games and that's not going to cut it as the season winds down to the final two months. Peters pitched well but didn't get any run support. Lyle giving up that home run was the backbreaker and took the wind out of their sails. Still, the Sox only had 3 hits after the third inning and you're not gonna win too many games with that kind of a drought. The Sox need to get their act in gear if they have any hope of catching the Baltimore Orioles in the last 2 months of the season. The less said of this nonsense, the better. The loss drops the Sox back to .500 at 53-53 on the season, 14.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox are back in action when they send Cal Koonce (0-5) to the mound to take on Jim Hannan at 7:00 PM at RFK Stadium.

Sox Rebound, Defeat A's (7/29/70)

The Sox needed this win today big time. After the Oakland A's defeated Vincente Romo yesterday, the Sox needed Ray Culp (11-9, 2.93 ERA) to deliver a big game and he did. Culp came through with a complete game 5 hitter where he allowed just one run while striking out 12. On offense it was the George Thomas show who drove in 3 of the 4 runs Culp would need for the victory. The season has been mediocre as it gets but at least today was a good day as the Sox beat the A's 4-1 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                      Tina Louise approves of the win

Diego Segui got the ball for the A's in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews led the game off with a base hit to center. Reggie Smith banged into a double play and Carl Yastrzemski's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Sal Bando to end the inning. Culp got the ball in the bottom of the first and Bert Campaneris led off with a double to left. Rick Monday flied out to center,  Felipe Alou took strike three and Bando struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tony Conigliaro began the top of the second with a double to right but Rico Petrocelli flied out to right. George Thomas and John Kennedy both grounded out to third to end the inning. Don Mincher struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Reggie Jackson flied out to center. Dave Duncan struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jerry Moses flied out to left to open the top of the third and Culp grounded out to short. Andrews also grounded out to short to end the inning. Dick Green singled to left to start the bottom of the third and was sacrificed to second on the bunt by Segui. Campaneris grounded back to the mound and Monday struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth although Smith flied out to left to begin. Yaz got a base hit and swiped second, but Tony C popped up to short. Petrocelli walked but Thomas doubled to left to score both runners. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                                               Thomas drives in a pair

Culp stayed strong in the bottom of the fourth as Alou grounded out to short to start. Bando struck out swinging but Mincher walked. Jackson flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Moses struck out looking to start. Culp struck out swinging and Andrews flied out to right to end the inning. Duncan singled to left but was doubled off first on a bullet to Petrocelli by Green. Segui struck out swinging to end the inning.

Smith flied out to center to start the top of the sixth but Yaz singled to left. Tony C grounded into a double play to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Campaneris hit a home run into the Pacific Ocean to start. Monday popped up to third in foul territory and Alou grounded out to short but Bando walked. Bando was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the A's down 2-1.

                                                                Bert hits one out

Petrocelli singled to left to start the top of the seventh and moved to second on the grounder to short by Thomas. Kennedy flied out to center but Moses was intentionally walked. Culp flied out to center to end the inning. Mincher flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Jackson lined out to right, but Duncan walked. Steve Hovley pinch ran for Duncan and Tommy Davis pinch hit for Green, striking out swinging to end the inning.

Frank Fernandez took over behind the plate and Tony La Russa took over at second for the top of the eighth and Andrews stuck out swinging to start. Smith popped up to short and Yaz popped up to third to end the inning. Joe Rudi pinch hit for Segui to start the bottom of the eighth and struck out swinging. Campaneris struck out swinging and so did Monday.....but Moses muffed the ball and Monday took first. Alou flied out to left to end the inning. Great work by Culp so far!

                                                                Culp pitched a great game

The Sox pounced on Marcel Lachemann in the top of the ninth as Tony C singled to left to begin. Petrocelli singled to center, Thomas singled home Tony C to increase the lead and Rico took third on the hit. Bob Locker came in to pitch and Kennedy struck out swinging. Moses grounded out to short but Petrocelli scored to wrap up the scoring. Culp took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                          Tony C scores a run

Culp returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth but Bando singled and took second on a wild pitch. Mincher flied out to right but Bando took third on the grounder to second by Jackson. Fernandez struck out swinging to end the game. Culp went the distance and the Sox had won it 4-1.

Hero of the Night is George Thomas. He drove in 3 runs to help the Sox win the game.

                                                      Thomas The Hero

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Ray Culp tossed a complete game 5 hitter, allowing just 1 run while striking out 12.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

John Kennedy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jerry Moses was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

If the Sox can't catch the Baltimore Orioles, the least they could do is finish in second place. If they had a bit more offense in the bottom of the order this team could go a long way in the future. As for this game, Culp was outstanding and is a microcosm of the season really. Some days they're not good, some days they are....this was one of the good days. The offense wasn't much but George Thomas stepped up to be the hero today. Its too bad the Sox have been inconsistent all season because a healthy trio of Jim Lonborg, Sonny Siebert and Ray Culp could have been something special. There's still 2 months left in the season to catch Baltimore but it doesn't look good right now. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it two in a row against the A's when they send Cal Koonce (0-4) to the mound against Catfish Hunter of the A's. The game begins at 10:30 PM at Oakland Coliseum.

A's Beat Romo, Sox (7/28/70)

As the Boston Red Sox "July swoon" comes to a close with a very disappointing month, the latest chapter is Vicente Romo is undefeated no more. The Oakland Athletics got to Romo for 5 runs in 5 innings to give the A's the lead. The Sox offense rallied for 4 runs against Oakland starter Chuck Dobson but the indomitable Mudcant Grant stymied the Sox the rest of the way. The Sox continued their slide this month as the A's took the game 6-4 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                               "Romo you imbecile!"

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.

                                                      Number 17 for Rico

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.

                                                Jackson ties it up

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.

                                              Smith goes yard

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.

                                                      "Damn that Bando"

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.

                                               Brett keeps the Sox in it

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.

                                           "What the hell was THAT, Yaz??" - SL

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.

                                                         Jackass Romo


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.