Basebawful Report of the Month

Luis Aparicio - 4 Good, 1 Bad, 10 Ugly

Bobby Bolin - 5 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Ken Brett - 3 Good, 1 Jackass

Billy Conigliaro - 8 Good, 3 Bad, 6 Ugly

Ray Culp - 3 Bad, 2 Hero

Mike Fiore - 1 Good, 5 Bad, 1 Ugly

Phil Gagliano - 3 Good

Doug Griffin - 9 Good, 4 Bad, 6 Ugly

Duane Josephson - 6 Good, 3 Bad, 9 Ugly

John Kennedy - 4 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Cal Koonce - 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Joe Lahoud - 6 Good, 5 Bad

Bill Lee - 3 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly

Sparky Lyle - 7 Good, 1 Bad

Mike Nagy - 2 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Don Pavletich - 4 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Gary Peters - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly, 2 Hero, 1 Jackass

Rico Petrocelli - 8 Good, 3 Bad, 6 Ugly

George Scott - 11 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Sonny Siebert - 2 Good, 3 Hero

Reggie Smith - 8 Good, 3 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Hero

Ken Tatum - 5 Good, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero, 2 Jackass

George Thomas - 2 Bad, 1 Jackass

Carl Yastrzemski - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 6 Ugly, 2 Hero

Most Valuable Player was George Scott with 11 Good

The Co-Least Valuable Players were Mike Fiore and Joe Lahoud with 5 Bad

The Ugliest Player of The Month was Luis Aparicio with 10 Ugly

Hero of the Month is Sonny Siebert with 3 Hero

Jackass of the Month is Ken Tatum with 2 Jackass

The Honorable Players of the Month are John Kennedy and Don Pavletich with 1 Honorable Mention

Sox Come Back, Defeat Twins (4/30/71)

Its been a theme the whole month of April but the Boston Red Sox once again had to come from behind to win a game. This time their victim was the Minnesota Twins. Through 6 innings Twins ace Jim Kaat enjoyed a 3-0 lead over Mike Nagy and the Red Sox. Carl Yastrzemski drove in the first run in the bottom of the sixth and Reggie Smith delivered the knockout punch in the bottom of the eighth. Still thanks to some shoddy defense the Twins had men on second and third with one out in the top of the ninth. Sparky Lyle got the final two outs to win it for the Sox. The Sox ended the month of April on a high note, beating the Twins 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Posey and Jefferson approve of the win

The Twins wasted no time getting to Nagy in the top of the first inning. Cesar Tovar flied out to right to start before Steve Braun flied out to center. Tony Oliva beat out an infield single to center, Harmon Killebrew walked and Rich Reese singled home Oliva to put the Twins on the board. Brant Alyea flied out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                           Reese drives in a run

Twins ace Jim Kaat cruised in the bottom of the first as Luis Aparicio grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith flied out to right and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to center to end the inning.

Nagy settled down in the top of the second as Leo Cardenas grounded out to short, George Mitterwald popped up to short and Kaat was retired on a squibber in front of the mound to end the inning. Rico Petrocelli grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second but George Scott singled to left. Duane Josephson banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Twins struck again in the top of the third as Tovar walked to start. Braun popped up to short but Oliva singled to right. Killebrew singled home Tovar to increase the lead and Oliva moved to third on the liner to center by Reese. Alyea singled home Oliva but Cardenas grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Twins up 3-0.

                                                            Killebrew takes the lead

Billy Conigliaro doubled to left to start the bottom of the third but Doug Griffin lined out to first. Billy C moved to third on the Nagy grounder and Aparicio flied out to right to end the inning.

Mitterwald singled to right to started the top of the fourth then moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Kaat. Mitterwald moved to third on the grounder by Tovar and Braun flied out to right to end the inning. Smith singled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Yaz popped up to third. Petrocelli flied out to right and Scott struck out to end the inning.

Nagy cruised in the top of the fifth as Oliva grounded out to first to start. Killebrew struck out and Reese grounded out to first to end the inning. Kaat cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Josephson grounded out to third to start. Billy C flied out to right and Griffin lined out to center to end the inning.

Nagy came back for one last inning as Alyea singled to left to start. Cardenas forced Alyea at second then Mittenwald popped up to short. Kaat struck out to end the inning. Nagy was solid for 6 innings allowing just 3 runs but got no run support.

                                               3 runs for the Twins, NOTHING FOR YOU!

The Sox began their comeback in the bottom of the sixth when Phil Gagliano pinch hit for Nagy to begin. Gagliano singled to left but Aparicio flied out to right. Gagliano took second on a wild pitch and Smith hit a routine grounder to third. Killebrew threw the ball away allowing the runners to move into scoring position and Gagliano scored on the Yaz sac fly. Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                    Gagliano gets the rally started

Bill Lee came in for the top of the seventh and Tovar struck out to start. Braun grounded out to first and Oliva struck out to end the inning. Paul Powell came in for Alyea for the bottom of the seventh as the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Scott and Josephson grounded out to short and Billy C grounded out to third to end the inning.

Killebrew walked to start the top of the eighth but Reese forced him at second. Powell struck out but Reese swiped second. Cardenas grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox finally rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Griffin singled to right to begin. Don Pavletich pinch hit for Lee and singled to left then John Kennedy pinch ran for him. Aparicio dropped down a bunt but Kaat threw the ball away, allowing Griffin to score. Smith then doubled home both runners to give the Sox the lead. Yaz was plunked and that was it for Kaat. Ray Corbin came in to pitch and Petrocelli sacrificed both runners into scoring position. Scott was intentionally walked to load the bases but Josephson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox had stolen the lead 4-3.

                                                     Pavletich adds to the rally

Bobby Bolin came in for the top of the ninth and Paul Ratliff pinch hit for Mitterwald grounded out to short to start. Jim Holt pinch hit for Corbin and hit a routine grounder to Scott....that he booted for an error. Tovar doubled Holt to third and that was it for Bolin. Sparky Lyle came in and Rick Renick pinch hit for Braun. Renick flied out to right and Oliva grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had come from behind to win it 4-3.

Hero of the Night is Reggie Smith. He hit the big 2 run double to put the Sox up for good.

                                                          Last April Hero

The Good:

George Scott was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Mike Nagy tossed 6 solid innings of 3 run ball.

Phil Gagliano singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Don Pavletich singled as a pinch hitter.

John Kennedy scored a run as a pinch runner.

Bill Lee got the win with 2 scoreless innings.

Bobby Bolin got the first out of the ninth.

Sparky Lyle earned his 3rd save by getting the final two outs of the ninth.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3.

Duane Josephson was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was 0 for 3 but scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Once again comeback wins are nice but it would help if they stopped having to do so to begin with. The Sox played 16 games this month in fell behind in at least 10 of them. Only a few times were they ahead from start to finish and that's not a recipe for success moving forward. Its one thing to beat the bad teams in the American League but when you face teams like the Baltimore Orioles, its going to be a lot harder to come from behind against teams that usually don't fall flat in the late innings. It was good to see Smith get the big hit and better to see the bullpen lock the lead down at least. The Sox traded Tony Conigliaro for Doug Griffin and Ken Tatum and that looks like a no-win trade right now. Griffin is hitting .213 and Ken Tatum has been outpitched this month by Sparky Lyle. Meanwhile Tony C is only hitting .243 with 2 home runs with is worse than Billy Conigliaro hitting .262 with 3 home runs. If Tony can't get it going in California and either Griffin or Tatum turn into an impact players, the Sox may win that trade. The Sox ended the month of April with a 12-7 record and look to continue their winning ways against the Twins tomorrow when they send Gary Peters (2-1) to the mound up against Jim Perry of Minnesota. The game begins at 1:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Brewers (4/28/71)

After playing several close games the past two weeks, the Boston Red Sox finally enjoyed a laughter. The Sox offense smacked around the Milwaukee Brewers for 15 hits and 10 runs in this one. Sonny Siebert (4-0, 1.15 ERA) tossed 5 2/3 gutty innings before being lifted from the game. Siebert himself and Reggie Smith both hit home runs, Carl Yaztrzemski drove in 3 runs and the Sox blew away the Brewers 10-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Ali MacGraw approves of the win

Siebert got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper went down swinging to start. Mike Hegan lined out to left and John Briggs grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Milwaukee starter Bill Parsons in the bottom of the first. Luis Aparicio grounded out to short to start but Reggie Smith belted his second home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Carl Yastrzemski doubled to center, Rico Petrocelli walked and George Scott walked to load the bases. Don Pavletich singled to left to score both Yaz and Petrocelli to increase the lead. Billy Conigliaro grounded back to the mound and Doug Griffin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                           Smith and Pavletich put the Sox on top

The Brewers fought back in the top of the second as Dave May and Bill Voss stroked back to back singles to start. Ted Kubiak banged into a double play but Ellie Rodriguez singled home May to cut the lead. Rick Auerbach grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Siebert struck out looking to start. Aparicio singled to left and Smith singled him to third. Yaz beat out a double play ball to score Aparicio with another run. Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                       Yaz drives in a run

Parson struck out looking to start the top of the third before Harper singled to left. Harper stole second and moved to third on the Hegan base hit. Briggs struck out and May grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox suffered an ignominious embarrassment in the bottom of the third as Scott doubled to center to start. Harper booted a grounder by Pavletich to put runners at the corners and then disaster struck. Billy C hit into a double play but Scott took too long to come home and he was thrown out at the plate for the TRIPLE PLAY! Not what you want to see.

                                                              Nice baserunning Scott!

Voss flied out to center to start the top of the fourth before Kubiak grounded back to the mound. Rodriguez lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Griffin popped up to short to start. Siebert then blasted his second home run of the year to increase the lead. Aparicio walked and moved to second on the Smith grounder but Yaz flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                          Siebert doing it all

Auerbach grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Bernie Smith pinch hit for Parsons. Smith flied out to right but Harper singled to center. Harper moved to second on a passed ball and Hegan struck out to end the inning. John Gelnar came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Petrocelli grounded out to third to start. Scott hit a bloop double just over third but Pavletich flied out to left. Billy C grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Brewers knocked Siebert out in the top of the sixth although Briggs flied out to right to start. May doubled to left and Voss singled him home. Kubiak forced Voss at second but Rodriguez walked. Danny Walton pinch hit for Auerbach and doubled home Kubiak to chase Siebert. Skip Lockwood from Norwood, Mass pinch ran for Walton, Roberto Pena pinch hit for Gelnar and Ken Tatum came in to pitch. Pena popped up to second to end the inning but it was 5-3 Sox.

                                                      Norwood High School to MLB

Larry Bearnarth came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Sox iced the game. Grififn grounded out to third but Tatum walked. Aparicio dropped down a bunt but beat it out for a single and Smith singled to load the bases. Yaz doubled home Tatum and Aparicio to increase the lead and Petrocelli singled home Smith & Yaz to remove all doubt. Scott struck out swinging but Pavletich walked. Billy C singled home Petrocelli but Pavletich was thrown out at third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

                                                               Petrocelli ices the game

Joe Lahoud took over for Yaz in the top of the seventh and Harper walked to start. Hegan banged into a double play and Briggs lined out too short to end the inning. Griffin doubled to left to start the bottom of the seventh but was thrown out at third on the grounder by Tatum. Aparicio forced Tatum at second and Smith flied out to left to end the inning.

May grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth then Voss lined out to center. Kubiak grounded out to first to end the inning. Lahoud grounded out to first to start the bottom of the eighth before Petrocelli grounded out to third. Scott singled to left and Pavletich struck out looking to end the inning.

Tatum returned for the top of the ninth and Rodriguez grounded out to short to start. Ron Theobald pinch hit for Bearnarth and grounded out to second but Pena singled to right. Harper grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won a blowout 10-3.

Hero of the Night is Ken Tatum. He allowed just 1 hit in 3 1/3 innings to earn the save and scored a run on the offensive side.

                                              Our Hero scores more runs than he allows

The Good:

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Reggie Smith was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.

George Scott was 3 for 4 with a walk.

Sonny Siebert earned the win with 5 2/3 innings of 3 run ball. He was also 1 for 2 at the plate with a solo home run.

The Bad:

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored twice.

Don Pavletich was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.

Billy Conigliaro was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Now see what happens when you play from in front for once? The Sox finally didn't trip and fall in the first inning and they cruised to a relatively easy win. Sox manager Eddie Kasko is finally figuring out not to leave his starters in too long when you have a bullpen you can trust. If Sparky Lyle, Bill Lee and Ken Tatum can be a potent punch in the bullpen, you can shorten the game considerably. Siebert only had to go 5 2/3 because Tatum held down the fort. You won't need Gary Peters and Mike Nagy to throw 8 or 9 inning gems every time even thought that would certainly help. Its only April but at least the Sox are winning some games to keep things interesting so far. Tomorrow night the Sox open a set with the Minnesota Twins. Mike Nagy (1-0) takes on Twins ace Jim Kaat at 7 PM at Fenway Park.

Brewers Edge Sox at Fenway (4/27/71)

Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! The Boston Red Sox four game winning streak came to a bitter end at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. After rain postponed last night's game, Marty Pattin went the distance for the Brewers in this one, holding the Sox offense to just two runs. Ray Culp (2-1, 6.37 ERA) got knocked out in the fourth inning after allowing 3 runs. The Sox bullpen managed to only allow just one run in the next 5 innings but failed to score more than just 2 of their own. The Brewers came to Boston and knocked off the Sox 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                          "THEY LOST AGAINNNN!!!!"

Culp got the ball in the top of the first and Tommy Harper struck out to start. Mike Hegan grounded out to first and John Briggs flied out to left to end the inning. Pattin began his dominance in the bottom of the first by getting Luis Aparicio to ground out to short to start. Reggie Smith hit one up the elevator shaft but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Yaz got picked off first to end the inning.

The Brewers struck first in the top of the second as Dave May walked to start. Culp tried to pick off May but threw to the wrong base and May took second on the error. Bill Voss flied out to center and Roberto Pena hit one up the elevator shaft, but Ellie Rodriguez doubled home May to put the Brewers on top. Ted Kubiak walked but Pattin flied out to center to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 1-0.

                                                               May scores the first run

The Sox failed to answer in the top of the second as Rico Petrocelli popped up to second to start. George Scott grounded out to short and Duane Josephson grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Brewers poured it on in the top of the third although Harper grounded out to third to start. Hegan hit a home run all the way to the Dominican Republic to increase the lead. Briggs struck out but May tripled to center and Voss singled him home. Pena took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-0 Brewers.

                                                               Voss drives in a run

Billy Conigliaro singled to left to begin the bottom of the third but Doug Griffin forced him at second. Culp struck out swinging and Aparicio flied out to left to end the inning.

The Brewers knocked out Culp in the top of the fourth inning as Rodriguez hit a routine grounder to Aparicio who threw the ball into the Atlantic Ocean to advance Rodriguez to second. Kubiak walked and Pattin moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Harper struck out but Hegan walked to load the bases and chase Culp. Ray didn't have it as he was charged with 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Ken Brett came in to pitch and Andy Kosco pinch hit for Briggs. Kosco grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                               Not today Ray

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Smith struck out swinging to start. Yaz lined out to left and Petrocelli lined out to center to end the inning.

Brett cruised in the top of the fifth as May struck out looking to start. Voss whiffed and Pena flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Scott grounded out to short to start. Josephson grounded back to the mound but Billy C walked. Griffin lined out to center to end the inning. 

Don Pavletich took over behind the plate to start the top of the sixth. Rodriguez lined out to second, Kubiak grounded out to short and Pattin grounded out to third to end the inning.  The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Gary Peters pinch hit for Brett and singled to right to start. Aparicio singled and Smith doubled home Peters to cut the lead. Yaz grounded out to third but Aparicio scored and Smith took third. With the tying run 90 feet away....Petrocelli whiffed and Scott took strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a big chance to tie the game but cut the lead 3-2.

                                                           Peters brings the Sox closer

Bill Lee survived a scare in the top of the seventh as Harper walked to start. Scott threw a grounder by Hegan away for an error but Kosco struck out. Ted Savage pinch hit for May and walked to load the bases before Bernie Smith pinch hit for Voss. Smith popped up to short and Pena grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Rick Auerbach took over at short for the bottom of the seventh and Pavletich singled to center to start. Billy C struck out and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Griffin....taking strike three. Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Lee and singled Pavletich to third, but Aparicio grounded into a force to end the inning.

John Kennedy took over at short with Bobby Bolin now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Rodriguez lined out to right but Kubiak singled to center. Pattin sacrifice bunted Kubiak to second and Harper doubled home Marty to ice the game. Hegan was intentionally walked and Kosco grounded into a force to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-2.

                                                       Why can't the Sox get guys like this?

Smith grounded out to first to start the bottom of the eighth and Yaz flied out to left. Petrocelli walked but Scott flied out to right to end the inning.

Bolin returned for the top of the ninth and Auerbach popped up to second to start. Smith flied out to right and Pena struck out to end the inning. Pattin returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and Pavletich grounded back to the mound to start. Billy C grounded out to short but Kennedy walked. George Thomas pinch hit for Bolin and struck out to end the game. The Brewers had won it 4-2.

Jackass of the Night is George Scott. He left men on base three times as he went 0 for 4 with a strikeout. He also committed an error in the field.

                                                             Scott the Jackass

The Good:

Don Pavletich was 1 for 2 at the plate.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with a walk.

John Kennedy walked in his only plate appearance.

Gary Peters singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Joe Lahoud singled as a pinch hitter.

Ken Brett tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bill Lee tossed a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Duane Josephson was 0 for 2.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 2.

Mike Fiore struck out as a pinch hitter.

George Thomas struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ray Culp took the loss by allowing 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings, he also struck out at the plate.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzmeski was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run.

Bobby Bolin allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

That game was hard to watch. Most of last week the Sox found ways to come from behind, not this time. Ray Culp has looked horrid lately and that can't continue as the month of April comes to a close. The Sox are gonna need him, Sonny Siebert, Gary Peters and Mike Nagy to have good seasons if the Sox have hopes to contend this season. Once again the Sox fell behind only this time they didnt come back. How are they supposed to beat the Baltimore Orioles if they cant beat the likes of Marty Pattin? The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Brewers when they send their ace Sonny Siebert (3-0) up against Bill Parsons. The game begins at 1 PM at Fenway Park. 

Red Sox Sweep White Sox (4/25/71)

How about those Boston Red Sox? The Red Sox successfully swept the Chicago White Sox out of Fenway for their fourth straight overall win. After the White Sox turned a 4-0 Red Sox lead into a tie game in the top of the seventh, the Sox needed a rally in the bottom of the eighth to seal the deal. Carl Yastrzemski walked home the go-ahead run before Ken Tatum shut the door in the top of the ninth. Once again timely offense and timely pitching led to the BoSox beating the ChiSox 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Carolyn Jones approves of the win

Gary Peters got the start for the Sox in the top of the first and Lee Richard was snuffed out on a bunt by Gary to start. Mike Andrews doubled to left but Carlos May lined out to center. Bill Melton grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox got to old pal Wilbur Wood to start the bottom of the first as Luis Aparicio walked to start. Aparicio was forced at second by Reggie Smith but Carl Yastrzemski clobbered his 4th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Rico Petrocelli flied out to left but George Scott singled to right. Duane Josephson doubled to left and BoSox manager Eddie Kasko switched his starting lineup for only the second time all season by starting Joe Lahoud over Billy Conigliaro. Lahoud struck out to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 2-0.

                                                                Yaz hits a home run

Rick Reichardt struck out looking to start the top of the second before Walt Williams grounded out to third. Tom Egan struck out swinging to end the inning. Doug Griffin grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Peters grounded out to first. Aparicio whiffed to end the inning.

Luis Alvarado grounded out to second to open the top of the third before Wood took strike three. Richard grounded out to third to end the inning. The BoSox got another run in the bottom of the third as Smith grounded out to short to start. Yaz singled to right and stole second before scoring on the double by Petrocelli. Scott struck out swinging and Josephson grounded out to third to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 3-0.

                                                           Petrocelli drives in a run

Andrews grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth but May singled to right. Melton lined out to center and Reichardt flied out to center to end the inning. The BoSox chased Wood in the bottom of the fourth although Lahoud grounded out to second to start. Griffin and Peters stroked back to back singles then Aparicio doubled home Griffin to send Wood to the showers. Pat Jacquez took over on the mound and Smith grounded back to the mound. Jim Magnuson came in to face Yaz and Carl walked to load the bases. Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 4-0.

                                                         Aparicio drives in a run

The White Sox struck back in the top of the 5th as Williams doubled to start. Egan hit a home run all the way to the U.S.S.R. to cut the lead in half. Alvarado flied out to left and Rich Morales pinch hit for Magnuson and was plunked. Richard flied out to right and Andrews grounded into a force to end the inning but the ChiSox cut the lead 4-2.

                                                         Egan cuts the lead in half

The BoSox threatened in the bottom of the fifth against Steve Kealey as Scott singled to right to start. Josephson and Lahoud both popped up to third but Griffin singled to center. Peters grounded out to first to end the inning.

May struck out to open the top if the sixth then Melton walked. Rich McKinney pinch hit for Reichardt and walked but Williams flied out to center. Egan whiffed to end the inning. The BoSox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Aparicio flied out to left to start. Smith popped up to first in foul territory and Yaz grounded out to third to end the inning. 

The White Sox tied the game in the top of the seventh as Alvarado grounded out to third to start. Kealey struck out looking but Richard singled to right. None other than Andrews belted a 2 run bomb into the Charles River to tie the game.

                                                          It had to have been Andrews?

May walked and that was it for Peters. Peters got bit by the long ball as he lasted 6 2/3 innings but gave up 4 runs. Bobby Bolin came in and got Melton to popped up to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                           Not good enough, Gary

The BoSox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Petrocelli hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Scott struck out swinging and Josephson popped up to second to end the inning.

McKinney grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth but Williams drew a walk. Egan flied out to center but Alvarado beat out an infield single to chase Bolin. Sparky Lyle came in and Ed Herrmann pinch hit for Kealey. Ed grounded out to second to end the inning. The BoSox rallied in the bottom of then eighth against Don Eddy although Lahoud grounded out to first to start. Griffin lined out to second and Phil Gagliano pinch hit for Lyle. Gagliano walked then Aparicio and Smith stroked back to back singles to load the bases. Yaz walked home Gagliano to give the BoSox the lead. Vincente Romo replaced Eddy and Petrocelli flied out to right to end the inning but the BoSox were ahead 5-4.

                                                          Gagliano walks and scores

Ken Tatum came in to close out the top of the ninth and Richard grounded back to the mound to start. Andrews hit one up the elevator shaft and May grounded out to second to end the game. The BoSox had stolen another one 5-4.

Hero of the Night is Carl Yastrzemski. He hit the 2 run homer to give the Sox the early lead then walked home the eventual winning run in the bottom of the eighth.

                                                                        Yaz is the Hero

The Good:

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

George Scott was 2 for 4.

Doug Griffin was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bobby Bolin tossed a full scoreless inning.

Sparky Lyle earned the win by retiring the only man he faced.

Ken Tatum earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Duane Josephson was just 1 for 4.

Gary Peters allowed 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings. He was 1 for 3 at the plate.

Final Thoughts:

The White Sox are nothing special but the BoSox are finding ways to win games. The relief pitching was damn good today and the offense stepped up when needed. Kudos to Phil Gagliano for coming off the bench ice cold and drawing the walk to start the rally. Yaz is the leader of this team and he carried them today to the victory. Hopefully Sox manager Eddie Kasko learned from his early April mistakes of leaving guys in too long as he pulled Peters at just the right time. Bolin, Lyle and Tatum slammed the door big time and they're gonna need more of that as the season progresses. Its funny that this was only the third lineup used this season by Kasko in 16 games. The win was the Sox fourth in a row and they look for number 5 in a row when they take on the visiting Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow night. Ray Culp (2-0) goes for the Sox up against Marty Pattin of the Brewers at 7 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Beat White Sox Late (4/24/71)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox have won 3 games in a row. Today they beat the Chicago White Sox in Game 2 of their three game set. Bart Johnson of the White Sox and Mike Nagy (1-0, 3.43 ERA) battled to a 2-2 tie after 6 innings when the Red Sox beat up old pal Vincente Romo. George Scott and Billy Conigliaro clubbed home runs in the bottom of the eighth to give the Sox the lead and Ken Tatum slammed the door in the ninth inning. Nagy won his first game of the season as the Red Sox beat the White Sox 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Ike Clanton approves of the win

Nagy got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jay Johnstone lined out to right to start. Mike Andrews lined out to right as well and Carlos May grounded out to second to end the inning. Johnson got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and John Kennedy popped up to first to start. Reggie Smith singled to right and took second on a wild pitch, but Carl Yastrzemski popped up to short. Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Indians struck first in the top of the second inning as Bob Melton singled to left to start. Lee Maye walked but Rick Reichardt banged into a double play. Ed Herrmann singled to right to score Melton and Luis Alvarado singled to right. Smith booted the ball in right field which allowed Herrmann to score from first with another run. Johnson grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 2-0 White Sox.

                                                           Nice error Smith

George Scott popped up to second to start the bottom of the second but Duane Josephson singled to center. Josephson moved to second on the Billy Conigliaro ground out but Doug Griffin grounded out to third to end the inning.

Nagy cruised in the top of the third as Johnstone grounded out to first to start. Andrews struck out swinging and May grounded out to second to end the inning. Nagy took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Kennedy caught the White Sox asleep with a bunt single. Smith banged into a double play to end the inning.

Melton grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Maye flied out to right. Reichardt singled to center but Herrmann grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Yaz caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single and Petrocelli smashed his second home run of the season to tie the game. Scott popped up to second but Josephson singled to left. Billy C doubled to left but Griffin was intentionally walked to load the bases. Nagy grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Petrocelli ties it up

Alvarado flied out to left to start the top of the fifth before Johnson flied out to center. Johnstone caught Petrocelli asleep with a bunt single but was forced at second by Andrews to end the inning. Ed Stroud took over for Johnstone in center to start the top of the fifth. Kennedy grounded out to third, Smith grounded out to first and Yaz flied out to right to end the inning.

May singled to left to start the top of the sixth but was thrown out at second by Yaz trying to stretch a double. Melton flied out to right and Maye popped up to third to end the inning. Tom Egan took over for May at first in the bottom of the seventh and Petrocelli walked to start. Scott took strike three and Josephson whiffed. Billy C grounded out to short to end the inning.

Nagy got out of a big jam in the top of the seventh as Reichardt singled to third and Herrmann singled to center to start. Lee Richard pinch ran for Herrmann and Alvarado moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Rich McKinney pinch hit for Johnson and popped up to right. Stroud walked to load the bases but Andrews popped up to third to end the inning. Old friend Vincente Romo came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh with Chuck Brinkman now behind the plate. Griffin walked to start but Nagy somehow bunted into a double play. Kennedy and Smith drew back to back walks but Yaz lined out to center to end the inning.

Egan flied out to left to begin the top of the eighth before Melton popped up to short. Maye singled to left but Reichardt grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the eighth although Petrocelli struck out to start. Scott then belted his second home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Josephson grounded out to third but Billy C crushed his third home run of the season for the insurance run. Griffin tripled to center but Nagy grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Scott and Conigliaro go yard

Nagy returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Rich Morales pinch hit for Brinkman. Morales singled to center and that was it for Nagy. 8 innings of 2 run ball is nothing to sneeze at. Ken Tatum came in and Alvarado singled to left. Walt Williams pinch hit for Romo and banged into a double play. Stroud flied out to center to end the game. The BoSox had won it 4-2.

Hero of the Night is Mike Nagy. He tossed 8 innings of 2 run ball to earn the victory, damn near going the distance.

                                                         Nagy is the Hero

The Good:

John Kennedy was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run homer.

Duane Josephson was 2 for 4.

Billy Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Ken Tatum earned his 3rd save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Reggie Smith was 1 for 3 with a walk but his error led to the only 2 runs scoring.

Carl Yastrzmeski was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

George Scott was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was the go-ahead home run.

Final Thoughts:

It wasn't the Baltimore Orioles or Oakland Athletics but Mike Nagy pitched a great game today. Like has been mentioned all year, if the Sox are going to compete against the elite teams in the American League they're going to need SOMEBODY to step up and be an ace. Nagy had a good rookie season last season and if he takes a big step this season, they may very well challenge Baltimore for AL supremacy. This game was more timely hitting than an onslaught and sometimes that's all you need to win. Scott, Billy C and Petrocelli bashed the ball out of the yard but guys like Kennedy and Griffin got on base as well. You need a complete team effort and this was one of those games. The Sox have won third straight and look to sweep the Chicago White Sox out of Fenway tomorrow afternoon. Gary Peters goes for the Red Sox against old friend Wilbur Wood of Belmont, Mass. The game begins at 1 PM at Fenway Park.

Siebert Shuts Down White Sox (4/23/71)

Too bad Jim Lonborg couldn't stay healthy, he and Sonny Siebert (3-0, 0.54 ERA) would have been a good tag team for the Boston Red Sox this season. Siebert improved to 3-0 on the season by beating the Chicago White Sox in today's game. Siebert scattered 11 hits in a complete game where he allowed just one run. George Scott set the tone with a 2 run bomb off Tommy John in the first inning and the Sox cruised to a 7-1 in at Fenway Park.

                                                           Lt. Dish approves of the win

The White Sox pounced on Siebert early in the top of the first as Jay Johnstone and old pal Mike Andrews stroked back to back singles to start. Carlos May singled home Johnstone to give Chicago the lead. Bill Melton struck out swinging, Andrews got picked off and Rich McKinney flied out to right to end the inning with Chicago up 1-0.

                                                           It had to be Andrews huh?

The Red Sox clawed back in the bottom of the first against Tommy John as John Kennedy tripled into the right field corner. Reggie Smith and Carl Yastrzemski drew back to back walks to load the bases and Rico Petrocelli scored Kennedy with a sac fly. Scott then smashed a 2 run home run to give the BoSox the lead.  Duane Josephson grounded out to third and Billy Conigliaro grounded out to short to end the inning with Boston ahead 3-1.

                                                               Scott hits one out

Rich Reichardt took strike three to start the top of the second but Ed Hermann and Luis Alvarado stroked back to back singles. John dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over but Johnstone flied out to left to end the inning. Doug Griffin singled to left to start the bottom of the second before moving to second on the sacrifice bunt by Siebert. Griffin moved to third on the Kennedy grounder but Smith grounded out to short to end the inning.

Andrews flied out to left to start the top of the third before May grounded out to second. Melton whiffed to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Petrocelli grounded out to third. Scott whiffed to end the inning.

McKinney flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Reichardt singled to right. Herrmann banged into a double play to end the inning. Josephson grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Billy C did the same. Griffin lined out to center to end the inning.

Alvarado popped up a bunt to first to begin the top of the fifth but John grounded out to short. Johnstone flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth as Siebert singled to center to start. Kennedy walked but Smith struck out swinging. Yaz doubled home Siebert to increase the lead and chase John from the game. Steve Kealey came in to pitch and Petrocelli scored Kennedy with a sac fly and Scott was intentionally walked. Josephson made the White Sox pay with a base hit to center to score Yaz. Billy C grounded out to third to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-1.

                                                            Yaz doubles in a run

Andrews struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth before May grounded out to first. Melton singled to center but McKinney forced him at second to end the inning. Griffin grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth before Siebert lined out to left. Kennedy singled to right but Smith whiffed to end the inning.

Reichardt singled to right to start the top of the seventh but Herrmann flied out to center. Ed Stroud pinch hit for Alvarado and flied out to right before Walt Williams pinch hit for Kealey. Williams popped up to second to end the inning. Terry Forster took over on the mound with Rich Morales now playing short in the bottom of the seventh. Yaz flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh before Petrocelli struck out swinging. Scott flied out to right to end the inning.

Johnstone tried to bunt his way on to start the top of the eighth but Siebert snuffed it out. Andrews grounded out to short but May singled to center. Melton grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Jim Magnuson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Josephson flied out to right to start. Billy C lined out to center and Griffin grounded out to second to end the inning.

Siebert came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth and McKinney grounded out to short to start. Reichardt singled to center but Herrmann popped up to third. Morales singled to center and Lee Maye pinch hit for Magnuson. Maye took strike three to end the game. The Red Sox beat the White Sox 7-1.

Hero of the Night is Sonny Siebert. He tossed a complete game 11 hitter while allowing just 1 run.

                                                               Siebert The Hero

The Good:

John Kennedy was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

George Scott was 1 for 3 with a walk and the one hit was a 2 run home run.

The Bad:

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 2 but drove in 2 runs.

Duane Josephson was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Ever since Jim Lonborg and Jose Santiago crashed down to earth in 1968, the Sox have been desperate for an ace pitcher and Siebert has stepped it up so far this season. Its early still but so far if the Sox were to go toe to toe with the Baltimore Orioles, at least Siebert would give them a chance to win. Ray Culp faltered his last two starts but Siebert has been good all season. If only Gary Peters was better or Jim Lonborg was healthy, the Sox would have a rotation that could challenge Baltimore. As it is, its Siebert, Culp and then Ulp! Scott's home run set the tone and its nice to have an easy win for once rather than coming from behind day after day. Tomorrow the Red Sox look to make it two in a row over the White Sox when Mike Nagy of Boston goes up against Bart Johnson of Chicago. The game begins at 1 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Indians (4/21/71)

Its good to be on the winning side of a slugfest for once. The Cleveland Indians took a 7-2 lead over the Boston Red Sox by the top of the fifth inning, knocking out starting pitcher Ray Culp in the third inning. The Sox sprang back to life with a rally in the bottom of the fifth, tied the game in the sixth and took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Billy Conigliaro led the charge back with a 3 run home run in the fifth and Carl Yastrzemski hit the go-ahead rbi single in the eighth to bring the Sox back to life. Sparky Lyle and Bobby Bolin slammed the door in the final innings as the Sox improved to a game over .500 for the first time all year with a 9-7 win at Fenway Park.

                                                         Diana Rigg approves of the win

Culp took the ball in the top of the first inning and Buddy Bradford struck out swinging to start. Vada Pinson flied out to right but Ray Fosse walked and took second on a passed ball. Graig Nettles flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against Indians starter Steve Hargan as John Kennedy grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith walked then took second and third on wild pitches. Carl Yastrzemski singled home Smith to give the Sox the lead. Rico Petrocelli flied out to right but George Scott singled to center. Duane Josephson popped up to first to end the inning with Boston ahead 1-0.

                                                           Smith scores a run

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson struck out swinging to open the top of the second before Roy Foster went down hacking as well. John Lowenstein grounded out to first to end the inning. Billy Conigliaro tried to bunt his way on to start the bottom of the second but was snuffed out by Nettles. Doug Griffin grounded out to third and Culp popped up to second to end the inning.

The Indians attacked in the top of the third as Larry Brown caught Petrocelli asleep with a bunt single to start. Hargan popped up a bunt back to Culp but Bradford doubled Brown to third. Pinson doubled home both runners to give the Indians the lead and Fosse doubled home Pinson. Nettles then hit a home run all the way to the Azores to chase Culp from the game. After spending most of April leaving his starters in too long, now Sox manager Eddie Kasko was pulling them early. Culp was done after 2 1/3 innings and 5 runs allowed, not good. Cal Koonce came in and Harrelson grounded back to the mound before Foster lined out to third to end the inning. The Indians had knocked out Culp and led 5-1.

                                                            Not today Ray

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the third although Kennedy flied out to right to start. Smith grounded out to first but Yaz smashed his 3rd home run of the season to cut the lead. Petrocelli walked but Scott grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                        Yaz hits one out

The Indians took advantage of shoddy defense to score another run in the top of the fourth. Lowenstein beat out an infield single then swiped second base. Petrocelli booted a ground ball by Brown for an error and Lowenstein scored on a double play hit by Hargan. Bradford grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 6-2 Indians.

                                                        Another error by Rico

The Sox tried to rally when Josephson and Billy C stroked back to back singles to start the bottom of the fourth. Chuck Machemehl replaced Hargan and Griffin flied out to center. Gary Peters the pitcher pinch hit for Koonce and lined out to center. Kennedy grounded into a force to end the inning.

Bill Lee took over on the mound in the top of the fifth and he got smacked too. Pinson lined out to left but Fosse tripled to right. Nettles popped up to first but Harrelson singled home Fosse to increase the lead. Foster lined out to right to end the inning but it was 7-2 Indians.

                                                                 It had to be Hawk didn't it?

The Sox stormed back in the bottom of the fifth as Smith walked to start. Yaz singled to right and Petrocelli singled home Smith. Scott flied out to right and Josephson popped up to first, but Billy C crushed a 3 run bomb to cut the lead. Griffin grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 7-6.

                                                          "That ball is gone" - BC

Lee returned for the top of the sixth and Lowenstein grounded out to second to start. Brown grounded back to the mound and Machemehl struck out to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Mike Fiore pinch hit for Lee only to pop up to third. Kennedy doubled to left and Smith singled him home to tie the game and chase Machemehl. "Rock Hard" Rick Austin came in just to walk Yaz before Vince Colbert came in to freeze Petrocelli for strike three. Scott grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 7-7.

                                                      Kennedy scores the tying run

Sparky Lyle came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and Bradford walked to start. Pinson struck out swinging and Fosse forced Bradford at second. Nettles popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Josephson popped up to first in foul territory to start. Billy C walked but Griffin banged into a double play to end the inning.

Harrelson flied out to center to start the top of the eighth but Foster singled to left. Foster was forced at second by Lowenstein and Brown struck out to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Lyle, drawing a walk. Kennedy bunted Lahoud to second but Smith grounded back to the mound. Yaz put the Sox on top with an rbi doubled to left and Petrocelli singled him in for the insurance run. Scott singled to left but Josephson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-7.

Bobby Bolin came in to close out the top of the ninth and Ted Uhlaender pinch hit for Colbert to start. Uhlaender flied out to left and Gomer Hodge pinch hit for Braford, drawing a walk. Hodge moved to second on the Pinson grounder and Fosse popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had rallied to win it 9-7.

Hero of the Night is Carl Yastrzmeski. He homered early and drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.

                                                             Yaz The Hero

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

George Scott was 2 for 5.

Billy Conigliaro was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 3 run home run.

Joe Lahoud walked and scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Sparky Lyle got the win by pitching 2 shutout innings.

Bobby Bolin earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4.

Gary Peters was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ray Culp was knocked out in the third inning after allowing 5 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

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

Duane Josephson was just 1 for 5.

Cal Koonce allowed an unearned run in 1 2/3 innings.

Bill Lee allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Its a nice win but the Sox really need to stop falling behind in almost every game they've played this season. Ray Culp is supposed to be one of their best pitchers but he didn't pitch like it today. Luckily the offense was up to the task today and the home run by Billy Conigliaro was huge. Its about time Bolin pitched well and Lyle had a good game as well. Not much to complain about other than Griffin hitting a pathetic .167 to start the season. They couldn't have traded Tony Conigliaro for a better second baseman? Either way its a win and every one of them counts. After an off-day tomorrow the Red Sox welcome the Chicago White Sox to Fenway on Friday afternoon. Sonny Siebert (2-0) takes on Tommy John of the White Sox at 1 PM at Fenway Park.