After a player's strike wiped out the first two weeks of the season and 7 games off the schedule, the Boston Red Sox made their season debut by falling to the Detroit Tigers. The first inning set the tone when Luis Aparicio fell down on a crucial rally which got Carl Yastrzemski thrown out at third base. That run proved to be the difference in the game as the Tigers broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh and held on to win the game. Mickey Lolich went the distance for Detroit as Marty Pattin (0-1, 4.50 ERA) dropped his Sox debut by allowing 3 runs in 6 innings. It all added up to a 3-2 victory by the Tigers in Tiger Stadium.
The Sox had a bad omen to open the season in the top of the first against Lolich. Tommy Harper made his Sox debut with a base hit to left and Luis Aparicio hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short. Carl Yastrzemski then hit a rocket to center to load the bases with nobody out. Reggie Smith struck out swinging but Rico Petrocelli hit a gap shot to the left field wall. Harper scored easily but Aparicio fell down rounding third, got up and fell down again going back to third. Yaz was running with his head down and didn't see Aparicio slip, getting thrown out in a rundown. A wild pitch moved Petrocelli to second but Aparicio never moved from third. Danny Cater made his Red Sox debut by taking strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Pattin made his Sox debut in the bottom of the first and Dick McAuliffe led off with a walk. Auerlio Rodriguez hit a routine grounder to Aparicio who stepped on second and inexplicably turned and fired the ball over catcher Duane Josephson's head for an error. Rodriguez ended up on second but Jim Northrup grounded out to short. Al Kaline flied out to left to end the inning.
Doug Griffin lined out to left to start the top of the second before Josephson grounded out to short. Pattin struck out swinging to end the inning. The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the second as Norm Cash flied out to left to start. Willie Horton grounded out to third but Bill Freehan doubled to right. Ed Brinkman clobbered a home run all the way to Billings, Montana to give the Tigers the lead. Lolich struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 2-1.
The Sox answered in the top of the second as Harper walked and Aparicio atoned for his baserunning blunder by doubling home Harper to tie the game. Aparicio moved to third on a grounder to first by Yaz but Smith grounded out to third. Petrocelli popped up to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Pattin cruised in the bottom of the third as McAuliffe flied out to right to start. Rodriguez flied out to left and Northrup popped up to third to end the inning.
Cater struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth before Griffin singled to left. Josephson flied out to right but Pattin struck out swinging to end the inning. Kaline grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Cash singled to center. Horton flied out to left and Freehan grounded into a force to end the inning.
Harper lined out to short to begin the top of the fifth but Aparicio grounded out to third. Yaz took strike three to end the inning. Pattin stayed tough in the bottom of the fifth as Brinkman lined out to left to start. Lolich grounded out to short and McAuliffe popped up to short to end the inning.
Lolich cruised in the top of the sixth as Smith flied out to center to start. Petrocelli flied out to left and Cater earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning. Rodriguez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Northrup grounded out to first. Kaline struck out swinging to end the inning.
Griffin popped up to short to start the top of the seventh and Josephson struck out swinging. Pattin also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Tigers struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Cash and Horton stroked back to back singles to start. Freehan ripped a base hit to left that scored Cash to put Detroit on top. That was it for Pattin who lasted 6 plus innings and allowed 3 runs. Ken Tatum came in and got Brinkman to pop up to first, but Lolich dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners over. Sox manager Eddie Kasko had McAuliffe intentionally walked and Rodriguez popped up to third to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 3-2.
The Sox went quietly in the top of the eighth as Harper flied out to center to start. Aparicio grounded out to short and Yaz popped up to third to end the inning. Tatum returned for the bottom of the eighth and Northrup grounded out to short to start. Kaline flied out to center and Cash grounded out to first to end the inning.
Lolich returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth with Mickey Stanley in for Horton in the field. Smith grounded out to third, Petrocelli flied out to right and Cater popped up to short to end the game. Lolich went the distance and beat the Sox 3-2.
Jackass of the Night is Reggie Smith. Yes Aparicio and Yaz made some blunders but Smith struck out with the bases loaded preceding the stumble and went 0 for 4 on the day.
The Good:
Tommy Harper was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
Doug Griffin was 1 for 3.
Ken Tatum tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Danny Cater was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Duane Josephson was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Luis Aparicio was 2 for 4 with an rbi but him falling down cost the Sox a crucial run in the first inning.
Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and a boneheaded baserunning blunder that cost the team a run.
Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Marty Pattin took the loss but went 6 plus inning allowing just 3 runs. He was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts at the plate.
Final Thoughts:
Well that wasn't the way everyone hoped the season started. The Sox are going to look a lot different this season without some guys from last year but they're going to have to do better than that. Their offense was shut down by Lolich after the third inning and the bottom of the order was a black hole. There's still a long way to go this season but getting off on the wrong foot after the strike isn't going to make the fans happy. Pattin couldn't match Lolich and the Sox are gonna need him this season if they have any hope of sticking with Baltimore. Jim Lonborg couldn't get it done so the Sox are turning to Pattin to get them to the playoffs. Harper is going to be a speed demon this season but he's going to need guys to drive him in. Time will tell if the Sox can hang with Baltimore but today was just dreadful. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Tigers when Ray Culp makes his season debut against the Tigers taking on Joe Coleman. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Tiger Stadium.
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