A's Drop Sox Late in Game 1 (7/22/72)

Errors will kill you every time and today it did for the Boston Red Sox in the first game of today's doubleheader against the Oakland A's. Luis Tiant and Catfish Hunter battled to a 3-3 tie after 7 innings but things fell apart for Boston in the eighth inning. Dave Duncan hit a pop up to Doug Griffin that should have been caught for the third out but it bounced off his glove for an error. After Ted Kubiak walked, Gene Tenace hit a pinch hit triple to clear the bases and put Oakland on top. The Sox got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth but Tommy Harper hit into a double play to end the game. It all added up to a bitter 5-3 defeat in Game 1 at Fenway Park.

                                                       "GRIFFIN!!!!!"

The A's didn't wait around to get to Tiant in the top of the first as Bert Campaneris got a base hit up the middle to start. Joe Rudi caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single to move Bert all the way to third and Campaneris scored on the grounder to short by Reggie Jackson. Don Mincher took strike three and protested the call but Bill Voss walked. Sal Bando grounded out to short to end the inning with the A's ahead 1-0.

                                                          Campaneris starts the rally

Hunter got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tommy Harper singled in the hole at short to start. Doug Griffin dropped down a bunt to move Harper to second but Tommy could only move to third on the fly out to right by Carl Yastrzemski. Reggie Smith popped up to first to end the inning.

Dave Duncan popped up to left to start the top of the second and Ted Kubiak popped up to right. Hunter grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli grounded out to short to start. Danny Cater smashed his 7th home run of the season to tie the game but John Kennedy struck out swinging. Bob Montgomery grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                Home run Cater

Campaneris walked to start the top of the third but Rudi popped up to short. Jackson popped up to second and Mincher struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Tiant struck out swinging to start. Harper got a base hit to left and stole second, but Griffin took strike three. Yaz and Smith both walked to load the bases but Petrocelli popped up to center to end the inning.

                                                             A steal by Harper goes for naught

Tiant cruised in the top of the fourth as Voss popped up to Petrocelli to start. Former Sox player and manager Johnny Pesky visited the NBC broadcast booth saying the Sox have improved in the second half as Bando was called out on strikes. Bando gave home plate umpire Larry McCoy an earful but Duncan popped up to Kennedy to end the inning.

                                             "ARE YOU KIDDIN ME MCCOY?" - Bando

Hunter dominated the bottom of the fourth as Cater grounded out to third to start. Kennedy tripled off the Monster but Montgomery popped up to short right. Tiant popped up to short to end the inning.

The A's struck again in the top of the fifth as Kubiak blooped a base hit to center to start. Hunter dropped down a bunt to move Kubiak to second and Ted made it to third on the Campaneris bloop single to left. Bert moved to second on the throw to third and Kubiak scored on the sac fly to center by Rudi to give the A's the lead. Jackson was rung up for strike three and looked to have thrown his bat at McCoy. McCoy gave Reggie the heave-ho and Dick Williams threw his hands up and gave McCoy the business. Still, the A's led 2-1 even with Reggie gone.

                                                        Yeah you're out Reggie, now beat it!

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth with George Hendrick now in right field. Harper struck out swinging and Griffin grounded out to short, but Yaz somehow hit his first home run of the season to tie the game. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                         First homer for Yaz

The A's struck back in the top of the sixth as Mincher dropped a base hit to right to start. Voss walked and Red Sox pitching coach Lee Strange sprinted to the mound to tell Tiant that The Brady Bunch was on in the dugout. Bando dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over and Duncan grounded out to second to score Mincher to give the A's the lead back. Voss moved to third on the play and Kubiak walked to put runners at the corners. Hunter popped up to Cater in foul territory to end the inning with the A's up 3-2.

                                                              Mincher scores a run

Petrocelli took strike three to start the bottom of the sixth and Cater was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double on a base hit to left. That proved costly as Kennedy doubled off the Monster only for Montgomery to ground out to third to end the inning.

Tiant came back for one last inning in the top of the seventh as Campaneris singled to right to begin. Rudi dropped down a bunt to move Bert to second and Campaneris stole third on the swinging strikeout by Hendrick. Mincher popped up to short to end the inning and that was it for Tiant. He threw 7 innings and allowed just 3 runs to keep the Sox in the game.

                                                             Good but not great

Bob Burda pinch hit for Tiant to start the bottom of the seventh and struck out swinging to begin. Harper and Griffin stroked back to back base hits to chase Hunter. Darold Knowles came in and Yaz hit a sac fly to score Harper to tie the game. Smith flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                             Yaz drives in another run

Gary Peters came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Angel Mangual pinch hit for Voss to start. Mangual walked but Bando banged into a double play. Duncan hit a pop up to Griffin...DROPPED FOR AN ERROR! Kubiak walked and Gene Tenace pinch hit for Knowles. One strike away from ending the inning....Tenace ended up hitting a triple down the right field line to clear the bases. Campaneris grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's up 5-3.

                                                                Catch the ball Griffin!

Rollie Fingers came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Petrocelli popped up to right to begin. Cater flied out to right and Kennedy struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rudi flied out to center to start the top of the ninth before Hendrick reached on an error by Petrocelli. Mincher banged into a double play to end the inning. Mike Hegan took over at first base to start the bottom of the ninth with Ben Oglivie pinch hitting for Montgomery. Oglivie got a base hit to left to bring the tying run to the plate but for some reason Peters was allowed to hit away. Peters struck out swinging and Harper banged into a double play to end the game. The A's had taken Game 1 by a score of 5-3.

Jackass of the Night is Gary Peters. Yes Griffin's error prolonged the inning but Peters had two chances to get the third out anyway and failed both times to take the loss. He also struck out in the ninth inning representing the tying run.

                                                                        Peters The Jackass

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 3 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 2 with a walk, a home run and 2 total rbis.

Danny Cater was 2 for 4 with a home run.

John Kennedy was 2 for 4.

Ben Oglivie singled as a pinch hitter.

Luis Tiant held the A's to 3 runs in 7 innings of work. He allowed 6 hits, 5 walks and struck out 5.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 3.

Bob Burda struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3 but struck out and made a crucial error.

Reggie Smith was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Winning four in a row against the A's was apparently too much to ask. The sad part was the Sox could have won it if it wasn't for Griffin's error in the eighth. Fingers is tough but the Sox may have played some small ball in a tie game or at the very least pinch hit for Peters. I don't know why Kasko let Peters hit but it cost the Sox big. When the Sox are barely hanging on by a thread in the AL East race, every win counts and the Sox needed to make a statement against the A's in this doubleheader. There's still another game to play but losing Game 1 always puts a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Maybe they'll win Game 2 and all will be right in the world again. FINALLY Yaz got his first home run and if he had his normal offense, maybe the Sox wouldn't be bordering on .500 right now. The Sox have no time to dwell on the loss because they have Game 2 to play in a few minutes. Sonny Siebert (8-5) takes on Joe Horlen of the A's at Fenway Park.

Basebawful Report of the Month

Luis Aparicio - 3 Good, 2 Bad, 5 Ugly

Bobby Bolin - 1 Ugly, 2 Jackass

Bob Burda - 1 Good, 3 Bad, 2 Honorable Mention

Danny Cater - 3 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Ray Culp - 3 Good

Carlton Fisk - 4 Good, 3 Ugly

Phil Gagliano - 2 Good, 1 Bad

Doug Griffin - 5 Good, 1 Bad, 5 Ugly

Tommy Harper - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 5 Ugly

Duane Josephson - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Honorable Mention

Lew Krausse - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Hero

Bill Lee - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Rick Miller - 3 HONORABLE MENTION

Bob Montgomery - 1 Good

Roger Moret - 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Ben Oglivie - 2 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly

Marty Pattin - 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Gary Peters - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Rico Petrocelli - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 8 UGLY

Sonny Siebert - 2 Ugly, 1 Hero

Reggie Smith - 1 Bad, 4 Ugly, 2 Hero, 2 Jackass

Ken Tatum - 3 Good, 1 Bad

Luis Tiant - 1 Good, 1 Ugly

Carl Yastrzemski - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 7 Ugly

Hero of the Month is Reggie Smith with 2 Hero

Jackass of the Month due to a tiebreaker is Bobby Bolin with 2 Jackass

Most Valuable Player is Carlton Fisk with 4 Good

Least Valuable Player is Danny Cater with 4 Bad

Ugliest Player of the Month is Rico Petrocelli with 8 Ugly

Honorable Player of the Month is Rick Miller with 3 Honorable Mention.

Krausse, Sox Blank Rangers (4/30/72)

It was good news all around for the city of Boston. The Boston Bruins defeated the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals and the Boston Red Sox halted their four game losing streak with a shutout victory over the Ted Williams' Texas Rangers. Lew Krausse (1-0, 0.75 ERA) tossed 9 innings of shutout ball while allowing just 2 hits. The problem was Texas pitcher Jim Shellenbeck tossed 8 shutout innings of his own. Plunged into extra innings, the duo of Tommy Harper and Luis Aparicio drove in the go-ahead runs to put the Sox ahead in the top of the tenth inning. Bill Lee put Friday's disaster behind him by nailing down the game in the bottom of the tenth, giving the Sox a hard fought 3-0 victory in 10 innings over the Rangers.

                                                             Ace Bailey approves of the win

Shellenback got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper lined out to center to start. Aparicio grounded out to second and Carl Yastrzemski popped up to short to end the inning. Krausse got the ball in the bottom of the first and Lenny Randle singled to right to start. Dave Nelson banged into a double play and Don Mincher took strike three to end the inning.

Rico Petrocelli tried to start a rally with a double to left to start the top of the second but Danny Cater popped up to second. Ben Oglivie struck out swinging but Doug Griffin drew a walk. Carlton Fisk took strike three to end the inning. Hal King popped up to second to start the bottom of the second but Frank Howard walked. Larry Bittner struck out swinging and Elliott Maddox grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Krausse popped up to second to start the top of the third but Harper blooped a single to left. Harper got thrown out trying to steal second but Aparicio reached on an error by Toby Harrah. Yaz flied out to left to end the inning. Harrah walked to start the bottom of the third and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Shellenback. Harrah moved to third on the groundout by Randle but Nelson flied out to center to end the inning.

Petrocelli singled to left to begin the top of the fourth but Cater flied out to left. Oglivie singled off of Shellenbeck but Griffin forced him at second. Fisk popped up to short to end the inning. Mincher grounded out to second to star the bottom of the fourth before King flied out to right. Howard popped up to short to end the inning.

Krausse tried to aid his own cause by smacking a double to left to begin the top of the fifth but Harper popped up the bunt attempt. Aparicio grounded out to short to move Krausse to third but Yaz flied out to center to end the inning. Krausse got Bittner to ground back to himself to begin the bottom of the fifth before Maddox took strike three. Harrah grounded out to short to end the inning.

Petrocelli walked to begin the top of the sixth but Cater grounded into a double play. Oglivie struck out swinging to end the inning. Shellenback grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth and Randle grounded out to second. Nelson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Shellenbeck cruised in the top of the seventh as Griffin grounded out to short to start. Fisk grounded back to the mound and Krausse lined out to left. Mincher flied out to left to begin the bottom of the seventh and King grounded out to second. Howard walked but Bittner grounded out to second to end the inning.

Harper popped up to short to start the top of the eighth but Aparicio singled to left. Yaz hit into a double play to end the inning. Maddox's bottom of the eighth inning bunt attempt was snuffed out by Krausse to start. Harrah grounded out to third and Jim Driscoll pinch hit for Shellenbeck. Driscoll popped up to short to end the inning.

Jim Panther came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Petrocelli grounded back to the mound to start. Cater grounded out to third and Oglivie popped up to third to end the inning. Krausse returned for the bottom of the ninth and Randle singled to left to begin. Nelson dropped down a bunt to move Randle to second but Krausse got a big out when Mincher struck out swinging. King grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox finally broke through in the top of the tenth although Griffin grounded out to second to start. Fisk doubled to left and Sox manager Eddie Kasko sent in Bob Burda to pinch hit for Krausse. Burda was intentionally walked to get to Harper and the gamble backfired as Harper doubled to left to score both runners, giving the Sox the lead. Aparicio doubled to left to score Tommy and Yaz was intentionally walked. Aparicio moved to third on the fly out to right by Petrocelli but Cater lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                              Harper drives in a pair

Bill Lee came in for the bottom of the tenth and Howard flied out to right to start. Ted Ford pinch hit for Bittner and lined out to right before Maddox grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-0 in 10 innings.

Hero of the Night is Lew Krausse. He tossed 9 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits to earn the win.

                                                                Lew The Hero

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Bob Burda walked and scored as a pinch hitter.

Bill Lee earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Danny Cater was 0 for 5.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4 but walked.

Ben Oglivie was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 3 but walked.

Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

At least the Sox close out their miserable month of April with a victory. Its been a weird month with the Player's Strike wiping out the first week and bad weather prevented the Sox from getting out of the box. Hopefully this win will propel them to a better month of May. The top of the order is starting to get it going and Lew Krausse stepped up big in this one. The Sox still need a third starter to go with Sonny Siebert and Ray Culp and Krausse may be the one to fit the bill. Good bounceback game for Lee to wipe out the side in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory. All in all it was a good win and thankfully the month is over. The Sox are now 4-7 on the season, 3 games behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL East. The Sox have an off-day tomorrow and return to action Tuesday at home against the Oakland Athletics. Sonny Siebert gets the start opposite Catfish Hunter at 2:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Walkoff Red Sox (4/29/72)

Retired New York Yankees and Mets manager Casey Stengal once said "I've been in this game a hundred years but I've seen new ways to lose I never knew existed before." The Boston Red Sox right now are coming up with those new ways to lose. In their latest debacle, the Sox took a 4-3 lead over the Texas Rangers going into the bottom of the eighth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Luis Aparicio booted a grounder by Toby Harrah AND threw it away to clear the bases and give the Rangers the lead. The Sox tied it in the top of the ninth only for Ken Suarez to smash a walkoff base hit in the bottom of the ninth to give Ted Williams' team a 7-6 victory over the Red Sox at Arlington Stadium.

                                                     "These guys are bums, ALL OF EM!"

Bill Gogolewski got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper grounded out to third to start. Luis Aparicio was retired on a squibber in front of the plate but Carl Yastrzemski singled to center. Rico Petrocelli forced Yaz at second to end the inning. Luis Tiant got the start for the Sox and Lenny Randle struck out swinging to start. Dave Nelson walked but was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Fisk. Don Mincher and Hal King both walked but Frank Howard took strike three to end the inning.

Ben Oglivie lined out to second to start the top of the second before Danny Cater flied out to center. Doug Griffin grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Tiant got Larry Bittner to line out to second to begin the bottom of the second before Elliott Maddox drew a walk. Toby Harrah struck out swinging and Fisk threw out Maddox trying to steal to end the inning.

Gogolewski turned up the heat by striking out Carlton Fisk, Tiant and Harper all swinging to begin and end the top of the third. Tiant responded by striking out Gogolewski and Randle swinging to start the bottom of the third. Nelson popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth although Aparicio grounded back to the mound to start. Yaz ripped a base hit to left but Petrocelli struck out swinging. Oglivie walked and Cater singled home Yaz to give the Sox the lead. Griffin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Cater drives in a run

Tiant got Mincher to fly out to center to start the bottom of the fourth but King walked. Howard banged into a double play to end the inning.

Fisk flied out to center to begin the top of the fifth before Tiant struck out swinging. Harper singled to center and Aparicio reached on an error by Nelson. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning. Bittner singled to center to begin the bottom of the fifth but Maddox flied out to center. Harrah flied out to center and Jim Driscoll pinch hit for Gogolewski only to line out to center to end the inning.

Jim Panther came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Petrocelli grounded back to the mound to start. Oglivie tripled to right and Cater drove him home with a sac fly. Griffin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                              Oglivie triples and scores

The Rangers struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Randle flied out to left to begin. Nelson singled to center and Mincher walked to chase Tiant from the game after 5 1/3 innings and 2 eventual runs charged. Ken Tatum came in and struck out King swinging but naturally Howard smashed a 3 run home run to put the Rangers on top. Bittner walked, Maddox was hit with a pitch and Harrah walked to load the bases. Panther grounded out to short to end the inning but it was now 3-2.

                                                     "Thanks for nothing Tatum" - LT

The Sox fought back in the top of the seventh as Fisk walked to start. Bob Burda pinch hit for Tatum and popped up to third but Fisk took off for second. The throw got away and Fisk took third on the error. Harper walked and Aparicio blooped a single to center to score Fisk with the tying run while Tommy took third. Paul Lindblad came in to pitch to Yaz and Carl scored Harper with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Petrocelli grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                          Yaz puts Boston on top

Roger Moret came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Randle walked to start. Randle was thrown out trying to steal by Fisk and Nelson took strike three. Mincher also took strike three to end the inning.

Dick Billings took over behind the plate to start the top of the eighth and Oglivie flied out to right to start. Cater walked and Rangers manager Ted Williams brought in Horacio Pina in to pitch but batting third. Tom Grieve came in to play left and bat ninth while Howard moved to first. Griffin was hit with a pitch but Fisk and Moret both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rangers rallied again in the bottom of the eighth as Billings and Howard stroked back to back singles to begin. Joe Lovitto ran for Howard and Ted Ford pinch hit for Bittner. Bobby Bolin came in to face Ford and struck him out swinging. Maddox walked to load the bases but Harrah hit a routine grounder to Aparicio. Instead of turning two to end the inning, Luis kicked the ball like a soccer ball, picked it up and threw it all the way out of Arlington Stadium for two errors that cleared the bases. Instead of being out of the inning the Rangers had taken the lead. Grieve and Randle both struck out swinging to end the inning but the Rangers now led 6-4.

                                                                Hot Hands Luis

Ken Suarez came in to catch the top of the ninth and the Sox rallied. Harper got a base hit to center and Aparicio atoned for his errors with a base hit to right. Mike Paul came in to pitch and Ted Kubiak came in to play first on the double switch as Yaz flied out to center. Petrocelli singled to center to score Harper and rookie Rick Miller came in to run for Rico. Phil Gagliano pinch hit for Oglivie and Casey Cox came in to pitch to him. Gagliano ripped a base hit to left to score Aparicio to tie the game but Cater flied out to right. Griffin lined out to second to end the inning but the game was tied 6-6.

                                                          Another pinch hit rbi for Gagliano

Bolin returned for the bottom of the ninth and Nelson singled to center to start. Nelson swiped second and third before Kubiak walked. Gary Peters was brought in to pitch and Billings was intentionally walked to load the bases. Suarez singled to left to score Nelson to win the game. The Rangers had stunned the Sox 7-6.

Jackass of the Night is Bobby Bolin. Aparicio stumbling and bumbling didn't help but he walked 2 guys, gave up a hit and was charged with 2 runs to take the loss.

                                                                Jackass Bolin

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Ben Oglivie was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Phil Gagliano got a base hit and an rbi as a pinch hitter.

Danny Cater was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.

The Bad:

Bob Burda was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ken Tatum served up the three run home run to Frank Howard.

Roger Moret was charged with 2 runs in an inning of work.

Gary Peters allowed the game winning hit.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored but committing 2 errors on the same play put the Rangers ahead in the eighth.

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

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

Luis Tiant lasted just 5 1/3 innings and allowed 2 runs. He was 0 for 2 at the plate as well.

Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller pinch ran for Petrocelli and played right field.

Final Thoughts:

There aren't many words left to describe the ineptitude of the Red Sox. When their pitching is good, the bats don't show. When the bats show, the pitching fails. The defense has been atrocious and you think the Sox miss Sparky Lyle yet out of the bullpen? Watching Bolin, Tatum and Peters trying to hold a lead is like playing roulette. At least Cater, Harper and Yaz stepped it up today but Aparicio's double error cost the Sox big time. As I said already, there's plenty of time to turn things around and Baltimore hasn't gotten off to a blazing start. Hopefully the month of May will be a lot better for the Sox. The Sox look to avoid a five game losing streak tomorrow when they finish their set with the Rangers. Lew Krausse gets the ball for Boston against Jim Shellenback of Texas. The game begins at 3:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Rangers Rally Past Sox (4/28/72)

Nothing is going right to start the 1972 season for the Boston Red Sox. After accomplishing almost nothing offensively to start the month, the Sox bats finally looked better by scoring 6 runs including a four run top of the sixth inning. Unfortunately the pitching coughed up the 6-3 lead by allowing five runs in the next two innings to the Texas Rangers. Sonny Siebert and Bill Lee (0-1, 9.00 ERA) got rocked by the Rangers bats as Texas sent the Sox to their third straight loss with a 9-6 come from behind victory at Arlington Stadium. This was Boston's first ever game in the state of Texas and naturally they lost.

                                                  "Can these bums EVER win???" - Gene Kelly

The Sox did manage to strike first against Texas starter Pete Broberg as Tommy Harper doubled to right to start. Luis Aparicio drew a walk but Carl Yastrzemski struck out swinging. Reggie Smith singled to left to score Harper but Rico Petrocelli lined out to center. Danny Cater flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                               Smith drives in a run

Siebert cruised in the bottom of the first as Lenny Randle grounded out to second to start. Dave Nelson also grounded out to second and Don Mincher struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Doug Griffin caught Broberg asleep with a bunt single to start. Carlton Fisk walked and both runners moved over on the grounder by Siebert. Harper walked to load the bases and Aparicio scored Griffin with a sac fly to right. Yaz took strike three to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.

                                                                   Herculean sac fly by Luis

Hal King doubled to right to start the bottom of the second but Frank Howard struck out swinging. King moved to third on the fly out to right by Larry Bittner but Elliott Maddox flied out to center to end the inning.

Smith lined out to center to start the top of the third and Petrocelli flied out to right. Cater struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rangers roared back in the bottom of the third as Toby Harrah hit a routine grounder to Griffin who picked up the ball and dove with his arm outstretched onto the mound for an error to start. Broberg dropped down a bunt to move Harrah to second and Randle walked. Nelson singled to left to score Harrah and both runners moved over on the grounder to second by by Mincher. King walked to load the bases and Howard singled to right to score both Randle and Nelson to give Texas the lead. Bittner lined out to center to end the inning but the Rangers were on top 3-2.

                                                               Griffin's error proved costly

Griffin atoned for his error by beating out an infield single to first to start the top of the fourth but Fisk popped up to second. Siebert doubled to left but Harper hit a bullet....right to Harrah who doubled off Siebert to end the inning. Siebert cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Maddox struck out swinging to start. Harrah flied out to center and Broberg went down hacking to end the inning.

Aparicio lined back to Broberg to begin the top of the fifth and Yaz grounded out to second. Smith flied out to right to end the inning. The Rangers struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Randle popped up to third to start. Nelson singled to right, stole second and scored on the base hit to right by Mincher. King banged into a double play to end the inning with the Rangers up 4-2.

                                                                  Nelson adds to the lead

The Sox exploded in the top of the sixth as Petrocelli singled in the hole at short to begin. Cater and Griffin both walked to load the bases and chase Blomberg. Casey Cox came in to pitch and Fisk drew a bases loaded walk. Sox manager Eddie Kasko sent in Bob Burda to pinch hit for Siebert so Rangers manager Ted Williams countered by bringing in Dick Billings to catch and Paul Lindblad in to pitch. Kasko countered that move by pinch hitting Burda with Phil Gagliano to face Billings. The gamble worked as Gagliano singled to left to score both Cater and Griffin to give the Sox the lead. Harper dropped down a bunt to move both runners over and Fisk scored on a wild pitch. Aparicio flied out to center but it was too shallow for Gagliano to try for home. Yaz was retired on a dribbler in front of the plate to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                                Gagliano puts Boston ahead

Bill Lee came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and the Rangers began their comeback. Howard singled to left and Ted Ford pinch hit for Bittner. Ford walked but Maddox bunted foul for strike three. A passed ball moved both runners over and Howard scored on the sac fly by Harrah. Billings flied out to center to end the inning with the Rangers down 6-5.

                                                             6 foot 7 pain in the ass

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Smith grounded out to short to start. Petrocelli flied out to right and Cater lined out to center to end the inning. Lee returned for the bottom of the seventh and Randle doubled to left to begin. Nelson and Mincher both struck out swinging but Williams sent Tom Grieve to pinch hit for Lindblad. The dice roll worked as Grieve singled to left to score Randle to tie the game. Howard walked and Kasko brought in Bobby Bolin to pitch to Ford. That gamble backfired as Ford hit a home run all the way back to Washington to put the Rangers ahead. Maddox singled to left but Harrah flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 9-6.

                                                         Lee failed to hold the lead

Horacio Pina came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Griffin grounded out to third to start. Fisk doubled to center and Ben Oglivie pinch hit for Bolin. Oglivie struck out swinging and Harper also went down hacking to end the inning. Gary Peters came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth batting fourth with Oglivie taking over in Right for Smith, and Billings walked to start. Cater let a routine pop up drop for a base hit by Randle and Billings moved to third on a fly ball to right by Nelson. Fisk gunned down Randle trying to steal second and Mincher struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the ninth as Aparicio grounded back to the mound to start. Yaz struck out swinging and with nobody left on the bench, Peters popped up to third to end the game. The Rangers had won it 9-3.

Jackass of the Night is Bobby Bolin. Bill Lee got charged with the loss but it was Bolin who served up the backbreaking 3 run jack to put the Rangers up for good.

                                                                 Jackass Bolin

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Doug Griffin was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 2 with 2 walks an rbi and a run scored.

Phil Gagliano drove in 2 runs in his only plate appearance.

Gary Peters pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Ben Oglivie was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Bill Lee took the loss by being charged with 4 runs (3 earned) in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

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

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Danny Cater was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Sonny Siebert allowed 4 runs in 5 innings of work but only 1 of them was earned. He also went 1 for 2 at the plate.

Honorable Mention:

Bill Burda "pinch hit" in the top of the sixth.

Final Thoughts:

Between the players strike and all the off-days and bad weather the Sox haven't looked this bad since near the end of the 1969 season after they quit on Dick Williams. Can't really blame the manager either unless you want to him to hold the players accountable for not being ready to play this season following the strike. The Sox have now lost 6 of their first 9 games of the season and every day its a new way to lose it seems. The Sox desperately needed a shutdown inning from the bullpen in the seventh inning and didn't get it. The errors, the bad offense, the bad pitching, its all adding up to a whole pile of garbage and the season isn't even 10 games old yet. The good news is the Sox have 5 months left in the season to turn it around. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when Luis Tiant gets the start for the Sox opposite Bill Gogolewski of the Rangers. The game begins at 2:30 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Twins Drop Struggling Sox (4/26/72)

Another day, another loss for the Boston Red Sox. Their struggling offense once again couldn't get untracked against the Minnesota Twins. Ray Culp (1-2, 3.05 ERA) did the best he could, holding the Twins to just 3 runs in 7 innings while helping his own cause by driving in a run. The problem was that was the only run driven in by the Sox as the rest of the team was shutout by Dick Woodson of the Twins. Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew drove in the big runs Minnesota needed and Dave LaRoche slammed the door on the bumbling Sox. It all added up to a 3-1 victory over the Red Sox at Metropolitan Stadium.

                                                 "The bats need to get going NOW!!!"

Woodson got the ball in the top of the first and Tommy Harper took strike three to start. Luis Aparicio grounded out to short but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Reggie Smith flied out to left to end the inning. The Twins immediately got to Culp in the bottom of the first as Cesar Tovar led off with a routine grounder to third. Petrocelli threw his glove at the ball and screamed at it for an error and Tovar was sacrificed to second on the bunt by Danny Thompson. Rod Carew grounded out to first to move Tovar to third and Cesar scored on the base hit to left by Harmon Killebrew. Bobby Darwin struck out swinging to end the inning but the Twins led 1-0.

                                                            Killebrew puts Minnesota on top

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Rico Petrocelli popped up to first to begin. Danny Cater grounded out to second and Doug Griffin flied out to right to end the inning. Steve Braun singled to right to start the bottom of the second but Carlton Fisk gunned him down at second trying to steal. Steve Brye struck out swinging but Rick Dempsey walked. Woodson lined out to left to end the inning.

Fisk got a base hit to start the top of the third but Culp struck out swinging. Fisk moved to second on the ground out by Harper and to third on a balk, but Aparicio flied out to right to end the inning. The Twins poured it on in the bottom of the third as Tovar hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Thompson doubled to left and Carew lined a base hit to left. Thompson came all the way around to score and Carew took second on the throw, but Killebrew flied out to left. Darwin singled Carew to third and Rod scored on the base hit to center by Braun. Bryce forced Braun at second to end the inning but it was now 3-0 Twins.

                                                              Carew drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Yaz struck out swinging to start. Smith grounded out to first and Petrocelli flied out to right to end the inning. Culp settled down in the bottom of the fourth as Dempsey popped up to first to start. Woodson struck out swinging and Tovar grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox finally got on the board in the top of the fifth although Cater lined out to left to start. Griffin flied out to right but Fisk doubled to left. Culp aided his own cause with a base hit to right to score Fisk to cut the lead. Harper lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                                       Fisk scores a run

Culp cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Thompson grounded out to short to start. Carew and Killebrew both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Aparicio flied out to center to start. Yaz grounded out to second and Smith grounded out to short to end the inning. Darwin struck out swinging to open the bottom of the sixth but Braun singled to right. Brye forced Braun at second before he stole second base. Dempsey lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox tried to rally when Petrocelli singled to left to start the top of the seventh but Cater banged into a double play. Griffin tried to bunt his way on but Woodson snuffed it out to end the inning. Culp stayed tough in the bottom of the seventh as Woodson took strike three to start. Tovar grounded out to short and Thompson flied out to right to end the inning. Culp got hit around early but came back to toss 7 innings while allowing 3 runs. Normally that would be good enough to win.

                                                            Culp deserved better

The Sox blew their last chance to rally in the top of the eighth as Fisk reached on an error by Thompson to start. Ben Oglivie pinch hit for Culp but forced Fisk at second. Harper forced Oglivie at second but Aparicio doubled to left to chase Woodson. Dave LaRoche came in to pitch and Yaz got plunked to load the bases. With the game on the line....Smith struck out swinging to end the inning. Ken Tatum came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Carew lined out to left to start. Killebrew popped up to first and Darwin popped up to short to end the inning. Rich Reese took over at first for Killebrew to start the bottom of the ninth as Petrocelli led off with a lineout to right. Cater lined out to left but Griffin got a base hit to left to bring the tying run to the plate. Fisk struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had won it 3-1.

Jackass of the Night is Reggie Smith. He was 0 for 4 including the big strikeout with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

                                                            Nice strikeout Jackass

The Good:

Carlton Fisk was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Ray Culp did very well. He went 7 innings and allowed just 2 earned runs (with one unearned). He also was 1 for 2 at the plate and drove in the only run for Boston.

Ken Tatum pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Danny Cater was 0 for 4.

Ben Oglivie was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 4.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and was hit with a pitch.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

This team is the absolute pits right now. After getting shelled yesterday, the pitching stepped up to hold the Twins to just 3 runs. Unfortunately the bats the got shut out yesterday managed to score just a single run today. The Twins pitching is good but its not THAT good. The Sox offense should be their bread and butter but has done absolutely nothing through the first 8 games. Harper, Petrocelli, Yaz and Cater have been almost automatic outs and Smith hasn't been much better. Apart from the rookie Fisk, nobody looks good offensively to start the year. Its still early but the Sox can't afford to lose many of these games with 7 games wiped off the schedule and Baltimore struggling as well. Culp did enough to win but the bats couldn't generate any offense for him. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox continue their road trip for a set with Ted Williams and the Texas Rangers starting Friday. Sonny Siebert gets the ball for the Sox against Pete Broberg of Texas. The game begins at 8:30 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Twins Rout Lifeless Sox (4/25/72)

The good news was the Boston Bruins completed their four game sweep of the St. Louis Blues to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The bad news was the Boston Red Sox came out of a rainout and an off-day to lay an egg against the Minnesota Twins. Jim Perry of the Twins tossed a complete game 4 hit shutout against the Sox but that wasn't even the worst of it. The Twins bashed Marty Pattin (0-3, 7.36 ERA) and the Sox bullpen for 16 total hits and 12 total runs. Gary Peters, Roger Moret and Bobby Bolin also got tagged by the relentless Twins offense as they beat around the Sox 12-0 at Metropolitan Stadium.

                                                     "PITCH BETTER PATTIN!!!"

The Sox did try to rally early although Tommy Harper flied out to left to start. Luis Aparicio hit one up the elevator shaft but Carl Yastrzemski singled to center. Reggie Smith singled to right but Rico Petrocelli flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox would have just two hits the rest of the game. The Twins teed off on Pattin in the bottom of the first as Cesar Tovar walked to start. Danny Thompson singled Tovar to third and Rod Carew walked to load the bases. Somehow Harmon Killebrew struck out swinging and Bobby Darwin hit one up the elevator shaft. One out away from getting out of it....Steve Braun singled to left. Tovar and Thompson scored and when Carew came around to score, Fisk botched the throw home allowing Rod to score on the error. Steve Brye hit a routine grounder to second but Doug Griffin turned and fired the ball into left field for an error to score Braun. Rick Dempsey struck out looking to end the inning but the Sox committed two errors and trailed 4-0.

                                          Doug Griffin and Carlton Fisk discuss fielding tactics

Danny Cater tried to spark a rally with a double to left to start the top of the second but could only move to third on the groundout by Griffin. Fisk flied out to center and Pattin struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins finished off Pattin in the bottom of the second although Perry grounded out to short to start. Tovar singled to left but could only move to second on the groundout by Thompson. One out away from getting out of it....Carew walked and Killebrew singled to left. Yaz then threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error to score Tovar and chase Pattin from the game. Marty was shelled for 8 runs in 1 2/3 innings but the 3 errors certainly didn't help. Gary Petters came in for his season debut and Braun doubled home both runners and Brye singled him in to add to the lead. Dempsey took strike three to end the inning but the score was now 9-0 Twins.

                                                  "Thanks for the mess ya left me Marty!"

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Harper hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Aparicio grounded out to third and Yaz flied out to left to end the inning. Things got worse in the bottom of the third as Perry walked to start. Tovar singled to center but Thompson banged into a double play. Carew then hit a routine pop up to Smith who let the ball hit him in the head for an error that scored Thompson. Unfortunately Carew pulled up lame and Dan Monzon ran for him at second. Killebrew walked but Darwin took strike three to end the inning with the Twins up 10-0.

                                                           Smith commits an error too

Smith struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Petrocelli popped up to second. Cater then got plunked and was knocked unconscious by the pitch. He had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded onto an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU. Bob Burda took his place but Griffin popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox finally kept the Twins off the board in the bottom of the fourth as Braun flied out to left to start. Brye beat out a single to short but Dempsey flied out to center. Perry forced Brye at second to end the inning.

Fisk flied out to right to begin the top of the fifth and Peters lined out to short. Harper grounded out to third to end the inning. Roger Moret took over on the mound for his season debut to start the bottom of the fifth and Tovar grounded out to third to start. Thompson hit one up the elevator shaft but Monzon walked. Killebrew singled to left but Darwin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aparicio tried to start a rally with a base hit to center to start the top of the sixth but Yaz popped up to third. Smith popped up to short and Petrocelli forced Aparicio at second to end the inning. The Twins struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Braun doubled to right to start. Brye also doubled to right to score Braun and increase the lead. Dempsey walked but Perry popped up to second. Tovar flied out to center and Thompson forced Dempsey at second to end the inning with the Twins up 11-0.

                                                       Not even Moret can hold down the Twins

With the game in hand, Rich Reese took over for Killebrew and Jim Nettles came in for Darwin to start the top of the seventh. Burda flied out to right and Griffin grounded out to short, but Fisk walked. Ben Oglivie pinch hit for Moret and drew a walk but Harper lined out to second to end the inning. Bobby Bolin came in to get tagged in the bottom of the seventh in his debut as Monzon singled to left to start. Reese singled Monzon over to third and Nettles grounded out to third to score Dan with the final run. Reese moved to third on the grounder by Braun but Brye popped up to first to end the inning with the Twins up 12-0.

                                                       Bolin gives up a run too

The Sox went quietly in the top of the eighth as Aparicio hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Yaz and Smith both grounded out to first to end the inning. Bolin returned for the bottom of the eighth and Dempsey flied out to center to begin. Perry ripped a base hit to right but Tovar struck out looking. Thompson flied out to center to end the inning. Perry had half as many hits by himself than the Sox had as a team total.

Perry returned to complete the game in the top of the ninth and Petrocelli flied out to right to begin. Burda grounded out to second and Griffin grounded out to short to end the game. The Twins had won it 12-0.

Jackass of the Night is Marty Pattin. He was shelled for 8 runs (7 earned) in just 1 2/3 innings. He's 0-3 so far on the season.

                                                                    Jackass Pattin

The Good:

Danny Cater was 1 for 1 with a hit by pitch before leaving the game.

Ben Oglivie walked as a pinch hitter.

The Bad:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 4.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4.

Bob Burda was 0 for 2.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4 with an error.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 4.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 2 with an error but walked.

Gary Peters allowed an earned run in 2 1/3 innings of work as well as an unearned one.

Roger Moret allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Bobby Bolin allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

What a massacre. That was as bad as a game you could possibly play. The offense scored no runs, the pitching gave up 12 and the Sox committed 4 field errors. As great as they looked against the New York Yankees offensively, they looked THAT bad in this one. The Sox could possibly be regretting the Milwaukee trade with Pattin 0-3 with an ERA over 7, Jim Lonborg was never that bad. Tommy Harper is hitting .160 in the leadoff spot and Ken Tatum can't really be used if the Sox don't have the lead. Still, the strike wiped out a full week off the schedule and bad weather days prevented anyone from getting into a proper rhythm. The Sox have only played 7 games this season so there's plenty of time to turn things around. The Baltimore Orioles didn't get off to a blazing start either so the Sox are nearing the end of April right there with everyone else. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Twins when Ray Culp (1-1) takes the mound against Dick Woodson of Minnesota. The game begins at 3:05 PM Eastern time at Metropolitan Stadium.