Red Sox Stun, Walkoff Indians (4/21/74)

It was an amazing day for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins won Game 2 of their NHL Semifinal series, the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 4 of their NBA East Final series and the Boston Red Sox pulled off an amazing comeback to sweep the Cleveland Indians. Bill Lee surrendered a 2 run home run in the top of the third inning and ended up trailing 5-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Things looked bleak after a Carl Yastrzemski sac fly brought the Sox within run but there were two outs. Down to their last out, Rico Petrocelli doubled off Cecil Upshaw to score Juan Beniquez with the tying run. Diego Segui (2-1, 2.53 ERA) tossed a scoreless tenth and then Dick McAuliffe stood on second base in the bottom of the frame. Milt Wilcox somehow threw a pickoff throw into centerfield and McAuliffe made a mad dash home to win the game for the Sox 6-5 in 10 innings at Fenway Park

                                                           Jojo White approves of the win

Lee got the ball in the top of the first and Remy Hermoso grounded back to the mound to start. John Lowenstein grounded out to third but Buddy Bell dumped a base hit to right. Bell was thrown out at second by Dwight Evans to end the inning. The Sox jumped on Jim Perry in the bottom of the first as Cecil Cooper walked to start. Doug Griffin caught the Indians asleep with a bunt single and Bernie Carbo walked to load the bases. Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second but Cooper scored to put Boston on top. Rico Petrocelli was intentionally walked to re-load the bases but Evans struck out swinging. Rick Miller popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                 Yaz drives in a run

John Ellis singled to left to start the top of the second and Charlie Spikes forced him at second. Chris Chambliss flied out to right and George Hendrick forced Spikes at second to end the inning. Bob Didier popped up to third to start the bottom of the second before Mario Guerrero grounded out to third. Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Indians struck back in the top of the third as Dave Duncan flied out to center to start. Frank Duffy grounded out to third but Hermoso singled to right. Lee then threw a pickoff throw away to move Hermoso to second but Lowenstein hit a home run all the way to Billerica to put Cleveland on top. Bell flied out to center to end the inning with the Indians up 2-1.

                                                                 Home run Lowenstein

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the third as Griffin grounded out to third to start. Carbo singled to center but Yaz popped up to left. Petrocelli flied out to left to end the inning.

Ellis flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Spikes grounded back to the mound. Chambliss took strike three to end the inning. Evans popped up to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Miller ripped a base hit to center. Rick moved to second on the Didier grounder to short. Guerrero struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Indians struck again in the top of the fifth as Hendrick walked to start. Hendrick got picked off but Griffin dropped a pop up from Duncan. Duffy singled to left and Hermoso got a seeing eye single into right to score Duncan. The Indians pulled off a double steal but Lowenstein grounded out to second with the infield in. Bell grounded out to third to end the inning with the Indians up 3-1.

                                                                Duncan scores a run

Cooper doubled to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Griffin's bunt attempt was too hard to Perry and Cooper stayed at second. Carbo grounded out to second to move Cooper to third and Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

Ellis beat out a roller to third to start the top of the sixth but Spikes forced him at second. Spikes stole second but Chambliss lined out to Griffin. Hendrick grounded out to short to end the inning. Petrocelli got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Evans banged into a double play. Miller doubled to right but Didier grounded out to second to end the inning.

Duncan singled to left to start the top of the seventh but Duffy dropped down a bunt. Lee threw the ball away for another error and Hermoso singled in the hole at short to load the bases. Lowenstein lined out to left and Bell beat out a double play ball to score Duncan.....and they forgot about Duffy who came around to score as well. Ellis hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Indians up 5-1.

                                                         Heads up play by Duffy

Guerrero popped up to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Cooper struck out swinging. Griffin flied out to center to end the inning.

Spikes singled to right to start the top of the eighth but was thrown out second trying to steal. Chambliss grounded out to third but Hendrick singled to left. Duncan singled to left but Duffy forced Duncan to end the inning. Carbo took strike three to start the bottom of the eighth but Yaz doubled to left. Petrocelli grounded out to third but Evans was hit with a pitch. Miller forced Evans at second to end the inning.

Lee returned for the top of the ninth and Hermoso grounded out to short to start. Lowenstein singled to right and stole second, but Bell grounded out to short. Ellis got picked off to end the inning. Lee went 9 innings and allowed 5 runs although only 2 were earned. He allowed 13 hits and a walk.

                                                                Lee goes nine

Suddenly the Sox woke up in the bottom of the ninth with Dick McAuliffe pinch hitting for Didier. Dick drew a walk and Danny Cater pinch hit for Guerrero. Cater got a base hit to right and that was it for Perry. Ken Sanders came in to pitch and Cooper singled to right to load the bases. Griffin got a base hit to right to score McAuliffe and reload the bases. Tom Hilgendorf came in to face Carbo and Bernie beat out a double play ball to score Cater. Juan Beniquez ran for Carbo and Yaz scored Cooper with a sac fly to cut the lead. Cecil Upshaw came in to face Petrocelli and with the game on the line....Rico doubled off the Monster to score Beniquez to tie the game. Terry Hughes ran for Petrocelli and Evans drew a walk. With the winning run at second....Miller took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                             Petrocelli ties it up

Bob Montgomery took over behind the plate with Diego Segui now on the mound for the top of the tenth. Ellis lined out to short but Spikes singled to right. Chambliss banged into a double play to end the inning. McAuliffe walked to start the bottom of 10th and was sacrificed to second by Montgomery. Milt Wilcox came in to face Cooper and accidentally threw a pickoff throw into centerfield. McAuliffe made a mad dash all the way around to score to win the game. The Sox had stolen the game 6-5.

Hero of The Night is Dick McAuliffe. His hustling around the bases scored the winning run in the 10th inning.

                                                              Hero McAuliffe

The Good:

Cecil Cooper was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Doug Griffin was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Juan Beniquez scored a run as a pinch runner.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Rick Miller was 2 for 5.

Danny Cater singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Bob Montgomery dropped down a crucial sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the tenth.

Diego Segui got the win with a scoreless 10th inning.

The Bad:

Bob Didier was 0 for 3.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and was hit with a pitch.

Bernie Carbo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but knocked in two runs.

Bill Lee pitched 9 innings and allowed 5 runs but only 2 of them were earned due to his own error. He allowed 13 hits and a walk.

Honorable Mention:

Terry Hughes ran for Petrocelli and played third base.

Final Thoughts:

That was the win of the season for sure. The Sox were down 5-1 going into the eighth and rallied to tie the game. Everyone contributed from Danny Cater getting a pinch hit single, Dick McAuliffe getting a pinch hit walk, Juan Beniquez scoring as a pinch runner and Diego Segui getting key outs in the 10th. Petrocelli's double with 2 outs was clutch as was well as Carbo avoiding the double play. Yaz got a big rbi and all around the team needed everyone to win this one. Lee was hit or miss in this one but still went 9 innings that would have been a complete game if the Sox pulled it off in the ninth. The Sox need to win every game possible and this is one of those games they'll need come September. The Sox swept Cleveland out of Fenway and now welcome in the Kansas City Royals for a two game set. Rick Wise (1-1) goes for the Sox against Nelson Briles of the Royals. The game begins at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Hold Off Indians (4/20/74)

That was too close for comfort but the Boston Red Sox made it two in a row over the Cleveland Indians in tonight's game. Luis Tiant (1-1, 5.28 ERA) went the distance allowing 9 hits, a walk and four runs through the course of the game. The Sox rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the first off Bob Johnson of Cleveland and increasing the lead to 4-0 until Buddy Bell hit a three run home run in the seventh. Rico Petrocelli drove in Juan Beniquez in the bottom of the seventh for a big insurance run and the Sox would need it. Charlie Spikes hit a home run in the top of the ninth but Tiant held on and the Sox had beaten the Indians 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Lynda Carter approves of the win

Tiant got the ball in the top of the first inning and John Lowenstein singled to right to start. Lowenstein was immediately picked off and Remy Hermoso grounded out to short. George Hendrick took strike three to end the inning. The Sox jumped on Johnson immediately in the bottom of the first as Tommy Harper beat out a roller to third. Harper swiped second but Juan Beniquez grounded out to third. Bernie Carbo doubled to right to score Harper and Carl Yastrzemski was intentionally walked in the first inning. Rico Petrocelli made the Indians pay with a base hit to center to score Carbo. Dwight Evans flied out to left but Doug Griffin doubled to left to score Yaz. Bob Didier of all people was intentionally walked and Mario Guerrero forced Griffin at third to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                     Has Ken Aspromonte been drinking?

John Ellis hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the second but Chris Chambliss singled to right. Charles Spikes struck out swinging and Dave Duncan hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Harper grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Beniquez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Carbo got a base hit to right but Yaz lined out to right to end the inning.

Buddy Bell grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Frank Duffy struck out swinging. Lowenstein popped up to first to end the inning. Petrocelli popped up to right to start the bottom of the third but Evans managed to triple into the centerfield triangle. Griffin got a base hit to right to score Evans but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Didier grounded out to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-0.

                                                       You're out, you dummy!

Hermoso's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Petrocelli to start the top of the fourth and Hendrick grounded out to first. Ellis popped up to short to end the inning. Guerrero doubled off the Monster to start the bottom of the fourth and Harper popped up to right. Beniquez lined out to third and Carbo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Chambliss doubled to right to start the top of the fifth but Spikes struck out swinging. Duncan walked but Bell struck out swinging. Duffy popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Petrocelli popped up to short. Evans grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Lowenstein singled to center to open the top of the sixth but Jack Brohamer pinch hit for Hermoso. Brohamer singled to right but Hendrick struck out swinging. Ellis grounded into a double play to end the inning. Griffin singled to right to begin the bottom of the sixth but Didier popped up to center. Griffin was thrown out trying to steal second and Guerrero grounded out to third to end the inning.

All of a sudden the Indians rallied in the top of the seventh as Chambliss singled to right to start. Spikes beat out a roller to short but Duncan struck out swinging. Bell then hit a three run home run all the way to the Soviet Union to cut the lead. Leron Lee pinch hit for Duffy and struck out swinging before Lowenstein flied out to right to end the inning with the Indians down 4-3.

                                                           Bell brings the Indians closer

Jack Heidemann took over for Lee to start the bottom of the seventh and Harper grounded out to third to start. Beniquez walked but Carbo struck out swinging again. Yaz walked and Petrocelli dumped a base hit to center to score Beniquez. Cecil Upshaw came in to pitch and Dick McAuliffe ran for Rico. Evans grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                                       Petrocelli drives in a run

Brohamer grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Hendrick struck out swinging. Ellis flied out to left to end the inning. Griffin grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the eighth and Didier popped up to first in foul territory. Guerrero singled to left but Harper forced him at second to end the inning.

Tiant came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Chambliss grounded out to center. Spikes hit a home run all the way to San Jose to cut the lead but Duncan grounded out to short. Bell flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

                                                         "Had them all the way" - Tiant

Hero of The Night is Rico Petrocelli. He drove in two big runs including the decisive run in the seventh.

                                                             Hero Petrocelli

The Good:

Bernie Carbo was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski walked twice and scored a run in four plate appearances.

Doug Griffin was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Mario Guerrero was 2 for 4.

Luis Tiant went the distance to earn the win, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits and a walk while striking out 9.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was just 1 for 5 but stole a base and scored a run.

Juan Beniquez was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Bob Didier was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Dick McAuliffe pinch ran for Petrocelli and played third base.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good win by the Sox and badly needed with Carlton Fisk and Bob Montgomery out. Tiant went the distance to save the bullpen and hats of to the offense who did just enough to win. Things got a little hairy at the end but the Petrocelli rbi late ended up being the difference in the game. The Indians don't appear to be headed for greatness this season so its imperative to beat them this season. Tiant did his job in this one but the Sox need to keep the momentum going, especially this early in the season. The Sox look to sweep the Indians out of Boston tomorrow afternoon when they send Bill Lee to the mound against Jim Perry of Cleveland. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Carbo, Cleveland Dice Up Indians (4/19/74)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 3 of their NBA East Finals series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians. Reggie Cleveland (1-1, 2.45 ERA) pitched his second straight strong game, holding the Indians to just two runs in six solid innings. Bernie Carbo got the Sox on the board against Dick Tidrow with a 2 run blast and a balanced attack pushed four more runs across the plate. Backup catcher Bob drove in a run, Dwight Evans drove in a run and Dick Drago slammed the door as the Sox beat the Indians 6-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Bruno Sammartino approves of the win

Cleveland got the ball in the top of the first and John Lowenstein grounded out to second to start. Remy Hermoso lined out to center and George Hendrick grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Tidrow in the bottom of the first as Juan Beniquez popped up to second to start. Doug Griffin walked and Bernie Carbo slugged his third home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Carl Yastrzemski and Rico Petrocelli both grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                           Griffin's walk was big

John Ellis beat out a roller to short to start the top of the second before Chris Chambliss singled to center. Charlie Spikes popped up to right, Dave Duncan struck out swinging and Buddy Bell flied out to left to end the inning. Cecil Cooper struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Dwight Evans reached on an error by Hermoso. Bob Didier made his Sox debut by lofting a base hit to right to move Evans to third. Mario Guerrero hit a grounder....off of Didier for an interference out. Beniquez forced Guerrero at second to end the inning.

Frank Duffy grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Lowenstein flied out to center. Hermoso walked but Hendrick lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the third as Griffin singled to left to start. Carbo was plunked and Yaz doubled to left to score Griffin. Petrocelli popped up to center but Cooper was foolishly intentionally walked to load the bases. Evans beat out a roller to short to score Carbo and Didier scored Yaz with a sac fly to left. Bell booted a grounder by Guerrero for an error to reload the bases but Beniquez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                           First Sox rbi for Didier

The Indians struck back in the top of the fourth as Ellis flied out to right to start. Chambliss grounded out to second and Spikes hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to cut the lead. Duncan popped up to short to end the inning with the Indians down 5-1.

                                                               Home run Spikes

Tom Timmermann came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Griffin grounded back to the mound to start. Carbo struck out swinging and Yaz also grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Indians struck again in the top of the fifth as Bell hit a home run to Saudi Arabia to cut the lead. Duffy and Lowenstein both reached on bunt singles down to third and Hermoso ripped a base hit to right to load the bases. Cleveland houdini'd his way out as Hendtrick struck out swinging to start. Ellis popped up to center and Chambliss lined out to center to end the inning with the Indians down 5-2.

                                                         Bell hits one out

Petrocelli grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth and Cooper grounded out to second. Evans singled to center but Didier flied out to left to end the inning.

The Indians beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Spikes grounded out to short. Duncan grounded out to short and Bell grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Cleveland who held the Indians to just 2 runs in 6 innings of work.

                                                              Good work Reggie

Guerrero walked to start the bottom of the sixth and Beniquez dropped down a bunt to move him to second. Mario got thrown out at third on a grounder by Griffin and Carbo grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dick Drago came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duffy struck out swinging to start. Lowenstein grounded out to short and Jack Brohamer pinch hit for Hermoso. Brohamer grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Yaz walked to start. Petrocelli forced Carl at second and Dick McAuliffe ran for Rico at first. Cooper singled McAuliffe to third and Cecil Upshaw came in to pitch to Evans. Dwight hit a sac fly to center to score Dick and Didier popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-2.

                                                       McAuliffe scores a run

The Indians got a run back in the top the eighth as Hendrick hit a home run all the way to Zimbabwe to cut the lead. Ellis flied out to center and Chambliss flied out to left before Spikes took strike three to end the inning with the Indians down 6-3.

                                                            Hendrick hits one out

Guerrero struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth and Beniquez hit a roller to the mound. Upshaw threw the ball away but Juan was thrown out at third. Griffin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Duncan grounded out to third to start the top of the ninth and Bell did the same. Oscar Gamble pinch hit for Duffy and grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-3.

Hero of the Night is Bernie Carbo. His 2 run home run set the tone for the game.

                                                              Bernie Hero

The Good:

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

Dick McAuliffe scored a run as a pinch runner.

Cecil Cooper was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Bob Didier was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Reggie Cleveland got the win by tossing 6 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 7 hits and a walk while striking out two.

Dick Drago earned his first save of the season by allowing just 1 run in 3 innings of work.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Juan Beniquez was just 1 for 4.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored two runs.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Good bounce back win by the Sox after dropping three of the last four games including 2 of 3 to the New York Yankees in New York. The Indians are not good this year and the Sox need to beat teams like this to have any hope of winning the AL East. Cleveland pitched a gutty game and it was nice to see Didier produce. Bob Montgomery must be exhausted after catching every game with Carlton Fisk out so it was good to see someone else fill in successfully. The Sox definitely went small ball in this one with Beniquez, Guerrero, etc and it worked this time. Hopefully the Sox can keep this momentum going the rest of the series with Cleveland. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Indians tomorrow afternoon when Luis Tiant (0-1) goes for his first win of the season against Bob Johnson of Cleveland. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Six Run Sixth Dooms Sox (4/18/74)

It was bad news all around for the city of Boston as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their NHL Semifinal series and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox. Doc Medich and Rick Wise (1-1, 3.14 ERA) battled to a 0-0 tie through five innings when Wise imploded in the bottom of the sixth. The Yankees scored three runs off Wise before Sox manager Darrell Johnson lifted him for Diego Segui. Mike Hegan hit a backbreaking three run home run to put the game out of reach. The Sox managed to scratch out one run against Medich as he went the distance for the Yankees. It all added up to a 6-1 loss to the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

        `                                              "Only one run against Medich???"

Medich got the ball in the top of the first inning and Juan Beniquez walked to start. Cecil Cooper struck out swinging but Beniquez stole second. Bernie Carbo struck out swinging and Carl Yastrzemski was intentionally walked. The returning Rico Petrocelli popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Wise got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roy White lined out to right to start. Mike Hegan struck out swinging but Thurman Munson walked. Bobby Murcer flied out to left to end the inning.

Dwight Evans took strike three to start the top of the second before Bob Montgomery grounded out to short. Doug Griffin singled to center but Mario Guerrero flied out to center to end the inning. Ron Blomberg doubled to left to start the bottom of the second before moving to third on the Graig Nettles grounder to second. Duke Sims struck out swinging and Gene Michael grounded out to second to end the inning.

Beniquez grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Cooper flied out to center. Carbo grounded out to second to end the inning. Jim Mason walked to begin the bottom of the third but White popped up to second. Hegan hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. 

Yaz grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Petrocelli flied out to right. Evans grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Murcer singled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Blomberg banged into a double play. Nettles singled to center but Sims flied out to left to end the inning.

Montgomery grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the fifth but Griffin singled to center. Guerrero grounded into a double play to end the inning. Michael grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth before Mason doubled to center. White and Hagan drew back to back walks to load the bases but Munson hit a rocket to Guerrero. Mario flipped to second for the double play to end the inning. 

Beniquez took strike three to start the top of the sixth but Cooper singled to center. Cooper got thrown out trying to steal and Carbo popped up to right to end the inning. The Yankees exploded in the bottom of the sixth as Murcer singled to center to start. Blomberg doubled to left and Nettles hit a sac fly to center to score Murcer. Sims doubled to right to score Blomberg and Michael doubled to right to score Sims. That was it for Wise who lasted just 5 1/3 innings while being charged with four runs off 8 hits and 4 walks. Mason walked but White struck out swinging...only for Hegan to hit a three run home run to Nepal to ice the game. Munson singled to left but Murcer grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 6-0.

                                                               "Aye carumba" - Segui

Elliott Maddox came in to play right field in the top of the seventh as Yaz popped up to third to start. Petrocelli flied out to left and Evans flied out to center to end the inning. Dick McAuliffe took over for Petrocelli to start the bottom of the seventh and Maddox struck out swinging to begin. Nettles beat out a roller to third but Sims struck out swinging. Michael grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Montgomery grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth and Griffin flied out to center. Guerrero popped up to first to end the inning. Lance Clemons made his Sox debut in the bottom of the eighth as Mason popped up to short to start. White grounded out to second and Hegan popped up to short to end the inning.

Medich returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Beniquez struck out swinging to begin. Cooper flied out to center but Carbo belted his second home run of the season. Yaz grounded out to first to end the game. The Yankees had won it 6-1.

Jackass of the Night is Rick Wise. He got hammered in the sixth inning and was charged with 4 runs in just 5 1/3 inning to take the loss.

                                                                Jackass Wise

The Good:

Doug Griffin was 2 for 3.

Lance Clemons pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth.

The Bad:

Diego Segui allowed 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 3.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Juan Beniquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and stole a base.

Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bernie Carbo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Dick McAuliffe played third in the final two inning.

Final Thoughts:

What turned into a pitcher's duel turned into a rout within one inning. Wise was doing well but fell apart in the sixth inning and the home run allowed by Segui ended the game right then and there. The Sox got just 4 hits and 2 walks against Medich so even if Segui didn't give up the home run, they still would have lost. For the first time, the loss of Carlton Fisk reared its ugly head as the bottom of the order did absolutely nothing. Still, a game where the entire offense but Doug Griffin was shut down will happen throughout the course of a season. Just have to tip your cap and move on. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when they return home to play the Cleveland Indians. Reggie Cleveland (0-1) gets the ball opposite Dick Tidrow of Cleveland. The game begins at 3:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Yankees (4/17/74)

For six innings it looked like the New York Yankees were going to beat the Boston Red Sox for the second game in a row. The Yankees got two early runs against Sox starter Bill Lee (2-1, 1.99 ERA) and Pat Dobson pitched a shutout through six. Then the Sox sprang to life in the seventh as Carl Yastrzemski hit a home run and Doug Griffin pulled off a safety squeeze to score Cecil Cooper, tying the game. In the eighth, Bernie Carbo drove in the go-ahead run and Bob Montgomery knocked home the insurance run. Lee ended up going the distance allowing just the two runs and five hits as the Sox beat the Yankees 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                        Claudia Jennings approves of the win

Dobson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper popped up to second to start. Juan Beniquez grounded out to short but Bernie Carbo walked. Carl Yastrzemski was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Lee got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roy White hit a comebacker to start. Walt Williams grounded out to second and Bobby Murcer flied out to right to end the inning.

Bob Montgomery grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Cecil Cooper walked. Dick McAuliffe grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the second as Thurman Munson doubled to left to begin. Lou Piniella beat out a roller to short and Munson took third on a fly ball to center by Bill Sudakis. Nettles hit a comebacker to Lee who then inexplicably spiked the ball like a football and did the boogie woogie for an error to score Munson. Gene Michael also hit a comebacker to Lee who tossed to second for the force but Mario Guerrero threw the ball away for another error. Piniella scored on the play but Jim Mason grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

                                                                A comedy of errors

Doug Griffin popped up to third to start the top of the third before Mario Guerrero struck out swinging. Harper grounded back to the mound to end the inning. White grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Williams also hit a comebacker. Murcer flied out to center to end the inning.

Beniquez grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth but Carbo walked. Yaz popped up to second but Montgomery reached on an error by Mason. Cooper took strike three to end the inning. Munson struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fourth and Piniella flied out to right. Sudakis lined out to left to end the inning.

McAuliffe grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Griffin grounded back to the mound. Guerrero grounded out to third to end the inning. The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as Nettles grounded out to second to start. Michael grounded out to third and Mason grounded out to second to end the inning.

Harper lined out to left to start the top of the sixth and Beniquez grounded out to short. Carbo struck out swinging to end the inning. White hit another comebacker to start the bottom of the sixth and Williams popped up to second. Murcer got a base hit to right but Munson forced him at second to end the inning.

The Sox finally rallied in the top of the seventh as Yaz belted his fourth home run of the year to cut the lead. Montgomery flied out to right but Cooper got a base hit to left. McAuliffe also got a base hit to left to move Cecil to third, and Griffin caught the Yankees asleep with a safety squeeze to score Cooper. Guerrero and Harper both struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Yaz hits one out

Lee caught Piniella looking to start the bottom of the seventh and Sudakis hit one up the elevator shaft. Nettles grounded out to third to end the inning.

Beniquez doubled to right to start the top of the eight but Williams threw the ball away to allow Juan to make third. Yankees manager Bill Virdon inexplicably put Williams in left field and brought in Elliott Maddox to play right. Carbo ripped a base hit to left to score Beniquez with the go-ahead run. That was it for Dobson as Sparky Lyle replaced him. Yaz greeted Sparky with a base hit to center to move Carbo to third and Bernie scored on the sac fly by Montgomery. Cooper got a base hit to left to move Yaz to third and Danny Cater pinch hit for McAuliffe. Cater grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                                     Sac fly for Bob

John Kennedy came in to play second in the bottom of the eighth and Michael grounded back to the mound to start. Horace Clark pinch hit for Mason and walked but Maddox grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Griffin grounded out to third to start the top of the ninth before Guerrero struck out swinging. Harper also struck out swinging to end the inning. Lee returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and Williams flied out to center to start. Murcer hit a routine grounder to Cooper who booted it for an error but was forced at second by Munson. Piniella singled to center and Ron Blomberg pinch ran for him. Sudakis got a base hit to center to score Munson and put the tying run at second. Nettles grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win it 4-3.

Hero of the Night is Bernie Carbo. He drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning.

                                                          Bernie Hero

The Good:

Carl Yasztremski was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Cecil Cooper was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Dick McAuliffe was 1 for 3.

Bill Lee went the distance for the win allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk while striking out two.

The Bad:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Danny Cater grounded into a double play in his only at-bat.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

The Ugly:

Juan Beniquez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

John Kennedy played second base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Good comeback win for the Sox and kudos for Lee for going the distance despite the early troubles. The Yankees needed two errors to take the lead but once the Sox settled down, they took command of the game. Yaz' homer was clutch and the Carbo base hit put the Sox in a position to never look back. The Sox need to go on a nice winning streak to finish April strong and hopefully this could be the start. Luis Tiant and Rick Wise are pitching well and Reggie Cleveland had a good game recently, if Lee gets it going the Sox have a chance this season. The only drawback to this game was Mario Guerrero was completely useless but its only one game. The Sox look to take two of three from the Yankees tomorrow afternoon when Rick Wise (1-0) takes on Doc Medich of the Yankees. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Stottlemyre, Yankees Edge Sox (4/16/74)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 2 of their NBA East Finals series but the bad news was the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox. It was a great pitcher's duel between Mel Stottlemyre of the Yankees and Luis Tiant (0-1, 5.85 ERA), its just too bad the Yankees had to win. Mike Hegan drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the second inning to put the Yankees on top but Tommy Harper tied it in the top of the fifth inning. Graig Nettles drove in a run in the bottom of the sixth and that was all the offense New York would need. The Sox would get the tying run on in the final three innings but couldn't drive it in as the Yankees took the game 2-1 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                      "We lost to Stottlemyre?"

Stottlemyre got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper took trike three to start. Rick Miller got a base hit to left but Bernie Carbo grounded into a double play to end the inning. Tiant got the ball in the bottom of the first as Roy White took strike three to start. Mike Hegan singled to right but Thurman Munson struck out swinging. Bobby Murcer walked and Ron Blomburg popped up to second to end the inning.

Gene Michael booted a grounder by Carl Yastrzemski to start the top of the second but Bob Montgomery flied out to right. Cecil Cooper flied out to left and Dick McAuliffe grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the second as Graig Nettles got a base hit to center to start. Lou Piniella took strike three and Michael flied out to center, but Jim Mason singled to center. White was hit with a pitch and Hegan walked to score Nettles. Munson hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Yankees 1-0.

                                                            Hegan walks on home

Doug Griffin flied out to right to start the top of the third before Mario Guerrero grounded out to short. Harper walked but Miller grounded out to third to end the inning. Murcer singled to center to begin the bottom of the third but Blomberg took strike three. Nettles singled to center but Piniella and Michael both froze for strike three to end the inning.

Carbo flied out to left to start the top of the fourth and Yaz grounded out to first. Montgomery grounded out to short to end the inning. Mason grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before White flied out to right. Hegan hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Cooper singled to center to start. McAuliffe flied out to left but Griffin knocked a base hit to center. Guerrero flied out to left but Harper got a base hit to right. Cooper scored easily but Griffin was thrown out at home to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Yerrrrr out!

The Yankees responded in the bottom of the fifth as Munson grounded out to second to start. Murcer singled to center but Montgomery threw a pickoff throw away for an error to move Bobby to second. Blomberg flied out to center but Nettles singled to center to score Murcer. Piniella doubled to center but Nettles was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-1.

                                                                 Yerrrrrr out!

Miller flied out to left to start the top of the sixth before Carbo struck out swinging. Yaz singled to right but Montgomery struck out swinging to end the inning. Michael singled to right to start the bottom of the sixth but Montgomery mishandled a bunt by Mason. White popped up to second, Hegan took strike three and Munson forced Michael at third to end the inning.

Cooper flied out to left to start the top of the seventh before McAuliffe grounded out to second. Griffin singled to left but Guerrero was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Murcer grounded out to second to open the bottom of the seventh and Blomberg hit one up the elevator shaft. Nettles grounded out to second to end the inning.

Harper grounded back to the mound to start the top of the eighth before Miller flied out to right. Carbo walked but Yaz forced him at second to end the inning. Tiant returned for the bottom of the eighth and Piniella flied out to right to start. Michael grounded back to the mound and Mason struck out swinging to end the inning. Tiant ended up throwing a complete game allowing 2 runs off 9 hits. He deserved better.

                                                               Complete game loss

Elliott Maddox came in for Piniella to start the top of the ninth and Montgomery grounded out to second to begin. Cooper grounded back to the mound but McAuliffe singled to left to put the tying run on. Juan Beniquez pinch hit for Griffin and flied out to left to end the game. The Yankees had won it 2-1.

Jackass of The Night is Bob Montgomery. He went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and made a critical error to allow the go-ahead run to score.

                                                            Bob The Jackass

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Doug Griffin was 2 for 3.

One of the rare times the winning pitcher ended up on the good list as Luis Tiant threw a complete game 9 hitter. He allowed 2 runs and struck out 8.

The Bad:

Juan Beniquez flied out to end the game.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4.

Bernie Carbo was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Dick McAuliffe was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a kick in the ass and could have been won. Stottlemyre was damn good but the Sox had their chances with men on base. The Sox couldn't get a clutch hit to save their lives and that error by Montgomery was a killer. Griffin getting thrown out at home didn't help either. Its a shame because Tiant pitched very well as well for the first time all season. That was essentially the only highlight, even in defeat, is Luis getting back on track. A three headed monster of Tiant, Bill Lee and Rick Wise might actually be good this season. Hopefully the bats get back on track tomorrow against the Yankees as well. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when Bill Lee (1-1) takes on Pat Dobson of New York. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Shea Stadium....yes you heard that right.

Coleman Outduels Cleveland, Tigers Blank Sox (4/15/74)

Today's game between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers was a wonderful pitcher's duel. Too bad the wrong team won. Joe Coleman pitched a complete game 3 hit shutout for the Tigers while the hard luck loser was Reggie Cleveland (0-1, 2.19 ERA) who pitched better than he did allowing 3 hits without a walk. The only run scored in the game was on a Norm Cash home run in the fifth inning, otherwise both starters went the distance. The Sox did get the tying run on in the ninth but a Dick McAuliffe double play put the kibosh on that one. The Tigers beat the Sox 1-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Mr. Wonka?

Cleveland got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ed Brinkman singled to center to start. Aurelio Rodriguez hit a double play ball to Doug Griffin who flipped to Mario Guerrero who....threw the ball away for an error. Jim Northrup forced Rodriguez at second and Al Kaline flied out to right to end the inning. Coleman got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Tommy Harper flied out to right to start. Rick Miller singled to left but was forced at second by Cecil Cooper. Carl Yastrzemski flied out to right to end the inning.

Willie Horton led off the top of the second by grounding out to short before Bill Freehan flied out to center. Norm Cash grounded out to first to end the inning. Bob Montgomery walked to start the bottom of the second and Bernie Carbo was hit with a pitch. Dick McAuliffe dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but instead Montgomery was forced at third. Doug Griffin banged into a double play to end the inning.

Mickey Stanley singled to center to start the top of the third but Gary Sutherland flied out to right. Brinkman struck out swinging and Stanley was gunned down at second trying to steal to end the inning. Guerrero struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Harper popped up to second. Miller walked and stole second but Cooper flied out to left to end the inning.

Rodriguez lined out to second to start the top of the fourth before Northrup flied out to left. Kaline grounded out to short to end the inning. Yaz flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Montgomery also flied out to right. Carbo walked and took second on a wild pitch before McAuliffe walked. Once again with two men on....Griffin flied out to center to end the inning.

The Tigers struck first in the top of the fifth as Horton flied out to right to start. Freehan popped up to short but Cash hit a home run all the way to Albuquerque to put Detroit on top. Stanley took strike three to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0. 

                                                              Cash hits one out

Guerrero flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Harper walked. Harper stole second but Miller flied out to center. Cooper struck out swinging to end the inning.

Sutherland hit a rocket but right to Cleveland to start the top of the sixth and Brinkman flied out to left. Rodriguez flied out to center to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Montgomery struck out swinging. Carbo flied out to left to end the inning.

Northrup grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh and Kaline grounded back to the mound. Horton struck out swinging to end the inning. McAuliffe flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Griffin singled to left. Guerrero singled to right but Harper hit into a double play to end the inning.

Freehan lined out to short to begin the top of the eighth before Cash flied out to center. Stanley struck out swinging to end the inning. Miller took strike three to start the bottom of the eighth and Cooper grounded out to second. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning.

Cleveland came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Sutherland grounded out to third to start. Brinkman took strike three and Rodriguez grounded out to first to end the inning. Cleveland threw a complete game 3 hitter allowing no walks while striking out 5.

                                                             Reggie did all he could

Coleman came back to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and Montgomery grounded out to short to start. Carbo was hit with a pitch but McAuliffe grounded into a double play to end the game. The Tigers had won it 1-0.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one since everyone failed at one point or another but Doug Griffin hit into a double play and flied out with two men on base each time.

                                                             Jackass Griffin

The Good:

Rick Miller was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Bernie Carbo got hit with a pitch twice and walked.

Mario Guerrero was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Reggie Cleveland tossed a complete game 3 hitter and the Cash home run was the only run allowed in the game.

The Bad:

Cecil Cooper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 3 but walked and stole a base.

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Dick McAuliffe was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts: 

That was a great game, only problem was the Sox didn't win it. Cleveland pitched very well and the Sox had men on base but couldn't get them in. They hit into way too many double plays and couldn't get that big home run when needed. The problem is Tommy Harper and Rick Miller just aren't hitting well and neither is Dick McAuliffe. Those three need to pick up the pace if the Sox have any hope of competing with anyone this year. Just cut down on the double plays, will ya? Sox manager Darrell Johnson should start doing more hit and runs. The Sox now travel to New York to play the Yankees and tomorrow afternoon Luis Tiant goes one on one with Mel Stottlemyre. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Shea Stadium....no that's not a typo.