Red Sox Beat Up White Sox (4/17/81)

It looks like the Boston Red Sox offense is finally about to heat up. After putting seven runs on the board against the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox managed to plate eight of them in today's game against the Chicago White Sox. Dennis Eckersley (1-0, 3.75 ERA) was painfully average in today's start by allowing 3 runs in just 5 innings. Mark Clear wasn't much better in relief but the offense was the story today. Rick Miller drove in three runs, Carney Lansford cracked his first home run of the year and Gary Allenson drove in two runs of his own. The offense pounded out 14 hits and 8 runs as the Red Sox beat the White Sox 8-5 at Commiskey Park.

                                                         Joe Dobson approves of the win

Richard Dotson got the start for the White Sox and Jerry Remy led off the top of the first by grounding out to second to start. Dwight Evans struck out but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Jim Rice flied out to right to end the inning. Eck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ron LeFlore led off with a grounder to short. Mike Squires popped up to short and old friend Carlton Fisk doubled to left. Greg Luzinski hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the second as Tony Perez walked to start. Carney Lansford smashed his first home run of the year to give the BoSox the lead. Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound but Gary Allenson doubled to left. Rick Miller singled Allenson home to increase the lead. Remy banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

                                                             Lansford hits one out

Eck cruised in the bottom of the second as Chet Lemon popped up to first to start. Harold Baines grounded out to first and Jim Morrison grounded out to third to end the inning.

Evans flied out to center to start the top of the third before Yaz grounded out to second. Rice flied out to center to end the inning. The White Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Tony Bernazard doubled to right to start. Bob Almon singled Tony to third and he scored on the LeFlore hit to left. LeFlore came up lame and Rusty Kuntz pinch ran for him. Squires scored Almon with a sac fly but Fisk hit one up the elevator shaft. Luzinski took strike three to end the inning but the lead was trimmed 3-2.

                                                             Bye bye LeFlore

The BoSox struck again in the top of the fourth as Perez grounded out to third to start. Lansford singled to center and Hoffman reached on an error by Squires. The runners moved over on the grounder by Allenson and Miller singled home both runners to increase the lead. Fransisco Barrios came in for Dotson and Miller swiped second. Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-2.

                                                            Hoffman scores a run

Lemon singled to start the bottom of the fourth but Baines grounded into a double play. Morrison grounded out to third to end the inning.

The BoSox threatened in the top of the fifth although Evans took strike three to start. Yaz popped up to short but Rice and Perez hit back to back singles. Lansford struck out to end the inning. The White Sox got a run back instantly in the bottom of the fifth as Bernazard hit a home run all the way to Ottawa, Canada to cut the lead. Almon popped up to first and Kuntz took strike three, but Squires doubled to left. Fisk popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with the White Sox down 5-3. That was it for Eckersley who has seen better days, going just 5 innings while allowing 3 runs.

                                                      Not Eck's best stuff

Hoffman grounded out to short to begin the top of the sixth but Allenson and Miller stoked back to back base hits. Remy lined out to center and Evans flied out to center to end the inning. Mark Clear came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Luzinski singled to right to start. Lemon walked and Baines singled to right to load the bases with nobody out. Clear got Morrison to hit a bullet to Lansford who tagged the bag to force Lemon then fired home get Luzinski at home for the double play. Bernazard grounded out to first to end the inning.

Ed Farmer came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Red Sox tagged him too. Yaz and Rice drew back to back walks and Perez singled home Carl to increase the lead. Lansford singled to center to load the bases but Hoffman popped up to second. Allenson doubled home Rice and Perez to ice the game. Kevin Hickey relieved Farmer and Miller flied out to center. Remy also flied out to center to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 8-3.

                                                              Allenson drives in a pair

Almon singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh and swiped second. Kuntz struck out, Squires popped up to short and Fisk popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

The BoSox went quietly in the top of the eighth as Evans flied out to right to start. Yaz grounded out to first and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning. All of a sudden the ChiSox got home run crazy in the bottom of the eighth. Luzinski hit a home run all the way to Sri Lanka and Miller had to climb the wall to rob Lemon of a home run. Baines then hit a home run all the way to Mongolia to chase Clear. Tom Burgmeier came in and got Morrison to ground out to short and Bernazard fouled off a bunt for strike three to end the inning with the ChiSox down 8-5.

                                                     Keep the ball in the yard, will ya?

Dennis Lamp took the mound for the top of the ninth and Perez grounded back to the mound to start. Lansford and Hoffman stroked back to back singles but Allenson banged into a double play to end the inning. Burgmeier returned for the bottom of the ninth and Almon hit a routine grounder to Hoffman to start. Glenn dove on the ball like a grenade for an error and Wayne Nordhagen pinch hit for Kuntz. Nordhagen banged into a double play and Lamar Johnson pinch hit for Squires. Johnson grounded out to second to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 8-5.

Hero of the Night is Rick Miller. He was 3 for 4 with a stolen base and 3 total rbis.

                                                   Miller The Hero

The Good:

Tony Perez was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Carney Lansford was 4 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Gary Allenson was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Tom Burgmeier tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 5.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Mark Clear allowed 2 home runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 5 with an error but scored a run.

Dennis Eckersley lasted just 5 innings and allowed 3 runs.

Final Thoughts:

If this is what the offense is projected to be the whole season, they're in very good hands. Of course they have to stay healthy which is a problem for some of them. If only they didn't lose Carlton Fisk because 1-6 is as good as anyone and Fisk would make 7. Although Gary Allenson had a good game tonight that was badly needed. The top four hitters was just 1 for 17 at the plate and it was the bottom of the order that got it done this time. Every now and then you're going to need the light hitting players to step up and this was one of them. It remains to be seen how long the offense can last without Fisk and Fred Lynn but so far so good. Eckersley was perfectly mediocre and Clear was looking fine until the home runs. The BoSox look to make it two in a row over the White Sox when they send Frank Tanana to the mound up against Steve Trout of Chicago tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 2:15 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.