Brewers Rally Past Red Sox (5/29/81)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were going to beat the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers jumped on Sox starter Mike Torrez for a run in the top of the first, but the Sox answered in the bottom of the inning. The Brewers got two more runs off Torrez while Carl Yastrzemski got one for Boston. In the bottom of the eighth, Joe Rudi clobbered a two run home run off his old buddy Rollie Fingers to put Boston ahead. Unfortunately with one out in the ninth, Tom Burgmeier allowed a 2 run bomb by Ted Simmons. The Sox did nothing in the ninth and the Brewers had dropped the Sox 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         "That damn Burgmeier"

The Brewers wasted no time getting to Torrez in the top of the first as Jim Gantner flied out to left to start. Robin Yount then hit a home run all the way to Maine to put Milwaukee on top. Cecil Cooper walked but moved to second on the Ben Oglivie grounder to first. Ted Simmons grounded out to second to end the inning with the Brewers up 1-0.

                                                                   Brewers take the lead

The Sox responded in the bottom of the first against Jim Slaton as Jerry Remy got a base hit to right to start. Dwight Evans popped up to first but Remy swiped second. Carl Yastrzemski doubled to right to score Remy but Jim Rice popped up to first. Carney Lansford flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                  Yaz ties it

Roy Howell walked to start the top of the second but Don Money flied out to center. Mark Brouhard forced Howell at second and Marshall Edwards struck out swinging to end the inning. Joe Rudi led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to third. Dave Stapleton flied out to center but Rich Gedman doubled to center. Rick Miller flied out to center to end the inning.

Gantner flied out to center to start the top of the third but Yount got a base hit to right but Cooper grounded into a double play to end the inning. Remy grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Evans flied out to center. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Brewers struck again in the top of the fourth Oglivie flied out to right to start. Simmons popped up to first but Howell hit a home run all the way to Neptune to put Milwaukee back on top. Money struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-1.

                                                            Howell goes yard

Rice flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Lansford reached on an error by Howell. Rudi grounded out to third to move Carney to second and Stapleton popped up to second to end the inning.

The Brewers struck again in the top of the fifth as Brouhard flied out to right to start. Lansford booted a grounder by Edwards for an error and Marshall moved to third on a throwing error by Gedman. Gantner grounded out to first to score Edwards and Yount grounded out to third to end the inning with the Brewers up 3-1.

                                                                Nice error Carney

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fifth as Gedman doubled to center to start. Miller flied out to left and Remy grounded out to second to move Rich to third. Evans walked and Yaz hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score Gedman. Rice flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                                   Gedman scores a run

Cooper walked to start the top of the sixth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Oglivie popped up to short and Simmons struck out swinging to end the inning. Lansford walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Rudi popped up to third. Stapleton grounded out to third to move Lansford to second but Gedman flied out to left to end the inning.

Howell flied out to center to start the top of the seventh before Money grounded out to short. Brouhard grounded out to second to end the inning. Jamie Easterly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Miller's bunt attempt was snuffed out by the catcher to start. Remy and Evans both flied out to left to end the inning.

Edwards grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Gantner did the same. Yount grounded out to short to end the inning. Torrez pitched great, allowing 3 runs in 8 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks.

                                                             Torrez with 8 great innings

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Yaz struck out swinging to start. Rice got a base hit to right and Brewers manager Buck Rodggers brought in Rollie Fingers for the five out save. Lansford flied out to right but a wild pitch moved Rice to second. All of a sudden Rudi blasted his second home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Stapleton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                              Rudi puts Boston ahead

Tom Burgmeier came in to close out the top of the ninth and crapped his pants. Cooper was hit with a pitch but Oglivie forced him at second. Simmons then hit a home run all the way to Alaska to put the Brewers on top. Sal Bando pinch hit for Howell and got a base hit to left. Money got a double to left and that was it for Burgmeier. Bill Campbell came in to get Brouhard to fly out to center and Edwards to pop up to third to end the inning with the Brewers up 5-4.

                                                             Simmons sinks the Sox

Gedman grounded out to second to start the bottom of the ninth and Miller flied out to left. Remy also flied out to left to end the game. The Brewers had won it 5-4.

Jackass of The Night is Tom Burgmeier. 2 outs from victory and he gives up the backbreaking home run to Simmons to lose the game.

                                                                Jackass Burgmeier

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4.

Mike Torrez allowed 3 runs but only 2 earned in 8 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks.

Bill Campbell got the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rick Miller was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a run scored.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3 with an error but walked.

Joe Rudi was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a sucker punch to the gonads. The Sox trailed the whole game only to take the lead for about five minutes. Joe Rudi hasn't done much all year but he was 2 outs away from being the hero. Burgmeier was an anchor out of the bullpen all year in 1980 but this year has been different. Its a shame because a win would have done wonders since they were only four games out of first place going into this one. There's still time to go on a run but losing like this kills any sort of momentum. Just have to shake it off and come back against the Brewers tomorrow. The loss dropped the Sox to 24-20, 5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound against the Brewers tomorrow afternoon when Frank Tanana takes on Moose Haas of Milwaukee. The game begins at 4:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Blank Sox for Third Straight Shutout (4/29/81)

The good news was the Boston Celtics stayed alive in their Eastern Finals series with the Philadelphia Sixers with their Game 5 win. The bad news was the Boston Red Sox were blanked by the Texas Rangers for the third straight game. This time it was Danny Darwin who tossed a complete game, 1 hit shutout against the Sox. John Tudor (1-1, 4.50 ERA) was game but got absolutely no run support. The Rangers thoroughly dominated the Sox the last three games scoring 24 runs (40 counting last week at Fenway) while not allowing a single run. The Rangers will be sad to see the Sox go as they enjoyed a 5-0 series sweeping win at Arlington Stadium. For the third game in a row how many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Darwin began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Jerry Remy struck out swinging to start. Dave Stapleton grounded out to second and Dwight Evans struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rangers wasted no time getting to Tudor in the bottom of the first although Bump Wills grounded back to the mound to start. Mickey Rivers singled to left but was forced at second by Al Oliver. Buddy Bell walked and Billy Sample was plunked to load the bases. Naturally Johnny Grubb cleared the bases with a double to left to put the Rangers up for good. Pat Putnam took strike three to end the inning with the Rangers up 3-0.

                                                       Grubb ends it early

Jim Rice struck out swinging to start the top of the second then Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first. Carney Lansford flied out to right to end the inning. Larry Cox grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the second but Mario Mendoza singled to center. Wills banged into a double play to end the inning.

Gary Allenson flied out to center to start the top of the third before Glenn Hoffman did the same. Rick Miller walked but Remy grounded into a force to end the inning. Rivers flied out to right to begin the bottom of the third and Oliver grounded out to short. Bell grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Stapleton grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the fourth but Evans drew a walk. Rice struckout swinging and Yaz flied out to left to end the inning. Sample flied out to left to open the bottom of the fourth and Grubb grounded out to first. Putnam grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lansford grounded out to third to begin the top of the fifth and Allenson popped up to second. Hoffman took strike three to end the inning. Tudor got Cox to go down hacking to begin the bottom of the fifth before Mendoza grounded out to second. Wills flied out to right to end the inning.

Miller tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to begin the top of the sixth but Remy watched strike three go by. Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning. Rivers grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Oliver grounded back to the mound. Bell singled to left but Sample flied out to right to end the inning.

Evans walked to start the top of the seventh and moved to second on the grounder by Rice. Yaz lined out to first and Lansford grounded out to third to end the inning. Grubb walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Putnam struck out swinging. Cox singled to center and Mendoza beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Wills popped up to second to end the inning.

Allenson walked to start the top of the eighth but Hoffman flied out to right and Miller banged into a double play to end the inning. Tudor ran out of gas in the bottom of the eighth as Rivers beat out an infield single to short to start. Oliver clobbered a home run to Mount Saint Helens to increase the lead. Bell walked and that was it for Tudor. He never should have started the inning but he left after allowing 5 runs in 7 innings. Bill Campbell came in and Sample doubled to left. Grubb hit a fly ball to right and Bell tried for home. Evans gunned him down at home for the double play and Putnam popped up to second to end the inning with the Rangers up 5-0.

                                                         Tudor wasn't good enough tonight

Remy walked to start the top of the ninth and Stapleton forced him at second. Evans forced Stapleton at second and Rice whiffed to end the game. Darwin had tossed a complete game 1 hit shutout and the Rangers swept the Sox with a 5-0 win.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. Not much you can do if your offense gets just one hit but he put them in an early hole and ended up surrendering 5 runs in 7 innings.

                                                               Jackass Tudor

The Good:

Dwight Evans walked twice in four plate appearances.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Bill Campbell pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3 but walked.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

This month can't end fast enough the way things spiraled out of control. Even when things were going good you can see the signs of impending failure as the middle of the order has been all but useless so far this season. Getting one hit by Danny Darwin was the icing on the cake but the fact of the matter is apart from Dwight Evans, nobody from 1-5 hit well at all. Lansford was doing well until this past week and the bottom of the order crashed back to earth big time. Can't really complain about the pitching too much if you get shut out in three straight games. Losing Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk hurt but it shouldn't hurt THIS much. There is a belief the offense will pick up eventually but the Sox can't afford to fall too far behind the New York Yankees. The Sox thankfully are getting out of Texas and are coming home to play the Minnesota Twins. Frank Tanana (0-2) gets the start for the Sox against Roger Erickson of the Twins. The game begins tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Bash Sox Again (4/28/81)

This is just getting ridiculous. Apparently the Texas Rangers can only beat one team in the American League and that's the Boston Red Sox. After scoring 26 runs in the previous two games against them, you'd think the Sox would find an answer to slow them down. Clearly, there was no answer. Rookie Steve Crawford (0-2, 4.70 ERA) wasn't ready for prime time as he got beat up for 4 runs in 4 innings to put the Sox in the hole. Tom Burgmeier and Bill Campbell were no help either as the Rangers pounded out 13 hits and 9 runs. The Sox caught a break when old friend Fergie Jenkins left after the third inning but could only muster 3 hits off Steve Comer and Bob Babcock. Just like yesterday, the Rangers shelled the Sox and shut them out 9-0 at Arlington Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

The Sox tried to rally against Jenkins in the top of the first when Jerry Remy singled to right to start. Dwight Evans flied out to left but Carl Yastrzemski drew a walk. Jim Rice flied out to right and Carney Lansford grounded into a force to end the inning. Crawford struck out Bump Wills to start the bottom of the first but a passed ball by Allenson allowed Bump to reach first. Mickey Rivers popped up to third and Al Oliver banged into a double play to end the inning.

Tony Perez struck out looking to start the top of the second but Allenson atoned for the passed ball with a base hit to right. Glenn Hoffman struck out swinging but Rick Miller walked. Remy flied out to left to end the inning. Buddy Bell flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Johnny Grubb grounded back to the mound. Pat Putnam singled to center but Jim Sundberg popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Evans struck out swinging to start. Yaz grounded out to second but Rice popped up to first to end the inning. Crawford got Billy Sample to ground out to short to start the bottom of the third and Mario Mendoza grounded out to third. Wills took strike three to end the inning.

Jenkins was gone after the bottom of the third and Steve Comer came in for the top of the fourth. Lansford lined out to second and Perez flied out to left, but Allenson singled to left. Hoffman lined out to second to end the inning. The Rangers ambushed Crawford in the bottom of the fourth as Rivers singled to left to start. Oliver was plunked and Bell singled to third to load the bases. Grubb scored Rivers with a sac fly to give the Rangers the lead and Putnam hit a home run all the way to El Paso to ice the game. Sundberg lined out to first but Sample doubled to left. Mendoza grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 4-0. That was it for Crawford who fell apart the second time threw the order, allowing 4 runs in 4 innings.

                                                        Putnam hits a bomb

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Miller flied out to center to start. Remy grounded out to short but Evans singled to center. Yaz grounded out to short to end the inning. Tom Burgmeier came in for the bottom of the fifth and Wills grounded out to short to start. Rivers singled to center but Oliver popped up to second. Bell flied out to right to end the inning.

Rice walked to start the top of the sixth but Lansford forced him at second and Perez banged into a double play to end the inning. The Rangers got to Burgmeier in the bottom of the sixth although Grubb watched strike three go by to begin. Putnam struck out swinging but Sundberg singled to left and Sample hit a ground rule double. Mendoza singled to left to score Sundberg and Sample then Wills got a base hit to center. Miller threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error that allowed Mendoza to score. Rivers flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers up 7-0.

                                                "What the hell are you doing, Miller?" - TB

Allenson grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and Hoffman grounded out to second. Bob Babcock came in to pitch to Miller and he singled in the hole at short. Remy flied out to left to end the inning. Bill Campbell came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and 24 year old rookie Dave Schmidt made his Major League debut taking over for Allenson behind the plate. Oliver grounded out to second to start but Bell walked. Grubb singled to right and Evans tried to field it with his hat for an error to advance the runners. Putnam was intentionally walked to load the bases but Sundberg scored Bell with a sac fly. Sample singled home Grubb to wrap up the scoring. Mendoza grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 9-0 Texas.

                                                  Tough way for Schmidt to make his debut

Evans whiffed to begin the top of the eighth and Yaz grounded out to first. Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. Tom Poquette made his season debut taking over for Rice and Gary Hancock came in for Evans to start the bottom of the eighth. Wills struck out swinging but Rivers singled to center. Oliver struck out swinging and Bell grounded out to third to end the inning.

The end came in the top of the ninth when Lansford flied out to center to start. Perez grounded out to first and Schmidt struck out swinging in his first ML at-bat to end the game. The Rangers crushed the Sox 9-0.

Jackass of the Night is Steve Crawford. Not that the Sox were going to score for him but he could have lasted more than 4 innings and not given up 4 runs to put them in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                           Jackass Crawford

The Good:

Gary Allenson was 2 for 3.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a walk.

The Bad:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 4.

Tony Perez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Dave Schmidt struck out in his first ML at-bat

Tom Burgmeier allowed 3 runs in 2 innings.

Bill Campbell allowed 2 runs in 2 innigs.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with an error and 2 strikeouts.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Gary Hancock played right field in the bottom of the eighth.

Tom Poquette played left field in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

For those scoring at home the Rangers have now scored 35 runs in their last 3 games against the Red Sox. I don't remember this lineup being murderer's row so something is terribly wrong with the Sox pitching. Not even Bob Stanley, Tom Burgmeier or Bill Campbell has looked good the last few games. Obviously this can't continue or the Sox have no chance to compete in the AL East this year. The New York Yankees are riding Dave Winfield as much as they can and Dwight Evans is the only one on the Sox remotely close to playing as well. Crawford looked beat the second time around and if he's not going to make it as a starter, maybe its time to bring up Bruce Hurst for another go? Also, one of the reasons the Sox might be stinking the joint out is they're getting tired. Yes they've had rainouts and off-days but apart from Rick Miller and Jerry Remy, the starters have played every game so far this season. Gary Allenson has caught all 14 games they've played and this was one of the few times even some of the starters got some rest. If bench strength is weak to the point Sox manager Ralph Houk is running starters into the ground early, they better go get some competent backups or bring up the kids in Pawtucket. Reid Nichols is supposedly a good utility guy, if Perez or Rice is struggling then give them a breather with Reid? The Sox look to score a run for once when John Tudor (1-0) takes on Danny Darwin of the Rangers tomorrow night at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Rangers Rout Sox, Avoid Sweep (4/22/81)

The good news was the Boston Celtics evened their East Finals series with the Philadelphia Sixers at one game apiece after their Game 2 victory. The bad news was the Texas Rangers gave a devastating beating to the Boston Red Sox. After the Red Sox pitched back to back complete games, Dennis Eckersley (1-1, 7.11 ERA) didn't even make out of the first inning, getting charged with 7 runs before the Sox could even come to bat. Chuck Rainey made his season debut getting pounded for 6 runs of his own and the Rangers never let up. When the carnage was over the Rangers pounded out 18 hits and 16 runs to annihilate the Red Sox 16-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Flounder can't stand Sox pitching

The Rangers ambushed Eckersley immediately in the top of the first inning as Bump Wills pounded a ground rule double to start. Mickey Rivers struck out swinging but Al Oliver singled home Wills to give the Rangers the lead. Buddy Bell singled and Johnny Grubb walked to load the bases and Pat Putnam cleared them with a double. Jim Sundberg walked and Billy Sample hit a perfect double play ball to Glenn Hoffman...UNDER HIS GLOVE! The error scored Putnam and kept the inning going. Both runners moved over on the grounder by Mario Mendoza but Wills singled home Sundberg and Sample to make it a touchdown. Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough and pulled the ineffective Eckersley after just 2/3 of an inning. Chuck Rainey made his season debut to get Rivers to line out to right to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 7-0.

                                                     "I sucked today." - Eck

Rangers starter Danny Darwin got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy walked to start. Dwight Evans and Carl Yastrzemski both flied out to left and Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning.

It was Rainey's turn to take a beating in the top of the second as Oliver doubled to right to begin. Bell grounded back to the mound but Grubb singled Oliver to third. Putnam hit a sac fly to score Oliver with another run and Sundberg hit a routine grounder to Hoffman....OFF HIS GLOVE! Another error kept the inning alive and Sample doubled home Sundberg. Mendoza singled home Sample but Wills took strike three to end the inning. Hoffman's errors loomed large as the Rangers now led 11-0.

                                                   "Catch the damn ball, Glenn!" - CR

It was the Sox turn to rally in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez singled to right to start. Carney Lansford doubled Tony to third but Gary Allenson struck out swinging. Hoffman popped up to first but Rick Miller walked to load the bases. Remy singled home Perez and Lansford to put the Sox on the board. Evans doubled home Miller and Yaz drove in both runners with a single to cut the lead. Rice grounded out to second to end the inning but at least the Sox showed some fight to trail 11-5.

                                                            "Not dead yet!" - Yaz

Rainey recovered in the top of the third as Rivers grounded out to first to start. Oliver grounded out to second and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Perez grounded out to short to start. Lansford flied out to left and Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Rangers settled matters in the top of the fourth as Grubb and Putnam stroked back to back singles to open. Sundberg doubled home Grubb to increase the lead but Sample lined out to third. Mendoza scored Putnam with a sac fly to put the game out of reach. Wills hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Rangers up 13-5.

                                                           Grubb starts another rally

The Sox did get a run back in the bottom of the fourth although Hoffman and Miller both grounded out to short to start. Remy walked and Evans tripled into the centerfield triangle to cut the lead. Yaz flied out to left to end the inning but it was 13-6 Texas.

                                                          Evans doing what he can

Rainey got Rivers to ground out to first to start the top of the fifth and Oliver flied out to center. Bell grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Rice grounded out to second to start. Perez flied out to center but Lansford walked. Allenson flied out to center to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Grubb grounded out to second to start. Putnam popped up to second but Sundberg singled to left. Sample doubled Sundberg to third but Mendoza grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox had some more fight left in them in the bottom of the sixth against Bob Babcock coming into pitch. Hoffman singled to right but Miller flied out to left. Remy walked and Evans singled him to third, scoring Hoffman with another run. Yaz beat out a double play ball to score Remy and Rice beat out an infield single to third. Perez flied out to right to end the inning but it was 13-8 Rangers.

                                                           Remy walking and scoring

The Rangers wrapped up the scoring in the top of the seventh as Wills walked to start. Rivers singled him to third but Oliver popped up to third. Bell then hit a home run all the way to Denton, Texas to add to the lead. Grubb was plunked and Putnam singled to left, but Sundberg took strike three. Sample struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers up 16-8.

                                                                  Dammit Clear

Lansford tried to start a rally with a walk to begin the bottom of the seventh but Allenson flied out to left. Hoffman forced Lansford at second and Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Mendoza singled to left to start the top of the eighth but Wills banged into a double play. Rivers walked but Oliver flied out to center to end the inning. Jim Kern came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Remy walked to start. Evans singled to left and both runners moved over on the grounder by Yaz. Rice took strike three and Perez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bill Campbell made his season debut in the top of the ninth and struck out Bell swinging to start. Grubb flied out to left and Putnam grounded out to first to end the inning. Lansford grounded out to second to start the bottom of the ninth and Allenson took strike three. Hoffman walked but Miller took strike three to end the game. The Rangers had won it 16-8.

Jackass of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He didn't even make it out of the first inning and got plastered for 7 runs to put the game out of reach early.

                                                              Eck the Jackass

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 1 for 1 with 4 walks, 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 4 for 5 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Carney Lansford was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Bill Campbell pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Gary Allenson was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Chuck Rainey allowed 6 runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Mark Clear allowed 3 runs in 3 innings.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 but drove in 3 runs.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but walked and scored a run.

Rick Miller was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Gadzooks that was bad. It wouldn't be fair to expect Eckersley to continue the string of success Sox starters had the past few days but that was the complete opposite. The Rangers had a week's worth of offense in one day as they beat around every Sox pitcher they threw out there. The sad part was the Sox offense came to play by getting 10 hits and 8 runs of their own. Lansford and Evans were the driving force behind today's game and pretty much all April. Rice is going to catch fire eventually and it'll be glorious when he does. The only thing the Sox can do is forget about today and move on to the next game. The Sox are back in action Friday night when they visit the Baltimore Orioles. Frank Tanana (0-1) takes on Mike Flanagan of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Yankees Blank Sox (9/21/80)

Its one thing for the Boston Red Sox to be mediocre this season, its another thing to get their brains beaten in by the rival New York Yankees. The Yankees are on pace to win 100 games and the Sox would be lucky to win 89 by season's end. Ron Guidry mastered the Sox for 7 innings, surrendering just 3 hits while striking out nine batters. Goose Gossage came in to slam the door afterwards. John Tudor (7-5, 3.00 ERA) failed to make it out of the first inning as he was charged with 3 runs. Bill Campbell and Mike Torrez managed to shut the Yankees down the rest of the way but the damage was done. The Yankees continued their march toward October by blanking the Sox 3-0 at Yankee Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Guidry took the ball in the top of the first and Rick Burleson struck out to start. Dave Stapleton popped up to short and Carlton Fisk hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Yankees jumped on Tudor in the bottom of the first as Willie Randolph walked to start. Bucky Dent walked and Randolph swiped third before Bob Watson doubled home Willie put the Yankees up for good three batters into the game. Reggie Jackson scored Dent with a sac fly and Watson moved to third on a grounder by Lou Piniella. Rick Cerone singled home Watson and Sox manager Don Zimmer stormed out of the dugout and charged Tudor. Zimmer threw a roundhouse right that Tudor ducked under and ran for the dugout. Bill Campbell was brought in and Eric Soderholm flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-0.

Jim Rice started the top of the second by striking out to begin. Tony Perez struck out but Dwight Evans tripled to right. Chico Walker flied out to left to end the inning. Aurelio Rodriguez lined out to second to start the bottom of the second before Bobby Brown grounded out to second. Randolph grounded out to short to end the inning.

Glenn Hoffman popped up to second to start the top of the third and rookie Reid Nichols grounded back to the mound. Burleson walked but Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning. Dent walked to start the bottom of the third but was thrown out by Fisk trying to steal second. Watson singled to left but Jackson banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                        "Bucky you know better than to run on me." - CF

Fisk popped up to third to open the top of the fourth before Rice singled to center. Perez and Evans both struck out to end the inning. Piniella singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Cerone flied out to right. Soderholm and Rodriguez both whiffed to end the inning.

Guidry cruised in the top of the fifth as Walker grounded out to second to start. Hoffman took strike three and Nichols swung and missed at strike three to end the inning. Campbell kept pace in the bottom of the fifth as Brown took strike three to start. Randolph singled to center and Rice made a great diving catch to rob Dent of extra bases, but Randolph took second. Watson flied out to center to end the inning. Campbell put in a yeoman's effort with 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

                                                      Campbell does well 

Burleson grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Stapleton drew a walk. Dave was doubled off of first on a line drive by Fisk to end the inning. Mike Torrez took over for the bottom of the sixth and Jackson singled to right to begin. Piniella flied out to center, Cerone flied out to left and Soderholm grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rice grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before Perez took strike three for his third strikeout of the game. Evans singled to center and Walker watched strike three go by to end the inning. Torrez got Rodriguez to ground out to short to start the bottom of the seventh and Brown popped up to second. Randolph flied out to center to end the inning.

Goose Gossage came on for the six out save in the top of the eighth and Dave Rader pinch hit for Hoffman only to take strike three. Garry Hancock pinch hit for Nichols and grounded back to the mound before Burleson took strike three to end the inning. Larry Wolfe took over at third for the bottom of the eighth and Dent lined out to short to start. Watson flied out to right but Jackson singled to left. Joe Lefebvre pinch ran for Jackson as Piniella singled to left. Cerone flied out to center to end the inning. The much maligned Torrez tossed 3 scoreless innings, good stuff.

                                                        Torrez eats some innings

Stapleton tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to open the top of the ninth and moved to second on the grounder by Fisk. The rally ended as Gossage froze Rice for strike three and blew away Perez to end the game. The Yankees had won it 3-0.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. Not that the Sox were gonna score off Guidry but getting knocked out in the first inning spelled the Sox doom.

                                                Jackass Tudor wasn't ready for prime time

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 3.

Bill Campbell tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Mike Torrez tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 4.

Tony Perez was 0 for 4 with the golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Chico Walker was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Dave Rader struck out as a pinch hitter.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Garry Hancock was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Larry Wolfe played third base in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

As the season comes to a close, there are rumblings that Don Zimmer may not make it to the end of the season. At this point it would be the right move to make to tell him that his services are no longer needed. When he took over in 1976, he whined to Tom and Jean Yawkey that Bill Lee's crew was hampering his managerial style. Well Lee and his crew have been gone for years now and Zimmer still hasn't been able to get the most out of who's there. Taking out Tudor after 2/3 of an inning forced the bullpen to essentially toss 8 innings. The move worked, Torrez and Campbell did a hell of a job, but the principle of it stinks. The offense took the day off against Guidry and Gossage, never really posing a threat. Looking at the difference between the Sox and Yankees is frightening. Maybe someday the Sox will have the pitching to match the Yankees....maybe. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 78-68, 15.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to play spoilers when they start a set with the second place Baltimore Orioles. Dick Drago (6-5) goes for the Sox against Scott McGregor, looking for his 20th win of the season. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Orioles Pound Torrez, Sox (6/28/80)

The Boston Red Sox needed to make a statement against the defending American League champion Baltimore Orioles in today's matinee. Instead they got their brains beat in by the champs. Scott McGregor held the Sox to 3 runs in 7 plus innings of work while the Baltimore bats had their way with the ineffective Mike Torrez (4-7, 4.47 ERA). The dirty bird lit up Mike for 7 runs in 6 2/3 innings and ran away with this one to put Boston further behind the New York Yankees in the AL East race with an 8-4 win at Fenway Park.

                                             "This is your fault Torrez"

Al Bumbry led off the top of the first inning with a double to left but Torrez came back to strike out both Pat Kelly and Ken Singleton. Eddie Murray grounded out to short to end the inning. McGregor held the Sox in check in the bottom of the first as Rick Burleson grounded out to short to start. Dave Stapleton grounded out to short and Fred Lynn struck out to end the inning.

John Lowenstein singled to open the top of the second before Dan Graham forced him at second. Doug DeCinces banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to start. Butch Hobson struck out but Dwight Evans singled to left. Jim Dwyer flied out to right to end the inning.

Mark Belanger flied out to left to start the top of the third before Rich Dauer singled to center. Bumbry flied out to left and Kelly grounded out to first to end the inning. Glenn Hoffman tried to start a rally with a base hit to center to start the bottom of the third but was thrown out trying to steal. Gary Allenson singled to center but Burleson banged into a double play to end the inning.

The O's struck first in the top of the fourth inning although Singleton struck out to start. Murray and Lowenstein stroked back to back singles and Graham crushed a 80,000 foot home run into the Charles River to put the O's up big. DeCinces popped up to first in foul territory and Belanger flied out to right to end the inning but it was 3-0 O's.

Stapleton tried to start a rally with a base hit to center to begin the bottom of the fourth but Lynn grounded out to second, Perez struck out and Hobson flied out to right to end the inning.

Dauer singled to start the top of the fifth and a wild pitch moved him to second. Dauer moved to third on the grounder by Bumbry but Kelly popped up to short. Singleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Still nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Evans grounded out to short to start. Dwyer flied out to right and Hoffman flied out to center to end the inning.

Murray grounded out to third to begin the top of the sixth and Lowenstein followed with a ground out to second. Graham flied out to right to end the inning. Allenson walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Burleson banged into another double play. Stapleton singled to right but Lynn flied out to center to end the inning.

The O's finally got to Torrez in the top of the seventh although DeCinces grounded out to third to start. Belanger also grounded out to third but the wheels fell off. Dauer and Bumbry stroked back to back singles and Kelly walked to load the bases. Singleton walked and Sox manager Don Zimmer ran out of the dugout screaming at Torrez, chasing him into the bullpen. Torrez got lit up for 7 total runs in 6 1/3 innings. BOOOOOOOOO!!!

                                                       Terrible effort from Torrez

Zimmer didn't have anyone warming up in the bullpen so he spun around in a circle and pointed at Win Remmerswal, choosing the puzzled pitcher to come into the game ice cold. Naturally Win allowed back to back doubles to Murray and Lowenstein to ice the game. Zimmer ran out of the dugout with a 9 MM gun and started shooting at Win to get him off the mound before being led away by armed security. John Tudor came in to pitch and got Graham to strike out to end the inning with the O's up for good 8-0.

                                                     Tough to pitch in a situation like this

With the pressure off, NOW the Sox decided to rally. Perez led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to left but Hobson grounded out to third. Evans lined out to short but somehow Dwyer smashed his 6th home run of the season to cut the lead. Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

Tudor returned for the top of the eighth and struck out DeCinces to start. Belanger singled to center but Dauer took strike three. Bumbry grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox finally chased McGregor in the bottom of the eighth although Allenson flied out to left to start. Burleson walked and Stapleton singled to chase McGregor. O's manager Earl Weaver brought in Tim Stoddard and Lynn flied out to left, but Perez singled home Burleson with another run. Hobson grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were down 8-3.

                                                      Perez knocks in a run

Bill Campbell had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Kelly singled to center to start. Singleton singled to right but Evans threw out Kelly at third. Murray singled to center but Lowenstein banged into a double play to end the inning. Carl Yaztremski pinch hit for Evans to lead off the bottom of the ninth only to strike out. Dwyer singled to left and Jerry Remy pinch hit for Hoffman, drawing a walk. Dave Rader pinch hit for Allenson and singled to right, scoring Dwyer. Burleson moved both runners over with a grounder but Stapleton popped up to second to end the game. The Orioles had won it 8-4.

Jackass of the Night is an easy one. Mike Torrez got lit up for 7 runs in just 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 9 hits and struck out just 3 batters.

                                                   Terrible Torrez the Jackass

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 3 for 5.

Tony Perez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3.

Jim Dwyer was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored including a home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.

Jerry Remy walked as a pinch hitter.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Dave Rader singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

John Tudor tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bill Campbell pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

The Bad:

Fred Lynn was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Butch Hobson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carl Yastrzemski struck out as a pinch hitter.

Win Remmerswaal allowed back to back doubles to the only batters he faced.

The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Final Thoughts:

That's not the way to start a crucial series against the defending AL champions. Yes the Yankees are the team to beat this year but beating a team like the Orioles is a must if the Sox hope to keep pace and they failed big time today. They couldn't touch McGregor and Torrez looked lost out there. Yeah the Sox scored some runs late but the game was out of reach by then. What a shame the Sox fell so far, so hard ever since they lost to the Yankees in 1978. The less said of today's disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 38-32, 7 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Orioles when Bob Stanley (6-5) goes up against Steve Stone at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Pound Torrez, Sox (9/13/79)

What a difference 24 hours makes. After the Boston Red Sox beat the tar out of the New York Yankees last night, this time it was the Yankees to administer a whooping. The first 5 batters in the lineup pounded out 14 hits and 8 rbis, knocking Mike Torrez (14-12, 4.81 ERA) to kingdom come. The Sox committed 3 errors in the field and the Yankees as a team provided a 16 hit, 10 run attack that knocked the Sox further out of their fading playoff race with a 10-3 rout at Fenway Park.

                                            "THEY LOST TO THE YANKEES AGAIN!!"

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Torrez in the top of the first inning although Bobby Murcer struck out to start. Willie Randolph dropped down a bunt and catcher Mike O'Berry threw the ball into the Red Sox bullpen for an error to advance Willie to second. Oscar Gamble singled Randolph to third and Reggie Jackson doubled Willie home to give the Yankees the lead. Chris Chambliss grounded out to first to score Gamble with another run before Graig Nettles flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the frame against Yankees starter Ron Guidry although Rick Burleson led off with a strikeout. Ted Sizemore flied out to left but Fisk doubled off the Monster. Jim Rice singled home Fisk to cut the lead in half but Butch Hobson struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                        Rice drives in a run

Torrez recovered in the top of the second as Jim Spencer grounded out to first to start. Jerry Narron grounded out to second and Bucky Dent popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Dwight Evans walked to begin. Tom Poquette beat out an infield single to second but Jim Dwyer popped up to third. O'Berry walked to load the bases and Burleson beat out a double play ball to score Evans with the tying run. Sizemore popped up to third to end the inning but the Sox tied it 2-2.

                                                       Burleson ties it up

Torrez got Murcer to watch strike three go by to open the top of the third before Randolph grounded out to third. Gamble singled to right but Jackson struck out to end the inning. Guidry turned up the heat in the bottom of the third by striking out Fisk to start. Rice and Hobson both struck out as well to end the inning.

The Yankees broke it open in the top of the fourth although Chambliss grounded out to first to begin. Nettles struck out but Spencer drew a walk. The game turned when Narron hit a routine grounder to first but Dwyer threw himself on the ball for an error that allowed Spencer to reach third. The Yankees pounced as Dent singled home Spencer to give the Yankees the lead back. Murcer doubled home Narron and Randolph hit a bases clearing triple to knock Torrez out. The errors didn't help but Torrez was done after 3 2/3 innings and 7 charged runs. Allen Ripley came in and Gamble singled home Randolph but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-2.

                                                       "Not today Gamble" - Ripley

Evans struck out to open the bottom of the fourth before Poquette grounded out to second. Dwyer doubled to right and tried to score on the base hit by O'Berry but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

Jackson doubled to open the top of the fifth but was out at third on a grounder by Chambliss. Nettles doubled to left and Spencer was intentionally walked to load the bases. The gamble worked as Ripley got Narron to ground into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Burleson popped up to second to start. Sizemore flied out to left and Fisk struck out to end the inning.

Ripley got in trouble in the top of the sixth although Dent struck out to start. Murcer and Randolph stroked back to back singles but Gamble popped up to third. Jackson walked to load the bases but Chambliss popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox somehow rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Rice walked to start. Hobson singled Rice to third and Evans doubled home Rice to cut the lead. The rally ended when Guidry punched out Poquette, Dwyer and O'Berry to end the inning. The bottom of the order failed big time as the Sox still trailed 7-3.

                                                           Evans drives in a run

Ripley got the Yankees to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh inning as Nettles grounded back to the mound to start. Spencer grounded back to the mound and Narron grounded out to third to end the inning. Burleson lined out to left to begin the bottom of the seventh before Sizemore flied out to right. Fisk doubled to left but was thrown out at third on the grounder by Rice to end the inning.

Sox manager Ralph Houk left Ripley in too long as he ran out of gas in the top of the eighth inning. Dent struck out to start but Murcer and Randolph stroked back to back singles. Gamble singled to right and Murcer gunned it home. O'Berry ended up muffing the ball that allowed Murcer and Randolph to score while Gamble moved all the way to third. Jackson walked and Chambliss doubled home Gamble to chase Ripley. Bill Campbell came in and got Nettles to ground back to the mound and Spencer to ground out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 10-3.

                                                          A few batters too late

Fred Stanley took over at third as Guidry returned for the bottom of the eighth. Hobson flied out to right to start before Evans struck out. Poquette got a base hit to left but Dwyer flied out to center to end the inning.

Campbell returned for mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Narron struck out to start. Dent flied out to center and Murcer struck out to end the inning. Guidry finished off his complete game in the bottom of the ninth as O'Berry flied out to center to begin. Burleson lined out to left and Sizemore grounded out to short to end the game. The Yankees bitchslapped the Sox 10-3 at Fenway.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Torrez. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 7 runs in just 3 2/3 innings, although only 2 of the runs were earned.

                                                          Torrez is a Jackass


The Good:

Carlton Fisk was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jim Rice was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Tom Poquette was 2 for 4.

Bill Campbell tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Ted Sizemore was 0 for 5.

Allen Ripley allowed 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched.



The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

Butch Hobson was just 1 for 4.

Jim Dwyer was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Mike O'Berry was 1 for 3 with a walk but made 2 crucial errors.




Final Thoughts:

Well the bottom of the order was garbage in this one. O'Berry and Dwyer combined to go 2 for 7 and commit 3 errors between them. The Yankees capitalized on every mistake and shame on Torrez and Ripley for not getting the key outs even with the errors. It doesn't matter anyway as the Baltimore Orioles are so far ahead in the standings, all the Yankees and Sox can play for at this point is who finishes third between them. Torrez didn't have it but Ripley didn't help either, but again, nobody cares at this point. The loss drops the Sox to 81-62, 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for second place in the AL East. Speaking of the Orioles, the Sox now travel to Baltimore for a set against the AL East frontrunners. Steve Stone goes for the dirty birds up against Bob Stanley (15-9) tomorrow night at 7:50 PM at Memorial Stadium.