Reds Win World Series, Edge Sox in Game 7 (10/22/75)

The 1975 Boston Red Sox had a hell of a season but it all came to end in tonight's winner take all Game 7 against the Cincinnati Reds. For the second game in a row the Red Sox took a 3-0 lead only to cough it up. Unfortunately this time the Reds pitching held the Sox scoreless the rest of the way. Rookie Jim Burton gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, Will McEnaney slammed the door and Cincinnati were the world champs for the first time since 1940 with a 4-3 win at Fenway Park.

                                                           Dammit

Bill Lee got the start for the Sox and he retired Pete Rose on a pop up to right to begin the top of the first. Joe Morgan swung at air for strike three and Johnny Bench grounded out to short to end the inning. Don Gullet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Bernie Carbo led off with a double off the Monster. Denny Doyle flied out to right and Carl Yastrzemski moved Carbo to third with a grounder to second. Carlton Fisk struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tony Perez started the top of the second inning by grounding out to third before George Foster hit a rocket off the Monster. Foster tried for second but Carbo gunned him down at second. Dave Concepcion grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                      YER OUTTA THERE!

Fred Lynn led off the bottom of the second by drawing a walk. Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging on a high fastball before Dwight Evans popped up to Rose in foul territory. Rick Burleson flied out to right to end the inning.

Ken Griffey led off the top of the third by dumping a base hit to center before Cesar Geronimo banged into a double play. Gullet singled to right but Rose lined one off of Lee, Bill recovering to throw out Gullet to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third although Lee bunted foul for strike three to start. Carbo drew a walk before Doyle singled him to third. Yaz lashed a base hit to right that scored Carbo and sent Doyle to third. Fisk was intentionally walked to load the bases and Lynn was rung up for strike three much to Fred's dismay. Petrocelli walked to bring in Doyle and re-load the bases. Evans walked to score Yaz and put Gullet on the ropes. The play of the game occurred when Burleson whiffed to end the inning. One more run could have been a difference maker but the Sox still led 3-0.

                                                   Yaz scores the last run of the Sox season

Lee kept the lead in the top of the fourth inning although Morgan bunted his way on to start. Bench hit a rocket to center but Lynn snared it to keep Morgan at first. Morgan did swipe second but Perez popped up to a running Evans. Foster hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Sox looked to knock Gullet out again when Lee singled to start and took second on a wild pitch. Carbo moved Lee to third on a grounder but Doyle check swing grounded out to third to kill the rally. Yaz popped up to Morgan in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox failure to get the fourth run proved to be the killer in the end.

The Reds threatened in the top of the fifth as Concepcion beat out a ground ball to first before Doyle butchered a double play ball by Griffey for an error that moved Dave to third. Lee got a key out by striking out Geronimo swinging and Reds manager Sparky Anderson put the game in the hands of his bullpen when he pinch hit Gullet with Merv Rettenmund. The move looked to be advantage Red Sox when Rettenmund hit into a double play to end the inning. The Sox blew yet another chance to break the game open against Jack Billingham in the bottom of the fifth although Fisk whiffed to start. Lynn drew a walk and Petrocelli lashed a base hit to left. Evans flied out to deep center which moved Lynn to third and put runners at the corners. Burleson walked to load the bases again and Sox manager Darrell Johnson let Lee hit away with him pitching a shut-out. Lee flied out to deep center to end the inning.

The Reds finally broke through against Lee in the top of the sixth as Rose singled to right. Morgan popped up to right before Bench hit a double play ball to short. Burleson flipped to second but Doyle threw the relay throw away for an error that allowed Bench to reach second. Perez hit Lee's infamous eephus pitch onto Landsdowne Street to cut the lead. Foster flied out to right to end the inning but the Reds were back in it 3-2.

                                                       Perez goes yard

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Carbo grounded out to first to start. Doyle flied out to left and Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Reds tied it in the bottom of the seventh with Rick Miller now in left. Concepcion grounded out to first to start but Griffey drew a walk to chase Lee after Bill developed a blister. Lee ended up giving up 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings.

                                                       Bye Bye Lee

Roger Moret came in and got Geronimo to pop up to short before Ed Armbrister pinch hit for Billingham. Griffey swiped second and Armbrister walked before Rose dumped a base hit to center to score Griffey with the tying run. Morgan walked to chase Moret who just didn't have it tonight. Jim Willoughby came in and got Bench to pop up to Fisk reaching into the stands to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                     The Reds tie it up

Clay Carroll came in for the bottom of the seventh inning but the Sox offense was done for the night. Fisk whiffed to start before Lynn grounded out to first. Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning.

Willoughby came back for the top of the eighth inning and Perez popped up to third to begin. Foster grounded out to short and Concepcion grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox looked to rally when Evans walked to start the bottom of the eighth but Burleson banged into a double play. Sox manager Darrell Johnson sealed the fate of the season when he sent the slumping 1 for 18 Cecil Cooper in to pinch hit for Willoughby. Cooper popped up to Rose in foul territory to end the inning.

Darrell Johnson decided it was best for the team to send rookie Jim Burton to the mound rather than Rick Wise, Reggie Cleveland or Dick Drago for the top of the ninth inning. Griffey drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on the bunt by Geronimo. Dan Driessen pinch hit for Carroll and grounded out to second but Griffey moved to third. Rose drew a full count walk and Darrel Johnson let Burton pitch to Morgan. The lefty on lefty matchup failed as Morgan hit a broken bat single to center that scored Griffey and sent Rose to third. That was it for Burton as Johnson brought in Reggie Cleveland one batter too late. Bench walked but Perez flied out to right to end the inning with the Reds ahead 4-3.

                                                      Rose is safe and the Reds lead

Will McEnaney came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Juan Beniquez pinch hit for Miller to start. Beniquez flied out to right and Darrell Johnson sent Bob Montgomery in to pinch hit for Doyle. Montgomery wasn't even wearing a batting helmet as he grounded out to short on the first pitch. Representing the last out, Yaz popped up to center to end the game. The Cincinatti Reds won the 1975 World Series with a 4-3 comeback win in Game 7.

                                                     Dammit


Jackass of the Night is Jim Burton. He allowed the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth.

                                                               Game 7 Jackass


The Good:

Bernie Carbo was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Fred Lynn walked twice in four plate appearances.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Dwight Evans walked twice in four plate appearances and drove in a run.

Bill Lee tossed 6 1/3 innings of 3 run ball allowing 7 hits while striking out 2. He was also 1 for 3 at the plate.

Jim Willoughby tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Reggie Cleveland got the final out of the 9th inning.



The Bad:

Juan Beniquez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Cecil Cooper was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Roger Moret allowed the tying run to score in the 7th inning.



The Ugly:

Denny Doyle was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors in the field but scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 and made the final out of the game, but drove in a run.

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Rick Burleson was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller played left field for a few innings.



Final Thoughts:

What a shame. Just like the 1967 World Series the Red Sox lost to the better team. Also like in 1967 they were missing a key cog. Back then it was Tony Conigliaro and this time it was Jim Rice. Not to make excuses but nearly every game was decided by one run and Jim Rice's bat was sorely missed in those games. Still, this game and every game really was hard fought and decided by the smallest of margins. Lee pitched well but Perez was sitting on that damn eephus pitch and Moret didn't have it. Having a rookie like Burton come in to pitch the 9th inning of a winner take all Game 7 probably wasn't the best idea but if the offense didn't squander 3 big chances during the game, it probably doesn't come to that. Still, the Sox crushed the 3-peat Oakland A's to get to the World Series and fell 7 outs short of winning it. If the Sox bring the same energy they had this year, there's no reason not to believe they won't be in contention again in 1976. Congratulations to the Reds for a well earned victory and a hell of a 1975 season.

Reds Rally in Ninth, Take Game 2 (10/12/75)

For 8 innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed to a 2-0 World Series lead over the Cincinnati Reds heading to Riverfront Stadium. The Big Red Machine had other plans and showed why they're the best team in the National League. Trailing 2-1 in the final frame and down to their last out, the Reds rallied off reliever Dick Drago for 2 runs to take the lead. Rawly Eastwick slammed the door in the ninth and the Reds stunned the Sox 3-2 at Fenway Park to tie the series up heading to Cincinnati.

                                               Fred Lynn couldn't save the Sox

Lee took the mound in the top of the first and Pete Rose led off by striking out swinging on a screwball in the dirt to begin. Joe Morgan grounded out to second before Johnny Bench popped up to center to end the inning. Jack Billingham got the start for the Reds and the Sox tagged him for an early lead. Cecil Cooper took advantage of George Foster slipping in left for a double. Denny Doyle beat out an infield single to advance Cooper to third before Carl Yastrzemski hit a ground ball back to the mound. Billingham threw to second to force Doyle but Cooper foolishly stopped halfway home and was thrown out in a rundown. Yaz made it to second and Carlton Fisk scored him with a base hit to right to give the Sox the lead. Fred Lynn grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox led 1-0.

                                                           1-0 Sox

Lee cruised in the top of the second as Tony Perez whiffed to start. Foster struck out swinging and Dave Concepcion grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli whiffed on a curveball to begin. Dwight Evans got plunked and Rick Burleson singled up the middle, but Evans was thrown out at third on a double steal even though Rick made it to second. Lee himself whiffed to end the inning.

Ken Griffey led off the top of the third by grounding out to first to begin. Cesar Geronimo whiffed and Billingham grounded out to short to end the inning. Cooper led off the bottom of the third by grounding out to second to start before Doyle also grounded out to second. Yaz walked but Fisk foul tipped into Bench's mitt for strike three to end the inning.

The Reds struck back in the top of the fourth although Rose grounded out to second to begin. Morgan drew a walk and Bench singled him to third. Perez beat out a double play ball and Morgan scored to tie the game. Foster poked a single to left but Concepcion popped up to a running Lynn to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Lynn flied out to left to begin. Petrocelli grounded out to short and Evans whiffed to end the inning.

Lee took no prisoners in the top of the fifth as Griffey grounded out to first to start. Geronimo flied out to right and Billingham grounded out to second to end the inning. Billingham matched Lee in the bottom of the fifth as Burleson whiffed to start. Lee almost beat out a bunt single but Bench gunned him down at first. Cooper grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Lee came back for the top of the sixth and Rose led off with a single to left. Rose was erased on a force by Morgan before Joe was thrown out at second trying to steal. Lynn made a great diving catch to rob Bench of a bloop single to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the sixth although Doyle grounded out to second to start. Yaz singled to right and Concepcion bobbled a Fisk grounder for an error. Lynn popped up to right but Fisk singled up to middle to score Yaz to give Boston the lead. Evans drew a walk and that was it for Billingham. Pedro Borbon came in and Burleson flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

Lee returned for the top of the seventh and Perez walked to start. Foster flied out to center and Concepcion popped up to right before Griffey was rung up on a check swing strike three to end the inning. Will McEnaney came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Lee whiffed to start. Cooper grounded out to short before Doyle watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Lee came out for the top of the eighth and Geronimo lined out to center to start. Merv Rettenmund pinch hit for McEnaney and popped up to first in foul territory. Rose singled over the head of Doyle into right but Morgan grounded out to second to end the inning. Rawly Eastwick came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Yaz flied out to the centerfield wall to start. Fisk walked but Lynn popped up to center. Petrocelli poked a single to right but Evans looked at strike three on the inside corner to end the inning.

Lee had just 3 outs to go for a complete game victory but Bench doubled into the right field corner to start. Sox manager Darrell Johnson wanted Dick Drago to pitch to Perez and that was it for Lee. He went 8 plus innings allowing just 5 hits.

                                                      Lee pitched a heck of a game.

Drago got Perez to ground out to short but Bench moved to third. Foster popped up to shallow left for the second out but Concepcion hit a roller up the middle that Doyle couldn't make a play on, scoring Bench with the tying run. Concepcion swiped second and Griffey scored him with a double to the left field wall to give the Reds the lead. Geronimo was intentionally walked but Eastwick grounded into a force to end the inning with the Reds ahead 3-2.

                                                  Geronimo celebrates Concepcion scoring

Eastwick came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Burleson popped up to Griffey in foul territory to start. Bernie Carbo pinch hit for Drago but lined out to left. Cooper popped up to short to end the game. The Reds had stunned the Sox to tie up the series with a 3-2 win, sending the series back to Cincinnati.

Jackass of the Night is Dick Drago. He was trusted to protect the one run lead and he not only gave up the tying run but the go-ahead run as well.

                                                      Dick the Jackass


The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Bill Lee pitched great, allowing 2 runs in 8 plus innings of work scattering 5 hits and 2 walks.



The Bad:

Fred Lynn was 0 for 4.

Bernie Carbo was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 5.

Denny Doyle was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch and walked.

Rick Burleson was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Well that was a big kick in the ass. The Reds were down to their last out and still came back to win. Give credit for them for not giving up in the ninth. Its too bad the Sox couldn't get it done in the ninth but it shouldn't have come to that. They ran themselves into outs again that could have turned into runs if they stayed patient. Still, Drago should have got it done in the ninth but he didn't. Its a shame because Lee and Luis Tiant have now allowed a combined 2 runs in 17 innings but only one win to show for it. The Big Red Machine have yet to erupt yet but that could happen in Game 3 as the series shifts back to Cincinnati. Rick Wise goes for the Sox up against Gary Nolan of the Reds. The game begins at 8:00 PM at Riverfront Stadium.

Sox Beat Royals in 13 Innings (4/28/74)

It was a great night for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of their NHL Semifinal series, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and the Boston Red Sox knocked off the Kansas City Royals in 13 innings. For eight innings it looked like the Sox were cruising toward a win against the Royals as they led 4-2. The Sox got 4 runs off old pal Marty Pattin while Roger Moret held the Royals to two runs in 7 1/3 innings. Then in the bottom of the ninth Hal McRae hit a two run home run off Dick Drago to send the game to extras. In the top of the 13th, Cecil Cooper hit a home run off Doug Bird to put the Sox ahead. Drago was still in the game and he finished off the Royals for some redemption in the bottom of the frame. The Sox had beaten the Royals 5-4 in 13 innings at Royals Stadium.

                                                   Dave Cowens approves of the win

Pattin got the ball in the top of the first inning as Rick Miller flied out to center to start. Doug Griffin also flied out to center and Cecil Cooper struck out swinging to end the inning. Moret got the start in the bottom of the first and Freddie Patek flied out to left to start. Cookie Rojas got a base hit to center and Amos Otis grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Carl Yastrzemski got a base hit to center to begin the top of the second inning but Bernie Carbo popped up to short. Dwight Evans flied out to left but Carlton Fisk forced Yaz at second to end the inning. The Royals struck first in the bottom of the second as John Mayberry singled to right and Fran Healy hit a home run all the way to Quebec to put the Royals on top. Jim Wohlford popped up to third but Hal McRae singled to center. McRae stole second but Paul Schaal walked. Al Cowens struck out swinging and Patek popped up to first to end the inning with the Royals up 2-0.

                                                                      Home run Healy

The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Dick McAuliffe flied out to center to start. Guerrero struck out swinging but Miller launched his first home run of the year to cut the lead. Griffin popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                            Miller cuts the lead

Rojas got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third but Otis hit into another double play. Mayberry lined out to right to end the inning.

Cooper lined out to right to begin the top of the fourth and Yaz flied out to center. Carbo grounded out to second to end the inning. Healy grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Wohlford got a base hit to center. Moret threw the pickoff throw away and Wohlford moved all the way to third on the error, but McRae struck out swinging. Schaal grounded out to second to end the inning.

Evans lined out to left to begin the top of the fifth and Fisk grounded out to third. McAuliffe took strike three to end the inning. Cowens popped up to third to open the bottom of the fifth but Patek singled in the hole at second. Rojas grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Guerrero got a base hit to left to begin. Guerrero swiped second but Miller struck out swinging. Griffin got a base hit to center to score Guerrero with the tying run but Cooper flied out to left. Yaz drew a walk but Carbo grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                          Griffin drives in a run

Otis flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Mayberry flied out to left. Healy popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the seventh as Evans smashed his second home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Fisk walked and McAuliffe dropped down a bunt, only for Fisk to slide in safe at second anyway. Guerrero grounded into a double play but Miller walked to put runners at the corners. Griffin forced Miller at second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

                                                               Evans hits one out

Wohlford grounded out to third to start the bottom of the seventh but McRae walked. McRae stole second but Schaal popped up to second. Cowens grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cooper flied out to left to begin the top of the eighth and Yaz did the same. Carbo doubled to center and moved to third on the infield single to short by Evans to chase Pattin. Doug Bird came in and Evans took off for second. Healy threw to second and Carbo made a mad dash home. Evans was safe at second and Carbo was safe at home for a double steal. Evans tried to be greedy and steal third but was thrown out to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                                 Carbo steals home

Patek flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth but Rojas singled to left. Otis singled to left and Sox manager Darrell Johnson had seen enough of Moret. Roger allowed 2 runs in 7 1/3 innings, putting the Sox in line for the win. Bill Lee came in just to face one batter, getting Mayberry to ground out to first. The runners moved over but Dick Drago got Healy to ground out to first to end the inning.

                                                                   Good work Moret

Fisk struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth but McAuliffe got a base hit to center. Guerrero flied into a double play to end the inning. Drago came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and failed miserably. Wohlford singled to center and McRae hit a home run all the way to Russia to tie the game. Schaal grounded back to the mound and Vada Pinson pinch hit for Cowens. Pinson struck out swinging and Patek flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                           McRae ties it

Miller took strike three to start the top of the tenth before Griffin flied out to left. Cooper popped up to third to end the inning. Rojas grounded out to short to start the bottom of the tenth and Otis grounded out to third. Mayberry walked but Healy grounded out to third to end the inning.

Yaz grounded out to second to open the top of the eleventh and Carbo did the same. Evans doubled to center but Fisk grounded out to third to end the inning. Wohlford grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the eleventh and McRae grounded back to the mound. Schaal lined out to right to end the inning.

McAuliffe got a base hit in the hole at second to start the top of the 12th but Guerrero grounded into a double play. Miller got a base hit to center but Griffin flied out to right to end the inning. Things looked bleak in the bottom of the 12th when Pinson doubled to left to start. Patek dropped down a bunt to move Pinson to third but Rojas grounded out to second with the infield in. Amos and Mayberry were intentionally walked to load the bases and Healy struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                               Gave up the lead but held the fort after

The Sox finally broke the tie in the top of the 13th as Cooper belted a solo home run to put the Sox up instantly. Yaz grounded back to the mound, Carbo struck out swinging and Evans struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 5-4.

                                                                 Cooper gets it done

Drago returned to close out the bottom of the 13th and Wohlford grounded out to short to start. McRae grounded out to third and Tony Solaita pinch hit for Schaal. Solaita doubled to left and Frank White pinch ran for him. Pinson struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4 in 13 innings.

                  

Hero of The Night is Cecil Cooper. His home run in the 13th inning was the decisive blow in the game.

The Good:

Rick Miller was 2 for 5 with a walk and a home run.

Dwight Evans was 3 for 6 with a home run and a stolen base.

Dick McAuliffe was 2 for 4.

Roger Moret allowed 2 runs in 7 1/3 innings giving up 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out two.

Bill Lee retired the only man he faced.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with a walk.

Bernie Carbo was just 1 for 6 with a strikeout but scored a run and a stolen base.

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and a walk.

Mario Guerrero was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.

Dick Drago blew the save in the ninth but earned the win with 5 1/3 innings pitched.

Final Thoughts:

That was a marathon and one of the most frustrating games of the season. The Sox had the game won going into the ninth but Drago blew it....then proceeded to be lights out almost the rest of the game. The Sox bats were timely until the ninth inning then went asleep the rest of the game except for one swing by Cooper. Cecil really saved the Sox bacon in this one, otherwise who knows how long the game would have went. Its good to see Fisk back so the Sox bats are starting to return back to normal. Let's hope the pitching holds up as the season progresses. The Sox now return home for a series against the California Angels beginning tomorrow night. Luis Tiant (1-3) takes on Bill Singer of the Angels and the game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Busby, Royals Defeat Sox (4/26/74)

For the third game in a row the Boston Red Sox were knocked off in a complete game effort by an opposing starter. This time it was the Kansas City Royals and Steve Busby that dominated the Sox. Busby tossed a complete game 6 hitter allowing just two runs to the punchless Sox offense. Bill Lee (2-2, 2.35 ERA) was game but got tagged for four runs by the Royals. The only silver lining was the return of Carlton Fisk from injury as he scored a run in his first game back. Unfortunately he didn't score enough as the Sox dropped their fourth straight game 4-2 to the Royals at Royals Stadium.

                                                "HOW DO YOU LOSE IN FISK'S RETURN?"

Busby got the ball in the top of the first and Tommy Harper grounded out to short to start. Rick Miller doubled to left and a wild pitch moved him to third. Doug Griffin struck out swinging but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Yaz stole second but Bernie Carbo struck out swinging to end the inning. Lee got the ball in the bottom of the first and Freddie Patek grounded out to first to start. Cookie Rojas got a seeing eye single into right but Amos Otis forced him at second. Otis stole second and John Mayberry was hit with a pitch. Fran Healy struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox took the lead in the top of the second as the returning Carlton Fisk walked to begin. Bob Montgomery doubled to center to score Fisk but was thrown out at third on a Terry Hughes grounder back to Busby. Mario Guerrero grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                                     Welcome back Fisk

Jim Wohlford singled in the hole at short to begin the bottom of the second and promptly stole second. Hal McRae dropped down a bunt to move Wohlford to third but Paul Schaal took strike three. Al Cowens grounded out to short to end the inning.

Harper beat out a roller to start the top of the third but Miller grounded into a double play. Griffin struck out swinging to end the inning. Patek popped up to first to start the bottom of the third before Rojas grounded out to third. Otis tripled to left but Mayberry grounded out to second to end the inning.

Yaz walked to begin the top of the fourth but Carbo grounded back to the mound to move Carl to second. Fisk beat out a roller to third to put runners at the corners but Montgomery grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Royals fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Healy struck out swinging to start. Wohlford lined out to right but McRae hit a home run all the way to Osaka, Japan to tie the game. Schaal grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Home run McRae

The Sox blew a big rally in the top of the fifth as Hughes singled past the first base bag to start. Guerrero dropped down a bunt but it got Hughes thrown out at second and Harper popped up to second. Miller and Griffin both walked to load the bases but Yaz flied out to right to end the inning. The Royals took command in the bottom of the fifth as Cowens lined out to center to start. Patek tripled into the left field corner and Rojas lashed a base hit to center to score Freddie. Otis singled to center and both runners moved over on the Mayberry grounder to second. Healy grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                               Rojas drives in a run

Carbo struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Fisk lined out to left. Montgomery grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Wohlford singled to center to start the bottom of the sixth and promptly stole second. McRae got Wohlford thrown out at third on a force and he himself was picked off. Schaal grounded out to third to end the inning.

Hughes grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and Dick McAuliffe pinch hit for Guerrero. McAuliffe walked but Harper grounded into the fourth double play of the game to end the inning. The Royals finished off Lee in the bottom of the seventh as Cowens got a base hit in the hole at short to start. Patek dropped down a bunt and Lee threw it away for an error to put runners at the corners. Rojas grounded into a double play but Cowens scored. Otis doubled to left and somehow stole third before Mayberry walked to chase Lee. Bill fought bravely but allowed 3 runs in just 6 2/3 innings. Diego Segui came in to pitch and Mayberry stole second. Healy flied out to left to end the inning with the Royals up 3-1.

                                         "Can Montgomery throw anyone out?" - Lee

The Sox did get a run back in the top of the eighth as Miller flied out to left to begin Carbo smacked a triple to left field and came home on the sac fly to center by Yaz. Carbo flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                              Yaz drives in a run

Wohlford beat out a roller to third to begin the bottom of the eighth and stole his third base of the game. McRae beat out a roller to short and Schaal dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Vada Pinson pinch hit for Cowens and hit a sac fly to center to score Wohlford. Patek popped up to first and somehow Schaal tagged up and moved to second. Rojas grounded out to third to end the inning with the Royals up 4-2.

                                                               Pinson drives in a run

Fisk popped up to third to start the top of the ninth and Cecil Cooper pinch hit for Montgomery and struck out swinging. Rico Petrocelli pinch hit for McAuliffe and popped up to third to end the game. The Royals had won it 4-2.

Jackass of The Night is Bob Montgomery. He allowed SIX stolen bases, the last one leading to the insurance run scoring.

                                                             Jackass Montgomery

The Good:

Rick Miller was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski walked twice and drove in a run.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Terry Hughes was 1 for 3.

Dick McAuliffe walked as a pinch hitter.

The Bad:

Bernie Carbo was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Cecil Cooper struck out as a pinch hitter.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 2.

Diego Segui allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was just 1 for 4.

Bill Lee took the loss but allowed just 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 11 hits and a walk while striking out three.

Final Thoughts:

That was bawful defined. The Sox grounded into four double plays, let the Royals steal SIX bags and Lee threw a ball away. They couldn't do anything right today and its a wonder Sox manager Darrell Johnson doesn't jump into the ocean after the game. The only bright spot is Carlton Fisk is back and as soon as he's ready to catch again, you can say goodbye to Montgomery behind the plate. The pitching has been solid with Rick Wise, Lee, Reggie Cleveland and Luis Tiant, they just need the bats and the defense to come around. Not every game will be as incompetent as this one....we hope. The less said of this, the better. The Sox look to snap their four game losing streak tomorrow afternoon when "The Dominican Dandy" Juan Marichal takes on Al Fitzmorris of Kansas City. The game begins at 2:00 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

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 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.