Sox Edge Twins (4/25/73)

It was good news all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics stayed alive with a Game 5 win over the New York Knicks in their NBA East Finals series and the Boston Red Sox narrowly defeated the Minnesota Twins. The Sox and the Twins fought to a 3-3 tie after five innings with both Sox starter Lynn McGlothen and Minnesota starter Bill Hands out of the game. In the bottom of the sixth, John Kennedy doubled home Orlando Cepeda against Ray Corbin while Bill Lee (1-0, 1.45 ERA) pitched superb in relief of McGlothen. The Twins chased Lee in the top of the  ninth and loaded the bases against Bob Veale. Bobby Bolin had to face future Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew and.....got him out to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Paul Silas approves of the win

McGlothen got the ball in the top of the first inning and Larry Hisle got a base hit to left to start. Rod Carew forced Hisle at second and moved to second on the grounder to third by Harmon Killebrew. Tony Oliva popped up to second to end the inning. Hands got the ball in the bottom of the first and Doug Griffin flied out to left to start. Luis Aparicio took strike three and Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bobby Darwin doubled to left to start the top of the second before Steve Braun drew a walk. Danny Thompson dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but Carlton Fisk gunned down Braun at second on the swinging strikeout by George Mitterwald to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Reggie Smith got a base hit to center to start. Orlando Cepeda banged into a double play but Fisk smashed his sixth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Ben Oglivie grounded out to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 1-0.

                                                           Fisk jacks one

The Twins answered in the top of the third although Jim Holt struck out swinging to start. Hisle doubled to center and Carew slapped a base hit to center to score him to tie the game. Killebrew took strike three and Fisk gunned down Carew trying to steal to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                                   Carew ties it

John Kennedy popped up to third to start the bottom of the third and Dwight Evans grounded out to short. Griffin took strike three to end the inning.

The Twins took command in the top of the fourth as Oliva got a base hit to center to start. Darwin walked but Braun beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Thompson scored Oliva with a sac fly to put the Twins on top and Mitterwald got a base hit to right to score Braun. Sox manager Eddie Kasko yanked McGlothen before any further damage could be done and sent Bill Lee in to clean up the mess. Holt grounded out to second to end the inning with the Twins up 3-1.

                                                              Not a good start by Lynn

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Aparicio flied out to center to start. Yaz also flied out to center but Smith walked. Cepeda singled to right but Fisk popped up to left to end the inning.

Hisle hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fifth before Carew grounded out to second. Killebrew walked but Oliva forced him at second to end the inning. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the fifth as Oglivie singled to left to start. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to move Ben to second and Evans ripped a base hit to center. Oglivie came around to score and Evans took second on the throw. Griffin singled to right to put runners at the corners and Aparicio got a hit to right to score Evans. Yaz flied out to center and Smith lined out to right to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                       Evans drives in a run

Darwin singled to the right of Lee to start the top of the sixth before moving to second on the grounder to first by Braun. Darwin moved to third on the grounder to short by Thompson and Mitterwald walked. Steve Brye pinch hit for Holt and struck out swinging to end the inning. Ray Corbin took over for Hands to start the bottom of the sixth and Cepeda greeted him with a double to center. Fisk popped up to short and Oglivie struck out swinging, but Kennedy doubled to center to score Cepeda. Evans grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                        Kennedy pushes the Sox ahead

Hisle flied out to right to start the top of the seventh before Carew struck out swinging. Killebrew took strike three to end the inning. Griffin grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh but Yaz singled to the left of Corbin. Smith popped up to second to end the inning.

Danny Walton pinch hit for Oliva to start the top of the eighth and flied out to center to start. Darwin grounded out to first and Joe Lis pinch hit for Braun. Lis popped up to short to end the inning. Jerry Terrell took over at third for the bottom of the eighth and Cepeda struck out swinging to start. Fisk lined back to Corbin and Oglivie popped up to second to end the inning.

Lee came back to finish off the top of the ninth and Thompson struck out swinging to start. Mitterwald doubled off the Monster and Dan Monzon pinch ran for him. Mike Adams pinch hit for Brye and moved Monzon to third with a grounder to first. Hisle walked and Sox manager Eddie Kasko wanted Bob Veale to pitch to Carew. Rod walked to load the bases and Kasko sent Bobby Bolin to pitch to Killebrew. With everyone on the edge of their seats...Bolin froze Killebrew for strike three to end the game. The Sox had survived to win it 4-3.

Hero of the Night is Bill Lee. He came in to put out the fire in the fourth inning and almost went the distance after that, tossing 5 shutout innings to get the win.

                                                           Bill Hero

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

John Kennedy was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

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

Bobby Bolin struck out Harmon Killebrew to end the game and earn the "save".

The Bad:

Lynn McGlothen allowed 3 runs in just 3 2/3 innings including 6 hits.

Bob Veale walked the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Ben Oglivie was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That's a little more like it. Everyone in the Sox batting order got a hit and Lee was able to salvage the game after McGlothen was knocked out. The only drawback to the game was McGlothen and the way the starting rotation has struggled so far this season is discouraging. Still, a win is a win and the Sox earned this one. Maybe Lee should be in the starting rotation and one of the others come out, what the hell? A balanced offense is nice but it won't be sustainable as the year moves forward. All in all it was a good win and hopefully more wins are in store. The Sox are back in action Friday night at home against the Chicago White Sox. Luis Tiant (2-1) goes up against Steve Bahnsen of Chicago. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Rout Pattin, Sox (4/24/73)

Another day, another loss for the Boston Red Sox and Marty Pattin (1-3, 8.85 ERA). Pattin got lit up for five runs and got knocked out in the third inning. John Curtis held the Twins to 1 run in relief but the Boston bats couldn't do enough damage against Twins starter Dick Woodson. The Sox rallied against Dave Goltz but couldn't deliver the knockout punch. Bobby Bolin allowed yet another rub and a Dwight Evans rbi single wasn't enough as the Twins beat the Red Sox 6-4 at Fenway Park. 

                                                           "Damn Twins"

Pattin got the ball in the top of the first inning and Larry Hisle grounded out to first to start. Rod Carew singled to left but Harmon Killebrew forced him at second. Tony Oliva popped up to second to end the inning. Woodson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Doug Griffin lined one off of Hisle but the ball went to Danny Thompson who threw to Killebrew for the out. Luis Aparicio singled to right and moved to second when Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first. Smith flied out to right to end the inning. 

Bobby Darwin grounded out to second to start the top of the second but Steve Braun walked. Thompson singled to left but Phil Roof took strike three. Jim Holt forced Thompson at second to end the inning. Orlando Cepeda hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the second before Rico Petrocelli grounded out to third. Carlton Fisk flied out to center to end the inning.

The Twins exploded in the top of the third with John Kennedy taking over for the injured Petrocelli as Hisle led off with a home run all the way to Pluto to start. Carew walked but Killlebrew hit one up the elevator shaft. Olivia singled to center and Darwin got a base hit to left to score Carew. Braun singled to right to score Oliva and Thompson got a base hit to right to score Darwin. That was it for Pattin who lasted just 2 1/3 innings and was charged with five runs. John Curtis came in and Roof scored Braun with a grounder to second to increase the lead. Holt beat out a roller to first to move Thompson to third but Hisle struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 5-0.

                                                             Oliva says "hola"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Ben Oglivie grounded out to first to start. Dwight Evans flied out to right and Griffin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Carew struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Killebrew worked a walk. Oliva struck out swinging and Darwin forced Killebrew at second to end the inning. Aparicio grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Yaz lined out to center. Smith popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Braun singled to center to start the top of the fifth but Thompson popped up to second. Roof banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the fifth as Cepeda singled in the hole at second to start. Kennedy struck out swinging but Fisk doubled to center. Oglivie walked to load the bases and Evans walked home Cepeda to cut the lead. Griffin hit a sac fly to right to score Fisk and the runners moved up on the error at home by Roof. Aparicio grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                          Evans brings home Cepeda

Holt grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth but Hisle singled to left. Carew singled to center but Killebrew hit into a double play to end the inning. Dave Goltz took over for the bottom of the sixth and Yaz grounded out to first to start. Smith grounded out to short but Cepeda got a base hit to left. Kennedy lined out to second to end the inning.

Oliva grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh but Darwin lined out to left. Braun grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the seventh as Fisk was hit with a pitch to start. Oglivie doubled to center but Evans grounded back to the mound. Griffin dropped down a safety squeeze bunt that scored Fisk and put runners at the corners. Unfortunately Aparicio lined a ball back to Goltz who threw Oglivie out at home. Ken Sanders came in to pitch and Yaz walked to load the bases, but Smith grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                                Griffin with the bunt

The Twins iced the game in the top of the eighth as Thompson walked to start. Roof flied out to center but Holt walked to chase Curtis. Bobby Bolin came in and got Hisle to pop up to first, but Carew walked to load the bases. Despite hitting .170 on the season, Kilebrew got a base hit to left to score Thompson to increase the lead. That was it for Bolin as Bob Veale came in to get Oliva to pop up to first to end the inning with the Twins ahead 6-3.

                                                          Killebrew drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the eighth as Cepeda flied out to center to start. Kennedy took strike three and Fisk struck out swinging to end the inning.

Darwin lined out to center to open the top of the ninth but Braun got a base hit to right. Thompson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did try to rally in the bottom of the ninth when Oglivie doubled off the Monster to start. Evans ripped a base hit to center to score Ben and bring the tying run to the plate. Griffin took strike three and Aparicio flied out to right, but Yaz doubled to left to keep the inning alive. With the game on the line....Smith popped up to second to end the game. The Twins had won it 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Marty Pattin. He got knocked out in the third inning after being charged with 5 runs to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                                Jackass Pattin

The Good:

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.

Ben Oglivie was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Bob Veale tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 5.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 1 before leaving the game.

John Kennedy was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Doug Griffin was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but drove in 2 runs.

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked.

John Curtis allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 5 innings.

Bobby Bolin allowed an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a kick in the pants, especially the end. The Sox did all that work to get back in the game only for Bolin to give up that sixth run. If it was a two run game in the ninth, there's no doubt Griffin would have bunted Evans to second if that's how things played out. Its a shame because the Sox showed heart to rally after being down 5-0 but it just wasn't enough. That's three bad games this month for Pattin and he better start improving or the Sox are going to be in trouble. The offense was pretty much held in check apart from some spurts here and there but those are the breaks. The Sox still need to address the bullpen since every one they put in there gives up runs. Trading Sparky Lyle looks pretty foolish right about now considering Danny Cater's regression and the bullpen woes. Its only April so the Sox have plenty of time to right the ship. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Twins when Lynn McGlothen takes the ball against Bill Hands of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Moret, Sox Down Indians in Game 2 (4/22/73)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 4 of their NBA East Finals series with the New York Knicks but the Boston Red Sox took the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians. Roger Moret (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was outstanding, allowing just an unearned run in 5 2/3 innings. The bats scored their first run on a balk then rallied for 4 more runs in the 5th inning. Bob Veale surrendered just a solo home run as he slammed the door to earn the save. The Sox avenged their Game 1 loss with a 5-2 win in Game 2 at Cleveland Stadium. 

                                               Mercy Rooney approves of the win

Steve Dunning got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper led off with a grounder to short. Mario Guerrero popped up to right and Carl Yastrzemski struck out swinging to end the inning. Moret got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Rusty Torres flied out to center to start. Leo Cardenas singled to left but Chris Chambiss lined out to left. Charlie Spikes walked but Ron Lolich forced him at second to end the inning. 

Reggie Smith flied out to left to start the top of the second inning and Orlando Cepeda popped up to first in foul territory. Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging to end the inning. John Ellis and George Hendrick stroked back to back base hits to left to begin the bottom of the second. Buddy Bell walked to load the bases but Jack Brohamer hit a bullet to Petrocelli who doubled off Ellis at third. Torres lined out to left to end the inning. 

Ben Oglivie singled to right to start the top of the top of the third but Doug Griffin grounded into a double play. Bob Montgomery popped up to second to end the inning. Cardenas walked to start the bottom of the third but Chambliss struck out swinging. Spikes lined out to center but Lolich walked. Ellis singled to right to load the bases but Hendrick popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. 

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth as Harper walked to start. Harper stole second and Guerrero walked as well. Yaz banged into a double play to move Harper to third and he scored on a balk to put Boston on top. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. 

                                                         Harper scores a run

Bell struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Brohamer doubled to center. Torres took strike three but Cardenas walked again. Chambliss lined out to center to end the inning. 

The Sox broke the game open in the top of the fifth as Cepeda singled to left to start. Petrocelli walked but Oglivie struck out swinging. Griffin lined out to right but Montgomery doubled to center to score Cepeda. Harper singled to right to score Petrocelli and chase Dunning from the game. Ray Lamb came in to pitch and Guerrero singled to right to move Harprt to third. Yaz caught everyone asleep with a safety squeeze bunt single to score Harper. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                       Montgomery drives in a run

Moret cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Spikes popped up to first to start. Lolich struck out swinging and Ellis popped up to right to end the inning.

Cepeda got a base hit to center to start the top of the sixth but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Petrocelli popped up to second but Lamb booted a grounder by Oglivie. Griffin grounded out to third to end the inning. The Indians got a run back due to shoddy defense in the bottom of the sixth as Hendrick lined out to left to begin. Bell popped up to second but Brohamer singled in the hole at second to chase Moret. Roger was excellent by being charged with just the 1 run in 5 2/3 innings. Bobby Bolin came in and Torres singled to center to bring up Cardenas. Montgomery had Brohamer picked off second but he threw the ball over the head of the FIRST baseman's head to move Brohamer to third on the error. Bolin had Torres picked off but he threw the ball away to score Brohamer on the error. Cardenas hit a routine grounder to Petrocelli who dropped an elbow on the ball and pinned it for yet another error. That was it for Bolin as Bob Veale came in to pitch and Chambliss lined out to short to end the inning with the Indians down 5-1 after 3 errors.

                                               Bolin, Petrocelli and Montgomery

Montgomery took strike three to start the top of the seventh and Harper lined out to second. Guerrero grounded out to third to end the inning. The Indians got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Spikes hit a home run all the way to Cameroon to start. Lolich singled to center but Ellis banged into a double play. Hendrick struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Yaz lined out to left to start the top of the eighth and Smith flied out to left. Cepeda got another base hit to center and Dwight Evans pinch ran for him. Petrocelli walked but Oglivie struck out swinging to end the inning. Rick Miller took over for Harper to start the bottom of the eighth and Bell struck out swinging to start. Brohamer walked but Torres lined out to third. Cardenas flied out to center to end the inning.

Griffin got a base hit to left to start the top of the ninth but Montgomery took strike three. Miller struck out swinging and Griffin was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Veale came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Chambliss grounded out to first to start. Spikes grounded out to short and Lolich flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

Hero of The Night is Roger Moret. He was charged with an unearned run in 5 2/3 gutty innings in the second game of a doubleheader.

                                                                      Hero Moret

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Mario Guerrero was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Orlando Cepeda was 3 for 4 with a run scored. 

Bob Veale allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings of work to earn the save. 

The Bad:

Rick Miller struck out in his only at bat.

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4

Bobby Bolin allowed an inherited runner to score, committed an error and gave up a hit without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and an error but walked twice and scored a run. 

Ben Oglivie was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4.

Bob Montgomery was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Dwight Evans ran for Cepeda in the top of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Red Sox to bounce back after the loss in Game 1. Moret pitched well bit good lord they need to clean up the errors. That seventh inning could have gotten a lot worse but they got lucky. Thankfully they were so far ahead they could afford to give up a run but that was bad. One thing is for sure is the bullpen is anything but automatic, that could be a problem moving forward. Still, the bats did enough to win and Cepeda is having the time of his life as the team's Designated Hitter. All in all it was a good win and the Sox hope the momentum carries over into the next game. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox return home to play the Minnesota Twins. Marty Pattin (1-2) gets the start against Dick Woodson of the Twins this Tuesday night at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Stun Sox in Game 1 (4/22/73)

Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of today's doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. The Sox took a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth but the Indians rallied to tie the game. The Sox got an rbi double by Luis Aparicio and a two run home run by Carl Yastrzemski in the top of the ninth off Jerry Johnson to give the Sox a 3 run lead. All of a sudden the Indians rallied against John Curtis in the bottom of the ninth after Luis Aparicio booted a grounder by Leo Cardenas. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ron Lolich hit a walkoff grand slam against Sonny Siebert (0-1, 7.71 ERA) to stun the Sox and give Cleveland the Game 1 8-7 victory at Cleveland Stadium.

                                              "Hello? Operator? We need bullpen help here!"

Brent Strom got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper popped up to third in foul territory to start. Luis Aparicio grounded out to third and Carl Yastrzemski took strike three to end the inning. Luis Tiant got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rusty Torres doubled to right to start. Torres moved to third on the Jack Brohamer grounder to first but Chris Chambiss popped up to second. Charlie Spikes grounded out to third to end the inning. 

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as Reggie Smith struck out swinging to start. Orlando Cepeda doubled to right and Rico Petrocelli belted his 5th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Fisk caught the Indians asleep with a bunt single but was immediately picked off. Doug Griffin popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                  Petrocelli goes yard

The Indians struck right back in the bottom of the second as Oscar Gamble hit a home run all the way to Utica, New York to cut the lead. Dave Duncan struck out swinging, George Hendrick popped up to first and John Lowenstein struck out swinging to end the inning with the Indians down 2-1.

                                                       Gamble hits a homer 

Dwight Evans took strike three to start the top of the third and Harper went down hacking. Aparicio grounded out to short to end the inning. Leo Cardenas grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third but Torres walked. Torres got picked off but Brohamer singled to right and Chambliss walked. Spikes popped up to left to end the inning. 

Yaz grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth but Smith singled off the glove of Strom. Cepeda grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gamble grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Duncan flied out to center. Hendrick flied out to right to end the inning. 

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Petrocelli reached on an error by Chambliss to start. Fisk dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Rico to second and Petrocelli scored on the double to center by Griffin to increase the lead. Evans flied out to right but Harper walked. Aparicio lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                           Griffin drives in a run

Tiant cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Lowenstein grounded out to first to start. Cardenas struck out swinging and Torres grounded out to second to end the inning. 

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth although Yaz popped up to short to start. Smith then launched his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Cepeda took strike three but Petrocelli singled to left. Fisk lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                         Home run Smith

The Indians struck back immediately in the bottom of the sixth as Brohamer hit a home run all the way to Lexington, Kentucky to cut the lead. Chambliss hit one up the elevator shaft but Spikes walked. Duncan popped up to short and Duncan lined out to left to end the inning with the Indians down 4-2.

                                                              Home run Brohamer

Griffin lined out to center to start the top of the seventh and Evans took strike three. Harper flied out to right to end the inning. The Indians rallied in the bottom of the seventh after Hendrick knocked Tiant out of the game with a base hit to right. Bob Veale came in and Buddy Bell pinch hit for Lowenstein. Bell walked and Cardenas dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Torres walked to load the bases and Walt Williams pinch hit for Brohamer. Williams singled to right to score Hendrick but Chambliss popped up to left. Bobby Bolin came in to pitch to Spikes and Charlie beat a roller to short to score Bell. John Curtis came in to pitch to Gamble but Ron Lolich pinch hit for Oscar. Lolich flied out to right to end the inning. 3 pinch hitters all got on base and the Indians tied the game 4-4.

                                                 Aspromonte can't miss today

Tom Ragland took over at second for the top of the eighth and Aparicio singled to center to chase Strom. Jerry Johnson came in to pitch and immediately struck Yaz out swinging. Smith got a base hit to center but Cepeda popped up to first in foul territory. Petrocelli walked to load the bases but Fisk lined out to third to end the inning. Duncan grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth and Hendrick also grounded out to short. Bell hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. 

The Sox surged ahead in the top of the ninth as Griffin walked to start. Ben Oglivie pinch hit for Evans and dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Doug to second. Harper grounded out to second to move Griffin to third and Aparicio doubled to center to score Griffin. Yaz crushed his third home run of the season to seemingly put the game away and Smith drew a walk. Cepeda ripped a base hit to left but Smith was foolishly thrown out at third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-5.

                                                            Home run Yaz

Rick Miller took over for Harper for the bottom of the ninth but Aparicio booted a grounder by Cardenas to start. The error turned out to be huge as Torres flied out to center but Ragland got a base hit to left. Chambliss walked to load the bases and Sox manager Eddie Kasko wanted Sonny Siebert to close the game out. Spikes struck out swinging which would have been the third out....but Lolich annihilated a grand slam all the way to the Grand Canyon to win the game. The Indians had stunned the Sox with a walkoff 9-8 victory in Game 1.

Jackass of the Night is Sonny Siebert. He allowed a walkoff grand slam to lose the game.

                                                                Jackass Siebert

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 3 for 4 with a walk and a home run.

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 3 with a walk, a 2 run homer and 2 runs scored.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3.

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

Ben Oglivie was asked to drop down a bunt as a pinch hitter and he did.

Luis Tiant tossed 6 plus solid innings and was charged with 3 runs. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 3.

The Bad:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Bob Veale allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Bobby Bolin allowed a hit to the only guy he faced.

John Curtis was charged with 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run score but his error in the ninth led to the grand slam.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but hit a 2 run homer.

Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller played left field in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

What a complete disaster. Not only did every move Ken Aspromonte make turn to gold but Kasko managed the bullpen like doo-doo. Bolin, Veale, Curtis and Siebert all allowed hits and runs to pinch hitters and that was long before the grand slam. The Sox lost a few runners on the bases and the Aparicio error was the difference in the game it turned out. The Sox are regretting trading Sparky Lyle for Danny Cater right about now since nobody in the bullpen can get an out. The offense scored 8 runs in the game and still lost, that's not a recipe for success. Still, its only one game and the Sox have another one to play to right the ship but its a bad look right now. 3 pinch hitters reached base in the seventh and the fourth hit the walkoff in the ninth. Tiant should have had a win but it was not meant to be. The Sox have no time to cry about the loss because they have Game 2 to play in a few minutes. Roger Moret gets the start in Game 2 against Steve Dunning of Cleveland. The game should start at 5:30 PM Eastern time at Cleveland Stadium.

Tigers Sweep Sox Out of Fenway (4/19/73)

The Detroit Tigers are the team to beat the in AL East this year and they proved it by wiping out the Boston Red Sox in four straight games in Boston including today's slugfest. The first three games were lopsided contests mostly due to Boston's inability to hit Detroit pitching. Today the bats woke up to score 7 runs off 10 hits....too bad the Tigers once again shelled the Sox collective pitching staff. John Curtis (0-2, 5.40 ERA) got knocked out in the fourth inning and was charged with 6 runs. Sonny Siebert and Bob Veale failed to hold the fort as they allowed 5 runs between them to put the game out of reach. The Sox rallied to bring the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth but Tom Timmerman slammed the door. The Sox had lost five games in a row and were swept four straight by the AL East champion Tigers 11-7 at Fenway Park.

                                                              "Swept by the Tigers!!??"

Curtis got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tony Taylor took strike three to start. Bill Freehan walked but Al Kaline forced him at second. Willie Horton singled to left but Frank Howard grounded out to third to end the inning. Woodie Fryman got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tommy Harper led off by striking out swinging. Luis Aparicio flied out to left and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to center to end the inning.

The Tigers struck first in the top of the second inning and Aurelio Rodriguez singled to center to start. Mickey Stanley doubled to left and Ike Brown walked to load the bases. Ed Brinkman ripped a base hit to center to score Rodriguez and Stanley to put Detroit on top. Taylor popped up to right and Freehan grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Tigers up 2-0.

                                                         Brinkman drives in a pair

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Reggie Smith walked and Orlando Cepeda belted his second home run of the season to tie the game. Rico Petrocelli popped up to short, Carlton Fisk grounded out to short and Doug Griffin took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Cepeda ties the game

The Tigers struck again in the top of the third as Kaline flied out to center to start. Horton grounded out to short but Howard walked. Rodriguez singled to center and Stanley smashed a three run home run to put Detroit up for good. Brown popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with the Tigers up 5-2.

                                                             Stanley puts the Tigers ahead

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the third as Dwight Evans smashed his first home run of the year to cut the lead. Harper beat out a roller to third and stole second, but Aparicio took strike three. Yaz singled to left to move Harper to third and Taylor threw away a double play ball hit by Smith away to score Tommy on the error. Cepeda struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                    Evans hits number 1 this season 

The Tigers were relentless in the top of the fourth as Brinkman grounded out to short to start. Taylor singled to right, stole second and took third on the base hit to left by Freehan. That was it for Curtis whod be charged with 6 runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Sonny Siebert came in and Kaline singled to left to score Taylor. Horton struck out swinging and Gates Brown pinch hit for Howard and struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 6-4.

                                                                       Not John's best stuff

Norm Cash took over at first for Ike Brown to start the bottom of the fourth and Petrocelli lined out to left to start. Fisk flied out to center and Griffin grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Rodriguez singled to left to start the top of the fifth but both Stanley and Cash struck out swinging. Brinkman grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Evans grounded back to the mound to start. Harper flied out to center but Aparicio doubled down the left field line. Yaz ripped a base hit to center to score Luis but Smith flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                                             Yaz drives in a run

The Tigers scored AGAIN in the top of the sixth as Taylor popped up to second to start. Freehan doubled to left, Kaline walked and Horton singled to left to score Freehan. Bob Veale took over for Siebert and Brown struck out swinging. Rodriguez forced Horton at second to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 7-5.

                                                    Horton out hitting the Red Sox by himself 

Tom Timmermann took over on the mound to start the bottom of the sixth and Cepeda hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Petrocelli popped up to second and Fisk struck out swinging to end the inning.

Veale cruised in the top of the seventh as Stanley struck out swinging to start. Cash flied out to center and Brinkman grounded out to short to end the inning. The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh as Griffin grounded out to short to start. Evans and Harper both grounded out to third to end the inning. 

The Tigers struck again in the top of the eighth as Taylor popped up to right to start. Freehan singled to left, took second on a wild pitch and scored on the base hit to right by Kaline. Aparicio booted a grounder by Horton for an error but Brown popped up to third. The Tigers laughed at the Sox as Horton stole second and Kaline technically stole home on the throw back to the plate for another run. Rodriguez ripped a base hit to right to score Horton but Stanley grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Tigers up 10-5.

                                                       "Can we get anybody out?" - BV

The Sox did scratch out another run in the bottom of the eighth as Aparicio walked to start. Yaz struck out swinging but Smith drew a walk. Cepeda then lashed a base hit to right to score Aparicio and cut the lead. Ben Oglivie ran for Cepeda but Petrocelli popped up to third and Fisk grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 10-6

                                                            Aparicio scores a run

The Tigers wouldn't go away in the top of the ninth as Cash walked to start. Cash took second on the sacrifice bunt by Brinkman and moved to third on the grounder to short by Taylor. Who else but Freehan singled home Cash to increase the lead and chase Veale. Bobby Bolin came in and got Kaline to ground out to third to end the inning with the Tigers up 11-6.

                                                  Freehan couldn't miss in this one

The Sox did rally in the bottom of the ninth as Griffin got a base hit to center to start. Evans flied out to left but Harper singled to right. Aparicio grounded back to the mound to move the runners over and Yaz got a base hit to center to score Griffin. Smith flied out to right to end the game as the Tigers completed the sweep with an 11-7 win.

Jackass of the Night is John Curtis. He put the Sox in a deep hole they were never fully able to climb out of by allowing 6 runs in 3 1/3 innings.

                                                                  Jackass Curtis

The Good:

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

Carl Yastrzemski was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 3 total rbis.

Bobby Bolin got the final out of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4.

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bob Veale allowed 4 runs in 3 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but walked and scored 2 runs.

Reggie Smith was 0 for 3 but walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run. 

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Sonny Siebert allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 2 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Ben Oglivie pinch ran for Cepeda in the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Well this sucks. The Sox were narrowly beaten by Detroit in the AL East race last season and they completely stomped out the Sox so far this season four straight. The trio of Freehan, Horton and Kaline couldn't miss this series and they scored 18 runs in the last two days. Unless the Sox get better pitching, this season is going to go down the drain sooner rather than later. Curtis was a nice surprise last year but he hasn't stepped up this year so far. Siebert looks like he's washed up and its sad to see that happen after he strong-armed the Sox in the years Jim Lonborg kept getting hurt. The offense woke up today and normally scoring 7 runs leads to victory so hopefully they can keep that pace up. Its only April so there's no need to panic although losing five games in a row doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The Sox now hit the road and their first stop is Cleveland for a set with the Indians beginning tomorrow night. Marty Pattin (1-1) gets the start for Boston against Gaylord Perry of Cleveland. The game begins at 9:00 PM Eastern time at Cleveland Stadium.

Cepeda, Sox Walkoff Yankees (4/8/73)

The bad news was the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal series and the New York Rangers eliminated the Boston Bruins with a Game 5 victory in their NHL Quarterfinal series, but the good news was the Boston Red Sox walked off the New York Yankees. It took three games but new Red Sox designated hitter Orlando Cepeda finally got his first hit with the team and it came at a big time. The Yankees jumped out to a 2-0 lead against John Curtis but Reggie Smith put the Sox ahead in the sixth inning. Once again the lead was blown when another error by Doug Griffin led the tying run scoring in the top of the ninth. Cepeda didn't wait around, smashing the first pitch thrown by old friend Sparky Lyle into the net in left field for a walkoff home run. That gave the Sox a 4-3 win over the Yankees at Fenway Park.

                                                     Bonnie Large approves of the win

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Curtis in the top of the first as Horace Clarke lined out to second to start. Roy White flied out to left but Matty Alou walked. Bobby Murcer singled to right and Graig Nettles singled to center to score Alou with the first run. Felipe Alou struck out looking to end inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                          Nettles puts New York on top

Doc Medich got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Tommy Harper led off with a grounder to second. Luis Aparicio singled to left but Carl Yastrzemski flied out to left. Reggie Smith struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Yankees struck again in the top of the second inning as Thurman Munson hit a home run all the way to Puerto Rico to increase the lead. Rob Swoboda took strike three but Gene Michael beat out a roller to third. Clarke walked but White banged into a double play to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                                 Munson hits one out

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Orlando Cepeda grounded out to third to start. Rico Petrocelli and Carlton Fisk both flied out to center to end the inning.

Matty Alou grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the third before Murcer singled to right. Harper made a great diving catch to rob Nettles of extra bases but Murcer tagged up and took second. Felipe Alou popped up to third to end the inning. Doug Griffin took strike three to start the bottom of the third before Dwight Evans grounded out to third. Harper flied out to center to end the inning.

All of a sudden Luis Aparicio keeled over in the dugout and had to be hauled off on a gurney and rushed to Mass General's ICU. Mario Guerrero took his place in the field and Munson flied out to right to start the top of the fourth. Swoboda flied out to right and Michael grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth inning as Guerrero grounded back to the mound to begin. Yaz and Smith both grounded out to second to end the inning.

It was the Yankees turn to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth inning. Clarke grounded out to short, White grounded out to third and Matty Alou grounded out to first to end the inning. Cepeda grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Petrocelli grounded out to short. Fisk struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox were plagued by bad defense in the top of the sixth although Murcer flied out to left to start. Nettles grounded back to the mound but Felipe Alou hit a routine grounder to short. Guerrero cartwheeled over the ball for an error. A wild pitch by Curtis moved Alou to second and Guerrero booted a grounder by Munson for another error. Swoboda forced Munson at second to end the inning. The Sox broke through in the bottom of the sixth as Griffin singled to left to start. Evans popped up to right but Harper singled to center. Guerrero atoned for his errors with a seeing eye single to right to load the bases. That was it for Medich as old friend Sparky Lyle came in to face Yaz and Carl grounded out to second to score Griffin. Smith smacked a double to center to clear the bases nd took third when Nettles muffed the relay throw to third. Cepeda grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                          Smith puts the Sox on top

Smith was a busy man in the top of the seventh as Michael, Clarke and White all flied out to him to begin and end the inning. Lyle cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Petrocelli grounded out to third to start. Fisk popped up to short and Griffin grounded out to short to end the inning.

Curtis cruised in the top of the eighth as Matty Alou took strike three to start. Murcer flied out to center and Nettles lined out to first to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Evans popped up to left to start. Harper walked and Guerrero beat out an infield single to second before both pulled off a double steal. Yaz hit a grounder to second but Harper was thrown out at home. Smith flied out to left to end the inning.

Curtis came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Harper was benched for Rick Miller to start. Felipe Alou and Munson stroked back to back singles to left to chase Curtis after 8 solid innings. Bob Veale came in and got Swoboda to hit one up the elevator shaft before Michael hit a routine grounder to short.  Guerrero flipped to Griffin to force Munson but Doug turned and threw the ball into the net in left field for an error to score Alou with the tying run. Clarke popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                Curtis deserved better 

The Yankees had no time to celebrate tying the game because Lyle's first pitch of the bottom of the ninth was smashed by Cepeda into the net in left field for a game winning home run. The Sox had walked off the Yankees 4-3.

Hero of the Night is Orlando Cepeda. His walkoff home run in the ninth won the game for the Sox.

                                                        Orlando The Hero

The Good:

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

Luis Aparicio was 1 for 1 before leaving.

Mario Guerrero was 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

John Curtis was outstanding, tossing 8 plus innings and gave up 3 runs (2 earned). He allowed 7 hits and struck out 3.

Bob Veale got the win with a scoreless ninth inning even though the tying run scored on an error.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3.

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3 with a run scored but struck out and made a key error in the ninth.

Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller played left field in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox defense is TERRIBLE! Committing 3 errors in the game is not a recipe for success, especially when the third one almost cost them the game. Curtis was denied a win amd Veale a save because Griffin threw the ball away. Still, Griffin and Guerrero got it done at the plate and Cepeda cake through big time. Sox fans may have PTSD from Cepeda on the 67 Cardinals but that was 6 years ago now. Bottom line is he helped win the game. Hopefully he can help win a lot of games as the team's first Designated Hitter. Winning 3 in a row against the Yankees is always a good thing and the Sox look to make it 4 in a row on Tuesday afternoon. The Sox bow travel to Milwaukee for a set with the Brewers. Sonny Siebert gets the start against Skip Lockwood. The game begins at 8 PM Eastern time at County Stadium.