Indians Beat Sox, Ruin Yaz Day (10/1/83)

In a season where nothing went right for the Boston Red Sox, it was fitting that on Carl Yastrzemski Day they would lose to the Cleveland Indians. In a pregame ceremony, Yaz said goodbye to the fans despite having two more games to play. An hour long tribute to Yaz made everyone feel good about what he had accomplished in the last 22 years. As for the game itself, Oil Can Boyd (4-8, 3.28 ERA) continued to look like a potential ace of the future tossing a complete game against the Indians. The only problem was he allowed 3 runs (1 earned) while his counterpart Larry Sorensen pitched the game of his life. Sorensen held the Sox to just 1 run in a complete game 5 hitter. Yaz himself went 0 for 4 in his second to last game of his career as the Indians put yet another miserable loss in a season full of them on the Sox, 3-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                  "New England, I love you" - CY

Boyd took the mound to start the top of the first and Jack Perconte took a fastball on the outside corner for strike three to start. Toby Harrah dumped a base hit to left but Mike Hargrove struck out swinging and Andre Thornton tapped a grounder to short to end the inning. Sorensen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy led off by popping a bunt back to Larry to start. Wade Boggs lined out to center and Jim Rice struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ron Hassey led off the top of the second by popping up to short to start. Alan Bannister grounded out to third and George Vukovich grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second as Tony Armas grounded out to first to start. Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first and Rick Miller grounded out to short to end the inning.

Kevin Rhomberg grounded back to the mound to start the top of the third before Mike Fischlin got a base hit to center. Fischlin took second but Perconte took strike three. Harrah grounded out to third to end the inning. Dave Stapleton led off the bottom of the third by striking out on a nasty changeup to start. Jeff Newman hit a rocket to Mike Fischlin that was ruled a base hit but was doubled off first on a rocket liner to Sorensen by Jackie Gutierrez to end the inning.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth as Hargrove walked to start before taking second on a wild pitch. Thornton hit a deep fly to right to move Hargrove to third and Mike scored on the grounder to second by Hassey. Bannister grounded out to third to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

                                                  Hargrove scores a run

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as Remy grounded out to second to start. Boggs and Rice also grounded out to second to end the inning.

Marty Barrett took over for Remy to start the top of the fifth and Vukovich singled to left to start...but was thrown out second trying to steal. Rhomberg ripped a base hit up the middle but was forced at second on a comebacker to Boyd by Fischlin. Perconte popped up to short to end the inning.

                                                      Yerrrrrr out!

Armas flied out to right to start the bottom of the fifth and Yaz grounded out to second. Miller also grounded out to second to end the inning.

Chico Walker took over for Rice and Lee Graham came in for Armas to start the top of the sixth and Harrah hit a ground rule double down the left field line to start. Hargrove back to the mound but Harrah moved to third on the fly ball to Miller by Thornton. Hassey flied out to center to end the inning. Stapleton led off the bottom of the sixth by lining back to the mound and but Newman drew a walk. Gutierrez took strike three and Barrett flied out to right to end the inning.

Boyd cruised in the top of the seventh as Bannister took strike three to start. Vukovich flied out to right and Rhomberg struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Boggs grounded out to second to start. Walker tripled off the centerfield wall and scored on the Graham sac fly to tie the game. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                          Walker scores to tie the game

Boyd froze Fischlin for strike three to start the top of the eighth but Perconte doubled to right. Harrah flied out to the left field warning track and Hargrove flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew their best chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Miller grounded out to second to start. Stapleton grounded out to Fischlin but Newman slapped a base hit to center. Ed Jurak pinch ran for Newman and Gutierrez singled off the glove of Perconte. Barrett grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Indians finally broke through in the top of the ninth as Gary Allenson took over behind the plate. Thornton poked a double just over the third base bag to start and Bake McBride pinch ran for him. Hassey grounded out to Stapleton and Broderick Perkins pinch hit for Bannister. Perkins hit a liner to Boggs who booted it for an error to keep the inning going. This proved huge as Carmelo Castillo ran for Perkins and Vukovich lashed a base hit to left. McBride made a mad dash home but Walker's throw was in time for the out. Due to the error to Boggs, instead of being out of the inning there were runners on second and third with two out. Just like everything else that's gone wrong this season, Boyd uncorked a wild pitch that scored Castillo to put the Indians on top. Rhomberg ripped a base hit to center that scored Vukovich but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Indians up 3-1.

                                                    Thanks a lot Boggs

Boggs atoned for his error with a base hit to right to start the bottom of the ninth but Walker flied out to the centerfield warning track. Graham grounded out to third to move Boggs to third and the crowd gave Yaz a standing ovation. Unfortunately Yaz grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Indians spoiled the party by winning the game 3-1.

                                                    Indians win

Jackass of the Night is Carl Yastrzemski. In his own retirement ceremony game he went 0 for 4 including grounding back to the mound with the game on the line.

                                                                   Bye Bye Jackass

The Good:

Chico Walker was 1 for 2 with a run scored and outfield assist.

Lee Graham drove in the only run the Sox scored and got an outfield assist.

Jeff Newman was 2 for 2 with a walk.

Jackie Gutierrez was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Oil Can Boyd threw a gutty game. He was failed by his defense and was charged with 3 runs in a complete game. Only one of the runs was earned.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 2.

Marty Barrett was 0 for 2.

Jim Rice was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Tony Armas was 0 for 2.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Wade Boggs was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Honorable Mention:

Ed Jurak pinch ran for Newman in the eighth inning.

Gary Allenson caught the top of the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

This season can't end fast enough and its a shame Yaz cost the team on his own day, but that's par for the course this season since nothing went right. Tony Armas hit .218 this season, Dave Stapleton regressed, Dwight Evans hit only .238 and Yaz was down to .266 with 10 homers in his final year. Still, Boggs is going to be league batting champion and Oil Can Boyd could be a future stud if he has better run support. As for this game, Boyd had one bad inning in the ninth and that's sometimes all it takes. Walker and Graham did the best they could to throw runners out but the error and wild pitch sealed the deal. Still, the true story was Sorensen shutting down the Boston bats in a complete game effort. Gotta tip your cap and admitted he was the better man on this day. The loss dropped the Sox to 77-84, good for 6th place in the AL East. Tomorrow is the final regular season game of the year and Carl Yastrzemski's last before he retires. Al Nipper (0-1) takes the ball in the season finale for the Sox against Bud Anderson of the Indians. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Blank Sox (9/21/80)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                      Campbell does well 

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

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

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

                                                        Torrez eats some innings

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

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

                                                Jackass Tudor wasn't ready for prime time

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 3.

Bill Campbell tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Mike Torrez tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 4.

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

Chico Walker was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Dave Rader struck out as a pinch hitter.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Garry Hancock was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

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

Final Thoughts:

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