Sox Come Back, Defeat Twins (4/30/71)

Its been a theme the whole month of April but the Boston Red Sox once again had to come from behind to win a game. This time their victim was the Minnesota Twins. Through 6 innings Twins ace Jim Kaat enjoyed a 3-0 lead over Mike Nagy and the Red Sox. Carl Yastrzemski drove in the first run in the bottom of the sixth and Reggie Smith delivered the knockout punch in the bottom of the eighth. Still thanks to some shoddy defense the Twins had men on second and third with one out in the top of the ninth. Sparky Lyle got the final two outs to win it for the Sox. The Sox ended the month of April on a high note, beating the Twins 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Posey and Jefferson approve of the win

The Twins wasted no time getting to Nagy in the top of the first inning. Cesar Tovar flied out to right to start before Steve Braun flied out to center. Tony Oliva beat out an infield single to center, Harmon Killebrew walked and Rich Reese singled home Oliva to put the Twins on the board. Brant Alyea flied out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                           Reese drives in a run

Twins ace Jim Kaat cruised in the bottom of the first as Luis Aparicio grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith flied out to right and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to center to end the inning.

Nagy settled down in the top of the second as Leo Cardenas grounded out to short, George Mitterwald popped up to short and Kaat was retired on a squibber in front of the mound to end the inning. Rico Petrocelli grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second but George Scott singled to left. Duane Josephson banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Twins struck again in the top of the third as Tovar walked to start. Braun popped up to short but Oliva singled to right. Killebrew singled home Tovar to increase the lead and Oliva moved to third on the liner to center by Reese. Alyea singled home Oliva but Cardenas grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Twins up 3-0.

                                                            Killebrew takes the lead

Billy Conigliaro doubled to left to start the bottom of the third but Doug Griffin lined out to first. Billy C moved to third on the Nagy grounder and Aparicio flied out to right to end the inning.

Mitterwald singled to right to started the top of the fourth then moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Kaat. Mitterwald moved to third on the grounder by Tovar and Braun flied out to right to end the inning. Smith singled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Yaz popped up to third. Petrocelli flied out to right and Scott struck out to end the inning.

Nagy cruised in the top of the fifth as Oliva grounded out to first to start. Killebrew struck out and Reese grounded out to first to end the inning. Kaat cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Josephson grounded out to third to start. Billy C flied out to right and Griffin lined out to center to end the inning.

Nagy came back for one last inning as Alyea singled to left to start. Cardenas forced Alyea at second then Mittenwald popped up to short. Kaat struck out to end the inning. Nagy was solid for 6 innings allowing just 3 runs but got no run support.

                                               3 runs for the Twins, NOTHING FOR YOU!

The Sox began their comeback in the bottom of the sixth when Phil Gagliano pinch hit for Nagy to begin. Gagliano singled to left but Aparicio flied out to right. Gagliano took second on a wild pitch and Smith hit a routine grounder to third. Killebrew threw the ball away allowing the runners to move into scoring position and Gagliano scored on the Yaz sac fly. Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                    Gagliano gets the rally started

Bill Lee came in for the top of the seventh and Tovar struck out to start. Braun grounded out to first and Oliva struck out to end the inning. Paul Powell came in for Alyea for the bottom of the seventh as the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Scott and Josephson grounded out to short and Billy C grounded out to third to end the inning.

Killebrew walked to start the top of the eighth but Reese forced him at second. Powell struck out but Reese swiped second. Cardenas grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox finally rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Griffin singled to right to begin. Don Pavletich pinch hit for Lee and singled to left then John Kennedy pinch ran for him. Aparicio dropped down a bunt but Kaat threw the ball away, allowing Griffin to score. Smith then doubled home both runners to give the Sox the lead. Yaz was plunked and that was it for Kaat. Ray Corbin came in to pitch and Petrocelli sacrificed both runners into scoring position. Scott was intentionally walked to load the bases but Josephson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox had stolen the lead 4-3.

                                                     Pavletich adds to the rally

Bobby Bolin came in for the top of the ninth and Paul Ratliff pinch hit for Mitterwald grounded out to short to start. Jim Holt pinch hit for Corbin and hit a routine grounder to Scott....that he booted for an error. Tovar doubled Holt to third and that was it for Bolin. Sparky Lyle came in and Rick Renick pinch hit for Braun. Renick flied out to right and Oliva grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had come from behind to win it 4-3.

Hero of the Night is Reggie Smith. He hit the big 2 run double to put the Sox up for good.

                                                          Last April Hero

The Good:

George Scott was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Mike Nagy tossed 6 solid innings of 3 run ball.

Phil Gagliano singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Don Pavletich singled as a pinch hitter.

John Kennedy scored a run as a pinch runner.

Bill Lee got the win with 2 scoreless innings.

Bobby Bolin got the first out of the ninth.

Sparky Lyle earned his 3rd save by getting the final two outs of the ninth.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3.

Duane Josephson was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was 0 for 3 but scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Once again comeback wins are nice but it would help if they stopped having to do so to begin with. The Sox played 16 games this month in fell behind in at least 10 of them. Only a few times were they ahead from start to finish and that's not a recipe for success moving forward. Its one thing to beat the bad teams in the American League but when you face teams like the Baltimore Orioles, its going to be a lot harder to come from behind against teams that usually don't fall flat in the late innings. It was good to see Smith get the big hit and better to see the bullpen lock the lead down at least. The Sox traded Tony Conigliaro for Doug Griffin and Ken Tatum and that looks like a no-win trade right now. Griffin is hitting .213 and Ken Tatum has been outpitched this month by Sparky Lyle. Meanwhile Tony C is only hitting .243 with 2 home runs with is worse than Billy Conigliaro hitting .262 with 3 home runs. If Tony can't get it going in California and either Griffin or Tatum turn into an impact players, the Sox may win that trade. The Sox ended the month of April with a 12-7 record and look to continue their winning ways against the Twins tomorrow when they send Gary Peters (2-1) to the mound up against Jim Perry of Minnesota. The game begins at 1:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Brewers (4/28/71)

After playing several close games the past two weeks, the Boston Red Sox finally enjoyed a laughter. The Sox offense smacked around the Milwaukee Brewers for 15 hits and 10 runs in this one. Sonny Siebert (4-0, 1.15 ERA) tossed 5 2/3 gutty innings before being lifted from the game. Siebert himself and Reggie Smith both hit home runs, Carl Yaztrzemski drove in 3 runs and the Sox blew away the Brewers 10-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Ali MacGraw approves of the win

Siebert got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper went down swinging to start. Mike Hegan lined out to left and John Briggs grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Milwaukee starter Bill Parsons in the bottom of the first. Luis Aparicio grounded out to short to start but Reggie Smith belted his second home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Carl Yastrzemski doubled to center, Rico Petrocelli walked and George Scott walked to load the bases. Don Pavletich singled to left to score both Yaz and Petrocelli to increase the lead. Billy Conigliaro grounded back to the mound and Doug Griffin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                           Smith and Pavletich put the Sox on top

The Brewers fought back in the top of the second as Dave May and Bill Voss stroked back to back singles to start. Ted Kubiak banged into a double play but Ellie Rodriguez singled home May to cut the lead. Rick Auerbach grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Siebert struck out looking to start. Aparicio singled to left and Smith singled him to third. Yaz beat out a double play ball to score Aparicio with another run. Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                       Yaz drives in a run

Parson struck out looking to start the top of the third before Harper singled to left. Harper stole second and moved to third on the Hegan base hit. Briggs struck out and May grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox suffered an ignominious embarrassment in the bottom of the third as Scott doubled to center to start. Harper booted a grounder by Pavletich to put runners at the corners and then disaster struck. Billy C hit into a double play but Scott took too long to come home and he was thrown out at the plate for the TRIPLE PLAY! Not what you want to see.

                                                              Nice baserunning Scott!

Voss flied out to center to start the top of the fourth before Kubiak grounded back to the mound. Rodriguez lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Griffin popped up to short to start. Siebert then blasted his second home run of the year to increase the lead. Aparicio walked and moved to second on the Smith grounder but Yaz flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                          Siebert doing it all

Auerbach grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Bernie Smith pinch hit for Parsons. Smith flied out to right but Harper singled to center. Harper moved to second on a passed ball and Hegan struck out to end the inning. John Gelnar came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Petrocelli grounded out to third to start. Scott hit a bloop double just over third but Pavletich flied out to left. Billy C grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Brewers knocked Siebert out in the top of the sixth although Briggs flied out to right to start. May doubled to left and Voss singled him home. Kubiak forced Voss at second but Rodriguez walked. Danny Walton pinch hit for Auerbach and doubled home Kubiak to chase Siebert. Skip Lockwood from Norwood, Mass pinch ran for Walton, Roberto Pena pinch hit for Gelnar and Ken Tatum came in to pitch. Pena popped up to second to end the inning but it was 5-3 Sox.

                                                      Norwood High School to MLB

Larry Bearnarth came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Sox iced the game. Grififn grounded out to third but Tatum walked. Aparicio dropped down a bunt but beat it out for a single and Smith singled to load the bases. Yaz doubled home Tatum and Aparicio to increase the lead and Petrocelli singled home Smith & Yaz to remove all doubt. Scott struck out swinging but Pavletich walked. Billy C singled home Petrocelli but Pavletich was thrown out at third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

                                                               Petrocelli ices the game

Joe Lahoud took over for Yaz in the top of the seventh and Harper walked to start. Hegan banged into a double play and Briggs lined out too short to end the inning. Griffin doubled to left to start the bottom of the seventh but was thrown out at third on the grounder by Tatum. Aparicio forced Tatum at second and Smith flied out to left to end the inning.

May grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth then Voss lined out to center. Kubiak grounded out to first to end the inning. Lahoud grounded out to first to start the bottom of the eighth before Petrocelli grounded out to third. Scott singled to left and Pavletich struck out looking to end the inning.

Tatum returned for the top of the ninth and Rodriguez grounded out to short to start. Ron Theobald pinch hit for Bearnarth and grounded out to second but Pena singled to right. Harper grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won a blowout 10-3.

Hero of the Night is Ken Tatum. He allowed just 1 hit in 3 1/3 innings to earn the save and scored a run on the offensive side.

                                              Our Hero scores more runs than he allows

The Good:

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Reggie Smith was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.

George Scott was 3 for 4 with a walk.

Sonny Siebert earned the win with 5 2/3 innings of 3 run ball. He was also 1 for 2 at the plate with a solo home run.

The Bad:

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored twice.

Don Pavletich was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.

Billy Conigliaro was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Now see what happens when you play from in front for once? The Sox finally didn't trip and fall in the first inning and they cruised to a relatively easy win. Sox manager Eddie Kasko is finally figuring out not to leave his starters in too long when you have a bullpen you can trust. If Sparky Lyle, Bill Lee and Ken Tatum can be a potent punch in the bullpen, you can shorten the game considerably. Siebert only had to go 5 2/3 because Tatum held down the fort. You won't need Gary Peters and Mike Nagy to throw 8 or 9 inning gems every time even thought that would certainly help. Its only April but at least the Sox are winning some games to keep things interesting so far. Tomorrow night the Sox open a set with the Minnesota Twins. Mike Nagy (1-0) takes on Twins ace Jim Kaat at 7 PM at Fenway Park.

Brewers Edge Sox at Fenway (4/27/71)

Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! The Boston Red Sox four game winning streak came to a bitter end at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. After rain postponed last night's game, Marty Pattin went the distance for the Brewers in this one, holding the Sox offense to just two runs. Ray Culp (2-1, 6.37 ERA) got knocked out in the fourth inning after allowing 3 runs. The Sox bullpen managed to only allow just one run in the next 5 innings but failed to score more than just 2 of their own. The Brewers came to Boston and knocked off the Sox 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                          "THEY LOST AGAINNNN!!!!"

Culp got the ball in the top of the first and Tommy Harper struck out to start. Mike Hegan grounded out to first and John Briggs flied out to left to end the inning. Pattin began his dominance in the bottom of the first by getting Luis Aparicio to ground out to short to start. Reggie Smith hit one up the elevator shaft but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Yaz got picked off first to end the inning.

The Brewers struck first in the top of the second as Dave May walked to start. Culp tried to pick off May but threw to the wrong base and May took second on the error. Bill Voss flied out to center and Roberto Pena hit one up the elevator shaft, but Ellie Rodriguez doubled home May to put the Brewers on top. Ted Kubiak walked but Pattin flied out to center to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 1-0.

                                                               May scores the first run

The Sox failed to answer in the top of the second as Rico Petrocelli popped up to second to start. George Scott grounded out to short and Duane Josephson grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Brewers poured it on in the top of the third although Harper grounded out to third to start. Hegan hit a home run all the way to the Dominican Republic to increase the lead. Briggs struck out but May tripled to center and Voss singled him home. Pena took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-0 Brewers.

                                                               Voss drives in a run

Billy Conigliaro singled to left to begin the bottom of the third but Doug Griffin forced him at second. Culp struck out swinging and Aparicio flied out to left to end the inning.

The Brewers knocked out Culp in the top of the fourth inning as Rodriguez hit a routine grounder to Aparicio who threw the ball into the Atlantic Ocean to advance Rodriguez to second. Kubiak walked and Pattin moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Harper struck out but Hegan walked to load the bases and chase Culp. Ray didn't have it as he was charged with 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Ken Brett came in to pitch and Andy Kosco pinch hit for Briggs. Kosco grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                               Not today Ray

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Smith struck out swinging to start. Yaz lined out to left and Petrocelli lined out to center to end the inning.

Brett cruised in the top of the fifth as May struck out looking to start. Voss whiffed and Pena flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Scott grounded out to short to start. Josephson grounded back to the mound but Billy C walked. Griffin lined out to center to end the inning. 

Don Pavletich took over behind the plate to start the top of the sixth. Rodriguez lined out to second, Kubiak grounded out to short and Pattin grounded out to third to end the inning.  The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Gary Peters pinch hit for Brett and singled to right to start. Aparicio singled and Smith doubled home Peters to cut the lead. Yaz grounded out to third but Aparicio scored and Smith took third. With the tying run 90 feet away....Petrocelli whiffed and Scott took strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a big chance to tie the game but cut the lead 3-2.

                                                           Peters brings the Sox closer

Bill Lee survived a scare in the top of the seventh as Harper walked to start. Scott threw a grounder by Hegan away for an error but Kosco struck out. Ted Savage pinch hit for May and walked to load the bases before Bernie Smith pinch hit for Voss. Smith popped up to short and Pena grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Rick Auerbach took over at short for the bottom of the seventh and Pavletich singled to center to start. Billy C struck out and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Griffin....taking strike three. Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Lee and singled Pavletich to third, but Aparicio grounded into a force to end the inning.

John Kennedy took over at short with Bobby Bolin now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Rodriguez lined out to right but Kubiak singled to center. Pattin sacrifice bunted Kubiak to second and Harper doubled home Marty to ice the game. Hegan was intentionally walked and Kosco grounded into a force to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-2.

                                                       Why can't the Sox get guys like this?

Smith grounded out to first to start the bottom of the eighth and Yaz flied out to left. Petrocelli walked but Scott flied out to right to end the inning.

Bolin returned for the top of the ninth and Auerbach popped up to second to start. Smith flied out to right and Pena struck out to end the inning. Pattin returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and Pavletich grounded back to the mound to start. Billy C grounded out to short but Kennedy walked. George Thomas pinch hit for Bolin and struck out to end the game. The Brewers had won it 4-2.

Jackass of the Night is George Scott. He left men on base three times as he went 0 for 4 with a strikeout. He also committed an error in the field.

                                                             Scott the Jackass

The Good:

Don Pavletich was 1 for 2 at the plate.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with a walk.

John Kennedy walked in his only plate appearance.

Gary Peters singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Joe Lahoud singled as a pinch hitter.

Ken Brett tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bill Lee tossed a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Duane Josephson was 0 for 2.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 2.

Mike Fiore struck out as a pinch hitter.

George Thomas struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ray Culp took the loss by allowing 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings, he also struck out at the plate.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzmeski was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run.

Bobby Bolin allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

That game was hard to watch. Most of last week the Sox found ways to come from behind, not this time. Ray Culp has looked horrid lately and that can't continue as the month of April comes to a close. The Sox are gonna need him, Sonny Siebert, Gary Peters and Mike Nagy to have good seasons if the Sox have hopes to contend this season. Once again the Sox fell behind only this time they didnt come back. How are they supposed to beat the Baltimore Orioles if they cant beat the likes of Marty Pattin? The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Brewers when they send their ace Sonny Siebert (3-0) up against Bill Parsons. The game begins at 1 PM at Fenway Park. 

Tigers Walkoff Red Sox (4/17/71)

Well that was completely unexpected. What should have been a matchup of aces between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers turned into a slugfest. Tigers ace Mickey Lolich failed to make it out of the second inning while Sox ace Ray Culp was knocked out in the seventh. The Sox did have a 9-6 lead but the Tigers tied it in the seventh and won the game in the bottom of the tenth with a rally off Ken Tatum (0-2, 5.79 ERA). In what should have been a pitcher's duel, the Tigers outmuscled the Sox 10-9 at Tiger Stadium.

                                                "Tigers beat the Red Sox? Say it ain't so!"

The Sox wasted no time against Lolich in the top of the first as Luis Aparicio popped up to second to start. Reggie Smith got the party started with a double and Carl Yastrzemski singled him home. Rico Petrocelli singled to center and Jim Northrup booted the ball allowing Yaz to come around to score, Rico advancing to third. George Scott singled home Petrocelli and Duane Josephson walked. In what turned out to be a big play, Billy Conigliaro banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Smith starts the rally with a double

The Tigers answered against Culp in the bottom of the first as Dick McAuliffe walked to start. Dick was doubled off first on the liner to third by Al Kaline, but Ray Culp threw a grounder by Northrup into the bleachers for a 3 bag error. Norm Cash singled home Northrup but Willie Horton grounded into a force to end the inning with the Tigers down 3-1.

                                                  Keep the ball in play will ya?

The Sox finished off Lolich in the top of the second as Doug Griffin doubled to left to start. Culp dropped down a bunt to advance Griffin to third and Aparicio singled him home. Smith singled Aparicio to third and Tigers manager Billy Martin had seen enough, pulling Lolich after just 4 outs. Fred Scherman came in and Yaz greeted him with a base hit to right to score Aparicio. Petrocelli beat out an infield hit to third to score Smith and chase Scherman. Daryl Patterson came in and Scott singled Yaz home but got caught in a rundown. For some reason Petrocelli tried for home and was thrown out to kill the rally. A wild pitch moved Scott to second but Josephson struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                           What was he thinking?

Aurelio Rodriguez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Bill Freehan beat out an infield single to third. Ed Brinkman forced Freehan at second and Kevin Collins pinch hit for Patterson. Collins popped up to first to end the inning.

Dave Boswell came in to pitch the top of the third and Billy C walked to start. Griffin flied out to left and Culp took strike three. Aparicio flied out to left to end the inning. The Tigers roared back in the bottom of the third as McAuliffe singled to start. Kaline walked and Northrup singled home McAuliffe. Cash walked and Horton pounded a grand slam to Neptune to cut the lead just like that. Rodriguez popped up to left in foul territory, Freehan lined out to center and Brinkman struck out to end the inning with the Tigers down 7-6.

                                                      Grand Slam Horton

The Sox tried to fight back when Smith walked to start the top of the fourth. Yaz moved Reggie to second on a grounder and Petrocelli walked to chase Boswell. Jim Hannan came in and Scott singled home Smith to increase the lead. Josephson walked but Billy C hit into another double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-6.

                                                          Scott drives in a run

Hannan was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the bottom of the fourth before McAuliffe popped up to first in foul territory. Kaline grounded out to short to end the inning.

Griffin singled to left to start the top of the fifth and Culp moved him to second with a bunt. Aparicio flied out to left and Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. Culp got in trouble in the bottom of the fifth although Northrup popped up to third to start. Cash grounded out to first but Horton singled to left. Rodriguez and Freehan both walked to load the bases but Brinkman took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth when Yaz walked to start. Petrocelli took strike three but Scott reached on an error by Rodriguez. Josephson singled home Yaz to increase the lead. Billy C hit into his third double play of the game to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-6.

                                               How about hitting the ball in the air for once?

George Thomas made his season debut in the bottom of the sixth when he came in for Yaz to start. Old friend Dalton Jones pinch hit for Hannan and was retired on a nubber in front of the plate. McAuliffe and Kaline both flied out to center to end the inning.

Tom Timmermann came in for the top of the seventh and plunked Griffin to start. Culp sacrificed Griffin to second with a bunt but Aparicio grounded out to third. Smith was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Thomas struck out to end the inning. The wheels fell off for Culp as Northrup and Cash crushed back to back home runs to chase him from the game. He didn't have his best stuff as he got tagged for 8 runs in just 6 innings. Bobby Bolin came in and Horton crushed his second home run of the game to tie it up. Rodriguez hit one up the elevator shaft, Freehan grounded out to short and Brinkman grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The three homers in a row tied the game 9-9.

                                                         Nice going Bolin

Petrocelli walked to start the top of the eighth but Scott struck out. Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Josephson and flied out to right Billy C lined out to second to end the inning. Don Pavletich took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth and Timmermann popped up to first to start. McAuliffe popped up to short and Kaline struck out to end the inning.

Griffin grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Bolin. Fiore reached on an error by Cash and Aparicio walked, but Smith banged into a double play to end the inning. Bill Lee came in for the bottom of the ninth and Northrup grounded out to first to start. Cash singled to to center and Cesar Gutierrez ran for him. Horton singled Gutierrez to third to chase Lee. Ken Tatum came in and Rodriguez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Gates Brown pinch hit for Freehan and Gutierrez was thrown out at home on the force. Brinkman flied out to center to end the inning.

Mickey Stanley took over in center with Jim Price in for Brown to start the top of the tenth. Thomas grounded out to short, Petrocelli flied out to left and Scott grounded out to short to end the inning. Timmermann himself started the final rally with a walk to start the bottom of the tenth. McAullife popped up a bunt but Petrocelli tried to double off Timmermann and ended up throwing the ball into Lake Eerie to advance the pitcher to third. Kaline and Northrup were intentionally walked to load the bases but Stanley popped up to second. Who else but Horton singled home Timmermann to win the game for the Tigers? The Tigers had walked off the Sox 10-9.

Jackass of the Night is Ken Tatum. He allowed the winning run to score in the bottom of the tenth by walking the relief pitcher to start the inning.

                                                             Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 2 for 4 with 2 walks and 3 runs scored.

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

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

George Scott was 3 for 6 with 3 rbis.

Duane Josephson was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Doug Griffin was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

The Bad:

George Thomas was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ray Culp was lit up for 8 runs in just 6 innings of work.

Bill Lee gave up hits to two of the three men he faced.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 5 but walked, drove in a run and scored.

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4 but walked.

Bobby Bolin allowed the tying home run in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Don Pavletich caught the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

If blowing a 5 run lead to the Washington Senators wasn't bad enough, how do you lose a game where you knock Mickey Lolich out in the second inning and lead 7-1? The Sox pitching has been Jekyll and Hyde this season and Hyde showed up today. Culp didn't have his best stuff but good golly is that bullpen BAD. The trio of Bobby Bolin, Ken Tatum and Ken Brett hasn't shown much at all even though Brett didn't pitch in this one. Billy C's double play in the first and Petrocelli running into an out in the second ended up being big rally killers that ended up costing the Sox. In essence the Sox were beaten by two men, Willie Horton and Tom Timmermann. Timmermann tossed 4 shutout innings and started the winning rally with a walk and Horton was hitting home runs all game. Its only April but the Sox can't afford to get off to a bad start with the Baltimore Orioles being as good as they are. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow when they send Sonny Siebert (1-0) to the mound up against former Minnesota Twins ace Dean Chance of the Tigers. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Tiger Stadium.

Indians Outslug Sox (4/10/71)

Yesterday Sonny Siebert and Sam McDowell had a wonderful pitcher's duel that ended with the Cleveland Indians walking off the Boston Red Sox. Today it was a slugfest but the result was the same, the Indians won. Sox starter Cal Koonce was knocked out in the second inning after allowing 5 runs while Indians starter Steve Hargan also got blasted for 5 runs in just 2 innings. Ken Brett (0-1, 16.20 ERA) allowed 6 runs of his own and although the Sox did put up 10 total runs, it wasn't enough as the Indians outslugged them 11-10 at Cleveland Stadium.

                                                       "Damn Indians"

The Sox did nothing in the top of the first against Hargan as Luis Aparicio grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith lined out to first and Carl Yastrzemski flied out to center to end the inning. The Indians wasted no time smacking Koonce in the bottom of the first as Larry Brown walked to start. Graig Nettles banged into a double play but Vada Pinson singled. Ray Fosse then smashed a home run all the way to Argentina to put the Indians on top. Ken "Hawk" Harrelson grounded out to second to end the inning but the Indians led 2-0.

                                                       Fosse puts the Indians on top

The Sox answered in the top of the second with a big rally. Rico Petrocelli walked before George Scott singled him to third. Duane Josephson singled home Rico to put the Sox on the board. Billy Conigliaro hit a ball to the centerfield wall that advanced the runners into scoring position although Doug Griffin flied out to right. Somehow Koonce walked to load the bases and Aparicio cleared them with a grand slam to put the Sox on top. Smith flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                                Grand Slam Luis

The Indians counterpunched in the bottom of the second as John Lowenstein walked to start. Eddie Leon singled to right but Buddy Bradford struck out. Indians manager Al Dark rolled the dice by having Ted Uhlaender pinch hit for Hargan, thus trusting the next 7 innings to his bullpen. The gamble worked as Uhlaender doubled home Lowenstein to cut the lead. Sox manager Eddie Kasko felt Koonce had nothing and brought in Ken Brett to save the day. Brown grounded out to third but Leon scored and Uhlaender moved to third. A wild pitch by Brett scored Uhlaender to tie the game before Nettles flied out to right to end the inning. Both starters were gone and the game was tied 5-5.

                                                            So much for Koonce

Camilo Pascual came in to pitch the top of the third and Yaz grounded back to the mound to start. Petrocelli and Scott both walked but Josephson banged into a double play to end the inning. Brett settled down in the bottom of the third as Pinson flied out to left to start. Fosse took strike three and Harrelson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Billy C took strike three to start the top of the fourth but Griffin walked. Griffin stole second but Brett took strike three. Aparicio was also caught looking to end the inning. The Indians took command in the bottom of the fourth as Lowenstein, Leon and Bradford all walked to load the bases with nobody out. Brett did get Pascual looking but Brown doubled home Lowenstein and Leon to put Cleveland on top. Nettles hit a ground ball to second but Griffin didn't bother to throw anywhere which allowed Bradford to score. Pinson popped up to short and Fosse grounded into a force to end the inning but the Indians were up 8-5.

                                                      Brown gives Cleveland the lead

The Sox failed to rally in the top of the fifth although Smith singled to left to start. Yaz flied out to center and Smith was forced at second by Petrocelli. Scott doubled Rico to third but Josephson flied out to left to end the inning. The Indians iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Harrelson singled to right to start. Lowenstein sacrifice bunted Hawk to second and Ken scored on the base hit by Leon. Bradford walked and Pascual dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners. Naturally Brown singled home both runners to chase Brett. The Sox pulled off a double switch by bringing in Don Pavletich to catch and Bill Lee in to pitch. Lee walked both Nettles and Pinson but Fosse grounded out to short to end the inning with the Indians ahead 11-5.

                                                              Lee has to clean up the mess

The Sox refused to go quietly in the top of the sixth although Billy C struck out to start. Griffin struck out swinging but Pavletich singled to left. Aparicio and Smith walked to load the bases and chase Pascual from the game. Rick Austin came in to pitch to Yaz and Carl smashed a base hit to left to score Pavletich and Aparicio. Vince Colbert came in to pitch to Petrocelli and Rico singled home Smith to bring the tying run to the plate. Scott took strike three to end the inning but the Sox were down 11-8.

                                                          Yaz drives in a pair

Harrelson singled to left to start the bottom of the sixth and moved to second on a passed ball. Lowenstein flied out to center but Pavletich muffed a strike three ball to Leon to allow him to reach first. Bradford banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox inched closer in the top of the seventh as Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Lee only to fly out to center. Billy C doubled to left and moved to third on the Griffin grounder before Pavletich walked. Aparicio doubled home Billy C and Pavletich before taking third on the throw home. With the tying run 90 feet away....Smith grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 11-10.

                                                    Pavletich brings the Sox closer

Bobby Bolin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and struck out Colbert to start. Brown struck out but Nettles drew a walk. Pinson struck out to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the eighth when Yaz doubled to left to start. Petrocelli moved Yaz to third with a grounder before Chuck Machemehl came in to pitch. Scott grounded back to the mound before Mike Fiore pinch hit for Bolin. Fiore walked to put runners at the corners but Billy C grounded into a force to end the inning. Ken Tatum came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Fosse grounded out to second to start. Harrelson grounded out to third but Lowenstein walked. Leon lined out to first to end the inning...where the hell was that yesterday?

The Sox went quietly in the top of the ninth as Griffin popped up to second to start. Pavletich struck out and Aparicio popped up to short to end the game. The Indians had won the slugfest 11-10.

Jackass of the Night is Ken Brett. He was completely ineffective by allowing 6 runs after Koonce was pulled. Even a halfway decent outing and the Sox would have won the game.

                                                               Jackass Brett

The Good:

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 5 with a walk including a grand slam and 6 total rbis.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

George Scott was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Duane Josephson was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Mike Fiore walked as a pinch hitter.

Don Pavletich was 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Bill Lee tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bobby Bolin tossed a scoreless inning.

Ken Tatum pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Cal Koonce got hammered for 5 runs in just 1 1/3 innings. He did walk at the plate.

The Ugly:

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Billy Conigliaro was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

A day after the Sox couldn't buy a run, they score 10 and still lose. Go figure! Still, Aparicio is looking like a good signing so far but when Cal Koonce is your third starter, that's not a good thing. Ken Brett stunk the joint out in relief and the Sox had chances to tie the game in the late innings but couldn't. At least this game was entertaining even if the Sox came out on the losing end. The Sox are gonna miss Tony Conigliaro this season if Doug Griffin is nothing but a slap hitter but still, the season is only three games in. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Indians when Gary Peters makes his season debut opposite Alan Foster of Cleveland. The game begins at 2 PM Eastern time at Cleveland Stadium.

Royals Walkoff Red Sox (6/15/70)

The Jekyll and Hyde season continued for the Boston Red Sox as Mr. Hyde showed up in this one. This time the Red Sox suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Royals. The Royals took a 4-3 lead after 5 innings as Sox starter Mike Nagy clearly didn't have his best stuff. Still, the Sox rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth and one in the ninth against Ken Wright to put Boston on top 6-4. Then Sparky Lyke put the tying runs on and Cal Koonce (0-3, 3.91 ERA) was brought in to stop the bleeding in the bottom of the ninth. George Scott made a crucial error and an Amos Otis rbi single ended the game. The Royals had stunned the Sox 7-6 at Municipal Stadium.

                                                      "That ninth inning....."

The Sox wasted no time getting to Royals starter Jim Rooker to start the top of the first as Mike Andrews got a base hit to left to start. George Thomas grounded into a double play but Carl Yastrzemski got a base hit to right. Reggie Smith got a base hit to right and Pat Kelly booted the ball. Yaz scored but Smith was thrown out at third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                  Yerrrr out

Nagy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kelly grounded out to short to start. Amos Otis popped up to first and Joe Keough grounded out to short to end the inning.

Rico Petrocelli led off the top of the second by striking out swinging. George Scott lined out to second and Billy Conigliaro took strike three to end the inning. Bob Oliver popped up to first to start the bottom of the second and Ed Kirkpatrick hit one up the elevator shaft. Lou Piniella got a base hit to left but Paul Schaal flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Jerry Moses got a base hit to center to start. Nagy dropped down a bunt to move Jerry to second and Andrews got a base hit to left to score Moses. Jackie Hernandez booted a grounder by Thomas for an error and Yaz beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Smith lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                 Good work Andrews

Hernandez flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Rooker struck out swinging. Kelly struck out swinging as well to end the inning.

Petrocelli walked to start the top of the fourth but Scott grounded into a double play. Conigliaro walked and Hernandez booted a grounder by Moses for an error. Nagy grounded out to first to end the inning. The Royals struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Otis grounded out to short to start. Keough flied out to center but Oliver got a base hit to left and Kirkpatrick hit a home run all the way to St. Louis to tie the game. Piniella grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                    Royals tie it up

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Andrews walked to start. Thomas grounded out to short to move Mike to second and Yaz struck out swinging. Smith got a base hit to left to score Andrews to put Boston back in front. Petrocelli lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                              Another rbi for Smith

The Royals answered in the bottom of the fifth as Schaal flied out to left to start. Hernandez flied out to left but Rooker doubled to center. Suddenly Kelly hit a home run all the way to Wisconsin to put Kansas City in the lead. Otis caught Thomas asleep with a bunt single but got picked off to end the inning with the Royals up 4-3. That was it for Nagy who allowed a pair of two run home runs and was done after just five innings.

                                                                     Not good enough

Scott flied out to center to start the top of the sixth but Conigliaro hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Moses flied out to center and Don Pavletich pinch hit for Nagy. Pavletich took strike three to end the inning. Vicente Romo came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Keough grounded out to second to start. Oliver singled in the hole at short but Kirkpatrick grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Andrews got a base hit to right to start the top of the seventh but Thomas struck out swinging. Yaz lined out to center and Smith forced Andrews at second to end the inning. Piniella struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Schaal walked. Schaal stole second and Hernandez walked as well. Rooker and Kelly both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth as Petrocelli walked to start. Scott got a base hit to left to move Rico to third and Petrocelli scored when Conigliaro beat out a double play ball. Moses got a base hit to right and Dick Schofield pinch hit for Romo. Schofield also beat out a double play ball to score Conigliaro. Andrews walked but Thomas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                          Schofield puts Boston on top

Sparky Lyle came in to pitch the bottom of the the eighth and Otis walked to start. Keough dropped down a bunt to move Otis to second and Amos moved to third on a liner to center by Oliver. Kirkpatrick grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to break the game open in the top of the ninth as Yaz popped up to third to start. Smith got a base hit to center and Petrocelli got a base hit to left to move Smith to third, chasing Rooker. Ken Wright came in to face Scott and George struck out swinging. Petrocelli stole second and Hernandez made his third error by throwing wide of the plate, allowing Smith to score. Conigliaro and Moses both walked to load the bases and Auerlio Monteagudo came in to face Lyle. Lyle popped up a bunt to Monteagudo to end the inning with the Sox up 6-4.

                                                      Good chain reaction by Petrocelli

Lyle came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and the floodgates opened. Piniella got a base hit to right and Schaal got a base hit to center to put the tying runs on. Sox manager Edie Kasko panicked and brought in Cal Koonce to finish the game. Hernandez dropped down a bunt and Scott threw the ball away for an error to score Piniella. Billy Sorrell pinch hit for Monteagudo and was intentionally walked to set up a double play. Kelly hit a sac fly to left to score Schaal to tie the game, moving Hernandez to third. Otis ended matters with a base hit to left to score Hernandez and win the game 7-6 for the Royals.

Jackass of The Night is George Scott. His ninth inning error led to the winning runs scoring.

                                                               Nice throw, Jackass

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 3 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Reggie Smith was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, rbi and a run scored.

Jerry Moses was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Dick Schofield drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

Vicente Romo tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

George Thomas was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Don Pavletich struck out as a pinch hitter.

Mike Nagy was tagged for 4 runs in just 5 innings off 6 hits.

Sparky Lyle was charged with 2 runs in an inning of work.

Cal Koonce took the loss by allowing 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Bad teams find a way to lose and the Red Sox did just that. Not only did they blow a two run ninth inning lead but Scott throwing the ball away was the key. If they get Hernandez at first, the Kelly sac fly only makes it 6-5 and if Otis gets a base hit, the game would have only been tried. As usual, the problem with the Red Sox is pitching. Lyle's ERA is 5.47 and Koonce is 3.91. Hell Nagy gave them nothing today and his is 4.11. The Sox are trying to outslug everyone and its not working. They're not going to beat the Minnesota Twins or Baltimore Orioles if they keep trotting out Mike Nagy, Gary Peters and a broken down Jim Lonborg. The loss dropped the Sox to 27-29, 9.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Royals when Gary Peters (3-7) takes on Bill Butler of Kansas City. The game begins at 8:00 PM eastern time at Municipal Stadium.