Yankees Outslug Red Sox (9/13/81)

So much for the Boston Red Sox making a September run. The New York Yankees appear to be headed to the AL East title after defeating the Sox in a crucial game today. Frank Tanana (3-9, 4.49 ERA) has been a disappointment all season and today was no different. With essentially the season on the line, Tanana got lit up for 4 runs in just 1 1/3 innings. The Sox rallied off Yankees starter Ron Guidry to come lose but John Tudor got hammered in the fourth inning and the Sox couldn't recover. The Yankees pounded out 12 hits and 10 runs as they inched closer to the AL East crown with a 10-6 victory at Yankee Stadium.

                                              Jack Torrance doesn't like bad Sox pitching

Guidry cruised in the top of the first inning as Dwight Evans struck out to start. Dave Stapleton grounded out to third before Jim Rice struck out to end the inning. Willie Randolph led off the bottom of the first with a base hit to center but Jerry Mumphrey flied out to right. Dave Winfield also flied out to right but Randolph swiped second. Lou Piniella struck out to end the inning.

Boston tried to rally in the top of the second although Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first to begin. Carney Lansford drew a walk and Tony Perez got a base hit to left. The rally ended as Gary Allenson flied out to center and Glenn Hoffman took strike three to end the inning. The Yankees came alive in the bottom of the second inning as Reggie Jackson singled to right to begin. Graig Nettles walked before Bob Watson singled home Jackson. Rick Cerone singled home Nettles to increase the lead before Larry Milbourne sacrificed both runners over. The move paid off as Randolph singled both men home and Sox manager Ralph Houk too no chances with the season on the line, getting Tanana out of there. Frank lasted just 1 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs, yuck! Luis Aponte came in and got Mumphrey to force Randolph at second and Winfield flied out to center to end the inning but it was 4-0 Yankees.

                                                         Nice going Frank.

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Rick Miller grounded back to the mound to start. Evans grounded out to first and Stapleton lined out to short to end the inning. John Tudor came in for the bottom of the third and dominated. Piniella went down swinging, Jackson took strike three and Nettles whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth as Rice stroked a base hit to left to begin. The Yankees got a crucial out when Yaz singled to right and Rice got thrown out at third. Lansford got a base hit and Perez blasted his 6th home run of the year to cut the lead. If Rice didn't get thrown out, that would have been a grand slam. Allenson grounded out to third and Hoffman flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 4-3.

                                                        Perez gets the Sox closer

Just as the Sox came close, the Yankees iced it in the bottom of the fourth. Watson walked and Cerone doubled him to third. Milbourne was plunked to load the bases and Watson scored on the ground out by Randolph, moving Cerone to third as well. Cerone scored on the sac fly by Mumphrey and Winfield iced it by crushing a 400,000 foot home run. Piniella grounded out to third to end the inning but the game was essentially over with the Yankees up 8-3.

                                                    "Its over...the season is over."

Miller grounded out to second to open the top of the fifth but Evans drew a walk. Stapleton popped up to short but Rice singled to left. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees got to Tudor again in the bottom of the fifth although Jackson grounded out to second to begin. Nettles popped up to first but Watson annihilated a 30,000 foot home run to increase the lead. Cerone walked but Milbourne took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 9-3.

George Frazier came in for Guidry for the top of the sixth but the Sox weren't going quietly. Lansford walked to start and Perez got a base hit to center. Allenson drove home Lansford with a base hit to chase Frazier. Ron Davis came in and Sox manager Ralph Houk sent in Gary Hancock to pinch hit for Hoffman. The move backfired as Hancock banged into a double play, which made Miller's rbi single that scored Perez even more agonizing. Evans whiffed to end the inning but the Hancock double play killed the rally with the Sox down 9-5.

                                                                Thanks a lot Hancock

Julio Valdez came in to play short with Steve Crawford now on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Randolph flied out to right but Mumphrey walked. Winfield forced Mumphrey at second before getting picked off by the alert Crawford to end the inning.

The Sox blew their last chance to get back in the game in the top of the seventh. Stapleton grounded out to short to start before Rice struck out swinging. Yaz doubled to right and Lansford walked....but Perez took strike three to end the inning. The Yankees wrapped up their scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Piniella singled to center to begin. Jackson flied out to left but Nettles beat out an infield single. Watson walked to load the bases and Cerone scored Piniella with a sac fly. Milbourne grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 10-5 Yankees.

Bobby Brown came in for the top of the eighth and Allenson walked to start. Allenson was doubled off first on the line drive by Valdez and Miller grounded out to short to end the inning. Chuck Rainey came in for the bottom of the eighth and Randolph doubled to right to begin. Mumphrey grounded out to third but Winfield singled Willie to third. Piniella hit into a double play to end the inning.

Dave LaRoche came in to close out the game in the top of the ninth although Evans walked to start. Stapleton flied out to left but Rice doubled Dwight to third. Yaz scored Evans with a grounder but Lansford grounded out to short to end the game. The Yankees took another step toward the AL East title with a 10-6 win.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. He allowed 5 big runs after the Sox clawed their way back in the game.

                                                             Jackass Tudor


The Good:

Jim Rice was 3 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

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

Tony Perez was 3 for 4 with a 3 run home run and 2 runs scored.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Luis Aponte got the last two outs of the second.

Chuck Rainey pitched a scoreless 9th.



The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 5.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Gary Hancock hit into a double play as a pinch hitter.

Julio Valdez hit into a double play in his only at-bat.

Frank Tanana got rocked for 4 runs in just 1 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Steve Crawford allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

This season was crazy anyway but the Sox just couldn't beat the Yankees when it counted. The problem is the Sox didn't have the pitching as usual. They sent out Frank Tanana and John Tudor up against the likes of Ron Guidry and the results are as expected. There are still 20 games to play but the Yankees are up so far there may not be enough time left. The Sox missed Carlton Fisk this year but they missed a dependable third starter more. Still, the Sox could go on a run but it doesn't look good. The loss dropped the Sox to 47-41, 5.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for a crucial homestand beginning with the Detroit Tigers. Mike Torrez goes for the Sox up against Dan Petry at 8:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Basebawful Report of the Month

Gary Allenson - 6 Good, 3 Bad, 5 Ugly, 1 Hero

Tom Burgmeier - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Bill Campbell - 2 Good, 1 Bad

Mark Clear - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly

Steve Crawford - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Dennis Eckersley - 1 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Dwight Evans - 11 Good, 1 Bad, 4 Ugly

Garry Hancock - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Honorable Mention

Glenn Hoffman - 5 Good, 8 Bad, 4 Ugly

Carney Lansford - 8 Good, 5 Bad, 3 Ugly

Rick Miller - 7 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero

Reid Nichols - 1 Bad, 3 Honorable Mention

Tony Perez - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 8 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Tom Poquette - 1 Honorable Mention

Chuck Rainey - 1 Good, 1 Bad

Jerry Remy - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero

Jim Rice - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 11 Ugly, 2 Hero

Joe Rudi - 3 Good, 1 Ugly

Dave Schmidt - 1 Bad

Bob Stanley - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Dave Stapleton - 2 Good, 7 Ugly

Frank Tanana - 2 Good, 2 Jackass

Mike Torrez - 1 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

John Tudor - 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Carl Yastrzemski - 2 Good, 4 Bad, 6 Ugly

Most Valuable Player is Dwight Evans with 11 Good

Least Valuable Player is Glenn Hoffman with

Ugliest Player of the Month is Jim Rice with 11 Ugly

Hero of the Month is Jim Rice with 2 Hero

Jackass of the Month is Frank Tanana with 2 Jackass

The Honorable Player of the Month is Reid Nichols with 3 Honorable Mentions

Twins Send Sox To Fourth Straight Loss (4/30/81)

At least the Boston Red Sox scored some runs for the first time in four days. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Twins scored twice as many as they did. The Sox pitching woes continued as Frank Tanana (0-3, 7.08 ERA) got clobbered for 5 runs while getting knocked out in the second inning. Bob Stanley and Mark Clear also got tagged by the Twins. Jim Rice and Tony Perez broke out of their slumps with home runs but it wasn't enough to offset the horrendous pitching. When the dust settled the Sox closed out the month of April on a 4 game losing streak due to the Twins 8-4 victory over them at Fenway Park.

                                              "This team SUCKS!"

Once again the Sox stepped on their private parts in the top of the first inning although Tanana struck out Gary Ward looking to start. John Castino lined out to center but Mickey Hatcher singled. Roy Smalley then hit a home run into Newfound Lake to give the Twins the lead. Dave Engle flied out to right to end the inning but it was 2-0 Twins.

                                                            Twins take the lead early

The Sox finally scored a run in the bottom of the first against Twins starter Roger Erickson as Dwight Evans doubled to center to start and Dave Stapleton singled him home. Carl Yastrzemski popped up to short and Jim Rice struck out swinging, but Stapleton moved to second on a balk by Erickson. Tony Perez flied out to right but the Sox had finally scored a run, trailing 2-1.

                                                                First rbi in days for Boston

Naturally the Twins responded by knocking Tanana out in the bottom of the second inning. Pete Mackanin doubled to left but Glenn Adams flied out to right. Ron Jackson was plunked and Sal Butera doubled home Mackanin. Ward singled home both runners and Sox manager Ralph Houk stormed out of the dugout and chucked sunflower seeds at Tanana. Frank ran away to the dugout and Bob Stanley materialized out of thin air to pitch. Castino flied out to left and Hatcher popped up to Stanley to end the inning but it was 5-1 Twins.

                                                              "I sucked today" - Tanana

The Sox laid down and died in the bottom of the second as Carney Lansford flied out to center to start. Gary Allenson struck out looking and Glenn Hoffman lined out to left to end the inning.

Smalley singled to right to start the top of the third but was forced at second by Engle. Mackanin lined out to left and Adams lined out to right to end the inning. Rick Miller grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third but Evans struck out swinging. Stapleton popped up to first to end the inning.

Jackson grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Butera singled to left. Ward banged into a double play to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Rice popped up to first. Perez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Twins tagged Stanley in the top of the fifth although Castino flied out to right to start. Hatcher singled to right and Smalley walked, but Engle struck out swinging. Rob Wilfong pinch hit for Mackanin and walked to load the bases. Adams singled home Hatcher and Smalley to increase the lead and cause Houk to kick over his stack of mail piled up. Jackson flied out to left to end the inning with the Twins up 7-1.

                                                           Not even Bob could bail them out

Lansford flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Allenson flied out to left. Hoffman singled to left but Miller lined out to center to end the inning.

Mark Clear came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Butera struck out swinging to start. Ward struck out swinging but Castino walked. Castino stole second but Hatcher struck out swinging to end the inning. Evans and Stapleton both flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Twins tagged Clear in the top of the seventh as Smalley walked to start. Engle singled to left and Wilfong singled to right to score Smalley. Adams grounded out to first and Jackson hit a shot to Lansford who fired home to get Engle. Butera popped up to third to end the inning but it was 8-1 Twins.

                                                                 Clear gives up a run

Rice lined out to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Perez singled to left. Perez was forced at second by Lansford and Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Chuck Rainey came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ward grounded out to second to start. Castino flied out to center and Hatcher grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the eighth as Smalley booted a grounder by Hoffman to start, advancing Glenn to second. Miller moved Hoffman to third with a fly out to right but Evans struck out swinging. Somehow Stapleton singled home Glenn to cut the lead. Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

                                                                Hoffman scores a run

Smalley grounded back to the mound to start the top of the ninth and Engle flied out to center. Wilfong lined out to first to end the inning. Erickson was denied a complete game when Rice led off the bottom of the ninth with his third home run of the year to start. Perez then cracked his second of the year to cut the lead in half and chase Erickson. Doug Corbett came in and Lansford struck out swinging. Allenson grounded out to third but Garry Hancock pinch hit for Hoffman. Hancock grounded out to second to end the game. The Twins had won it 8-4.

Jackass of the Night is Frank Tanana. He got hammered for 5 runs in just 1 1/3 innings to once again put the Sox in too big a hole to climb out of.

                                                            Jackass Tanana

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Tony Perez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Chuck Rainey tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Garry Hancock was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley allowed 2 runs in 3 2/3 innings

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Mark Clear gave up a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

What a garbage month that was. It started with Carlton Fisk giving the proverbial middle finger to Red Sox management on Opening Day and ended with a four game losing streak to send the Sox into May on a down note. This game has been typical of the last week or so with the starter getting knocked out and the bullpen providing no relief. The strangest part is the offense has been non-existent for the most part. The middle of the order has been asleep all month including Yaz, Rice and Perez. Perez is going to be 38 on May 14th and he could be losing it. Yaz is 41 years old and could be losing it too. Rice will figure it out eventually but right now the Sox are in deep trouble if these guys can't get it going. Losing to the Texas Rangers and the Twins doesn't inspire any confidence but at least April is over. The Sox look to rebound against the Twins tomorrow when Dennis Eckersley (2-2) takes on Fernando Arroyo of the Twins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Flanagan, Orioles Shut Down Sox (4/25/81)

After an off-day and a rainout, the Boston Red Sox looked flat as a pancake in today's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Frank Tanana (0-2, 5.21 ERA) got his brains beat in as he allowed 6 runs while getting knocked out in the fifth inning. Mark Clear allowed a run in relief but the story was O's starter Mike Flanagan. Flanagan tossed a complete game while allowing just 4 hits and 2 runs to the sleeepwalking Sox. A home run by Jim Rice and a pinch hit rbi single by Joe Rudi were all the Sox could do against Flanagan. The Orioles had beaten the Sox 7-2 at Memorial Stadium.

                                                "You lost again....you...lost...AGAIN?"

Flanagan began his dominance in the top of the first as Dwight Evans lined out to center to start. Dave Stapleton singled to left but both Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice struck out swinging to end the inning. Tanana got the ball in the bottom of the first and Carney Lansford booted a grounder by Al Bumbry for an error to start. Rich Dauer walked but Jose Morales banged into a double play. Ken Singleton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Flanagan cruised in the top of the second as Tony Perez grounded out to third to start. Lansford grounded out to second and Gary Allenson flied out to center to end the inning. Tanana turned up the head in the bottom of the second as he struck out Benny Ayala swinging to start. Doug DiCinces and Gary Roenicke both took strike three to end the inning.

Glenn Hoffman grounded out to third to begin the top of the third and Rick Miller flied out to center. Evans walked but Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning. Tanana matched Flanagan in the bottom of the third as Rick Dempsey flied out to center to start. Mark Belanger struck out swinging and Bumbry grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth although Yaz flied out to center to start. Rice stepped up and cracked his second home run of the season to put Boston on top. Perez struck out swinging but Lansford reached on an error by Dauer. Allenson lined out to third to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                             Rice hits one out

The floodgates opened in the bottom of the fourth as Dauer and Morales stroked back to back singles to start. Singleton beat out a double play ball but Ayala singled home Dauer to tie the game. DeCinces singled home Singleton and Roenicke singled home Ayala to give the O's the lead. Dempsey singled to load the bases but Belanger took strike three. Bumbry grounded out to first to end the inning with the O's up 3-1.

                                                           DeCinces puts the O's on top

The Sox went quietly in the top of the fifth as Hoffman grounded out to third to start. Miller flied out to left and Evans whiffed to end the inning. The O's knocked Tanana out in the bottom of the fifth as Dauer and Morales hit back to back singles to start. Singleton walked but Ayala took strike three. DeCinces cleared the bases with a double but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Sox manager Ralph Houk had enough and lifted Tanana one batter too late. Mark Clear came in and struck out Roenicke swinging to end the inning but it was 6-1 Baltimore.

                                       "I tell ya Ted, Tanana stinks on ice today" - RH

Old friend Jim Dwyer took over for Morales to begin the top of the sixth and Stapleton grounded out to second to start. Yaz popped up to third in foul territory and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning. Clear turned up the heat in the bottom of the sixth as Dempsey and Belanger both struck out swinging to start. Bumbry took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Perez walked to start. Lansford lined one off of Flanagan but Allenson struck out swinging. Lansford was forced at second by Hoffman and Joe Rudi pinch hit for Miller. Rudi singled in the hole at short to score Perez and Reid Nichols ran for Joe. Evans grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                           Rudi drives in a run

Dauer doubled to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Dwyer hit one up the elevator shaft. Singleton struck out swinging but Ayala took strike three to end the inning.

John Lowenstein came in for Singleton to begin the top of the eighth and Stapleton popped up to second to start. Yaz also popped up to second and Rice flied out to right to end the inning. The O's had a nasty surprise for Clear in the bottom of the eighth as DeCinces doubled to left to start. Roenicke walked but Dempsey popped up the bunt to first. Belanger struck out swinging but Bumbry loaded the bases with a swinging bunt. A wild pitch scored DeCinces and Dauer struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's ahead 7-2.

                                                         Nice wild pitch, Clear

Flanagan returned to finish off the Sox in the top of the ninth and Perez struck out swinging to start. Lansford also went down hacking and Allenson flied out to center to end the game. The O's had won it 7-2.

Jackass of the Night is Frank Tanana. He got rocked by allowing 6 runs in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss.

                                                        Tanana the Jackass

The Good:

Joe Rudi singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.

Rick Miller was 0 for 2.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Tony Perez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Carney Lansford was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Mark Clear allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols pinch ran and played center in the top of the ninth

Final Thoughts:

If the shellacking the Sox took by Texas was bad, this feels even worse. The Sox managed to get 10 hits and 8 runs that game but did almost nothing against Mike Flanagan in this one. Doug DeCinces outscored the Red Sox all by himself with 4 rbis. Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski and Tony Perez can come out of their slumps any time now and Rice's homer could be the start of his hot streak. Tanana stunk today and its a shame considering how well he pitched in his last outing. Evans and Lansford can only do so much and today was an unfortunate microcosm of what happens if they don't hit well. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow against the Orioles when Dennis Eckersley (1-1) looks to rebound from his stinker Wednesday when he takes on Orioles ace Jim Palmer. The game begins at 2 PM at Memorial Stadium.

White Sox Edge Red Sox (4/18/81)

If you told me before the game Frank Tanana (0-1, 3.14 ERA) would toss a complete game and only allow 2 runs, I would have asked how much did the Boston Red Sox win by? Turns out they didn't as the Chicago White Sox did one better. Steve Trout of the ChiSox outpitched Tanana by allowing just 1 run in 7 2/3 innings. LaMarr Hoyt slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the BoSox bats were silenced 2-1 at Commiskey Park.

                                    "Pitching a complete game and losing only happens in..The Twilight Zone"

Trout took the mound in the top of the first and Dwight Evans led off with a grounder back to the mound. Dave Stapleton grounded out to short but Carl Yastrzemski doubled to left. Jim Rice flied out to left to end the inning. Tanana got in trouble in the bottom of the first although Bill Almon grounded out to short to start. Tony Bernazard tripled to center but Tanana got a big out when Carlton Fisk struck out swinging. Greg Luzinski walked but Chet Lemon took strike three to end the inning.

Bernazard booted a grounder by Perez for an error to open the top of the second but Carney Lansford grounded into a double play. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to second to end the inning. Lamar Johnson flied out to left to begin the bottom of the second and Wayne Nordhagen flied out to center. Jim Morrison hit a routine grounder to Hoffman who threw his hat at the ball and laughed at it for an error. Morrison stole second but Rusty Kuntz grounded out to short to end the inning.

Gary Allenson flied out to right to begin the top of the third but Rick Miller was hit with a pitch. Evans hit into a double play to end the inning. Tanana had no control in the bottom of the third as Almon walked to start. Bernazard flied out to right and Fisk flied out to left, but Luzinski walked. Lemon walked to load the bases but Johnson grounded into a force to end the inning.

Stapleton grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Yaz did as well. Rice singled in the hole at second but Perez flied out to right to end the inning. Nordhagen grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Morrison flied out to left. Kuntz flied out to right to end the inning.

Lansford walked to open the top of the fifth and was sacrificed to second by Hoffman. Allenson hit one up the elevator shaft and Miller grounded out to third to end the inning. The White Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Almon singled to center to begin. Bernazard sacrificed him to second and who else but Fisk pounded a home run all the way to Lake Michigan to give the White Sox the lead. Luzinski walked and Lemon singled to to left, but Greg was doubled off at second on the liner by Johnson to end the inning with the ChiSox ahead 2-0.

                                                      Fisk does it again for the White Sox

The Sox tried to rally when Evans singled to center to start the top of the sixth but Stapleton forced Dwight at second. Yaz banged into a double play to end the inning. Nordhagen grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Morrison popped up to short. Kuntz flied out to center to end the inning.

Harold Baines took over for Nordhagen to start the top of the seventh and Rice grounded out to short to start. Perez also grounded out to short but Lansford walked. Hoffman grounded into a force to end the inning. Tanana got in a big jam in the bottom of the seventh as Almon singled to center to start. Bernazard dropped down a bunt to advance him to second and Fisk was intentionally walked. Luzinski singled to left to load the bases and Richard Dotson pinch ran for him. Tanana came up big by getting Lemon to ground into a double play to end the inning.

The BoSox blew a huge chance to tie the game in the top of the eighth as Allenson singled to left to start. Joe Rudi pinch hit for Miller and doubled Allenson to third. Reid Nichols pinch ran for Rudi and Evans walked to load the bases. All Stapleton could do was score Allenson with a sac fly to cut the lead. Yaz beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and LaMarr Hoyt was brought in to face Rice. Jim flied out to left to end the inning with the Red Sox down 2-1.

                                                              Allenson scores a run

Tanana returned to complete his outing in the bottom of the eighth as Johnson singled to start. Mike Squires pinch ran for Johnson but Baines struck out swinging. Morrison forced Squires at second and Kuntz flied out to left to end the inning. Tanana went the distance but the two run bomb to Fisk ended up being the difference in the game.

                                                           Frank deserved better

Perez struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth and Lansford flied out to left. Gary Hancock pinch hit for Hoffman and grounded out to first to end the game. The White Sox had edged the Red Sox 2-1.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Tony Perez. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and left a man on base back when it was a tied game.

                                                          Jackass Perez

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Carney Lansford walked twice in four plate appearances.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Joe Rudi doubled as a pinch hitter.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Frank Tanana tossed a complete game allowing just 7 hits and 2 runs. His mistake to Fisk was the difference in the game.

The Bad:

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with an error.

Gary Hancock was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 but was hit with a pitch.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols pinch ran for Rudi and played center in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox have three losses this season and Carlton Fisk struck the decisive blow in two of them. How the BoSox let him slip away is one of the biggest cataclysms in Red Sox history and that includes selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Sox GM Haywood Sullivan is going to get an earful from the Boston faithful for this blunder until the end of time if Fisk continues down the Hall of Fame path he was on. Still, Fisk's home run would have been a mere annoyance if the Sox bats weren't silenced by the immortal Steve Trout. The same guy who lost 16 games last year blinded the Red Sox in this one. Its a shame because Tanana pitched a hell of a game, too bad he has nothing to show for it. The BoSox look to rebound tomorrow in the rubber game of this set when Steve Crawford looks to make it two good starts in a row. His opponent will be Ross Baumgarten of the White Sox and the game begins at 3:30 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Sox Rally For First Win (4/12/81)

It was a good day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics swept the Bulls in Game 4 of their second round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox had a role reversal of opening day. The Chicago White Sox led 3-0 going into the bottom of the seventh of today's matinee game but the Boston Red Sox pulled off a huge rally. Four outs away from a second straight defeat, Jim Rice mashed a go-ahead grand slam to put the BoSox ahead. The White Sox made it interesting in the ninth but the BoSox held on by the skin of their teeth to post their first win of the season 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Terry Duerod approves of the win

The White Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first against Frank Tanana making his Red Sox debut. Ron LeFlore walked and swiped second before moving to third on the sacrifice bunt by Mike Squires. Once again Carlton Fisk made the BoSox pay for letting him go with a double to score LeFlore to put Chicago up early. Greg Luzinski whiffed before Chet Lemon looked at strike three to end the inning. Lemon was so offended he started tearing off all his clothes and shouted invectives at the umpire before he was hauled off by security. Lemon was out of the game but the White Sox were up 1-0.

Rusty Kuntz replaced Lemon as White Sox starter Richard Dotson cruised in the bottom of the first inning. Jerry Remy walked but Dave Stapleton banged into a double play. Dwight Evans walked but Rice grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Tanana settled down in the top of the second inning as Wayne Nordhagen whiffed to start. Jim Morrison (not THE Jim Morrison) grounded back to the mound before Tony Bernazard also grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Boston did nothing in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez grounded out to second, Carney Lansford flied out to center and Glenn Hoffman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Tanana got Bill Almon to line out to third to start the top of the third. LeFlore grounded out to short and Squires flied out to center to end the frame. The Sox had a chance to score when Gary Allenson drew a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the third before Rick Miller sacrificed him to second. A balk was called on Dotson to move Allenson to third but Remy flied out to left. Stapleton whiffed to end the inning.

The White Sox threatened in the top of the fourth but Fisk lined out to short to start. Luzinski and Kuntz stroked back to back singles but the alert Allenson picked Kuntz off of first. Nordhagen flied out to center to end the inning. The Red Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fourth as Evans looked at strike three, Rice flied out to center and Perez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Morrison lined out to third to start the top of the fifth before Bernazard hit a routine grounder to Lansford. Carney kicked the ball over to second and disco danced for an error although Bernazard was erased on the Almon force. Almon swiped second but LeFlore grounded out to third to end the inning. Lansford flied out to right to begin the bottom of the fifth before Hoffman flied out to left. Allenson whiffed to end the inning.

Squires singled to start the top of the sixth but Fisk banged into a double play. Luzinski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the sixth as Miller flied out to left, Remy flied out to center and Stapleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Tanana ran out of gas in the top of the seventh inning as Kuntz singled to center to begin. Nordhagen whiffed but Morrison doubled. Bernazard was intentionally walked to load the bases and Almon made the BoSox pay with a base hit to center to score Kuntz and Morrison. That was it for Tanana who lasted 6 1/3 innings while allowing 3 runs, not bad but didn't get any run support. Mark Clear made his Sox debut by getting LeFlore to bang into a double play to end the inning with Chicago ahead 3-0

                                                          Good debut by Tanana

The lead held in the bottom of the seventh with Harold Baines taking over for Nordhagen in right. Evans beat out an infield single to third but was erased on the force by Rice. Perez singled Rice to third before Lansford hit a fly ball to left. Rice broke for home but was gunned down to end the inning.

Clear returned for the top of the eighth and got Squires to ground out to third to start. Fisk singled to left but Luzinski popped up to first. Kuntz walked but Baines flied out to center to end the inning. After being dormant all day, the BoSox offense exploded in the bottom of the eighth. Hoffman grounded out to short and Allenson grounded out to second, but Miller doubled and Remy singled home Rick to put the BoSox on the board. Ed Farmer replaced Dotson and Stapleton got a base hit to left. Evans walked to load the bases and Rice lit up the crowd with a grand slam to give Boston the lead just like that. Perez whiffed to end the inning but the BoSox were 3 outs from victory and led 5-3.

                                                          Way to go Rice

The White Sox made it interesting in the top of the ninth as Morrison led off with a 5,000 foot home run to cut the lead to one. Bernazard grounded out to second before Bob Molinaro pinch hit for Almon. Molinaro walked but was doubled off first when LeFlore lined to short to end the game. The BoSox had survived and had won it 5-4.

Hero of the Night is Jim Rice. His eighth inning grand slam was the difference in the game.

                                                           Rice the Hero

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a run scored.'

Frank Tanana pitched well in his debut, tossing 6 1/3 innings of 3 run ball.

Mark Clear got the win with 2 2/3 innings of 1 run ball.

The Bad:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Now that's more like it. After the White Sox stunned the Red Sox in Friday's opener, it was good to see Boston get some payback in a similar fashion today. Rice hitting the grand slam was big as the offense had done virtually nothing all game. With Lynn and Fisk gone, the bottom of the order is a bonafide black hole for now. Maybe the Sox can make an in-season trade to improve, otherwise their offense isn't going to scare too many people. Tanana looked good in his debut even if he ran out of gas. The Sox are gonna need Clear to pitch well out of the bullpen if Bob Stanley falters. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox are back in action against the Baltimore Orioles. 22 year old rookie Steve Crawford makes his season debut opposite Tim Stoddard at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.