Sox Blast Indians on Opening Day (4/5/79)

That's one way to get off on the right foot. After the 1978 season came to a crashing halt at the hands of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox came back with a flurry to begin the 1979 season. Riding the hot hand of ace Dennis Eckersley (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitching 7 shut-out innings, the Sox smashed the Cleveland Indians 7-1. Home runs by Jim Rice, Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn paced the offense against old pal Rick Wise as the Sox won their season debut in front of 34,433 fans at Fenway Park.

                                                   Pete Clemenza approves of the win

Eck took the mound in the top of the first and began the season by getting Toby Harrah to hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Jim Norris doubled to center but Eck came back to strike out both Bobby Bonds and Andre Thornton to end the inning. Old friend Rick Wise got the start in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy grounded out to second to start. Rick Burleson flied out to right but Fred Lynn walked. Jim Rice singled to left but Carl Yastrzemski popped up to third to end the inning.

Eck pitched a clean top of the second as Gary Alexander grounded out to second to begin. Ted Cox grounded out to short and Duane Kuiper flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox wasted a chance to crack Wise in the bottom of the second as George "Boomer" Scott walked to begin the frame but was picked off. That came into play as Alexander muffed a pop up by Jack Brohamer and Jack made the Indians pay by doubling to right. Brohamer moved to third on a grounder by Dwight Evans but Bob Montgomery looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Indians threatened in the top of the third inning although Tom Veryzer grounded out to third to begin. Horace Speed struck out but Harrah walked and stole second.  Norris singled Harrah to third but Bonds whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Remy singled and stole second to start. Burleson grounded back to the mound but Lynn walked. Rice then crushed a three run bomb to give the Sox the lead. Yaz flied out to left and Scott grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                          Rice puts the Sox on top

Eck kept pace in the top of the fourth as Thornton grounded out to third to begin. Alexander and Cox both flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning. Brohamer flied out to right but Evans belted his first home run of the year to extend the lead. Somehow Montgomery tripled to center but Remy looked at strike three. Veryzer went OLE! on a ground ball by Burleson and Montgomery scored on the error. Lynn popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                           Evans adds to the lead

There was no stopping Eck in the top of the fifth inning as Kuiper grounded out to third to begin. Veryzer popped up to short but Speed walked. Harrah grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox were finally tamed in the bottom of the fifth as Rice whiffed to start before Yaz popped up to second. Scott grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Eck got in trouble in the top of the sixth as Norris walked and stole second to begin. Bonds popped up to third but Thornton walked. Alexander popped up tp short but Norris took third on a wild pitch. Cox flied out to center to end the inning. Wise came out briefly in the bottom of the sixth but Brohamer chased him with a triple. Victor Cruz replaced Wise but Evans whiffed. Montgomery singled home Brohamer to add to the lead. Remy popped up to left and Burleson whiffed to end the inning but it was 6-0 Sox.

                                                   Montgomery makes it 6-0

Eckersley came back for one more inning in the top of the seventh and Kuiper grounded out to second to start. Veryzer walked but was erased on the force by Speed. Harrah grounded out to third to end the inning. Eckersley was outstanding in tossing 7 shut-out innings allowing just 2 hits while striking out 4. Lynn wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to begin the frame. Rice whiffed but Yaz singled only to be erased on a strike em out, throw em out double play by Scott to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-0.

                                                         Lynn finishes off the Indians

Dick Drago got the call to pitch the top of the eighth and Norris watched strike three go by to start. Bonds whiffed and Thornton grounded out to short to end the inning. Sid Monge took over for the bottom of the eighth and Brohamer nearly went yard but was robbed at the wall in right. Evans popped up to first but Montgomery doubled to left. Remy whiffed to end the inning.

Drago came back to finish off the game but was tagged in the top of the ninth. Alexander walked and Remy went OLE! on a ground ball by Cox. Kuiper lined out to center as both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Veryzer singled home Alexander and Wayne Cage pinch hit for Speed...only to bang into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won Opening Day going away 7-1.

Hero of the night is Dennis Eckersley. With everyone on offense contributing, Eck gave them the cushion with 7 shutout innings where he allowed 2 hits and 5 walks while striking out 4.

                                                         Dennis The Hero


The Good:

Fred Lynn was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored including a solo home run.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with a 3 run home run.

Jack Brohamer was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bob Montgomery was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.



The Bad:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 with an error but stole a base and scored a run

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

George Scott was 0 for 3 with a walk.

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

Bob Stanley allowed a run in 2 innings of work.



Final Thoughts:

Nothing like a win on Opening Day to start the year off right. Virtually nothing went right last year beginning with the collapse and ending with the departures of Luis Tiant and Bill Lee. Whether Steve Renko can replace Lee's production is up in the air but losing the beloved Tiant is going to hurt. Still, a win is a win and there's 161 games to go to find out what this team is made of. Eck looked great and the offense was clicking so hopefully they can keep this up all year. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Saturday afternoon in Cleveland against these same Indians. Mike Torrez makes his season debut for Boston opposite Rick Waits of Cleveland at 3:00 PM Eastern Time at Cleveland Stadium.

Sox Blow Game, Yankees Win Division (10/2/78)

"They killed our fathers and now the sons of bitches are after us!" Those words were uttered by a bitter Boston Red Sox fan as they officially completed their 14.5 game collapse against the New York Yankees by falling to the Yankees in today's one game playoff to decide the American League East champion. The Sox took a 2-0 lead on Yankees starter Ron Guidry until the seventh inning when light hitting Bucky Dent hit a 3 run shot off of Sox starter Mike Torrez (16-13, 3.96 ERA) to put the Yankees on top. Bob Stanley allowed 2 runs in relied but the Sox managed to rally in the bottom of the eighth to pull within one. In the bottom of the ninth with Rick Burleson on first, Jerry Remy hit a fly ball that Lou Piniella lost in the sun but still managed to grab to prevent Rick from scoring. Goose Gossage got Carl Yastrzemski to pop up end the game and complete the collapse for the Red Sox. The Yankees are AL East Division champions with a come from behind 5-4 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                          Damn Yankees

Torrez got the ball in the top of the first and Mickey Rivers walked to start on four pitches not even close. Rivers immediately stole second but Thurman Munson struck out swinging. Lou Piniella grounded out to third and Reggie Jackson flied out to right to end the inning. Guidry got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rick Burleson led off by striking out swinging. Jerry Remy popped up to left and Jim Rice struck out swinging to end the inning.

Graig Nettles led off the top of the second with a pop up to Burleson to start. Chris Chambliss grounded out sharply to George Scott and Roy White struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Carl Yastrzemski pounded his 17th home run of the year off the right field façade to put Boston on top. The wind knocked down a sure Carlton Fisk home run to left and Fred Lynn hit a fly out to the centerfield warning track. Butch Hobson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                    Home run Yaz

Brian Doyle led off the top of the third by popping up to Remy to start. Bucky Dent lined out to a running Rice but Rivers doubled down the right field line. Munson struck out swinging to end the inning. George Scott tried to start a rally with a double off the centerfield wall to start the bottom of the third. Jack Brohamer dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Scott to second but Burleson grounded out to third. Remy flied out to left to end the inning.

Piniella singled off the glove of Burleson to start the top of the fourth but Jackson hit a rocket right to Rice. Nettles popped up to left and Chambliss forced Rivers at second to end the inning. Guidry cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Rice grounded out to short to start. Yaz struck out swinging and Fisk flied out to center to end the inning.

White walked to start the top of the fifth before moving to second on the grounder to second by Doyle. Dent popped up to short and White was thrown out at third on the grounder to short by Rivers to end the inning. Lynn check swinged a dribbler back to Guidry to start the bottom of the fifth but Hobson beat out a roller to third. Scott struck out swinging but Brohamer flied out to right to end the inning.

Munson was rung up by first base umpire Jim Evans for strike three to start the top of the sixth. Piniella flied out to the centerfield warning track and Jackson grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Burleson doubled down the left field line to start. Remy dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Rice dropped a base hit in front of Rivers to score Burleson. Yaz grounded out to first to move Rice to second and Fisk was intentionally walked. Lynn flied out to the right field warning track to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Burleson scores a run

Things fell apart in the top of the seventh as Nettles flied out to right to start. Chambliss punched a base hit to left and White poked a base hit to center to put the tying run on. Jim Spencer pinch hit for Doyle and flied out to left to bring up Dent. After fouling a pitch off his foot, Dent shocked the world by hitting a 3 run home run just over the Monster in left to put the Yankees up for good. Torrez was demoralized and the Yankees pounced as Rivers walked to chase Mike. Torrez was amazing for 6 innings but made one mistake to Dent to cost the team big time. Bob Stanley came in to pour gas on the fire as Rivers stole second and Munson doubled into the gap in center to score him. Piniella flied out to right but Fenway was deflated with the Yankees up 4-2.

                                                           The iconic image of Dent

Fred Stanley took over at second to start the bottom of the seventh and Hobson struck out swinging to start. Scott grounded a base hit into right and that was it for Guidry. Yankees manager Bob Lemon took no chances and brought in relief ace Goose Gossage to face Brohamer. Sox manager Don Zimmer sent Bob Bailey to pinch hit for Brohamer and Gossage effortlessly struck him out swinging on three pitches. A passed ball moved Scott to second but Burleson grounded out to short to end the inning.

Frank Duffy came in to play second for the top of the eighth but Jackson iced the game with a home run to dead center to increase the lead. That was it for Stanley as Andy Hassler came in to strike out Nettles swinging. Chambliss and White both grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-2.

                                                       Nice relief Stanley

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Remy doubled down the right field line to start. Rice popped up to right but Yaz ripped a base hit up the middle to score Remy. Fisk dumped a base hit to center and Lynn scored Yaz with a base hit to left. With the game on the line....Hobson flied out to right and Scott struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                    Zimmer tries to fire the team up

Stanley grounded out to second to start the top of the ninth and Dent took strike three. Paul Blair pinch hit for Rivers and singled under Duffy to chase Hassler. Dick Drago was brought in to face Munson and Thurman forced Blair at second to end the inning. Gary Thomasson took over for White to start the bottom of the ninth and injured Dwight Evans pinch hit for Duffy. Evans flied out to left but Burleson walked. Remy then hit a deep fly ball that Piniella lost in the sun and couldn't find it. He literally stuck his glove out and the ball fell in it and his powerful arm kept Burleson at second base.

                                               Luckiest stab of all time.

That break proved crucial as Rice flied out to deep right that would have scored Burleson if he was on third but instead all it did was move him to third. With the game on the line....Yaz popped up to third to end the game. The Yankees had beaten the Red Sox and stole the AL East division title with a 5-4 win.

                                                          Yankees win the division

Jackass of the Night is Mike Torrez. How do you serve up a 3 run home run to Bucky Dent?

                                                                  Jackass Torrez

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 5 with a home run, two total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3 with a walk.

George Scott was 2 for 4.

Andy Hassler tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Dick Drago got the final out in the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jack Brohamer was 0 for 1.

Bob Bailey struck out as a pinch hitter.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bob Stanley allowed an inherited runner to score and 1 of his own in just 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Fred Lymn was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Butch Hobson was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Frank Duffy played second base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

How do you come back from this? For the second straight year the Red Sox won more than 96 games but have nothing to show for it because the Yankees beat them again. This was even more painful than 1977 considering the Sox had a 14.5 game lead on them at one point. They still had an 8 game lead in August that they pissed away in September. Hell, the Yankees were so hot that the Sox lost ground going 7-3 in the middle of September. Butch Hobson getting hurt, Dwight Evans getting hurt, Zimmer not trusting Lee, the trades of Wiloughby and Carbo which led to the bullpen and bench faltering. It was a perfect storm of incompetence and it all came to ahead today. Torrez giving up a home run to Dent and Stanley giving up the jack to Jackson to seal it was bad enough, but Piniella making the luckiest stab in history just goes to show why the Yankees are the champs. I have no doubt they'll steamroll the Kansas City Royals tomorrow night in the American League Championship series. As for the Sox, what can they do to improve? They had their best win total since 1946 and didn't even make the playoffs. Improving the bench and bullpen while praying everyone stays healthy seems to be the course of action. The rotation is fine with Luis Tiant, Dennis Eckersley, Torrex and Dennis Eckersley but some more arms in the bullpen might help. That Sparky Lyle for Danny Cater trade back in 72 looks even worse now. Fans are going to be angry for a long time and hopefully the Sox can bounce back next year with even more determination to get to the playoffs.

Sox Walkoff Tigers in 10 Innings (9/21/71)

As this disappointing season winds to a close, at least the Sox gave their fans a great win they can build on for next year. Jim Lonborg tossed a ten inning complete game while allowing just 2 runs to earn his 9th win of the season. The Sox took a 2-0 lead on the Detroit Tigers due to a George Scott two run single. The Tigers fought back to tie the game in the top of the ninth, but Luis Aparicio drove home rookie Cecil Cooper in the bottom of the tenth to win it for the Sox. The Sox may be a mile behind the Baltimore Orioles, but for one day they sent their fans home happy with a 3-2 win over the Tigers at Fenway Park.

                                                         Major Houlihan approves of the win

Longborg got the ball in the top of the first and Dick McAuliffe grounded out to first to start. Auerlio Rodriguez struck out and Gates Brown grounded out to second to end the inning. Tom Timmermann got the start for Detroit and Doug Griffin popped up to second to start. Luis Aparicio grounded out to third and Carl Yastrzemski hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Al Kaline popped up to short to start the top of the second before Bill Freehan flied out to right. Jim Northrup flied out to center to end the inning. Reggie Smith lined out to right to start the bottom of the second before Rico Petrocelli singled to center. George Scott struck out and Joe Lahoud grounded out to second to end the inning.

Mickey Stanley grounded out to short to begin the top of the third before Ed Brinkman grounded out to second, Timmermann struck out to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Duane Josephson lined out to center to start. Lonborg, Griffin and Aparacio all singled to load the bases but Yaz banged into a double play to end the inning.

Lonborg cruised in the top of the fourth as McAuliffe lined out to right to start. Rodriguez popped up to left and Brown popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as Smith grounded out to second to start. Petrocelli and Scott both grounded out to third to end the inning.

Kaline hit one up the elevator shaft to begin the top of the fifth but Freehan singled to center. Northrup walked but Stanley banged into a double play to end the inning. Lahoud took strike three to begin the bottom of the fifth before Josephson flied out to center. Lonborg reached on an error by McAuliffe but Griffin grounded into a force to end the inning.

Brinkman popped up to second to open the top of the sixth before Timmermann struck out. McAuliffe flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the sixth although Aparicio grounded out to first to start. Yaz singled to right but Smith struck out. Petrocelli doubled Yaz to third and Scott singled home both runners to give the Sox the lead. Lahoud popped up to second to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.

                                                               Scott drives in a pair

Rodriguez singled to left to start the top of the seventh but Brown struck out. Kaline singled to left and Freehan walked to load the bases but Northrup struck out. Stanley flied out to left to end the inning. Josephson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the seventh but Lonborg singled to center. Griffin popped up to second and Aparicio grounded out to first to end the inning.

Brinkman walked to start the top of the eighth and old friend Dalton Jones pinch hit for Timmermann, getting a base hit to right. Cesar Gutierrez pinch ran for Jones but he was forced at second on the McAuliffe grounder. Rodriguez popped up to first and Brown popped up to second to end the inning. Fred Scherman came in for the bottom of the eighth and Yaz grounded out to short to start. Smith struck out and Petrocelli popped up to second to end the inning.

The Tigers rallied in the top of the ninth although Kaline grounded out to third to start. Freehan and Northrup stroked back to back singles but Stanley beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Kevin Collins pinch hit for Brinkman and singled home Freehan to cut the lead. Tont Taylor pinch hit for Scherman and singled home Stanley to tie the game. McAuliffe flied out to right to end the inning but the Tigers had tied it 2-2.

                                                       Dammit Lonborg!

Jack Whillock took over on the mound for the bottom of the ninth and Scott grounded out to short to start. Lahoud took strike three and Josephson flied out to center to end the inning.

Lonborg returned for the top of the tenth and allowed a double to left by Rodriguez to start. Brown flied out to left, Kaline struck out and Freehan popped up to Jim to end the inning. Rookie Cecil Cooper pinch hit for Lonborg and got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the tenth. Griffin dropped down a bunt to advance Cooper to second and Aparicio dropped a base hit to center. Cooper made a mad dash home...SAFE! THE RED SOX WIN!!!!

Hero of the Night is Cecil Cooper. The rookie got a pinch hit single and scored the winning run.

                                                       Cooper the Hero

The Good:

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jim Lonborg tossed a complete game allowing just 2 runs to earn the win. He was also 2 for 3 at the plate as well.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Duane Josephson was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

George Scott was just 1 for 4 but the one hit drove in 2 runs.

Final Thoughts:

If Lonborg had pitched like that all season and stayed healthy, once again they could have possibly competed with the Orioles. Too bad he saved that kind of performance at the end of the year when all the pressure was off. Two years in a row the Sox were a mile behind Baltimore when better pitching would have been the difference. It was a good win and good to see Cooper contributing 2 weeks after his MLB debut. The Sox will go into this off-season once again in a mad scramble to do anything to get on the same level as the Orioles, but who knows what will happen. The win improved the Sox to 81-74, 14.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 2 in a row against the Tigers when they send rookie Mike Garman (0-0, 6.54 ERA) to the mound up against Detroit ace Mickey Lolich at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Pound Senators, Win 4th Straight (6/28/71)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are starting to get hot. The Sox went into this game winning 3 straight games and the Washington Senators looked to end that when they battled to a 3-3 tie after 7 innings. Suddenly the Sox offense exploded for 7 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the lead. Sox starter Luis Tiant lasted just 4 innings but the Boston bullpen allowed just 1 run the rest of the way to win this game going away 10-4.

                                                      Cyd Charisse approves of the win

Tiant got the ball in the bottom of the first and Del Unser walked to start. Elliott Maddox flied out to right but Don Mincher struck out. Frank Howard popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Washington starter Jackie Brown as Doug Griffin led the bottom of the first off with a walk. Griffin swiped second and Luis Aparicio sacrificed him to third with a bunt. Reggie Smith slammed a single to right to put the Sox on top. Carl Yastrzemski flied out to left but Rico Petrocelli doubled to left. Smith tried for home but got thrown out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                               Smith drives in a run and gets himself thrown out

Bernie Allen popped up to third to start the top of the second before Dick Billings popped up to short. Lenny Randle doubled to left but Tim Cullen popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as George Scott flied out to center to start. Joe Lahoud also flied out to center but Bob Montgomery beat out an infield single to second. Tiant grounded out to third to end the inning.

Tiant whiffed Brown to begin the top of the third before Unser singled to left. Maddox banged into a double play to end the inning. Griffin somehow mashed his first home run of the season to begin the bottom of the third and to increase the lead. Aparicio grounded out to short, Smith flied out to center and Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                           Griffin jacks one out

The Yankees pounced on Tiant in the top of the fourth as Mincher walked to start. Howard singled Mincher to third and took second on the throw home and Allen singled Mincher home to cut the lead. Billings struck out but Randle doubled home both men to give the Senators the lead. Cullen and Brown both grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 3-2 Senators. That was it for Tiant who lasted just 4 innings and allowed 3 runs. Not the best effort that's for sure.

                                                 Wish the Sox had THIS Tiant pitching

The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fourth although Petrocelli popped up to second in foul territory to start. Scott singled to left and Lahoud drew a walk but Montgomery flied out to left. Gary Peters pinch hit for Tiant and struck out to end the inning.

Bill Lee came in to pitch the top of the fifth with John Kennedy taking over at second for Griffin. Unser popped up to second to start before Maddox took strike three. Mincher grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox couldn't get a clutch hit in the bottom of the fifth as Kennedy flied out to right to start. Aparicio doubled to left but Smith popped up to third. Yaz walked but Petrocelli grounded into a force to end the inning.

Howard grounded out to second to begin the top of the sixth but Allen singled to left. Allen took second on the force by Billings and Randle grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Scott took strike three to begin the bottom of the sixth before Lahoud grounded out to short. Montgomery singled to right and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Lee...grounding back to the mound to end the inning.

Bobby Bolin (2-2, 3.09 ERA) came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Cullen blooped a single to right to start. Brown sacrificed Cullen to second but Unser flied out to right. Maddox flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox tied the game instantly in the bottom of the seventh when Kennedy crushed his first home run of the season to tie the game. Aparicio grounded out to second but Smith singled to right to chase Brown. Denny Riddleberger came in to pitch to Yaz and Carl drew a walk to chase him. Casey Cox came in to get Petrocelli to ground into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Kennedy hits his first home run

Bolin held the Yankees in check in the top of the eighth as Mincher popped up to short to start. Howard struck out and Allen flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                       Good work Bolin

Suddenly the Sox erupted in the bottom of the eighth and it started with an error. Scott hit a grounder that Cullen booted to allow George to reach first. Lahoud dropped down a bunt to sacrifice Scott to second and Montgomery was intentionally walked to set up a double play. Sox manager Eddie Kasko sent in Phil Gagliano to pinch hit and Gagliano delivered a base hit to left to score Scott with the go-ahead run. The floodgates opened as Kennedy dropped down a bunt but nobody could make a play as Montgomery scored another run. Aparicio doubled home Gagliano but Smith struck out to chase Cox. Paul Lindblad came in to pitch and Yaz singled home Kennedy and Aparicio to ice the game. Petrocelli put the exclamation point on the inning by clocking his 11th home run of the season to wrap up the scoring for Boston. Scott grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 10-3 Boston.

                                                    Petrocelli hits a home run to end the rally

Ken Tatum came in for the top of the ninth and the Senators rallied. Billings was plunked and Randle singled before Larry Bittner pinch hit for Cullen. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Bittner scored Billings with a sac fly. Tommy McCraw pinch hit for Linblad and flied out to right. Unser beat out an infield single to second but Maddox flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won their 4th straight game and this one 10-4.

Hero of the Night is Phil Gagliano. His clutch pinch hit single scored the go-ahead run to give the Sox the lead they would not relinquish.

                                                      Phil The Hero



The Good:

Doug Griffin walked, homered, stole a base and scored 2 runs before being lifted.

John Kennedy was 1 for 2 with 2 total rbis, 2 total runs scored and a home run.

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Reggie Smith was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Bob Montgomery was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Bill Lee tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Bobby Bolin earned the win with 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Luis Tiant allowed 3 runs in just 4 innings of work.

Gary Peters struck out as a pinch hitter.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ken Tatum allowed a run in the top of the ninth.



The Ugly:

George Scott was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

That's four in a row for the Sox and they need to get hot in order to keep pace with the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are repeat AL Champions for a reason and that's pitching. The Sox aren't going to compete with them if Luis Tiant gives you 4 innings a whack and Jim Lonborg can't win 20 games again. Still, the Sox won the game and they need to beat on teams like the Senators if they want to stand tall at the end of September. The offense scoring 10 runs helped big time even if 7 of them came late. Good on Phil Gagliano for getting his moment in the sun by jumpstarting that rally. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can finish June with a flurry. The win improved the Sox to 41-31, 4 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to sweep the Senators when they send Jim Lonborg (2-3) to the mound against Pete Broberg at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

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.