Indians Outlast Sox in 13 Innings (4/19/71)

The Cleveland Indians have won 5 games this season and four of them have come against the Boston Red Sox. After sweeping the Sox out of Cleveland two weeks ago, the Indians came to Fenway and beat the Sox in extra innings. The Sox and Indians fought to a 3-3 tie by the eighth inning then were deadlocked  the next four innings. Roy Foster bashed a 2 run home run off Bill Lee (0-1, 4.15 ERA) to put the Indians ahead then survived a rally by the Sox in the bottom of the 13th. The Sox couldn't get the tying run in and the Indians had won it 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    "DAMN INDIANS!!!!"

Mike Nagy got the start for the Sox in the top of the first inning and Ted Uhlaender struck out looking to start. Vada Pinson flied out to left but Ray Fosse singled to center. Graig Nettles popped up to first to end the inning. Alan Foster got the start for the Indians and Luis Aparicio started the bottom of the first with a fly out to left. Reggie Smith flied out to right and Carl Yastrzemski popped up a bunt back to Foster to end the inning.

Old pal Ken "Hawk" Harrelson grounded back to the mound to start the top of the second before John Lowenstein flied out to right. Larry Brown popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli walked to start. George Scott struck out but Duane Josephson walked. Billy Conigliaro struck out but Doug Griffin walked. Nagy popped up to second to end the inning.

Buddy Bradford flied out to center to start the top of the third before Foster struck out looking. Uhlaender grounded out to first to end the inning. Aparicio grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the third but Smith singled to right. Smith was forced at second by Yaz and Petrocelli popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth as Pinson singled to center to start. Pinson stole second but Fosse grounded out to short. Nettles walked and Harrelson clobbered a home run into the Charles River to give the Indians the lead. Lowenstein flied out to center and Brown grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Indians ahead 3-0.

                                                       Of course it had to be The Hawk

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the fourth as Scott grounded out to short to start. Josephson grounded out to third and Billy C flied out to center to end the inning.

The Indians ran themselves out of the top of the fifth as Bradford flied out to right to start. Foster grounded out to third but Uhlaender singled to right. Uhlaender was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Josephson to end the inning.

                                             "Hey Uhlaender, get the hell out of here" - DJ

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Griffin struck out to start. Nagy hit one up the elevator shaft and Aparicio flied out to center to end the inning.

Nagy got Pinson to ground out to first to start the top of the sixth but Petrocelli threw away a grounder by Fosse for an error. Nettles walked but Harrelson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Smith walked to start. Yaz singled Smith to third and Petrocelli singled Reggie home...but was thrown out trying to stretch a double. Scott singled home Yaz to cut the lead and that was it for Foster. Chuck Machemehl came in and struck out Josephson before Billy C flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox had cut the lead 3-2 despite the Petrocelli blunder.

                                                         What the hell are you doing?

Lowenstein grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh before Brown flied out to center. Bradford grounded out to short to end the inning. Griffin flied out to right to begin the bottom of the seventh and Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Nagy. Lahoud flied out to center and Aparicio popped up to first to end the inning. Nagy was officially out of the game but had held the Indians to 3 runs in 7 innings.

                                                        One mistake cost him the win

Sparky Lyle came in for the top of the eighth and the pitcher Machemehl singled to center to start. Chuck Hinton pinch hit for Uhlaender and flied out to center before Pinson flied out to left. Fosse singled to left but Nettles flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth with Ted Ford now in left. Smith walked to start the frame and Phil Gagliano ran for him. Yaz struck out but Petrocelli reached on an error by Nettles. Scott singled home Gagliano and Petrocelli advanced to third, but Josephson struck out. Billy C grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Gagliano ties the game

George Thomas took over in right for the top of the ninth and Harrelson singled to center to start. Roy Foster ran for Hawk and Lowenstein sacrificed him to second with a bunt. Sox manager Eddie Kasko brought Bobby Bolin in to pitch to Brown and Larry grounded out to third. Bradford struck out to end the inning. Griffin grounded out to third to start the bottom of the ninth and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Bolin. Fiore walked...but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Aparicio grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                        Nice baserunning Fiore!

Ken Brett came in for the top of the tenth with Gomer Hodge pinch hitting for Machemehl to start. Hodge singled to left and Vince Colbert pinch ran for him. Ford sacrificed Colbert to second and Pinson walked, but Fosse flied out to center. Nettles grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox had a chance to end it in the bottom of the tenth although Thomas grounded back to the mound to start. Yaz grounded back to the mound but Petrocelli and Scott drew back to back walks. With the winning run at second....Josephson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Foster popped up to second to start the top of the eleventh but Lowenstein doubled to left. Brown popped up to first and Bradford was intentionally walked. Eddie Leon pinch hit for Colbert and flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox had a chance to end it again in the bottom of the eleventh against Steve Mingori but Billy C watched strike three go by to start. Griffin flied out to left and Don Pavletich pinch hit for Brett. Pavletich and Aparicio drew back to back walks and with the winning run at second....Thomas popped up to first to end the inning.

Bill Lee came in to pitch the top of the 12th and Ford grounded out to third to start. Pinson grounded out to second and Fosse struck out to end the inning. Yaz popped up to second to start the bottom of the 12th before Petrocelli grounded out to short. Scott also grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Indians took command in the top of the 13th as Nettles walked to start. Foster hit a home run all the way to Alaska to give Cleveland the lead. Lowenstein struck out looking and Brown whiffed. Bradford swung at air to end the inning but the Indians now led 5-3.

                                                        Indians take the lead

The Sox didn't go quietly in the bottom of the 13th as Josephson singled to to center to start. Billy C singled to left and Griffin walked to load the bases with nobody out. Sox manager Eddie Kasko sent the pitcher Gary Peters to pinch hit for Lee and he took strike three. Aparicio beat out a double play ball to score Josephson and put runners at the corners. With the tying run at third....Thomas flied out to center to end the game. The Indians had held on to win 5-4 in 13 innings.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with George Thomas. He was 0 for 3 and failed twice with a chance to win or tie the game.

                                                             Thomas the Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Phil Gagliano scored a run as a pinch runner.

George Scott was 2 for 5 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Don Pavletich walked as a pinch hitter.

Mike Nagy tossed 7 solid innings of 3 run ball. His only mistake was the home run by Harrelson.

Sparky Lyle tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bobby Bolin retired the only two men he faced.

Ken Brett tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Gary Peters struck out as a pinch hitter.

Bill Lee took the loss by allowing a 2 run homer in the top of the 13th.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was 0 for 6 but walked and drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 6 but scored a run.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 but walked twice and drove in a run.

Duane Josephson was just 1 for 5 but walked and scored a run.

Billy Conigliaro was just 1 for 6.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4 but walked twice.

Mike Fiore walked as a pinch hitter but was thrown out trying to steal.

Final Thoughts:

Sox manager Eddie Kasko needs his head examined. Why in the world would you pinch run George Thomas for Reggie Smith? Thomas ended up going 0 for 3 after Smith was out of the game, you don't think Reggie could have made a difference? Also with the bases loaded in the 13th why would you pinch hit Lee with another pitcher? There was nobody out, you could have had Lee bunt and catch everyone asleep. The Sox had plenty of chances to win this one but just couldn't get out of their own way. Mike Fiore getting thrown out trying to steal, Petrocelli getting thrown out trying to stretch a double...it all added up to a 13 inning defeat. Kasko was supposedly better to the players than Dick Williams was but I'd rather have Dick right now, at least he made moves that made sense even if he was a jerk to the players. Mike Nagy gave it his all and you can't even blame Lee for giving up the bomb if the game was over long before that. Once again, the Indians have won 5 games this year and beat the Sox for 4 of them. The Sox look to avoid another ignominious defeat to the Indians tomorrow afternoon when they send Gary Peters (1-1) against Camilo Pasqual 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.

Red Sox Smash Tigers (9/10/70)

That was a complete ass kicking by the Boston Red Sox in tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers. Carl Yastrzemski and Mike Andrews led a Boston attack with 9 rbis combined to pound out 15 total hits and 14 runs against Les Cain and the Tigers bullpen. Andrews and Yaz both hit home runs but the star of the show was Sox starter Ray Culp (15-13, 3.12 ERA). He tossed a complete game 3 hit shutout and scored two runs at the plate as well. The Sox got rbis from four other players as they played arguably their best all year with a 14-0 shutout over the Tigers at Tiger Stadium.

                                                          Carolyn Jones approves of the win

Cain got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews popped up to first to start. George Thomas drew a walk but Carl Yastrzemski struck out swinging. Rico Petrocelli flied out to right to end the inning. Culp got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dick McAuliffe grounded out to second to start. Mickey Stanley and Gates Brown drew back to back walks but Jim Northrup popped up to third. Norm Cash walked to load the bases and old friend Dalton Jones popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox blasted Cain in the top of the second as George Scott got a base hit to center to start. Scott took second on a passed ball and Billy Conigliaro walked. Joe Lahoud reached on an error to load the bases and Bob Montgomery scored Scott with a sac fly to center. Culp walked to re-load the bases and Andrews singled to right to score both Billy C and Lahoud. Thomas hit a grounder to the mound and Culp was thrown out at home. Yaz got a base hit to right to score Andrews, move Thomas to third and chase Cain. Bob Reed came in to pitch and Petrocelli grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                        Montgomery gets the party started

Gene Lamont grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Cesar Gutierrez struck out swinging. Reed struck out swinging to end the inning.

Scott singled to right to start the top of the third before Billy C forced him at second. Lahoud got a base hit to center but Montgomery grounded into a double play to end the inning. McAuliffe walked to start the bottom of the third but Stanley flied out to left. Brown got a base hit to left but Northrup struck out swinging. Cash grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Culp started a rally in the top of the fourth with a base hit to center to start. Andrews walked but Thomas took strike three. Yaz got a base hit to right to load the bases and chase Reed. Norm McRae came in and Petrocelli got a base hit to left to score Culp and Andrews. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Scott struck out swinging. Billy C flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                              Petrocelli drives in a pair

Jones walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Lamont was hit with a pitch before Russ Nagelson pinch hit for Gutierrez. Nagelson grounded out to second to move both runners over and Kevin Collins pinch hit for McRae. Collins walked but McAuliffe popped up to third. Stanley grounded out to third to end the inning.

Elliott Maddox took over at short with Daryl Patterson now on the mound to start the top of the fifth. Lahoud walked but Montgomery grounded back to the mound to move Joe to second. Culp reached on an error and Andrews bashed a three run home run to ice the game. Thomas flied out to right before Yaz drew a walk. Petrocelli walked and Scott ripped a base hit to left to score Yaz. Billy C walked but Lahoud struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 10-0.

                                                             Home run Andrews

Brown grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Northrup grounded out to first. Cash doubled to left but Jones flied out to right to end the inning.

Montgomery got a base hit to center to start the top of the sixth before Culp struck out swinging. Andrews walked but Thomas got a base hit to left to score Montgomery and chase Patterson. Fred Scherman came in to pitch and Yaz belted a three run home run to wrap up the scoring. Petrocelli popped up to first and Scott grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 14-0.

                                                           3 run bomb for Yaz

Mike Fiore took over at first for Yaz to start the bottom of the sixth. Lamont grounded out to second to start before Maddox struck out swinging. and Scherman grounded out to first to end the inning.

Billy C took strike three to begin the top of the seventh before Lahoud also watched strike three go by. Montgomery struck out swinging to end the inning. Luis Alvarado took over for Petrocelli and Carmen Fanzone took over for Scott to begin the bottom of the seventh. McAuliffe grounded out to first before Stanley doubled to left. Brown grounded out to second to move Stanley to third. Northrup struck out swinging to end the inning.

Culp grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth before Andrews singled to center. Thomas walked but Fiore forced Thomas at second. Alvarado popped up to short to end the inning. Cash flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth and Jones lined out to first. Lamont flied out to center to end the inning.

Fanzone singled inside the bag at first to start the top of the ninth before taking second on a wild pitch. Billy C flied out to left but Lahoud walked. Montgomery flied out to center to move Fanzone to third and Culp struck out swinging to end the inning. Culp returned to finish the bottom of the ninth and Maddox took strike three to start. Ken Szotkiewicz pinch hit for Scherman and drew a walk, but McAuliffe flied out to right. Stanley flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 14-0.

Hero of the Night is Ray Culp. He threw a complete game 3 hit shutout. He walked 7 and struck out six batters. At the plate he was 1 for 5 with a strikeout but walked and scored two runs.

                                                             Hero Culp

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 3 for 4 with 2 walks with a 3 run home run, 5 total rbis and 4 total runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 3 for 4 with a walk, a 3 run homer, 4 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

George Scott was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carmen Fanzone had a hit in his only at-bat.

The Bad:

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1.

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 1.

The Ugly:

George Thomas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run.

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

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.

Joe Lahoud was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked twice and scored 2 runs.

Bob Montgomery was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Sox playing without Reggie Smith and Tony Conigliaro and another great game pitched by Culp. The Sox are going to need another ace pitcher if they hope to compete with Baltimore next year because that's Boston's achillies heel. Their offense is as good as anyone but they just don't have the pitching the Orioles do. The Tigers are right there with the Sox with Mickey Lolich and not much else. Still, the Sox scored 14 runs but its only one game. There's still 18 games left in the season but the Sox are one loss away from elimination. Its a shame the season turned out this way because they weren't half bad compared to the last two years. The win improved the Sox to 75-68, 17 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to stave off elimination tomorrow when they play the O's themselves. Sonny Siebert goes for the Sox against O's ace Jim Palmer at 8:00 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Sox Defeat Indians in Game 1 (9/7/70)

Today's doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians started well for the Boston Red Sox. Gary Peters (14-10, 4.15 ERA) won his fourteenth game of the season while Sparky Lyle earned his 20th save of the year. The Sox tag team of George's, Scott and Thomas, supplied the offense with three rbi's between them. The Sox haven't had much go right for them this season but as the season winds to a close, every win should be celebrated like today's 4-3 victory in Game 1 at Cleveland Stadium.

                                                  Roger Daltrey approves of the win

Sam McDowell got the start for Cleveland and Mike Andrews greeted him with a base hit to left. George Thomas drew a walk but Carl Yastrzemski banged into a double play. Tony Conigliaro struck out to end the inning. Peters took the mound in the bottom of the first and Graig Nettles popped up to first in foul territory to start. Eddie Leon also popped up to first and Vada Pinson struck out to end the inning.

Rico Petrocelli walked to start the top of the second but George Scott took strike three. Petrocelli moved to second on the grounder by Billy Conigliaro and Bob Montgomery grounded out to third to end the inning. Old pal Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson singled to left to start the bottom of the second before Roy Foster struck out. A wild pitch moved Harrelson to second but Buddy Bradford flied out to right. Duke Sims walked but Jack Heidemann took strike three to end the inning.

Peters whiffed to start the top of the third before Andrews grounded out to second. Thomas flied out to right to end the inning. McDowell bunted foul for strike three to start the bottom of the third before Nettles grounded out to short. Leon also grounded out to short to end the inning,.

Yaz walked to start the top of the fourth but was erased on the Tony C force. Petrocelli was plunked but Scott banged into a double play to end the inning. Pinson singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Harrelson popped up to right. Pinson was forced at second by Foster and Bradford flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fifth although Billy C grounded out to third to start. Montgomery and Peters drew back to back walks before both moved over on the grounder by Andrews. Thomas got a base hit to left and Montgomery scored easily but Peters had to beat the tag home for the second run. Thomas advanced to second on the throw but Yaz struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                               Thomas drives in a pair

Peters did his part in the bottom of the fifth as Sims struck out to start. Heidemann was plunked and moved to second on the McDowell grounder, but Nettles flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Tony C walked to start. Luis Alvarado pinch hit for Petrocelli and sacrificed Tony to second with a bunt. Scott lashed a base hit to center to score Conigliaro with another run. A passed ball moved Scott to second but he was thrown out trying to steal third. Billy C grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                    Scott drives in a run

The Indians struck back in the bottom of the sixth although Leon struck out to start. Pinson grounded out to second but Harrelson walked. Foster was hit with a pitch and Harrelson scored on the double by Bradford but Sims flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 3-1.

                                                The Hawk scores a run

The Sox tried to rally when Montgomery singled to center to start the top of the seventh before moving to second on the sacrifice bunt by Peters. He was stranded as Andrews struck out and Thomas flied out to right to end the inning. John Kennedy took over for Andrews in the bottom of the seventh and Larry Brown pinch hit to Heidemann. Brown popped up to left in foul territory and Ted Ford pinch hit for McDowell only to strike out. Nettles grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth with Jim Rittwage now on the mound. Yaz singled to center and took second on a passed ball before Tony C walked. Yaz moved to third on the fly out by Alvarado and Kennedy hit a pop up to Bradford...DROPPED! Conigilaro was forced at second but Yaz scored on the error to increase the lead. Billy C and Montgomery both walked to load the bases as Steve Mingori came in to pitch. Sox manager Eddie Kasko let Peters hit away and he struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                      Yaz scored a run

The decision to let Peters hit came back to haunt Kasko as Leon singled to left to start the bottom of the eighth. Pinson then hit a home run all the way to Lake Michigan to cut the lead and chase Peters after 7 plus innings of 3 run ball. Gary Wagner came in and got Harrelson to fly out to left before Foster popped up to third. Bradford struck out to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 4-3.

                                                 7 good innings, 1 bad eighth

Vince Colbert came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Andrews flied out to right to start. Thomas singled to center but was picked off. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning. Wagner returned for the bottom of the ninth and Sims singled to right to start. Lou Camilli ran for Duke and Brown sacrificed Lou to second with a bunt. Ted Uhlaender was sent in to pinch hit for Colbert until Sox manager Eddie Kasko countered by bringing in Sparky Lyle. Uhlaender was called back and Chuck Hinton was put in to pinch hit. Hinton grounded out to third and Vern Fuller pinch hit for Nettles. Fuller grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox held on to win Game 1 by a score of 4-3.

Hero of the Night is George Thomas. He drove in 3 big runs to guide the Sox to victory.

                                                 Thomas the Hero


The Good:

Rico Petrocelli walked and was hit with a pitch before he left the game.

Tony Conigliaro walked twice and scored a run in 4 plate appearances.

George Scott was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Bob Montgomery was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Gary Peters tossed 7 innings of 2 run ball to earn the victory. He was 0 for 2 at the plate but walked and scored a run.

Gary Wagner tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Sparky Lyle earned his 20th save by getting the final two outs of the ninth inning.



The Bad:

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 1.

John Kennedy was 0 for 1.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

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

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

As this ho-hum season draws to a close you have to look at any and all positives.....which aren't much. The Sox seem to be getting worse every year and can't come anywhere close to the Baltimore Orioles. The key to the game is pitching and the Sox just don't have enough to match Baltimore. They either need to make a trade or scout someone worth a damn if they hope to ever contend again. As for this game, good win by Peters and good on Lyle to get the final two outs. Everything else....yawn. The win improved the Sox to 72-67, nowhere near the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox are back in action shortly against these same Indians in Game 2. Cal Koonce (3-5) goes for the Sox against Dean Chance at 5:05 PM Eastern Time at Cleveland Stadium

Twins Outslug Red Sox (8/16/70)

Just when it looked like the Boston Red Sox was building momentum following a three game winning streak, they had to blow it with a horrendous loss to the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox knocked Minnesota starter Luis Tiant out in the second inning but Gary Peters (11-10, 4.28 ERA) got rocked for 5 runs in less than 5 innings. The Sox clawed their way back to trail 6-5 in the eighth but Cesar Tovar hit s 3 run home run off Chuck Hartenstein to ice the game. Jerry Moses went yard for the Red Sox but the terrible pitching led to a 9-6 defeat at the hands of the Twins at Fenway Park.

                                                                  Angry fans

The Twins wasted no time getting to Peters in the top of the first inning as Cesar Tovar walked to start. Danny Thompson struck out swinging but Harmon Killebrew walked. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Tony Oliva doubled to left to score Tovar and Killebrew. Brant Alyea struck out and was caught in a rundown before Bob Allison struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                                  Twins strike first

The Sox answered in the bottom of the first against Luis Tiant as Mike Andrews doubled to left to start. Reggie Smith grounded out to first to move Andrews to second and Carl Yastrzemski doubled to center to score Mike. Tony Conigliaro grounded out to short and Rico Petrocelli flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                                 Yaz drives in a run

Leo Cardenas singled to center to start the top of the second before George Mitterwald grounded out to third to move Cardenas to second. Tiant grounded out to first to move Cardenas to third and Tovar grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as George Thomas doubled to left to start. John Kennedy got a base hit to center to score Thomas but Tom Satriano struck out swinging. Peters got a base hit to center and that was it for Tiant. Bert Blyleven came in to pitch and Andrews grounded out to short to move the runners over. With a chance to go-ahead....Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                             Kennedy drives in a run

Thompson popped up to first to start the top of the third before Killebrew grounded out to short. Oliva struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Yaz grounded out to first to start. Tony C doubled to left but Petrocelli took strike three. Thomas walked and Kennedy doubled home Tony C. Satriano was intentionally walked and Peters took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                            Another RBI for Kennedy

The lead lasted about 8 seconds in the top of the fourth when Alyea hit a home run all the way to Jupiter to start. Allison walked but Cardenas flied out to left. Mitterwald then hit a home run all the way into the Red Sea to put Minnesota back on top. Sox manager Eddie Kasko had enough of Peters after allowing 5 runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Ed Phillips came in and Blyleven drew a walk. Tovar grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Twins up 5-3.

                                                                  Peters doesn't last long

The Sox inched closer in the bottom of the fourth although Andrews struck out swinging to start. Smith crushed his 17th home run of the season to cut the lead but Yaz grounded back to the mound. Tony C lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                               Smith jacks one

Thompson hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fifth but Killebrew singled to left. Oliva hit a bullet to Yaz who doubled off Harmon to end the inning. Petrocelli popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Thomas popped up to second. Kennedy reached on an error but Satriano grounded out to second to end the inning.

Alyea took strike three to start the top of the sixth before Allison doubled to left. Cardenas grounded out to short and Mittenwald was intentionally walked. Blyleven took strike three to end the inning, Rich Reese took over at first to start the bottom of the sixth and Dick Schofield pinch hit for Phillips. Schofield singled to right but Andrews took strike three. Smith flied out to center and Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning.

Chuck Hartenstein came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Tovar was hit with a pitch to start. Tovar got caught stealing second and Thompson popped up to short. Killebrew then hit a home run all the way to Bombay, India to increase the lead. Oliva singled to left but Alyea took strike three to end the inning with the Twins ahead 6-4.

                                                                 Killebrew hits one out

Jim Holt came in for Alyea to start the bottom of the seventh and Tony C smacked his 22nd home run of the season to cut the lead. Petrocelli grounded out to third, Thomas grounded out to second and Petrocelli lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                                           Home run for Conigliaro

Naturally Hartenstein crapped his pants in the top of the eighth as Reese singled to center to start. Cardenas dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second and Mitterwald flied out to right. For some reason Sox manager Eddie Kasko had pinch hitter Charlie Manuel intentionally walked to get to Tovar. Tovar ended up hitting a home run all the way to Tampa, Florida to ice the game. Thompson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 9-5.

                                                               That'll do it

Stan Williams took over on the mound for the bottom of the eighth and Satriano struck out swinging to begin. Jerry Moses pinch hit for Hartenstein and belted his sixth home run of the year to cut the lead. Andrews popped up to short and Smith grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 9-6.

                                                           That's how you pinch hit

Sparky Lyle came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Killebrew struck out swinging to start. Oliva lined out to left and Holt struck out swinging to end the inning. Frank Quilici came in for Killebrew to start the bottom of the ninth and Yaz walked to start. Tony C struck out swinging, Petrocelli forced Yaz at second and Thomas lined out to second to end the game. The Twins had won it 9-6.

Jackass of The Night is Chuck Hartenstein. He allowed four runs including the backbreaking 3 run home run to put the game out of reach.

                                                        Jackass Hartenstein

The Good:

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

John Kennedy was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Dick Schofield got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Jerry Moses hit a pinch hit home run.

Ed Phillips tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Sparky Lyle pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Gary Peters took the loss allowing 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings. He allowed 4 hit and 3 walks while striking out 4. He was 1 for 2 at the plate with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a home run.

 Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

George Thomas was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Tom Satriano was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Not much needs to be said at this point. The Red Sox are spinning their tires while the Baltimore Orioles are just a month and change away from the World Series really. If anyone thought the Sox could compete, they couldn't. Its a shame the Sox can't match arms with Baltimore because the bats weren't the problem. The Sox might have won this game if Hartenstein didn't pee down his leg. Smith, Tony C and Moses all hit a home run, its a shame it all went for naught. The Sox are just playing out the string at this point since Baltimore is the heavy favorite to repeat as American League champions. The loss dropped the Sox to 60-56, 14 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in the Chicago White Sox for a three game set beginning tomorrow afternoon. Cal Koonce (1-5) goes for the BoSox against Bart Johnson of the ChiSox at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Tigers Stun Sox Late (8/8/70)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox had the Detroit Tigers beat. Vicente Romo was knocked out in the 7th inning and Chuck Hartenstein (1-2, 5.74 ERA) coughed up the lead to tie the game at 4 apiece. Carl Yastrzemski belted his 30th home run of the year to put the Sox on top, but then came the ninth inning. Old pal Dalton Jones walked and then Dick McAuliffe belted a two run bomb to put the Tigers ahead. The Sox did get the tying run on against Tom Timmermann in the bottom of the ninth but Billy Conigliaro struck out to end the game. The Tigers had won the game 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                     "Hartenstein..."

Romo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dick McAuliffe struck out swinging to start. Mickey Stanley grounded out to short and Al Kaline grounded out to third to end the inning. McLain got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mike Andrews grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith flied out to right but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Tony Conigliaro struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Jim Northrup popped up to short to start the top of the second and Norm Cash took strike three. Bill Freehan popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli singled to left to open. Billy Conigliaro got a base hit to center and John Kennedy doubled to left to score Petrocelli. Tom Satriano grounded out to first to score Billy C and move Kennedy to third. Romo hit a sac fly to right to score Kennedy but Andrews struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                   Big rbis from Kennedy

The Tigers answered in the top of the third as Don Wert to right to start. Cesar Gutierrez grounded out to second to move Wert to third but McLain popped up to right. McAuliffe doubled to center to score Wert to cut the lead. Stanley walked but Kaline struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers down 3-1.

                                                             Tigers get a run back

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the third as Smith's bunt attempt was snuffed out by McLain. Yaz singled to left and Tony C singled to center to move Carl to third. Petrocelli beat out a double play ball to score Yaz but Billy C flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                              Petrocelli drives in a run

Northrup doubled to center to start the top of the fourth but Cash popped up to second. Freehan flied out to right and Wert struck out swinging to end the inning. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth but Satriano singled to right. Romo hit a bullet to Wert but his throw to double off Satriano went wide, putting Tom at second. Andrews walked but Smith popped up to third to end the inning. 

The Tigers struck back in the top of the fifth as Gutierrez struck out swinging to start. McLain grounded out to short but McAuliffe walked. Stanley then hit a home run all the way to central Arkansas to cut the lead. Kaline flied out to right to end the inning with the Tigers down 4-3.

                                                                  Tigers inch closer

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Yaz grounded out to short to start. Tony C's bunt attempt was snuffed out by McLain but Petrocelli got a base hit to center. Billy C also got a base hit to center but Kennedy popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Northrup got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth but Cash grounded into a double play. Freehan walked but Wert grounded out to short to end the inning. Satriano flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Romo popped up to first. Andrews got a base hit to left but Smith grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Tigers struck again in the top of the seventh as old pal Dalton Jones pinch hit for Gutierrez to start. Jones grounded out to first and Gates Brown pinch hit for McLain. Brown walked and MacAuliffe doubled to right to chase Romo. Vicente got tagged for four runs in 6 2/3 innings, not the greatest. Chuck Hartenstein came in and Stanley grounded out to short to score Brown, tying the game. Kaline grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                             "Aye carumba!" - Romo

Daryl Patterson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yaz greeted him with his 30th home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Tony C grounded out to short and Petrocelli grounded out to third, but Billy C walked. Kennedy got a base hit to right but Satriano forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                              Yaz puts Boston ahead

Northrup grounded out to first to start the top of the eighth but Cash doubled to right. Freehan flied out to center and Wert hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Sox manager Eddie Kasko foolishly allowed Hartenstein to hit to start the bottom of the eighth and he took strike three right down the middle. Andrews popped up to third and George Thomas pinch hit for Smith. Thomas popped up to third to end the inning.

Hartenstein returned to close out the top of the ninth and Jones walked to start. Russ Nagelson pinch hit for Patterson and took strike three. McAuliffe then hit a home run into the Charles River to put the Tigers on top. Eddie Kasko's decision to let Chuck hit backfired and he brought in Gary Wagner to pitch. Stanley flied out to center and Kaline took strike three to end the inning with the Tigers up 6-5.

                                                         One man wrecking crew

Tom Timmermann came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Yaz grounded out to second to start. Tony C struck out swinging but Petrocelli got a base hit to right. Billy C struck out swinging to end the game. The Tigers had won it 6-5.

Jackass of The Night is Chuck Hartenstein. He allowed the tying run to score in the seventh and gave up the two run home run to lose the game.

                                                             Jackass Hartenstein

The Good:

Carl Yastrzesmki was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Billy Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

John Kennedy was 2 for 4 with a rbi and a run scored.

Gary Wagner got the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

George Thomas was 0 for 1.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Tony Conigliaro was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Tom Satriano was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Vicente Romo was charged with 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings and was 0 for 2 at the plate, but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Another tough loss which has been a microcosm of the season. The starting pitching and offense has been good enough to compete but the relief pitching has been awful. Not that anyone's touching the Baltimore Orioles this season but how many games have they lost in the later innings this season? Eddie Kasko had Gary Wagner ready to go for the ninth but he stuck with Hartenstein. Having him hit might have cost them the game because a hit by a pinch hitter might have gotten them another run, plus Wagner might have saved the game. Instead, Hartenstein blows it and its another bad loss in a season full of them. Not even a healthy Jim Lonborg could have saved this season from disaster. Just too many bad games and a historic Orioles team in the way. Not much you can do but play out the string in the final two months and hope for the best next year. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-54, 14.5 games behind the O's for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Tigers when Ray Culp (11-10) takes on Mickey Lolich of Detroit. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.