Bill Lee got the start for the Sox and he retired Pete Rose on a pop up to right to begin the top of the first. Joe Morgan swung at air for strike three and Johnny Bench grounded out to short to end the inning. Don Gullet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Bernie Carbo led off with a double off the Monster. Denny Doyle flied out to right and Carl Yastrzemski moved Carbo to third with a grounder to second. Carlton Fisk struck out swinging to end the inning.
Tony Perez started the top of the second inning by grounding out to third before George Foster hit a rocket off the Monster. Foster tried for second but Carbo gunned him down at second. Dave Concepcion grounded out to short to end the inning.
Fred Lynn led off the bottom of the second by drawing a walk. Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging on a high fastball before Dwight Evans popped up to Rose in foul territory. Rick Burleson flied out to right to end the inning.
Ken Griffey led off the top of the third by dumping a base hit to center before Cesar Geronimo banged into a double play. Gullet singled to right but Rose lined one off of Lee, Bill recovering to throw out Gullet to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third although Lee bunted foul for strike three to start. Carbo drew a walk before Doyle singled him to third. Yaz lashed a base hit to right that scored Carbo and sent Doyle to third. Fisk was intentionally walked to load the bases and Lynn was rung up for strike three much to Fred's dismay. Petrocelli walked to bring in Doyle and re-load the bases. Evans walked to score Yaz and put Gullet on the ropes. The play of the game occurred when Burleson whiffed to end the inning. One more run could have been a difference maker but the Sox still led 3-0.
Lee kept the lead in the top of the fourth inning although Morgan bunted his way on to start. Bench hit a rocket to center but Lynn snared it to keep Morgan at first. Morgan did swipe second but Perez popped up to a running Evans. Foster hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Sox looked to knock Gullet out again when Lee singled to start and took second on a wild pitch. Carbo moved Lee to third on a grounder but Doyle check swing grounded out to third to kill the rally. Yaz popped up to Morgan in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox failure to get the fourth run proved to be the killer in the end.
The Reds threatened in the top of the fifth as Concepcion beat out a ground ball to first before Doyle butchered a double play ball by Griffey for an error that moved Dave to third. Lee got a key out by striking out Geronimo swinging and Reds manager Sparky Anderson put the game in the hands of his bullpen when he pinch hit Gullet with Merv Rettenmund. The move looked to be advantage Red Sox when Rettenmund hit into a double play to end the inning. The Sox blew yet another chance to break the game open against Jack Billingham in the bottom of the fifth although Fisk whiffed to start. Lynn drew a walk and Petrocelli lashed a base hit to left. Evans flied out to deep center which moved Lynn to third and put runners at the corners. Burleson walked to load the bases again and Sox manager Darrell Johnson let Lee hit away with him pitching a shut-out. Lee flied out to deep center to end the inning.
The Reds finally broke through against Lee in the top of the sixth as Rose singled to right. Morgan popped up to right before Bench hit a double play ball to short. Burleson flipped to second but Doyle threw the relay throw away for an error that allowed Bench to reach second. Perez hit Lee's infamous eephus pitch onto Landsdowne Street to cut the lead. Foster flied out to right to end the inning but the Reds were back in it 3-2.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Carbo grounded out to first to start. Doyle flied out to left and Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Reds tied it in the bottom of the seventh with Rick Miller now in left. Concepcion grounded out to first to start but Griffey drew a walk to chase Lee after Bill developed a blister. Lee ended up giving up 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Roger Moret came in and got Geronimo to pop up to short before Ed Armbrister pinch hit for Billingham. Griffey swiped second and Armbrister walked before Rose dumped a base hit to center to score Griffey with the tying run. Morgan walked to chase Moret who just didn't have it tonight. Jim Willoughby came in and got Bench to pop up to Fisk reaching into the stands to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Clay Carroll came in for the bottom of the seventh inning but the Sox offense was done for the night. Fisk whiffed to start before Lynn grounded out to first. Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning.
Willoughby came back for the top of the eighth inning and Perez popped up to third to begin. Foster grounded out to short and Concepcion grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox looked to rally when Evans walked to start the bottom of the eighth but Burleson banged into a double play. Sox manager Darrell Johnson sealed the fate of the season when he sent the slumping 1 for 18 Cecil Cooper in to pinch hit for Willoughby. Cooper popped up to Rose in foul territory to end the inning.
Darrell Johnson decided it was best for the team to send rookie Jim Burton to the mound rather than Rick Wise, Reggie Cleveland or Dick Drago for the top of the ninth inning. Griffey drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on the bunt by Geronimo. Dan Driessen pinch hit for Carroll and grounded out to second but Griffey moved to third. Rose drew a full count walk and Darrel Johnson let Burton pitch to Morgan. The lefty on lefty matchup failed as Morgan hit a broken bat single to center that scored Griffey and sent Rose to third. That was it for Burton as Johnson brought in Reggie Cleveland one batter too late. Bench walked but Perez flied out to right to end the inning with the Reds ahead 4-3.
Will McEnaney came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Juan Beniquez pinch hit for Miller to start. Beniquez flied out to right and Darrell Johnson sent Bob Montgomery in to pinch hit for Doyle. Montgomery wasn't even wearing a batting helmet as he grounded out to short on the first pitch. Representing the last out, Yaz popped up to center to end the game. The Cincinatti Reds won the 1975 World Series with a 4-3 comeback win in Game 7.
Jackass of the Night is Jim Burton. He allowed the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth.
The Good:
Bernie Carbo was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Fred Lynn walked twice in four plate appearances.
Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Dwight Evans walked twice in four plate appearances and drove in a run.
Bill Lee tossed 6 1/3 innings of 3 run ball allowing 7 hits while striking out 2. He was also 1 for 3 at the plate.
Jim Willoughby tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Reggie Cleveland got the final out of the 9th inning.
The Bad:
Juan Beniquez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Bob Montgomery was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Cecil Cooper was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Roger Moret allowed the tying run to score in the 7th inning.
The Ugly:
Denny Doyle was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors in the field but scored a run.
Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 and made the final out of the game, but drove in a run.
Carlton Fisk was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.
Rick Burleson was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Honorable Mention:
Rick Miller played left field for a few innings.
Final Thoughts:
What a shame. Just like the 1967 World Series the Red Sox lost to the better team. Also like in 1967 they were missing a key cog. Back then it was Tony Conigliaro and this time it was Jim Rice. Not to make excuses but nearly every game was decided by one run and Jim Rice's bat was sorely missed in those games. Still, this game and every game really was hard fought and decided by the smallest of margins. Lee pitched well but Perez was sitting on that damn eephus pitch and Moret didn't have it. Having a rookie like Burton come in to pitch the 9th inning of a winner take all Game 7 probably wasn't the best idea but if the offense didn't squander 3 big chances during the game, it probably doesn't come to that. Still, the Sox crushed the 3-peat Oakland A's to get to the World Series and fell 7 outs short of winning it. If the Sox bring the same energy they had this year, there's no reason not to believe they won't be in contention again in 1976. Congratulations to the Reds for a well earned victory and a hell of a 1975 season.
