Angels Crush Cleveland, Sox (4/30/74)

The good news was the Boston Bruins eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 of their NHL Semifinal series but the bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of the NBA Finals and the Boston Red Sox got destroyed by the California Angels. Reggie Cleveland (1-3, 4.55 ERA) got lit up for 9 runs by a relentless Angels offense before he was knocked out in the fourth inning. The Angels teed off on Diego Segui and Lance Clemmons for a combined seven more runs. Even worse, Doug Griffin was sent to the hospital when he got hit in the head by a Nolan Ryan fastball. The Boston bats got to Angels Ryan for 6 runs after that, but he still went the distance in this one. Cecil Cooper hit a two run home run but that was one of very few highlights as the Angels wont the game 16-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                                 "DAMN THOSE ANGELS!"

The Angels wasted no time getting to Cleveland in the top of the first as Mickey Rivers singled to rigth to start. Denny Doyle got a base hit to left but Bobby Valentine popped up to second. Frank Robinson drew a walk to load the bases and Bob Oliver hit a sac fly to center to score Rivers. Morris Nettles grounded out to first to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

                                                                 Angels strike first

Tragedy struck in the bottom of the first with Ryan on the mound. Rick Miller singled to right but Doug Griffin was hit in the head by Nolan's fastball and had to be rushed to the hospital, shades of Tony Conigliaro. John Kennedy ran for Doug but Cecil Cooper struck out swinging. Carl Yastrzemski was hit with a pitch as well and Carl got hot at Ryan. The bases were loaded but Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging. Dwight Evans got a base hit to center to score Kennedy and Miller, but Yastrzemski was caught up at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                            Get well soon, Doug

The Angels took command in the top of the second as Tommy McCraw got a base hit to center to start. McCraw moved to second on a grounder to short by Ellie Rodrguez, then to third on a grounder back to Cleveland by Dave Chalk. Rivers tripled into the centerfield triangle to score McCraw and Doyle ripped a base hit to center to score Rivers. Valentine forced Rivers at second to end the inning with the Angels up 3-2.

                                                           Doyle drives in a run

Dick McAuliffe walked to start the bottom of the second but Carlton Fisk flied out to center. Mario Guerrero flied out to center and Miller took strike three to end the inning. 

The Angels poured it on in the top of the third as Robinson doubled to right to start. Oliver flied out to right but Nettles walked. McCraw hit a double play ball to short but Kennedy dropped the throw for an error to score Robinson. Rodriguez got a base hit to left to score Nettles with another run. Chalk grounded into a double play to end the inning but it was 5-2 Angels.

                                                               Catch the ball John!

Kenny popped up to short to start the bottom of the third before Cooper struck out swinging. Yaz walked but Petrocelli struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Angels finished off Cleveland in the top of the fourth as Rivers walked to start. Rivers stole second and moved to third on a Doyle base hit to right. Valentine hit one up the elevator shaft but Robinson walked to load the bases. A balk was called on Reggie to score Rivers and Oliver doubled home both remaining runners to signal the end for Cleveland. He got hammered for 9 hits, 9 runs and 4 walks and Diego Segui took his place on the mound. Nettles grounded out to short to move Oliver to third but McCraw walked. Rodriguez doubled to left to score both runners and Chalk also doubled off the Monster to score Ellie. Rivers flied out to center to end the inning with the Angels up 11-2.

                                                              "Aye carumba!" - Segui

Joe Lahoud took over for Valentine to begin the bottom of the fourth and Evans walked to start. McAuliffe got a base hit to right and Fisk walked to load the bases. Guerrero hit a sac fly to right to score Evans and Miller walked to re-load the bases. Kennedy grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 11-3.

                                                                  RBI for Guerrero

Doyle grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth but Lahoud struck out swinging. Robinson popped up to short to end the inning. Cooper struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Yaz popped up to short. Petrocelli took strike three to end the inning.

Juan Beniquez took over for Yaz to start the top of the sixth and Oliver got a base hit to center. Nettles forced Oliver at second and moved to second himself on a grounder to third by McCraw. Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning. Evans struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but McAuliffe walked. Fisk struck out swinging and Guerrero grounded out to short to end the inning,

Bob Montgomery took over behind the plate with Lance Clemons now on the mound for the top of the seventh. Chalk hit a routine grounder to McAuliffe who threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error. Chalk moved to second on a grounder to second by Rivers and scored on the Doyle base hit to center. Lahoud forced Doyle at second then took second on a wild pitch. Robinson was intentionally walked and Oliver flied out to center to end the inning with the Angels up 12-3.

                                                           Rivers scores another run

Miller took strike three to begin the bottom of the seventh but Kennedy walked. Cooper flied out to left and Beniquez watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Angels were relentless in the top of the eighth as Nettles got a base hit to left to start. McCraw flied out to right but Rodriguez forced Nettles at second. Chalk then hit a home run all the way to Shelbyville, Kentucky to increase the lead. Rivers grounded out to third to end the inning with the Angels up 14-3.

                                                          "Make it stop!" - Clemons

The Sox got a run in the bottom of the eighth as Petrocelli struck out swinging to start. Evans also went down hacking but McAuliffe hit his first home run of the season. Montgomery struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 14-4.

                                                             Home run McAuliffe

The Angels scored AGAIN in the top of the ninth as Doyle got another base hit in the hole at second. A wild pitch moved him to second and took third on a grounder to first by Lahoud. Robinson drilled a base hit to left to score Doyle and took second on a wild pitch. Oliver tripled to center to score Robinson but Nettles struck out swinging. McCraw walked but Rodriguez flied out to right to end the inning with the Angels up 16-4.

                                                     Robinson adds to the misery

Ryan came back to complete the game in the bottom of the ninth and Guerrero got a base hit to center to begin. Miller flied out to left and Kennedy struck out swinging, but Cooper belted his third home run of the year to cut the lead. Beniquez popped up to first to end the game. The Angels had won it 16-6.

Jackass of the Night is Reggie Cleveland. He allowed 9 hits, 4 walks and 9 runs in just 3 1/3 innings to take the loss.

                                                                 Jackass Cleveland

The Good:

Doug Griffin was hit by a pitch in the first inning.

Carl Yastrzemski walked and was hit with a pitch before leaving.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Dick McAuliffe was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and a home run.

Mario Guerrero was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

The Bad:

Juan Beniquez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4 with the golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Bob Montgomery struck out in his only plate appearance.

Diego Segui allowed 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Lance Clemons allowed 5 runs in 3 innings.

The Ugly:

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

John Kennedy was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error but walked and scored a run.

Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but hit a 2 run home run.

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was bawful in more ways than one. Its bad enough to get your ass kicked, its another to lose Griffin like that Tony Conigliaro style. He's currently in ICU but it looks like he's going to pull through. The worst part was Tony C was hit by Jack Hamilton of the Angels so Yastrzemski and Petrocelli definitely had a little PTSD in this one. The Angels bats couldn't miss as they pounded out 18 hits as a unit against Sox pitching. Cleveland and Segui had pitched relatively well this year so it was just one of those days. Its bad enough Rick Wise has felt shoulder pain since that snowy game he pitched in but losing Griffin like this hurts big time the way he was hitting. The Sox have been banged up this month as it is with injuries to Fisk and Petrocelli but things are getting worse. The Sox end the month of April with a 10-12 record, 2.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Angels when Bill Lee (2-2) takes on Bill Stoneman of California. The game begins at 3:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Royals Rally Late, Stop Sox (4/23/74)

It was bad news all around as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their NHL Semifinal series and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Boston Red Sox. Dick Drago (1-1, 2.70 ERA) locked into a pitcher's duel with Al Fitzsimmons of the Royals for 8 innings. The Royals and Sox both got a run in the first inning then Tommy Harper scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third. Hal McRae got an rbi double in the top of the sixth and then it was on to the ninth. The Royals battered a tired Drago for three runs with the third coming off a Jim Wohlford single off David Segui. The Boston bats could do nothing else with Fitzsimmons and the Royals beat the Red Sox 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                           "Ninth inning rallies....."

Drago got the ball in the top of the first and Freddie Patek walked to start. Patek took of for second and Sox catcher Bob Didier threw the ball over the first baseman's head for no reason to move Freddie to third on the error. Wohlford grounded out to second to score Patek and put Kansas City on top. John Mayberry and Hal McRae both grounded out to short to end the inning with KC up 1-0.

                                                                  Nice error Bob

The Sox answered against Fitzmorris in the bottom of the first as Tommy Harper grounded back to the mound to start. Juan Beniquez doubled off the Monster but Cecil Cooper grounded out to first. Carl Yastrzemski got a base hit to center to score Beniquez and took second on a wild pitch. Bernie Carbo was intentionally walked and John Kennedy struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                               Yaz ties it up

Cookie Rojas flied out to center to start the top of the second before Vada Pinson doubled off the Monster. Tony Solaita lined out to second and Buck Martinez flied out to left to end the inning. Dick McAuliffe grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Bob Didier flied out to right. Mario Guerrero grounded out to third to end the inning.

Frank White grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Patek flied out to right. Wohlford grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Harper tripled into the centerfield triangle to begin. Harper scored on a wild pitch but Beniquez grounded back to the mound. Cooper flied out to left but Yaz doubled to right. Carbo was intentionally walked again and Kennedy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                            Harper scores a run

Mayberry got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth before McRae lined out to short. Rojas grounded into a double play to end the inning. McAuliffe grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Didier struck out swinging. Guerrero got a base hit to left but Harper grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pinson popped up to short to start the top of the fifth and Solaita took strike three. Martinez walked but was forced at second by White to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Beniquez struck out swinging to start. Cooper singled to right and Yaz drew a walk, but Carbo beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Sox manager Darrell Johnson had enough of Kennedy's incompetence at the plate so he sent Danny Cater to pinch hit for him. Cater walked to load the bases and Terry Hughes came in to run for him. With a chance to break the game open, McAuliffe grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Royals struck back in the top of the sixth as Patek grounded out to short to start. Wohlford got a base hit to center before stealing second. Mayberry struck out swinging but McRae doubled to left to score Wohlford. Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                 McRae drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Didier grounded out to second to start. Guerrero flied out to right but Harper walked. Beniquez flied out to left to end the inning.

Pinson lined out to second to open the top of the seventh before Solaita walked. Al Cowens pinch ran for Solaita only for Martinez to hit into a double play to end the inning. Cooper flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh but Yaz got a base hit to right. Carbo grounded into a double play to end the inning.

White grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth before Patek grounded out to short. Wohlford singled to right and Mayberry walked, but McRae forced John at second to end the inning. Hughes flied out to left to start the bottom of the eighth before McAuliffe grounded out to second. Bob Montgomery pinch hit for Didier and struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Royals sprang to life in the top of the ninth against a tired Drago as Rojas got a base hit to right to start. Pinson forced Rojas at second but swiped second base. Cowens got a base hit to center and Martinez got a base hit to right to score Pinson. Darrell Johnson kept Drago in and Amos Otis pinch hit for White. Otis got a base hit to center and finally Drago was pulled. Dick did a hell of a job up to this point but was removed after allowing 5 runs in 8 1/3 innings. Diego Segui came in to pitch and both runners moved over on a comebacker to Segui by Patek. Wohlford got a base hit to center to score Martinez to ice the game. Wohlford stole second but Mayberry struck out swinging to end the inning with the Royals up 5-2.

                                                 "I shoulda pulled em earlier" - Johnson

Fernanrdo Gonzalez took over at third for the bottom of the ninth with Rick Miller pinch hitting for Guerrero to begin. Miller grounded out to first before Harper got a base hit to center. Beniquez flied out to left and Cooper popped up to third to end the game. The Royals had won it 5-2.

Jackass of The Night should be Darrell Johnson but its Dick Drago. He allowed 5 runs in 8 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of. He allowed 9 hits and walked four.

                                                             Jackass Drago

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Carl Yastrezmski was 3 for 5 with a walk and a run scored.

Bernie Carbo walked twice in four plate appearances.

Danny Cater walked as a pinch hitter.

Mario Guerrero was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

John Kennedy was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Terry Hughes was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Dick McAuliffe was 0 for 4.

Bob Didier was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bob Montgomery struck out as a pinch hitter.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Juan Beniquez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 5.

Diego Segui allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have a huge problem going on and its not something easily fixable. They have a black hole at the bottom of their order with Carlton Fisk and Doug Griffin out. Royals manager Jack McKeon figured out to just walk Carbo because the bottom of the order can't hit. John Kennedy was only in with Griffin out and Didier is here because Fisk is out. Guerrero isn't exactly going to light it up either so the Sox need to pitch well. Johnson went with Drago way too long in this one and by the time Segui got in, it was too late. Still, the trio of Rick Wise, Luis Tiant and Bill Lee should be enough to win a lot of games this year. Hopefully Fisk and Griffin come back soon because this is going to be a very top-heavy lineup in the meantime. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow as they hit the road against the Texas Rangers. Reggie Cleveland (1-1) takes the mound for the Sox against Rangers age Fergie Jenkins. The game begins at 8:00 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Sox Rally Past Yankees (4/17/74)

For six innings it looked like the New York Yankees were going to beat the Boston Red Sox for the second game in a row. The Yankees got two early runs against Sox starter Bill Lee (2-1, 1.99 ERA) and Pat Dobson pitched a shutout through six. Then the Sox sprang to life in the seventh as Carl Yastrzemski hit a home run and Doug Griffin pulled off a safety squeeze to score Cecil Cooper, tying the game. In the eighth, Bernie Carbo drove in the go-ahead run and Bob Montgomery knocked home the insurance run. Lee ended up going the distance allowing just the two runs and five hits as the Sox beat the Yankees 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                        Claudia Jennings approves of the win

Dobson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper popped up to second to start. Juan Beniquez grounded out to short but Bernie Carbo walked. Carl Yastrzemski was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Lee got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roy White hit a comebacker to start. Walt Williams grounded out to second and Bobby Murcer flied out to right to end the inning.

Bob Montgomery grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Cecil Cooper walked. Dick McAuliffe grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the second as Thurman Munson doubled to left to begin. Lou Piniella beat out a roller to short and Munson took third on a fly ball to center by Bill Sudakis. Nettles hit a comebacker to Lee who then inexplicably spiked the ball like a football and did the boogie woogie for an error to score Munson. Gene Michael also hit a comebacker to Lee who tossed to second for the force but Mario Guerrero threw the ball away for another error. Piniella scored on the play but Jim Mason grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

                                                                A comedy of errors

Doug Griffin popped up to third to start the top of the third before Mario Guerrero struck out swinging. Harper grounded back to the mound to end the inning. White grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Williams also hit a comebacker. Murcer flied out to center to end the inning.

Beniquez grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth but Carbo walked. Yaz popped up to second but Montgomery reached on an error by Mason. Cooper took strike three to end the inning. Munson struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fourth and Piniella flied out to right. Sudakis lined out to left to end the inning.

McAuliffe grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Griffin grounded back to the mound. Guerrero grounded out to third to end the inning. The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as Nettles grounded out to second to start. Michael grounded out to third and Mason grounded out to second to end the inning.

Harper lined out to left to start the top of the sixth and Beniquez grounded out to short. Carbo struck out swinging to end the inning. White hit another comebacker to start the bottom of the sixth and Williams popped up to second. Murcer got a base hit to right but Munson forced him at second to end the inning.

The Sox finally rallied in the top of the seventh as Yaz belted his fourth home run of the year to cut the lead. Montgomery flied out to right but Cooper got a base hit to left. McAuliffe also got a base hit to left to move Cecil to third, and Griffin caught the Yankees asleep with a safety squeeze to score Cooper. Guerrero and Harper both struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Yaz hits one out

Lee caught Piniella looking to start the bottom of the seventh and Sudakis hit one up the elevator shaft. Nettles grounded out to third to end the inning.

Beniquez doubled to right to start the top of the eight but Williams threw the ball away to allow Juan to make third. Yankees manager Bill Virdon inexplicably put Williams in left field and brought in Elliott Maddox to play right. Carbo ripped a base hit to left to score Beniquez with the go-ahead run. That was it for Dobson as Sparky Lyle replaced him. Yaz greeted Sparky with a base hit to center to move Carbo to third and Bernie scored on the sac fly by Montgomery. Cooper got a base hit to left to move Yaz to third and Danny Cater pinch hit for McAuliffe. Cater grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                                     Sac fly for Bob

John Kennedy came in to play second in the bottom of the eighth and Michael grounded back to the mound to start. Horace Clark pinch hit for Mason and walked but Maddox grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Griffin grounded out to third to start the top of the ninth before Guerrero struck out swinging. Harper also struck out swinging to end the inning. Lee returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and Williams flied out to center to start. Murcer hit a routine grounder to Cooper who booted it for an error but was forced at second by Munson. Piniella singled to center and Ron Blomberg pinch ran for him. Sudakis got a base hit to center to score Munson and put the tying run at second. Nettles grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win it 4-3.

Hero of the Night is Bernie Carbo. He drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning.

                                                          Bernie Hero

The Good:

Carl Yasztremski was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Cecil Cooper was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Dick McAuliffe was 1 for 3.

Bill Lee went the distance for the win allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk while striking out two.

The Bad:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Danny Cater grounded into a double play in his only at-bat.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

The Ugly:

Juan Beniquez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

John Kennedy played second base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Good comeback win for the Sox and kudos for Lee for going the distance despite the early troubles. The Yankees needed two errors to take the lead but once the Sox settled down, they took command of the game. Yaz' homer was clutch and the Carbo base hit put the Sox in a position to never look back. The Sox need to go on a nice winning streak to finish April strong and hopefully this could be the start. Luis Tiant and Rick Wise are pitching well and Reggie Cleveland had a good game recently, if Lee gets it going the Sox have a chance this season. The only drawback to this game was Mario Guerrero was completely useless but its only one game. The Sox look to take two of three from the Yankees tomorrow afternoon when Rick Wise (1-0) takes on Doc Medich of the Yankees. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Outlast Tigers (4/14/74)

The city of Boston dominated the sports scene tonight as the Boston Bruins swept the Toronto Maple Leafs out of their NHL quarterfinal series, the Boston Celtics took Game 1 of their NBA East Finals series against the New York Knicks and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers. The story of the game was the Boston bullpen. Sox starter Juan Marichal was knocked out in the fourth inning with Boston hanging on to a 6-5 lead. Thankfully the trio of Dick Drago (1-0, 0.00 ERA), Roger Moret and Diego Segui slammed the door on the Tigers. The Sox scored four runs in the bottom of the first with a Dwight Evans two run homer as the exclamation point. John Kennedy and Carl Yastrzemski both provided home runs as the Sox took the game 7-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Ken Hodge approves of the win

The Tigers got to Marichal in the top of the first inning as Ed Brinkman led off by flying out to right. Aurelio Rodriguez popped up to right but Jim Northrup walked. Al Kaline doubled to center to score Northrup to put the Tigers on top. Willie Horton grounded out to third to end the inning with Detroit up 1-0.

                                                                 Kaline puts Detroit up

The Sox rallied against Mickey Lolich in the bottom of the first as Tommy Harper struck out swinging to start. Juan Beniquez got a base hit to left and Danny Cater got a base hit to center before both scored on the Carl Yastrzemski double to right. Bob Montgomery grounded out to short but Dwight Evans smashed his first homer of the season to increase the lead. Doug Griffin flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                                Evans' first in 74

Norm Cash flied out to right to start the top of the second and Mickey Stanley popped up to first. Bill Freehan struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as John Kennedy smashed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Mario Guerrero got a base hit to right but Harper grounded into a double play. Beniquez walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                                Home run Kennedy

The Tigers struck back in the top of the third as Gary Sutherland doubled to left to start. Brinkman singled to right to score Sutherland to put Detroit on the board. Rodriguez forced Brinkman at second but Northrup singled to right. Kaline walked to load the bases but Horton lined out to second. Cash walked to score Brinkman and Stanley grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 5-3.

                                                             Brinkman singles and scores

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Cater popped up to first to start. Yaz then belted his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Montgomery grounded out to short and Evans flied out to right to end the inning. with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                            Yaz hits one out

The Tigers knocked out Marichal in the top of the fourth as Freehan lined out to left to start. Sutherland walked and Brinkman hit a home run to Jupiter to cut the lead. Rodriguez singled to center and Sox manager Darrell Johnson finally had enough of Marichal. Juan lasted 3 1/3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. Dick Drago came in to pitch and Northrup banged into a double play with the Sox still ahead 6-5.

                                                           Marichal gets hammered

Griffin flied to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Kennedy grounded out to third. Guerrero popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Kaline singled to right to start the top of the fifth but Horton flied out to right. Cash struck out swinging and Stanley grounded out to first to end the inning. Harper walked to open the bottom of the fifth and Beniquez reached on an error by Cash. Cater popped up to second and Yaz struck out swinging.....as Beniquez was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Freehan popped up to third to start the top of the sixth before Sutherland popped up to Evans. Brinkman flied out to center to end the inning. Montgomery lined out to third to start the bottom of the sixth but Evans singled to center. Griffin singled to right and Kennedy lined out to left before Evans got picked off to end the inning.

Dick McAuliffe took over for Griffin at third to start the top of the seventh and Rodriguez grounded out to short. Northrup grounded back to the mound and Kaline popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Guerrero singled to center. Harper dropped down a bunt to move Mario to second and Beniquez singled to right to score Guerrero. That was it for Lolich as John Hiller came in to pitch. Cater hit a bullet to Rodriguez but he threw the ball away to allow Beniquez to move to third. Yaz hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-5.

                                                         RBI for Beniquez

Rick Miller came in to play left to start the top of the eighth and Horton singled to left to start. Cash flied out to center and Stanley forced Horton at second, but Freehan singled to left. Gates Brown pinch hit for Sutherland and hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. John Knox took over at second to start the bottom of the eighth and Montgomery grounded out to third to start. Evans flied out to right and Griffin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brinkman singled to left to start the top of the ninth and Rodriguez singled to right to chase Drago. Roger Moret was brought in just to pitch to Northrup and Moret got him to fly out to center. Diego Segui came in to pitch to Kaline and Al popped up to left. Horton beat out a roller to third to load the bases but Cash struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 7-5.

Hero of the Night is Carl Yastrzemski. He started the rally in the first inning and hit a solo shot in the third inning.

                                                                 Hero Yaz

The Good:

Juan Beniquez was 2 for 2 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

John Kennedy was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Mario Guerrero was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Dick Drago earned the win with 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Roger Moret got the only man he faced.

Diego Segui got the save with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 4.

Juan Marichal got hammered in his Sox debut. He allowed 5 runs off 6 hits and 4 walks in just 3 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Danny Cater was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Dick McAuliffe played third base in the final few innings.

Rick Miller played left field in the final few innings.

Final Thoughts:

That one was too close for comfort but the Sox managed to pull it off. Marichal looked like garbage in his first game but hopefully that was just rust. The Sox are going to need the Dominican Dandy to find his form if they have any hope of toppling the Baltimore Orioles this season. The relief pitching of Drago, Segui and Moret worked out this time but that's not sustainable. Still, the offense hit well today with Yaz and Evans leading the charge and even Kennedy got a home run. Its early in the season but if the Sox get consistent hitting to match Marichal, Luis Tiant, Bill Lee and Rick Wise....that could pay dividends come September or October. The Sox look for the series sweep tomorrow morning on Patriots Day Monday against the Tigers. Reggie Cleveland gets the start for the Sox against Joe Coleman of Detroit. The game begins at 11:00 AM at Fenway Park.

White Sox Blank Red Sox (4/29/73)

It was bad news all around as the 68 win Boston Celtics season ended in Game 7 of the NBA East Finals at the hands of the New York Knicks and the Chicago White Sox shut out the Boston Red Sox. Old pal Wilbur Wood held Boston to just 7 hits and no runs as he tossed a complete game against the team that gave up on him ten years ago. Marty Pattin got hammered for 5 runs before getting knocked out in the 5th inning. John Curtis pitched well in relief but the BoSox couldn't generate any offense. Boston ended the month of April on a down note with a bitter 5-0 shutout loss to the White Sox at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox get Mr. Wonka?

                                                           

Pattin got the ball in the top of the first inning and the pain in the ass Pat Kelly got a base hit to left to start. Carlos May ripped a base hit to right to move Kelly to third but Dick Allen struck out swinging. Bill Melton struck out swinging but May swiped second base. Ken Henderson struck out swinging to end the inning. Wood got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tommy Harper grounded out to short to begin. Luis Aparicio doubled to right but Carl Yastrzemski hit one up the elevator shaft. Reggie Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Mike Andrews popped up to first to start the top of the second but Ed Herrmann poked a base hit to right. Jorge Orta popped up to left and Eddie Leon struck out swinging to end the inning. Orlando Cepeda lined out to second to start the bottom of the second before both Carlton Fisk and John Kennedy struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The White Sox struck first in the top of the third as Kelly walked to start. May got another base hit to right to move Kelly to third and this time Allen scored Pat by beating out a double play ball. Melton hit a home run all the way to Minnesota to ice the game early. Henderson struck out swinging and Andrews popped up to third to end the inning with Chicago up for good 3-0.

                                                            Melton ends it early 

The BoSox failed to respond in the bottom of the third although Doug Griffin got a base hit to center to start. Evans moved Griffin to second with a grounder to short, but Harper went down hacking. Aparicio grounded out to short to end the inning. 

The White Sox struck again in the top of the fourth inning as Herrmann hit a home run into the Charles River to increase the lead. Orta and Leon both struck out swinging and Kelly took strike three to end the inning with Chicago up 4-0.

                                                                    Herrmann hits one out

Allen booted a grounder by Yaz to start the top of the fifth but Carl could only move to second on the grounder to third by Smith and to third on the grounder to short by Cepeda. Fisk struck out swinging to end the inning. The White Sox poured it on in the bottom of the fifth as May flied out to left to start but Allen hit a home run to Nebraska to put the game out of reach. Melton lined out to center but Henderson and Andrews stroked back to back base hits to chase Pattin. Marty sucked again, allowing 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. John Curtis came in to pitch and Herrmann walked to load the bases, but Orta struck out swinging to end the inning with the ChiSox up 5-0.

                                                                 Allen joins the homer parade

The BoSox did nothing against Wood in the bottom of the fifth with Johnny Jeter in for Kelly. Kennedy grounded out to third and Griffin grounded out to short but Evans lined a base hit to right. Harper popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Leon grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Jeter walked and stole second. May took strike three and Allen popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Aparicio popped up to first in foul territory to start the bottom of the sixth and Yaz flied out to right. Smith doubled to left but Cepeda popped up to second to end the inning.

Melton walked to start the top of the seventh but Henderson popped up to second. Andrews took strike three and Herrmann flied out to center to end the inning. Fisk got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Kennedy banged into a double play. Griffin lined out to center to end the inning.

Orta struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth but Leon grounded out to second. Jeter grounded out to short to end the inning. Evans flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth before Harper flied out to center. Aparicio singled to center but Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning.

May struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth but Allen drew a walk. Melton flied out to right but Henderson doubled to left. Andrews was intentionally walked but Herrmann grounded out to second to end the inning. Wood completed his masterpiece in the bottom of the ninth although Smith singled to left to start. Reggie took second on a wild pitch but Cepeda popped up to first in foul territory. Smith moved to third on the fly ball to center by Fisk but Kennedy hit one up the elevator shaft to end the game. The White Sox had blanked the Red Sox 5-0.

Jackass of the Night is Marty Pattin. He allowed 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings on 9 hits.

                                                          Pattin The Jackass

The Good:

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 4.

Reggie Smith was 2 for 4.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3.

John Curtis tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

Orlando Cepeda was 0 for 4.

John Kennedy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Not the way to end the month of April, that's for sure. The reign of error by Pinky Higgins continues to haunt the Red Sox as Wilbur Wood turned into a perennial Cy Young candidate. Imagine the 25 year old Wood on the 1967 Red Sox right next to Jim Lonborg? Sox might have actually beaten St. Louis that year. Either way Wood shut down the Sox and Pattin got hammered again. Curtis salvaged the situation but how many times is Pattin going to go out and take a beating before enough is enough? Its only April and there's plenty of time to turn things around but one of the main reasons why the Sox are in last place is because Pattin went 1-4. Offensively the Sox have been fine offensively with the exceptions of Yaz and Evans. If Yaz is nearing the end of the line, the Sox have a 20 year old kid in Bristol named Jim Rice that hit 17 home runs for Winter Haven last year. He could possibly replace Carl in a year or two. Or Evans if he never develops. All in all it was a bad game and the month was full of them, thankfully the month of April is over. The loss dropped the Sox to 7-10, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers at home. Bill Lee gets the start for Boston against Rich Hand of the Rangers. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Bahnsen Outduels Tiant, White Sox Edge Red Sox (4/28/73)

Tonight was a wonderful pitcher's duel between the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox....too bad the wrong team won. Stan Bahnsen of the White Sox and Luis Tiant (2-2, 4.01 ERA) locked in a death match for 6 innings with Bahnsen ahead. Terry Forster replaced him in the seventh and the Red Sox couldn't generate any offense. Meanwhile Tiant went the distance but surrendered two runs in the process to Chicago. The BoSox had two men on in the seventh inning, the bases loaded in the eighth and a man on in the ninth inning but couldn't drive anyone in to tie the game. The White Sox had won the duel 2-1 at Fenway Park.

                                          Ratso and Joe couldn't take the Red Sox bats anymore

The White Sox wasted no time getting to Tiant in the top of the first inning as Pat Kelly doubled to left to start. Carlos May dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Kelly to third and Pat scored on the Dick Allen grounder to short to put Chicago on top. Bill Melton doubled to right but old pal Ken Henderson struck out swinging to end the inning with Chicago up 1-0.

                                                                     Kelly scores a run

Bahnsen began his dominance in the bottom of the first as Tommy Harper grounded out to third to start. Luis Aparicio grounded out to short but Carl Yastrzemski tripled into the centerfield triangle. Orlando Cepeda took strike three to end the inning.

Old friend Mike Andrews popped up to second to begin the top of the second before Ed Herrmann ripped a base hit to left. Jorge Orta and Eddie Leon both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Carlton Fisk lined out to left to start. Ben Oglivie doubled off the Monster and John Kennedy beat out a roller to third before Doug Griffin dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners over. Rick Miller grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The White Sox struck again in the top of the third as Kelly again doubled to left to start. May popped up to center and Allen struck out swinging but Melton doubled to right to score Kelly to increase the lead. Henderson took strike three to end the inning with Chicago ahead 2-0.

                                                             Melton drives in a run

The Red Sox finally rallied in the bottom of the third as Harper and Aparicio drew back to back walks to start. Yaz banged into a double play but Cepeda walked to put runners at the corners. Fisk stepped up with a double to left to score Aparicio but Cepeda remained at third. With a chance to tie the game...Oglivie grounded out to first to end the inning with Chicago still ahead 2-1.

                                                             Fisk drives in a run

Andrews struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Herrmann grounded out to second. Orta struck out swinging to end the inning. The Red Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the fourth as Kennedy flied out to right to begin. Griffin grounded out to short but Miller lined a base hit to center. Harper walked and with a chance to tie the game....Aparicio popped up to center to end the inning.

Leon struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Kelly doubled to right. May was intentionally walked to set up a double play and Allen struck out swinging. Melton forced Kelly at third to end the inning. Once again the Red Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Yaz grounded out to second to start. Cepeda singled to right and Fisk was hit with a pitch....but Oglivie lined out to center. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Aparicio booted a grounder by Henderson to start the top of the sixth for an error and Andrews dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Ken to second. Herrmann popped up to Griffin in foul territory and Orta took strike three to end the inning. Griffin struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Miller lined out to second. Harper drew a walk but Aparicio flied out to left to end the inning.

Leon popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the seventh but Kelly walked. May singled to left but Allen struck out swinging. Melton flied out to right to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh but Cepeda singled to center to chase Bahnsen. Terry Forster came in to pitch and Danny Cater came in to run for Orlando. Fisk singled to left and Sox manager Eddie Kasko sent Dwight Evans in to pinch hit for Oglivie. The gamble failed as Evans struck out swinging and Kennedy also went down hacking to end the inning.

Henderson lined out to third to start the top of the eighth but Andrews drew a walk. Herrmann flied out to center and Orta grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Red Sox blew yet another rally in the bottom of the eighth with Johnny Jeter taking over for Kelly at first. Griffin and Miller both took strike three but Harper doubled to center. Aparicio beat out a roller to second and Yaz walked to load the bases. Kasko's decision to run for Cepeda came back to haunt him as Cater took strike three to end the inning.

Tiant came back to go the distance in the top of the ninth and Leon hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Jeter flied out to left and May flied out to center to end the inning. Tiant went the distance and allowed just 2 runs on just 7 hits while striking out 11 batters. Too bad he got almost no run support.

                                                              Tiant goes the distance

Fisk singled to right to put the tying run on in the top of the ninth but Evans popped up a bunt to third. Kennedy forced Fisk at second and Rico Petrocelli pinch hit for Griffin. Petrocelli popped up to left to end the game. The White Sox had won it 2-1.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one with everyone leaving someone on base but I'll go with Dwight Evans. He came up with two men on in the seventh and struck out before stranding Fisk in the ninth by popping up a bunt.

                                                               Jackass Evans

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 1 for 2 with 3 walks.

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Carlton Fisk was 3 for 4 with a hit by pitch and an rbi.

Ben Oglivie was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Luis Tiant tossed a complete game 7 hitter, striking out 11 batters while allowing 2 runs.

The Bad:

Danny Cater struck out as a pinch hitter.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Rico Petrocelli popped up as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

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

Carlton Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked.

John Kennedy was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a kick in the gonads considering the Sox left 10 guys on base. They had chances in almost every inning to tie the game and they failed each and every time. Leaving the bases loaded in the seventh was inexcusable and the fact they wasted Tiant going the distance is embarrassing. The BoSox actually outhit the ChiSox 10 to 7 but couldn't get anything done. Who knows why Kasko chose Dwight Evans over Reggie Smith to pinch hit but Cater over Petrocelli with the bases loaded as out and out asinine. Bad decisions aside, its been that kind of month for the Red Sox. Thankfully there's only one more game left this month and that's tomorrow afternoon. The Sox look to end April on a high note tomorrow afternoon against the White Sox. Marty Pattin (1-3) looks to get back on track against old friend and current White Sox ace Wilbur Wood. The game begins at 2:25 PM at Fenway Park.