Looks like the Boston Red Sox are limping toward the end of the month of April. The Sox have now lost their fifth straight game and this one was utter domination by the Kansas City Royals. "The Dominican Dandy" Juan Marichal (0-1, 10.13 ERA) may want to call it a career after getting pounded in this one. The Royals got 4 runs off Marichal in the bottom of the first and took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth. Things fell apart as the Royals scored five runs off Marichal, Lance Clemons and Diego Segui to put the game on ice. The Sox mustered just three runs off Al Fitzmorris and Doug Bird pulled a Houdini in the top of the ninth as the Royals won the game 10-3 at Royals Stadium.
The Sox wasted no time getting to Fitzmorris in the top of the first inning as Rick Miller flied out to left to start. Doug Griffin got a base hit to left. Cecil Cooper grounded out to second to move Griffin to second and a wild pitch moved Doug to third. Carl Yastrzemski drew a walk and Danny Cater hit a rocket to left for a bases clearing double. Dwight Evans grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
Marichal got pounded in the bottom of the first as Freddie Patek got a base hit to center. A balk moved Patek to second and Cookie Rojas hit a routine grounder to Mario Guerrero. Mario tried to throw to third and the ball sailed into the stans for an error to score Patek. Amos Otis singled to center to score Rojas but John Mayberry popped up to third. Fran Healy hit a home run all the way to South Korea to put the Royals up for good already. Jim Wohlford got a base hit to center but was immediately picked off. Vada Pinson lined out to right to end the inning with the Royals ahead 4-2.
Bob Montgomery grounded out to short to start the top of the second before Dick McAuliffe flied out to left. Guerrero grounded out to short to end the inning. The Royals beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second as Hal McRae grounded out to third to start. Paul Schaal grounded out to short and Patek also grounded out to short to end the inning.
Miller singled to right to start the top of the third but was doubled off first on a line drive to short by Griffin. Cecil Cooper flied out to left to end the inning. Rojas grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Otis flied out to left. Mayberry grounded out to first to end the inning.
Yaz grounded out to second to begin the top of the fourth and Cater popped up to second. Evans flied out to right to end the inning. Healy popped up to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Wohlford struck out swinging. Pinson grounded out to first to end the inning.
Montgomery flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Rojas booted a grounder by McAuliffe for an error. Guerrero flied out to right but Miller singled to center, only for Griffin to force Rick at second to end the inning. The Royals struck again in the bottom of the fifth as McRae doubled to center to start. Schaal flied out to right and Patek flied out to center, but Rojas tripled to center to score McRae. Otis hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Royals up 5-2.
Cooper flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and Yaz also flied out to center. Cater grounded out to third to end the inning. Mayberry flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Healy also flied out to left. Wohlford flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox struck back in the top of the seventh as Evans doubled to center to start. Montgomery lined out to first but McAuliffe flied out to center. Rico Petrocelli pinch hit for Guerrero and hit a grounder to Patek who threw the ball away for an error to score Evans. Terry Hughes pinch ran for Petrocelli but Miller grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.
Pinson popped up to second to start the bottom of the seventh and McRae grounded out to first. Schaal grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
The Sox blew another rally in the top of the eighth as Griffin grounded out to third to start. Cooper singled to center but a wild pitch moved him to second. Yaz popped up to third and Cater grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Suddenly the Royals exploded in the bottom of the eighth as Patek grounded out to third to start. Rojas doubled to center and Otis tripled to left to chase Marichal. Juan would be charged with 7 runs in 7 1/3 innings allowing 9 hits. Lance Clemons came in to pour gas on the fire as Mayberry doubled to left to score Otis and Healy doubled to right to score Mayberry. Wohlford was intentionally walked and Pinson was plunked to load the bases. Sox manager Darrell Johnson facepalmed as he removed Clemons in favor of Diego Segui. McRae walked to score Healy and Schaal scored Wohlford with a sac fly to left. Patek walked to load the bases again and Tony Solaita pinch hit for Rojas. Solaita struck out swinging to end the inning but the Royals blew it open 10-3.
Frank White took over at second to start the top of the ninth and Evans got a base hit in the hole at short to start. Montgomery also beat out a roller to short and McAuliffe walked to load the bases. That was it for Fitzmorris as Doug Bird came in to close the game out. Guerrero struck out swinging and Miller grounded into a double play to end the game. The Royals had won the game 10-3.
Jackass of the Night is Juan Marichal. He was charged with 7 runs in 7 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.
The Good:
Rick Miller was 2 for 5.
Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
The Bad:
Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Terry Hughes struck out as a pinch hitter.
Lance Clemons allowed 3 runs without getting an out.
The Ugly:
Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 4.
Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Danny Cater was just 1 for 4 but drove in two runs.
Bob Montgomery was just 1 for 4.
Dick McAuliffe was 0 for 3 but walked.
Diego Segui allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox just can't get any consistency. Some days they can't score, some days they can't pitch. They lose 1-0, they lose 10-3, they just lose. The injury to Carlton Fisk and earlier injury to Rico Petrocelli hurt but they can't generate any offense. Tommy Harper, Mario Guerrero and others just aren't getting it done. If that doesn't change soon, the season is going to go down the drain by the middle of May. Hopefully the Sox have some reinforcements in Pawtucket because what they have now aren't getting it done. Marichal looks old and it may be time for him to retire. Its a shame because on paper the Sox had a good rotation but who saw Rick Wise getting hurt trying to pitch in the snow or Marichal washing up. The less said of this game, the better. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon against the Royals when Roger Moret gets the start for Boston against old buddy Marty Pattin. The game begins at 2:00 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.
