Yankees Blank Sox (9/21/80)

Its one thing for the Boston Red Sox to be mediocre this season, its another thing to get their brains beaten in by the rival New York Yankees. The Yankees are on pace to win 100 games and the Sox would be lucky to win 89 by season's end. Ron Guidry mastered the Sox for 7 innings, surrendering just 3 hits while striking out nine batters. Goose Gossage came in to slam the door afterwards. John Tudor (7-5, 3.00 ERA) failed to make it out of the first inning as he was charged with 3 runs. Bill Campbell and Mike Torrez managed to shut the Yankees down the rest of the way but the damage was done. The Yankees continued their march toward October by blanking the Sox 3-0 at Yankee Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Guidry took the ball in the top of the first and Rick Burleson struck out to start. Dave Stapleton popped up to short and Carlton Fisk hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Yankees jumped on Tudor in the bottom of the first as Willie Randolph walked to start. Bucky Dent walked and Randolph swiped third before Bob Watson doubled home Willie put the Yankees up for good three batters into the game. Reggie Jackson scored Dent with a sac fly and Watson moved to third on a grounder by Lou Piniella. Rick Cerone singled home Watson and Sox manager Don Zimmer stormed out of the dugout and charged Tudor. Zimmer threw a roundhouse right that Tudor ducked under and ran for the dugout. Bill Campbell was brought in and Eric Soderholm flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-0.

Jim Rice started the top of the second by striking out to begin. Tony Perez struck out but Dwight Evans tripled to right. Chico Walker flied out to left to end the inning. Aurelio Rodriguez lined out to second to start the bottom of the second before Bobby Brown grounded out to second. Randolph grounded out to short to end the inning.

Glenn Hoffman popped up to second to start the top of the third and rookie Reid Nichols grounded back to the mound. Burleson walked but Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning. Dent walked to start the bottom of the third but was thrown out by Fisk trying to steal second. Watson singled to left but Jackson banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                        "Bucky you know better than to run on me." - CF

Fisk popped up to third to open the top of the fourth before Rice singled to center. Perez and Evans both struck out to end the inning. Piniella singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Cerone flied out to right. Soderholm and Rodriguez both whiffed to end the inning.

Guidry cruised in the top of the fifth as Walker grounded out to second to start. Hoffman took strike three and Nichols swung and missed at strike three to end the inning. Campbell kept pace in the bottom of the fifth as Brown took strike three to start. Randolph singled to center and Rice made a great diving catch to rob Dent of extra bases, but Randolph took second. Watson flied out to center to end the inning. Campbell put in a yeoman's effort with 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

                                                      Campbell does well 

Burleson grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Stapleton drew a walk. Dave was doubled off of first on a line drive by Fisk to end the inning. Mike Torrez took over for the bottom of the sixth and Jackson singled to right to begin. Piniella flied out to center, Cerone flied out to left and Soderholm grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rice grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before Perez took strike three for his third strikeout of the game. Evans singled to center and Walker watched strike three go by to end the inning. Torrez got Rodriguez to ground out to short to start the bottom of the seventh and Brown popped up to second. Randolph flied out to center to end the inning.

Goose Gossage came on for the six out save in the top of the eighth and Dave Rader pinch hit for Hoffman only to take strike three. Garry Hancock pinch hit for Nichols and grounded back to the mound before Burleson took strike three to end the inning. Larry Wolfe took over at third for the bottom of the eighth and Dent lined out to short to start. Watson flied out to right but Jackson singled to left. Joe Lefebvre pinch ran for Jackson as Piniella singled to left. Cerone flied out to center to end the inning. The much maligned Torrez tossed 3 scoreless innings, good stuff.

                                                        Torrez eats some innings

Stapleton tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to open the top of the ninth and moved to second on the grounder by Fisk. The rally ended as Gossage froze Rice for strike three and blew away Perez to end the game. The Yankees had won it 3-0.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. Not that the Sox were gonna score off Guidry but getting knocked out in the first inning spelled the Sox doom.

                                                Jackass Tudor wasn't ready for prime time

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 3.

Bill Campbell tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Mike Torrez tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 4.

Tony Perez was 0 for 4 with the golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Chico Walker was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Dave Rader struck out as a pinch hitter.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Garry Hancock was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Larry Wolfe played third base in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

As the season comes to a close, there are rumblings that Don Zimmer may not make it to the end of the season. At this point it would be the right move to make to tell him that his services are no longer needed. When he took over in 1976, he whined to Tom and Jean Yawkey that Bill Lee's crew was hampering his managerial style. Well Lee and his crew have been gone for years now and Zimmer still hasn't been able to get the most out of who's there. Taking out Tudor after 2/3 of an inning forced the bullpen to essentially toss 8 innings. The move worked, Torrez and Campbell did a hell of a job, but the principle of it stinks. The offense took the day off against Guidry and Gossage, never really posing a threat. Looking at the difference between the Sox and Yankees is frightening. Maybe someday the Sox will have the pitching to match the Yankees....maybe. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 78-68, 15.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to play spoilers when they start a set with the second place Baltimore Orioles. Dick Drago (6-5) goes for the Sox against Scott McGregor, looking for his 20th win of the season. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Sox Outlast Rangers (8/3/80)

Hahaaaaa! The Boston Red Sox have won a whopping TWO in a row? Time to play Stars & Stripes Forever because the Sox took down the Texas Rangers for the second straight day. The Sox broke out to a 6-0 lead on the back of Glenn Hoffman's 4 runs batted in. Mike Torrez (6-12 4.50 ERA) lasted just 5 innings but the bullpen managed to hold on just enough to preserve the victory. Skip Lockwood earned his second save of the season due some strange Don Zimmer managing and the Sox won the game 6-4 at Arlington Park.

                                                   Ted Kramer approves of the win

John Matlack got the start for Texas and Rick Burleson greeted him with a pop up to second base to start the top of the first inning. Dave Stapleton and Fred Lynn stroked back to back singles but Tony Perez popped up to second. Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. Torrez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Rivers flied out to right to start. Bump Wills struck out and Al Oliver grounded out to second to end the inning.

Boston struck first in the top of the second as Carlton Fisk and Dwight Evans pounded back to back doubled to put Boston on top. Evans moved to third on the grounder by Gary Allenson. Glenn Hoffman hit his second home run of the year to cap off the inning. Burleson lined out to right and Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.

                                                   Evans doubles in a run

Torrez kept the lead in the bottom of the second as Buddy Bell grounded out to third to start. Rusty Staub grounded out to short and Pat Putnam struck out to end the inning.

The Sox tried to rally in the top of the third as Lynn and Perez stroked back to back singles to start. Rice beat out a double play ball and Fisk walked to load the bases. Evans banged into a double play to end the inning. Torrez cruised in the bottom of the third as Johnny Grubb flied out to right to start. Jim Sundberg flied out to center and Pepe Frias struck out to end the inning.

Allenson got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth before moving to second on the sacrifice bunt by Hoffman. Burleson grounded out to third and Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning. Rivers got an infield single to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Wills flied out to left. Rivers was doubled off first on the line drive to first by Oliver to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth although Lynn grounded back to the mound to start. Perez grounded out to short but Rice singled to left. Fisk and Evans stroked back to back base hits to load the bases and Allenson singled home Rice. Hoffman singled home Fisk to wrap up the scoring and chase Matlack. Charlie Hough came in and Burleson flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                          Allenson drives in a run

Torrez suddenly fell apart in the bottom of the fifth as Bell singled to left to start. Staub doubled him to third but Putnam struck out. Grubb singled home Bell but Staub was thrown out at home on a ground ball by Sundberg. Jim Norris pinch hit for Frias and doubled home Sundberg. Rivers grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rangers down 6-2. Torrez only went 5 innings but allowed just 2 runs.

                                                      Not great but it'll do

Dave Roberts took over at short for the top of the sixth and Stapleton grounded out to third to start. Lynn also grounded out to third and Jim Dwyer pinch hit for Perez only to ground out to first to end the inning. Dick Drago came in for the bottom of the sixth and threw up on himself. Wills singled to center and Oliver singled him to third. Bell beat out a double play ball to score Wills to cut the lead in half. Staub grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                        Nice going Drago, ugh!

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Rice grounded out to third to start. Fisk grounded back to the mound and Evans took strike three to end the inning. Drago got the Rangers to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh as Putnam grounded out to first to start. Grubb also grounded out to first but Sundberg grounded out to third to end the inning.

Allenson took strike three to start the top of the eighth but Hoffman walked. Hoffman swiped second but Burleson struck out. Stapleton grounded out to first to end the inning. Drago ran out of steam in the bottom of the eighth although Roberts struck out to start. Rivers singled to center but was forced at second by Wills. Oliver singled and Bell doubled home Wills to cut the lead and put the tying run at second. Richie Zisk pinch hit for Staub and Sox manager Don Zimmer countered by bringing in Tom Burgmeier to face him. Zisk lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 6-4.

Lynn walked to begin the top of the ninth and John Henry Johnson came in to pitch to Dwyer. A wild pitch moved Lynn to second but Dwyer struck out. One and done for Johnson as Danny Darwin came in and got Rice to hit a fly out to center. Fisk was intentionally walked and Evans struck out to end the inning. Burgmeier returned for a crazy bottom of the ninth as Billy Sample pinch hit for Putnam and was hit with a pitch. John Ellis pinch hit for Grubb and banged into a double play. Sundberg singled to center and Zimmer pulled off the move of the century. The next batter was Roberts but Rivers was on deck. He wanted Burgmeier to face Rivers if it got to that point but didn't want him pitching to the righty hitting Roberts. Zimmer then had Burgmeier trot out to left field to take Jim Rice out of the game and brought in Skip Lockwood to face Roberts, praying he didn't hit the ball to left. Lockwood got Roberts to hit one up the elevator shaft to end the game. A bit of razzle dazzle by Zimmer worked and the Sox had won it 6-4.

Hero of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. He was 2 for 2 with a walk, a 2 run homer, a stolen base and 4 total runs batted in.

                                                        Hero Hoffman



The Good:

Fred Lynn was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Tony Perez was 1 for 3.

Carlton Fisk was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Gary Allenson was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Mike Torrez got the win with 5 innings of 2 run ball.

Tom Burgmeier pitched a full scoreless inning.

Skip Lockwood earned his second save by retiring the last batter in the ninth inning.



The Bad:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Jim Dwyer was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Dick Drago allowed 2 runs in 2 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 5.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.




Final Thoughts:

Gice props for creativity to Zimmer for putting Burgmeier in left hoping Skip Lockwood could get Roberts to hit the ball anywhere but left field in the bottom of the ninth. Still, it was a good victory for the Sox who need to get hot real quick if they want to get anywhere close to the New York Yankees. Dwight Evans seems to be finding his groove and Glenn Hoffman had a hell of a game. The Sox pitching is still their achillies heel but they found a way to win this game. The win improved the Sox to 52-50, 12.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three in a row when they start a series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Steve Renko (5-4) goes for the Sox against old pal Reggie Cleveland at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Orioles Pound Torrez, Sox (6/28/80)

The Boston Red Sox needed to make a statement against the defending American League champion Baltimore Orioles in today's matinee. Instead they got their brains beat in by the champs. Scott McGregor held the Sox to 3 runs in 7 plus innings of work while the Baltimore bats had their way with the ineffective Mike Torrez (4-7, 4.47 ERA). The dirty bird lit up Mike for 7 runs in 6 2/3 innings and ran away with this one to put Boston further behind the New York Yankees in the AL East race with an 8-4 win at Fenway Park.

                                             "This is your fault Torrez"

Al Bumbry led off the top of the first inning with a double to left but Torrez came back to strike out both Pat Kelly and Ken Singleton. Eddie Murray grounded out to short to end the inning. McGregor held the Sox in check in the bottom of the first as Rick Burleson grounded out to short to start. Dave Stapleton grounded out to short and Fred Lynn struck out to end the inning.

John Lowenstein singled to open the top of the second before Dan Graham forced him at second. Doug DeCinces banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to start. Butch Hobson struck out but Dwight Evans singled to left. Jim Dwyer flied out to right to end the inning.

Mark Belanger flied out to left to start the top of the third before Rich Dauer singled to center. Bumbry flied out to left and Kelly grounded out to first to end the inning. Glenn Hoffman tried to start a rally with a base hit to center to start the bottom of the third but was thrown out trying to steal. Gary Allenson singled to center but Burleson banged into a double play to end the inning.

The O's struck first in the top of the fourth inning although Singleton struck out to start. Murray and Lowenstein stroked back to back singles and Graham crushed a 80,000 foot home run into the Charles River to put the O's up big. DeCinces popped up to first in foul territory and Belanger flied out to right to end the inning but it was 3-0 O's.

Stapleton tried to start a rally with a base hit to center to begin the bottom of the fourth but Lynn grounded out to second, Perez struck out and Hobson flied out to right to end the inning.

Dauer singled to start the top of the fifth and a wild pitch moved him to second. Dauer moved to third on the grounder by Bumbry but Kelly popped up to short. Singleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Still nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Evans grounded out to short to start. Dwyer flied out to right and Hoffman flied out to center to end the inning.

Murray grounded out to third to begin the top of the sixth and Lowenstein followed with a ground out to second. Graham flied out to right to end the inning. Allenson walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Burleson banged into another double play. Stapleton singled to right but Lynn flied out to center to end the inning.

The O's finally got to Torrez in the top of the seventh although DeCinces grounded out to third to start. Belanger also grounded out to third but the wheels fell off. Dauer and Bumbry stroked back to back singles and Kelly walked to load the bases. Singleton walked and Sox manager Don Zimmer ran out of the dugout screaming at Torrez, chasing him into the bullpen. Torrez got lit up for 7 total runs in 6 1/3 innings. BOOOOOOOOO!!!

                                                       Terrible effort from Torrez

Zimmer didn't have anyone warming up in the bullpen so he spun around in a circle and pointed at Win Remmerswal, choosing the puzzled pitcher to come into the game ice cold. Naturally Win allowed back to back doubles to Murray and Lowenstein to ice the game. Zimmer ran out of the dugout with a 9 MM gun and started shooting at Win to get him off the mound before being led away by armed security. John Tudor came in to pitch and got Graham to strike out to end the inning with the O's up for good 8-0.

                                                     Tough to pitch in a situation like this

With the pressure off, NOW the Sox decided to rally. Perez led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to left but Hobson grounded out to third. Evans lined out to short but somehow Dwyer smashed his 6th home run of the season to cut the lead. Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

Tudor returned for the top of the eighth and struck out DeCinces to start. Belanger singled to center but Dauer took strike three. Bumbry grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox finally chased McGregor in the bottom of the eighth although Allenson flied out to left to start. Burleson walked and Stapleton singled to chase McGregor. O's manager Earl Weaver brought in Tim Stoddard and Lynn flied out to left, but Perez singled home Burleson with another run. Hobson grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were down 8-3.

                                                      Perez knocks in a run

Bill Campbell had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Kelly singled to center to start. Singleton singled to right but Evans threw out Kelly at third. Murray singled to center but Lowenstein banged into a double play to end the inning. Carl Yaztremski pinch hit for Evans to lead off the bottom of the ninth only to strike out. Dwyer singled to left and Jerry Remy pinch hit for Hoffman, drawing a walk. Dave Rader pinch hit for Allenson and singled to right, scoring Dwyer. Burleson moved both runners over with a grounder but Stapleton popped up to second to end the game. The Orioles had won it 8-4.

Jackass of the Night is an easy one. Mike Torrez got lit up for 7 runs in just 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 9 hits and struck out just 3 batters.

                                                   Terrible Torrez the Jackass

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 3 for 5.

Tony Perez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3.

Jim Dwyer was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored including a home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.

Jerry Remy walked as a pinch hitter.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Dave Rader singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

John Tudor tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bill Campbell pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

The Bad:

Fred Lynn was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Butch Hobson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carl Yastrzemski struck out as a pinch hitter.

Win Remmerswaal allowed back to back doubles to the only batters he faced.

The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Final Thoughts:

That's not the way to start a crucial series against the defending AL champions. Yes the Yankees are the team to beat this year but beating a team like the Orioles is a must if the Sox hope to keep pace and they failed big time today. They couldn't touch McGregor and Torrez looked lost out there. Yeah the Sox scored some runs late but the game was out of reach by then. What a shame the Sox fell so far, so hard ever since they lost to the Yankees in 1978. The less said of today's disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 38-32, 7 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Orioles when Bob Stanley (6-5) goes up against Steve Stone at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Brewers Pulverize Red Sox (4/12/80)

Wow, what a massacre. It was bad news all around as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Milwaukee Brewers absolutely crushed the Boston Red Sox. The Brewers hit not one but two grand slams in the bottom of the second inning along with another home run to end the game early. The Brewers ended up scoring 18 runs total on 14 hits. Not helping was the Sox committing 4 errors on defense and not being able to hit in the clutch against Lary Sorensen of Milwaukee. Mike Torrez (0-1, 45.00 ERA) got shelled for 6 runs to open the game and the Brewers pounded Chuck Rainey and Bruce Hurst for 12 runs as the Brewers ran away with an 18-1 victory over the Sox at County Stadium.

                                                             Look at the scoreboard

Sorensen got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jerry Remy grounded out to second to start. Rick Burleson walked but Fred Lynn flied out to center. Jim Rice grounded out to short to end the inning. The Brewers pounced on Torrez in the bottom of the first inning as Paul Molitor walked to start. Cecil Cooper hit a ball back to Torrez and he tried to field the ball in his hat for an error. Larry Hisle singled to left to score Molitor and Ben Oglivie hit another grounder to the mound...booted for another error to load the bases. Gorman Thomas popped up to second but Sixto Lezcano hit a sac fly to right to score Cooper. Don Money forced Oglivie at second to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-0.

                                                          Hisle starts the torture

Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first to start the top of the second but Tony Perez singled to right. Butch Hobson and Dwight Evans both flied out to right to end the inning. Hobson apparently hurt himself flying out and had to be replaced by Jack Brohamer to start the bottom of the second. Robin Yount started the rally with a base hit to center before swiping second base. Buck Martinez walked and Molitor caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single to load the bases. Cooper got revenge on the team that traded him 3 years ago by belting a grand slam to Green Bay to ice the game. That was it for Torrez as Chuck Rainey came in to take a beating. Hisle walked and Oglivie doubled to right but Thomas struck out swinging. Lezcano was intentionally walked and Money made the Sox pay by swatting his own grand slam to turn the game into a laughter. Yount put the exclamation point on the inning with a home run all the way to Mount Rushmore to increase the lead. Martinez grounded out to short and Molitor took strike three to end the inning with the game over already 11-0 Brewers.

                                                               "Ay carumba!" - Torrez

Dave Rader tried to start a rally with a base hit to center to start the top of the third.  Remy forced Rader at second and Burleson banged into a double play to end the inning. Cooper hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the third before Burleson booted a grounder by Hisle for an error. Oglivie hit a grounder to Remy and he threw the ball into the centerfield bleachers for yet another error. Thomas struck out swinging and Lezcano forced Oglivie at second to end the inning.

Lynn grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth before Rice got a base hit to left. Yaz grounded out to first to move Jim to second but Perez flied out to left to end the inning. Money walked to start the bottom of the fourth to start but Yount flied out to left. Martinez flied out to center and Molitor grounded out to third to end the inning.

Brohamer singled to center to begin the top of the fifth before moving to third on the grounder to third by Evans. Rader grounded back to the mound and Remy grounded out to short to end the inning. The Brewers struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Cooper grounded out to second to start. Hisle grounded out to third but Oglivie was hit with a pitch. Thomas walked and Lezcano doubled home both runners to increase the deficit. Money forced Lezcano at third to end the inning with the Brewers up 13-0.

                                                              Lezcano drives in a pair

The Sox finally got on board in the top of the sixth inning as Burleson grounded out to third to start. Lynn singled to right but Rice struck out swinging. Yaz dropped a base hit to right and Perez drove in Lynn with a single to right. Brohamer flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 13-1.

                                                           Perez drives in a run

Bruce Hurst came in to take a beating in the bottom of the sixth as Yount walked to start. Martinez flied out to center but Molitor singled to left. Cooper doubled to right to score Yount but Hisle struck out swinging. Oglivie singled home both runners and Thomas smashed a two run home run to wrap up the scoring. Lezcano struck out looking to end the inning with the Brewers up 18-1.

                                                                   Thomas hits one out

Ned Yost took over behind the plate, Mark Brouhard took over for Cooper, Jim Gantner took over for Molitor and Bill Castro came in to pitch the top of the seventh. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt as Evans grounded out to third, Rader grounded out to first and Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Tom Burgmeier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Money walked to start.  Yount forced Money at second and Yost banged into a double play to end the inning.

Dan Boitano came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Burleson walked to start. Lynn forced Rick at second but Rice singled him to third. Yaz struck out swinging and Perez flied out to left to end the inning. Gantner singled to right to start the bottom of the eighth but Brouhard forced him at second. Hisle singled to right to move Brouhard to third but Oglivie hit a fly ball to center. Brouhard was thrown at home trying to score on the play to end the inning.

Bob McClure came in to close out the top of the ninth and Glenn Hoffman pinch hit for Brohamer. Hoffman struck out swinging and Evans grounded back to the mound, then Carlton Fisk pinch hit for Rader. Fisk struck out swinging to end the game. The Brewers had won it 18-1.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Torrez. He got rocked for 6 runs in just 1 plus innings to take the loss.

                                                           Torrez the Jackass

The Good:

Jim Rice was 2 for 4.

Tony Perez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jack Brohamer was 1 for 2.

Dave Rader was 1 for 3.

Tom Burgmeier tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4 with an error.

Butch Hobson was 0 for 1 before leaving the game.

Glenn Hoffman struck out as a pinch hitter.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4.

Carlton Fisk struck out as a pinch hitter.

Chuck Rainey got blasted for 7 runs in 4 innings.

Bruce Hurst allowed 5 runs in just 1 full inning.

The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 2 with an error but walked twice.

Fred Lynn was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Two games, two losses for the Red Sox. Not only that, they got smushed like a cigarette in this game. Rainey, Torrez and Hurst allowed 18 runs in six innings and the Brewers couldn't miss. The Sox were hoping Rainey and Hurst would be future stars but they didn't look good at all in this one. On the other side of the ball the Sox bats were held to just a single run and that was driven in by Perez. Its only the first two games of the season so there's no need to panic but its leaving a bad taste in the fans collective mouth. The Sox have plenty of time to figure things out but giving up 18 runs to the Brewers isn't a good look. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon against Milwaukee when Bob Stanley makes his season debut for the Red Sox against Moose Haas of the Brewers. The game begins at 2:30 PM Eastern time at County Stadium.

Brewers Walkoff Sox on Opening Day Grand Slam in Ninth (4/10/80)

Well so much for the 1980 season starting on a high note for the Boston Red Sox. The Milwaukee Brewers took a 5-3 over the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day heading into the ninth inning. Dennis Eckersley lasted just 4 1/3 innings and gave up 4 of the 5 runs to put the Sox in the hole they were in.  Suddenly home runs by Carl Yastrzemski and Butch Hobson tied the game to give Boston fans a glimmer of home. That hope was dashed when Sixto Lezcano clobbered a walkoff grand slam off Dick Drago (0-1, 54.00 ERA) to win the game for the Brewers 9-5 at County Stadium.

                                              Sox losing on a walkoff makes Flounder sick

Jim Slaton got the start for Milwaukee and Jerry Remy greeted him with a groundout back to the mound to start. Rick Burleson singled to right but Fred Lynn flied out to center. Jim Rice struck out to end the inning. Eckersley got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Paul Molitor grounded out to third to start. Old friend Cecil Cooper took strike three before Dick Davis flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning when Carl Yastrzmeski got the first hit of the season with a base hit to right. Tony Perez made his Red Sox debut with a base hit to right before a wild pitch moved both runners over. Butch Hobson drove in the first run of the season with a base hit to score Yaz to put the Sox on top. The rally ended as Dwight Evans struck out and Dave Rader banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                      First rbi of 1980 for Butch

Old buddy Ben Oglivie flied out to right to begin the bottom of the second inning before Gorman Thomas struck out. Sixto Lezcano hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Sox added to the lead in the top of the third although Remy flied out to left. The hit parade was started when Burleson singled to center and Lynn singled to right. Rice singled home Burleson and Yaz singled home Lynn to put Slaton on the ropes. Unfortunately Perez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Rice increases the lead

Don Money grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before Robin Yount popped up to first. Charlie Moore singled to right but Molitor flied out to center to end the inning.

Hobson grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth but Evans drew a walk. Evan moved to second on the grounder by Rader but Remy flied out to left to end the inning. Eckersley suddenly fell apart in the bottom of the fourth although Cooper took strike three. Davis flied out to center but Oglivie pounded a 50,000 foot home run to put the Brewers on the board. Thomas walked and Lezcano bashed a 300,000 foot home run to tie the game. Money walked but Yount flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                Why'd the Sox get rid of him again?

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Burleson flied out to center to start. Lynn struck out looking and Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. Moore grounded out to third to begin the top of the fifth but Molitor smashed a 5,000,000 foot home run into Lake Michigan to give the Brewers the lead. Cooper doubled to left and Sox manager Don Zimmer ran out of the dugout screaming his head off and tried to throw a roundhouse right at Eckersley. Eck ducked under it and hightailed it out of there as Steve Renko was brought into pitch. Eckersley lasted just 4 1/3 innings and gave up 4 runs off 3 homers, brutal. Davis struck out but Oglivie was intentionally walked. Thomas walked to load the bases but Lezcano grounded out to third to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-3.

                                                         Not Eck's best work

Boston failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Yaz flied out to left to start. Perez and Hobson both grounded out to short to end the inning. The homer parade continued as Money homered off Renko to start the bottom of the sixth. Yount grounded out to short, Moore took strike three and Molitor flied out to center to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 5-3.

                                                          Nice relief Renko

Slaton cruised in the top of the seventh as Evans flied out to left to start. Rader flied out to center and Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Renko kept pace in the bottom of the seventh as Cooper struck out to start. Davis grounded out to short and Oglivie grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox looked defeated in the top of the eighth as Burleson grounded out to short to start. Lynn grounded out to first and Rice flied out to center to end the inning. Renko got in trouble in the bottom of the eighth as Thomas led off with a double to left. Lezcano and Money both flied out to center but Yount walked. Moore struck out to end the inning.

With their backs to the wall, the Sox somehow rallied in the top of the ninth. Yaz led of with his first home run of the season to cut the lead but Perez grounded out to third. Hobson stepped up by jacking his first home run of the season to tie the game and chase Slaton. Old pal Reggie Cleveland came in and Evans grounded back to the mound. Rader flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox tying it up 5-5.

                                                   Yaz & Hobson tie it up

Dick Drago came in to preserve the tie in the bottom of the ninth and failed miserably. Molitor singled to right and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Cooper. Davis popped up to first and Oglivie walked to set up a force. The move backfired as Thomas walked and Lezcano ended it with a grand slam all the way into the Gulf of Mexico to end the game. The Brewers had won it 9-5.

                                                            Dammit


The Brewers had won it 9-5 to spoil Opening Day for the Sox.

Jackass of the Night is Dick Drago. He allowed the walkoff grand slam to lose the game.

                                                          Drago the Jackass



The Good:

Rick Burleson was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Yastrezmski was 3 for 4 with 2 total rbis, 2 total runs scored including a solo home run.

Butch Hobson was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

Steve Renko allowed a run in 3 2/3 innings of work.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Dave Rader was 0 for 4.

Dennis Eckersley allowed 4 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. He allowed 5 hits including 3 home runs.



The Ugly:

Fred Lynn was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

This is going to leave a bad taste in Boston fans' mouths. Eckersley didn't look good at all and as usual the Sox could bop their way back in the game but found a way to lose anyway. The stench of 1979 carried over to 1980 and the Sox are gonna have to make a few moves to avoid a fate worse than last season. Still, its only one game and there's 161 of these to go.....good lord. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Saturday against the Brewers in the second game of this series. Mike Torrez makes his season debut for the Sox against Lary Sorensen of the Brewers at 2:40 PM at County Stadium

Yankees Pound Torrez, Sox (9/13/79)

What a difference 24 hours makes. After the Boston Red Sox beat the tar out of the New York Yankees last night, this time it was the Yankees to administer a whooping. The first 5 batters in the lineup pounded out 14 hits and 8 rbis, knocking Mike Torrez (14-12, 4.81 ERA) to kingdom come. The Sox committed 3 errors in the field and the Yankees as a team provided a 16 hit, 10 run attack that knocked the Sox further out of their fading playoff race with a 10-3 rout at Fenway Park.

                                            "THEY LOST TO THE YANKEES AGAIN!!"

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Torrez in the top of the first inning although Bobby Murcer struck out to start. Willie Randolph dropped down a bunt and catcher Mike O'Berry threw the ball into the Red Sox bullpen for an error to advance Willie to second. Oscar Gamble singled Randolph to third and Reggie Jackson doubled Willie home to give the Yankees the lead. Chris Chambliss grounded out to first to score Gamble with another run before Graig Nettles flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the frame against Yankees starter Ron Guidry although Rick Burleson led off with a strikeout. Ted Sizemore flied out to left but Fisk doubled off the Monster. Jim Rice singled home Fisk to cut the lead in half but Butch Hobson struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                        Rice drives in a run

Torrez recovered in the top of the second as Jim Spencer grounded out to first to start. Jerry Narron grounded out to second and Bucky Dent popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Dwight Evans walked to begin. Tom Poquette beat out an infield single to second but Jim Dwyer popped up to third. O'Berry walked to load the bases and Burleson beat out a double play ball to score Evans with the tying run. Sizemore popped up to third to end the inning but the Sox tied it 2-2.

                                                       Burleson ties it up

Torrez got Murcer to watch strike three go by to open the top of the third before Randolph grounded out to third. Gamble singled to right but Jackson struck out to end the inning. Guidry turned up the heat in the bottom of the third by striking out Fisk to start. Rice and Hobson both struck out as well to end the inning.

The Yankees broke it open in the top of the fourth although Chambliss grounded out to first to begin. Nettles struck out but Spencer drew a walk. The game turned when Narron hit a routine grounder to first but Dwyer threw himself on the ball for an error that allowed Spencer to reach third. The Yankees pounced as Dent singled home Spencer to give the Yankees the lead back. Murcer doubled home Narron and Randolph hit a bases clearing triple to knock Torrez out. The errors didn't help but Torrez was done after 3 2/3 innings and 7 charged runs. Allen Ripley came in and Gamble singled home Randolph but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-2.

                                                       "Not today Gamble" - Ripley

Evans struck out to open the bottom of the fourth before Poquette grounded out to second. Dwyer doubled to right and tried to score on the base hit by O'Berry but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

Jackson doubled to open the top of the fifth but was out at third on a grounder by Chambliss. Nettles doubled to left and Spencer was intentionally walked to load the bases. The gamble worked as Ripley got Narron to ground into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Burleson popped up to second to start. Sizemore flied out to left and Fisk struck out to end the inning.

Ripley got in trouble in the top of the sixth although Dent struck out to start. Murcer and Randolph stroked back to back singles but Gamble popped up to third. Jackson walked to load the bases but Chambliss popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox somehow rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Rice walked to start. Hobson singled Rice to third and Evans doubled home Rice to cut the lead. The rally ended when Guidry punched out Poquette, Dwyer and O'Berry to end the inning. The bottom of the order failed big time as the Sox still trailed 7-3.

                                                           Evans drives in a run

Ripley got the Yankees to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh inning as Nettles grounded back to the mound to start. Spencer grounded back to the mound and Narron grounded out to third to end the inning. Burleson lined out to left to begin the bottom of the seventh before Sizemore flied out to right. Fisk doubled to left but was thrown out at third on the grounder by Rice to end the inning.

Sox manager Ralph Houk left Ripley in too long as he ran out of gas in the top of the eighth inning. Dent struck out to start but Murcer and Randolph stroked back to back singles. Gamble singled to right and Murcer gunned it home. O'Berry ended up muffing the ball that allowed Murcer and Randolph to score while Gamble moved all the way to third. Jackson walked and Chambliss doubled home Gamble to chase Ripley. Bill Campbell came in and got Nettles to ground back to the mound and Spencer to ground out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 10-3.

                                                          A few batters too late

Fred Stanley took over at third as Guidry returned for the bottom of the eighth. Hobson flied out to right to start before Evans struck out. Poquette got a base hit to left but Dwyer flied out to center to end the inning.

Campbell returned for mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Narron struck out to start. Dent flied out to center and Murcer struck out to end the inning. Guidry finished off his complete game in the bottom of the ninth as O'Berry flied out to center to begin. Burleson lined out to left and Sizemore grounded out to short to end the game. The Yankees bitchslapped the Sox 10-3 at Fenway.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Torrez. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 7 runs in just 3 2/3 innings, although only 2 of the runs were earned.

                                                          Torrez is a Jackass


The Good:

Carlton Fisk was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jim Rice was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

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

Tom Poquette was 2 for 4.

Bill Campbell tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Ted Sizemore was 0 for 5.

Allen Ripley allowed 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched.



The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

Butch Hobson was just 1 for 4.

Jim Dwyer was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Mike O'Berry was 1 for 3 with a walk but made 2 crucial errors.




Final Thoughts:

Well the bottom of the order was garbage in this one. O'Berry and Dwyer combined to go 2 for 7 and commit 3 errors between them. The Yankees capitalized on every mistake and shame on Torrez and Ripley for not getting the key outs even with the errors. It doesn't matter anyway as the Baltimore Orioles are so far ahead in the standings, all the Yankees and Sox can play for at this point is who finishes third between them. Torrez didn't have it but Ripley didn't help either, but again, nobody cares at this point. The loss drops the Sox to 81-62, 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for second place in the AL East. Speaking of the Orioles, the Sox now travel to Baltimore for a set against the AL East frontrunners. Steve Stone goes for the dirty birds up against Bob Stanley (15-9) tomorrow night at 7:50 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Sox Outslug Twins (8/15/79)

If the Sox hope to catch the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East crown, they're going to need to pitch a lot better the last two months of the season. Sox starter Mike Torrez held the mediocre Minnesota Twins to two runs in 7 innings of work. Then Torrez fell apart in the eighth inning and the Twins tied it against Tom Burgmeier to make the fans groan. Carl Yastrzemski stepped up with a 2 run bomb to give the Sox the lead back and Dick Drago (9-3, 3.00 ERA) slammed the door in the ninth inning. The Sox needed to outslug the Twins to win the game 9-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Dorothy Mays approves of the win

The Twins struck first in the top of the first inning as Butch Wynegar and Roy Smalley Jr struck back to back singles to start. Wynegar got caught in a run-down but Rob Wilfong tripled home Smalley. Mike Cubbage scored Wilfong with a sac fly to increase the lead before Ken Landreaux grounded out to second to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                         Damn you Smalley

Twins starter Roger Erickson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rick Burleson singled to start. Burleson moved to second on the Carlton Fisk grounder then to third on the Fred Lynn grounder. Jim Rice flied out to center to end the inning.

The Twins beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second as Glenn Adams grounded out to first to start. Danny Goodwin grounded out to second and Hosken Powell grounded out to short to end the inning. Carl Yastrzemski lined out to right to start the bottom of the second before Bob Watson singled to right. Watson took second on a balk and Butch Hobson singled him to third, but Jack Brohamer hit into a double play to end the inning.

Ron Jackson popped up to third to start the top of the third before Wynegar singled to right. Smalley Jr forced Wynegar at second and Wilfong singled to right. Cubbage grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the third as Dwight Evans grounded out to short to start. Burleson struck out but Fisk doubled to left. Lynn singled home Fisk to cut the lead and moved to second on another balk. Rice lined out to right to end the inning but the Sox were on the board trailing 2-1.

                                                         Lynn drives in a run

Landreaux singled to center to start the top of the fourth but Adams struck out. Goodwin beat out an infield single to short but Powell grounded into a double play to end the inning. Yaz singled to right to start the bottom of the first but Watson struck out and Hobson banged into a double play to end the inning.

Jackson doubled to left to start the top of the fifth and moved to third on the Wynegar ground out. Smalley struck out but Wilfong walked. Cubbage popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox roared back in the bottom of the fifth although Brohamer flied out to left to start. Evans popped up to second but Burleson singled. Fisk hit a routine grounder to Cubbage who went OLE! and everyone was safe. Lynn singled home Burleson to tie the game and Rice pulverized his 32nd home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning but it was 5-2 Red Sox.

                                                           3 run bomb for Rice

Landreaux grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth before Adams singled to right. Adams moved to second on another balk and Goodwin walked. Powell hit into another double play to end the inning. Watson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth before Hobson popped up to second. Brohamer got a hit to center but Evans lined out to short to end the inning.

Torrez cruised in the top of the seventh as Jackson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Wynegar took strike three and Smalley Jr grounded out to short to end the inning. Mike Bacsik took over on the mound for the bottom of the seventh and Burleson's bunt attempt was snuffed out by the catcher to start. Fisk struck out and Lynn grounded out to first to end the inning.

The walls closed in on Torrez in the top of the eighth although Wilfong grounded out to second to start. Cubbage singled, Landreaux doubled and Adams singled home both runners to cut the lead and chase Torrez. Jose Morales pinch hit for Goodwin and Dave Edwards pinch ran for Adams as Tom Burgmeier was brought in. Edwards moved to third on the Morales grounder and Powell singled him home to tie the game. Dick Drago came in and Jackson flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                  Why didn't Zimmer take him out after 7?

The Sox got the lead back instantly in the bottom of the eighth as Rice singled to left and Yaz crushed his 20th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead back. Mike Marshall came in to pitch and Watson flied out to right. Hobson lined out to right but Brohamer singled. Evans doubled Brohamer to third and Burleson scored both runners with a double to ice the game. Fisk grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-5.

                                                            Burleson ices it

Drago returned for the top of the ninth to close out the game. Wynegar grounded out to first but Smalley Jr and Wilfong drew back to back walks. Cubbage singled to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate but Landreaux popped up to center. Willie Norwood pinch hit for Edwards and struck out to end the game. The Sox had survived to beat the Twins 9-5.

Hero of the Night is Carl Yastrezmski. His 2 run homer in the eighth gave the Sox the lead they wouldn't give up.

                                                                 Yaz the Hero

The Good:

Rick Burleson was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Fred Lynn was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with 2 total runs scored and a 3 run home run.

Jack Brohamer was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Dick Drago tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 5 but scored 2 runs.

Bob Watson was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Butch Hobson was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Mike Torrez cruised through 7 innings but was charged with 5 runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Tom Burgmeier allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

Good win but holy moly the Sox have pitching woes. Its bad enough Dennis Eckersley is having a down year compared to last year but what's with Torrez falling apart in the eighth inning? Still, if he was running out of gas, why didn't Sox manager Don Zimmer pull him sooner? Still, no sense being grouchy when the offense stepped up to win the game. Everyone pitched in one way or another and the Sox managed to score 9 runs. The rbis from Lynn and Burleson were just as important as the Yaz and Rice homers to put the Twins away. Hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum into a long winning streak so they can catch the Baltimore Orioles. The win improved the Sox to 73-44, 5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to continue their winning ways when they welcome the Chicago White Sox to Fenway for a set. 25 year old rookie John Tudor makes his ML debut tomorrow up against Mike Prolly of the ChiSox. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.