Jenkins, Rangers Outduel Red Sox (7/18/74)

The Boston Red Sox have fallen off a cliff lately losing 5 of their last 7 games including tonight's disaster against the Texas Rangers. Fergie Jenkins tossed a complete game 8 hitter, allowing just 1 measly run in the second inning. Dick Drago (5-7, 3.75 ERA) was the hard luck loser, also pitching a complete game 8 hitter. Only rbi singles from Jim Spencer and Cesar Tovar was the difference in the game. Carl Yastrzemski hit a solo home run but that was all the Sox got as the Rangers won the game 2-1 at Arlington Stadium.

                                                            Losing 5 out of 7 games....

Jenkins got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rick Miller grounded out to second to start. Cecil Cooper also grounded out to second and Dwight Evans lined out to third to end the inning. Drago got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cesar Tovar tripled to center to start. Dave Nelson grounded out to short, Lenny Randle struck out swinging and Mike Hargrove grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Carl Yastrzemski belted his 11th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Bernie Carbo took strike three, Rico Petrocelli flied out to left and Dick McAuliffe grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                  Home run Yaz

Jim Spencer singled to right to start the bottom of the second before Tom Grieve walked. Toby Harrah flied out to left but Joe Lovitto walked to load the bases. Duke Sims forced Spencer at home with a grounder to first and Tovar forced Sims at second to end the inning.

Rick Burleson got a base hit to left to open the top of the third before Tim Blackwell popped up to short. Miller singled to center but was thrown out in a rundown to move Burleson to third. Cooper struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rangers struck back in the bottom of the third as Nelson grounded out to short to start. Randle walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Hargrove doubled to center and Spencer got a base hit to center to score Mike. Grieve forced Spencer at second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                 Spencer ties it up

Jim Fregosi came in for Randle to start the top of the fourth and Evans walked to start. Yaz flied out to center but Evans stole second base. Carbo struck out swinging and Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning. Burleson booted a grounder by Harrah to start the bottom of the fourth and Toby moved to second on a grounder to short by Lovitto. Sims flied out to center and Tovar grounded out to third to end the inning.

McAuliffe watched strike three go by to start the top of the fifth and Burleson also froze for strike three. Blackwell got a base hit to center but Miller grounded out to second to end the inning. Nelson was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the bottom of the fifth before Fregosi grounded out to third. Hargrove was hit with a pitch and Spencer got a base hit to left, but Grieve took strike three to end the inning.

Cooper grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth before Evans grounded out to short. Yaz doubled to right but Carbo took strike three to end the inning. The Rangers took command in the bottom of the sixth as Harrah walked to start. Harrah moved to second on the Lovitto grounder to third and to third on the fly ball to center by Sims. Tovar got a base hit to left to score Harrah to put the Rangers up for good. Nelson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Rangers up 2-1.

                                                          Harrah scores a run

Petrocelli popped up to first to start the top of the seventh before McAuliffe grounded out to first. Burleson got a base hit to left but Blackwell forced him at second to end the inning. Fregosi flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh before Hargrove got a base hit to left. Spencer flied out to center and Grieve struck out swinging to end the inning.

Larry Brown took over for Fregosi to start the top of the eighth and Miller grounded out to first to start. Cooper flied out to left and Evans struck out swinging to end the inning. Harrah flied out to left to start the bottom of the eighth and Lovitto did the same. Sims walked and Tovar got a base hit to right, but Nelson forced Cesar at second to end the inning. Drago went the distance allowing just 2 runs off 8 hits and 5 walks. Too bad the Sox couldn't score a run.

                                                             Drago deserved better

Jenkins returned to close out the top of the ninth as Yaz flied out to left to start. Carbo got a base hit to center and Tommy Harper ran for him. Naturally Harper was thrown out at second trying to steal and worse, Petrocelli got a base hit to left. Terry Hughes pinch ran for Petrocelli but McAuliffe flied out to left to end the game. The Rangers had won it 2-1.

Jackass of The Night is a tough one but I'll go with Dick McAuliffe. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including making the last out with the tying run on.

                                                              Jackass McAuliffe

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with a home run

Rick Burleson was 2 for 3.

Tim Blackwell was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Dick Drago pitched a complete game 8 hitter allowing just 2 runs off 8 hits.

The Bad:

Cecil Cooper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tommy Harper was thrown out trying to steal as a pinch runner.

The Ugly:

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Bernie Carbo was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Terry Hughes pinch ran in the top of the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was a tough loss but Fergie Jenkins is a tough pitcher. Yeoman's effort by Drago to hold the Rangers to just 2 runs but Jenkins kept the Sox in check. The Sox had men on base so it wasn't like they didn't have their chances. Tommy Harper getting thrown out in the ninth certainly didn't help. This was the kind of loss that's going to haunt the Sox in the end. They're still in first place over the Baltimore Orioles but not by much. The Sox desperately need to go on a winning streak if they want to distance themselves from Baltimore down the stretch. Losing 2-1 to Fergie Jenkins isn't going to help. The loss dropped the Sox to 49-43, 1/2 game in front of the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Rangers when Luis Tiant (13-7) takes on Jackie Brown of Texas. The game begins at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Stadium.

Royals Pound Marichal, Sox Drop Fifth Straight (4/27/74)

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.

                                                      "Five straight losses"

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.

                                                              Cater drives in a pair

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.

                                                     Home run Healy

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.

                                                             Rojas drives in a run

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.

                                                            Evans scores a run

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.

                                             "GADZOOKS! This pitching is bad" - DJ

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.

                                                                      Jackass Marichal

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.

Busby, Royals Defeat Sox (4/26/74)

For the third game in a row the Boston Red Sox were knocked off in a complete game effort by an opposing starter. This time it was the Kansas City Royals and Steve Busby that dominated the Sox. Busby tossed a complete game 6 hitter allowing just two runs to the punchless Sox offense. Bill Lee (2-2, 2.35 ERA) was game but got tagged for four runs by the Royals. The only silver lining was the return of Carlton Fisk from injury as he scored a run in his first game back. Unfortunately he didn't score enough as the Sox dropped their fourth straight game 4-2 to the Royals at Royals Stadium.

                                                "HOW DO YOU LOSE IN FISK'S RETURN?"

Busby got the ball in the top of the first and Tommy Harper grounded out to short to start. Rick Miller doubled to left and a wild pitch moved him to third. Doug Griffin struck out swinging but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Yaz stole second but Bernie Carbo struck out swinging to end the inning. Lee got the ball in the bottom of the first and Freddie Patek grounded out to first to start. Cookie Rojas got a seeing eye single into right but Amos Otis forced him at second. Otis stole second and John Mayberry was hit with a pitch. Fran Healy struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox took the lead in the top of the second as the returning Carlton Fisk walked to begin. Bob Montgomery doubled to center to score Fisk but was thrown out at third on a Terry Hughes grounder back to Busby. Mario Guerrero grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                                     Welcome back Fisk

Jim Wohlford singled in the hole at short to begin the bottom of the second and promptly stole second. Hal McRae dropped down a bunt to move Wohlford to third but Paul Schaal took strike three. Al Cowens grounded out to short to end the inning.

Harper beat out a roller to start the top of the third but Miller grounded into a double play. Griffin struck out swinging to end the inning. Patek popped up to first to start the bottom of the third before Rojas grounded out to third. Otis tripled to left but Mayberry grounded out to second to end the inning.

Yaz walked to begin the top of the fourth but Carbo grounded back to the mound to move Carl to second. Fisk beat out a roller to third to put runners at the corners but Montgomery grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Royals fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Healy struck out swinging to start. Wohlford lined out to right but McRae hit a home run all the way to Osaka, Japan to tie the game. Schaal grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Home run McRae

The Sox blew a big rally in the top of the fifth as Hughes singled past the first base bag to start. Guerrero dropped down a bunt but it got Hughes thrown out at second and Harper popped up to second. Miller and Griffin both walked to load the bases but Yaz flied out to right to end the inning. The Royals took command in the bottom of the fifth as Cowens lined out to center to start. Patek tripled into the left field corner and Rojas lashed a base hit to center to score Freddie. Otis singled to center and both runners moved over on the Mayberry grounder to second. Healy grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                               Rojas drives in a run

Carbo struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Fisk lined out to left. Montgomery grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Wohlford singled to center to start the bottom of the sixth and promptly stole second. McRae got Wohlford thrown out at third on a force and he himself was picked off. Schaal grounded out to third to end the inning.

Hughes grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and Dick McAuliffe pinch hit for Guerrero. McAuliffe walked but Harper grounded into the fourth double play of the game to end the inning. The Royals finished off Lee in the bottom of the seventh as Cowens got a base hit in the hole at short to start. Patek dropped down a bunt and Lee threw it away for an error to put runners at the corners. Rojas grounded into a double play but Cowens scored. Otis doubled to left and somehow stole third before Mayberry walked to chase Lee. Bill fought bravely but allowed 3 runs in just 6 2/3 innings. Diego Segui came in to pitch and Mayberry stole second. Healy flied out to left to end the inning with the Royals up 3-1.

                                         "Can Montgomery throw anyone out?" - Lee

The Sox did get a run back in the top of the eighth as Miller flied out to left to begin Carbo smacked a triple to left field and came home on the sac fly to center by Yaz. Carbo flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                              Yaz drives in a run

Wohlford beat out a roller to third to begin the bottom of the eighth and stole his third base of the game. McRae beat out a roller to short and Schaal dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Vada Pinson pinch hit for Cowens and hit a sac fly to center to score Wohlford. Patek popped up to first and somehow Schaal tagged up and moved to second. Rojas grounded out to third to end the inning with the Royals up 4-2.

                                                               Pinson drives in a run

Fisk popped up to third to start the top of the ninth and Cecil Cooper pinch hit for Montgomery and struck out swinging. Rico Petrocelli pinch hit for McAuliffe and popped up to third to end the game. The Royals had won it 4-2.

Jackass of The Night is Bob Montgomery. He allowed SIX stolen bases, the last one leading to the insurance run scoring.

                                                             Jackass Montgomery

The Good:

Rick Miller was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski walked twice and drove in a run.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Terry Hughes was 1 for 3.

Dick McAuliffe walked as a pinch hitter.

The Bad:

Bernie Carbo was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Cecil Cooper struck out as a pinch hitter.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 2.

Diego Segui allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was just 1 for 4.

Bill Lee took the loss but allowed just 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 11 hits and a walk while striking out three.

Final Thoughts:

That was bawful defined. The Sox grounded into four double plays, let the Royals steal SIX bags and Lee threw a ball away. They couldn't do anything right today and its a wonder Sox manager Darrell Johnson doesn't jump into the ocean after the game. The only bright spot is Carlton Fisk is back and as soon as he's ready to catch again, you can say goodbye to Montgomery behind the plate. The pitching has been solid with Rick Wise, Lee, Reggie Cleveland and Luis Tiant, they just need the bats and the defense to come around. Not every game will be as incompetent as this one....we hope. The less said of this, the better. The Sox look to snap their four game losing streak tomorrow afternoon when "The Dominican Dandy" Juan Marichal takes on Al Fitzmorris of Kansas City. The game begins at 2:00 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

Rangers Blank Sox (4/25/74)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 4 of their NHL Semifinal playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox got shut out by the Texas Rangers. Jim Bibby went the distance tossing a complete game, four hit shutout. The Sox blew a first inning rally and could never get on track offensively. Meanwhile the Rangers rallied for three runs against Luis Tiant (1-2, 5.29 ERA) as he only lasted five innings. The Rangers got another run off Roger Moret in the sixth inning and that was all the scoring for the rest of the game. The Sox couldn't touch Bibby as they were shut out by the Rangers 4-0 at Arlington Stadium.

Bibby got the ball in the top of the first and Tommy Harper flied out to center to start. Doug Griffin grounded out to short but Dave Nelson booted a grounder by Cecil Cooper for an error. Bibby threw the pickoff throw away for an error to move Cooper to third and Carl Yastrzesmski walked. Rico Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning. Tiant got the ball in the bottom of the first and Nelson's bunt attempt to third was snuffed out to begin. Toby Harrah popped up to short and Alex Johnson popped up to first to end the inning.

Bernie Carbo struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Bob Montgomery doubled to center. Juan Beniquez flied out to right and Mario Guerrero struck out swinging to end the inning. Jeff Burroughs took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Tom Grieve singled down the third base line. Jim Spencer popped up to second and Joe Lovitto grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Harper popped up to second to start. Griffin singled to left but Cooper forced him at second. Yaz walked but Petrocelli grounded out to first to end the inning, that's three men left on by Rico so far. Lenny Randle popped up to left to start the bottom of the third before Dick Billings singled to left. Nelson flied out to center and Harrah forced Billings at second to end the inning.

Carbo lined out to left to start the top of the fourth before Montgomery grounded back to the mound. Beniquez struck out swinging to end the inning. Johnson grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Burroughs walked. Grieve flied out to center and Spencer grounded out to first to end the inning.

Guerrero grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Harper popped up to first. Griffin singled to left but pulled up lame and had to leave the game. Dick McAuliffe ran for Griffin and Cooper flied out to left to end the inning. The Rangers struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Lovitto struck out swinging to start. Randle grounded a base hit just out of McAuliffe's reach and stole second. Billings popped up to second but Nelson dumped a base hit to center to score Randle. Harrah was decked by Tiant and Johnson singled to center to score Nelson. Burroughs lined another base hit to center to score Harrah. Grieve flied out to center to end the inning with the Rangers up 3-0. That was it for Tiant who got rocked in the fifth inning after allowing six hits and a walk.

                                                            Rangers take the lead

Yaz grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Petrocelli got a base hit to left. Terry Hughes ran for Rico and Carbo popped up to short, but Petrocelli took second on a wild pitch. Montgomery grounded out to short to end the inning. Roger Moret got tagged in the bottom of the sixth as Spencer lined out to center to start. Lovitto beat out a roller to short but Randle singled to left. Billings walked to load the bases and Nelson scored Lovitto with a sac fly to center. The Rangers pulled off a double steal but Harrah struck out to end the inning with the Rangers up 4-0.

                                                       Randle gets the Rangers started

Larry Brown took over for Randle to start the top of the seventh and Beniquez struck out swinging to start. Guerrero grounded back to the mound and Harper grounded out to short to end the inning. Johnson grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the seventh and Burroughs took strike three. Grieve grounded out to second to end the inning.

McAuliffe grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the eighth and Cooper popped up to short. Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning. Spencer got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth and Lovitto sacrificed him to second with a bunt. Brown flied out to center and Billings grounded out to third to end the inning.

Bibby returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Hughes struck out swinging to start. Carbo struck out swinging and Montgomery popped up to left to end the game. The Rangers had won  4-0

                                                            Rangers win

Jackass of the Night is Luis Tiant. He got hammered in the fifth inning for 3 runs to put the game out of reach.

                                                         Jackass Tiant

The Good:

Doug Griffin was 2 for 3.

Carl Yastrzemski walked twice in four plate appearances.

The Bad:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 4.

Dick McAuliffe was 0 for 1.

Cecil Cooper was 0 for 4.

Terry Hughes struck out at the plate.

Bernie Carbo was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Juan Beniquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 but left three men on base.

Bob Montgomery was just 1 for 4.

Roger Moret allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like the Sox bats crashed down to earth after overachieving for the first two weeks of the season. The bottom of the order is a legitimate black hole with Carbo, Guerrero, Montgomery and Beniquez all hitting under .246 and Harper at just .175. Its only April but that's the reason they've been perfectly mediocre to start the year. The pitching has been fine except for Tiant but he'll turn it around. He only gave up three runs in this one and if the bats could have done ANYTHING, the outcome might have been different. The Sox are desperately missing Carlton Fisk's offense and it might be time to start Dwight Evans over Harper unless Tommy can turn it around. In terms of help from Pawtucket, the Sox might have something with 23 year old Fred Lynn and 21 year old Jim Rice but they're still a year away. They're going to have to get creative to score some runs until Harper turns it around or Fisk gets back. The Sox now travel to Kansas City for a three game set with the Royals. Bill Lee (2-1) takes on Steve Busby of Kansas City and the game begins tomorrow night at 8:00 PM Eastern time at Royals Stadium.

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.

Wise, Sox Shut Down Royals (4/22/74)

When the Boston Red Sox shipped out Reggie Smith and Ken Tatum for Rick Wise (2-1, 2.66 ERA) and Bernie Carbo, they were hoping they'd get the 16 game version of Wise. So far he's been as good as advertised, especially in tonight's game against the Kansas City Royals. Wise held the Royals to just 1 run through six solid innings before giving way to Diego Segui. Meanwhile Carl Yastrzemski carried the offense with two home runs and three total rbis to outscore the Royals by himself. Segui earned his second save of the season as the Sox beat the Royals 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Cyd Charisse approves of the win

Wise got the ball in the top of the first inning and Freddie Patek struck out swinging. Cookie Rojas also went down hacking and Jim Wohlford grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox jumped on Nelson Briles as Tommy Harper singled to left to start. Doug Griffin doubled off the Monster to score Harper and Bernie Carbo dropped down a bunt but was called out for interference. Carl Yastrzemski singled to right to score Griffin and promptly stole second. Rico Petrocelli and Cecil Cooper walked to load the bases but Rick Miller forced Yaz at home. Bob Didier forced Cooper at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                 Griffin drives in a run

John Mayberry flied out to center to start the top of the second before Hal McRae struck out swinging. Tony Solaita singled to center and Vada Pinson singled to right before Buck Martinez walked to load the bases. Fernando Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Mario Guerrero grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second and Harper took strike three. Apparently Griffin got hurt the previous inning and Dick McAuliffe pinch hit for him. Dick grounded out to second to end the inning.

Patek flied out to center to start the top of the third before Rojas grounded out to third. Wohlford doubled to left and Mayberry flied out to center to end the inning. 

                                                                "They can't hit me" - Wise

Carbo flied out to right to start the bottom of the third and Yaz grounded out to first. Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning.

McRae grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth before Solaita was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Pinson grounded out to first to end the inning. Cooper doubled to right to start the bottom of the fourth and was sacrificed to third by Miller. Didier flied out to right and Cooper ran for home....but stopped and tried to go back to third, being thrown out by Briles to end the inning.

Martinez hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fifth before Gonzalez flied out to right. Patek flied out to center to end the inning. Guerrero walked to start the bottom of the fifth before Harper popped up to first. That was it for Briles as Gene Garber came in to pitch and got McAuliffe to ground into a double play to end the inning.

The Royals fought back in the top of the sixth as Rojas singled to center and Wohlford doubled to center to score him. Mayberry grounded out to second to move Wohlford to third but McRae walked. Solaita struck out swinging and Pinson grounded out to first to end the inning with the Royals down 2-1.

                                                                Wohlford drives in a run

The Sox answered in the bottom of the sixth as Carpo popped up to third to start. Yaz then belted his fifth home run of the season to increase the lead. Petrocelli walked and Cooper got a base hit to right but Miller moved the runners over with a grounder to first. Didier was intentionally walked to get to Guerrero. Mario forced Didier at second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                              Home run Yaz

Diego Segui came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Martinez doubled off the Monster to start. Gonzalez popped up to first but Patek singled to center. Patek swiped second but Rojas took strike three. Wohlford flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt to start the bottom of the seventh as Harper grounded out to short to start. McAuliffe grounded out to short and Carbo grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Mayberry flied out to left to start the top of the eighth before McRae caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single. Solaita lined out to right and Pinson grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Yaz led off the bottom of the eighth with his second home run of the game to increase the lead but Petrocelli singled to center. Joe Hoerner came in to pitch with Juan Beniquez coming in to run for Rico. Cooper forced Beniquez at second then was promptly thrown out trying to steal. Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Terry Hughes took over at third to start the top of the ninth and Martinez flied out to left to start. Frank White pinch hit for Gonzalez and took strike three. Patek struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

Hero of The Night is Carl Yastrzemski. He hit two home runs and drove in three runs to outscore the Royals singlehandedly.

                                                                    Hero Yaz

The Good:

Doug Griffin was 1 for 1 with an rbi and a run scored before leaving.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Cecil Cooper was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Rick Wise got the win by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Diego Segui got his second save with 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Dick McAuliffe was 0 for 3.

Bernie Carbo was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Bob Didier was 0 for 2 but walked.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Juan Beniquez pinch ran for Rico Petrocelli

Terry Hughes played third base in the later innings.

Final Thoughts:

Tough to lose Griffin and Wise left the game relatively early but the Sox came out the winners. Getting Wise was the key to this season because if Luis Tiant and Bill Lee pitch well, Rick would be the third starter they've been desperate for since Gary Bell in 1967. Yaz came up big with two home runs and having Petrocelli back helps out big time. The only possible thing to complain about is the Sox are still without Carlton Fisk and Mario Guerrero isn't hitting at all. Still, its only April and the Sox are winning games. Diego Segui did well today as well so complaining about things isn't really worth it. Still, the Sox need to go on a huge winning streak if they want to jump out to first place early. Dick Drago (1-0) gets the start tomorrow against the Royals with Al Fitzmorris as his opponent. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Stun, Walkoff Indians (4/21/74)

It was an amazing day for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins won Game 2 of their NHL Semifinal series, the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 4 of their NBA East Final series and the Boston Red Sox pulled off an amazing comeback to sweep the Cleveland Indians. Bill Lee surrendered a 2 run home run in the top of the third inning and ended up trailing 5-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Things looked bleak after a Carl Yastrzemski sac fly brought the Sox within run but there were two outs. Down to their last out, Rico Petrocelli doubled off Cecil Upshaw to score Juan Beniquez with the tying run. Diego Segui (2-1, 2.53 ERA) tossed a scoreless tenth and then Dick McAuliffe stood on second base in the bottom of the frame. Milt Wilcox somehow threw a pickoff throw into centerfield and McAuliffe made a mad dash home to win the game for the Sox 6-5 in 10 innings at Fenway Park

                                                           Jojo White approves of the win

Lee got the ball in the top of the first and Remy Hermoso grounded back to the mound to start. John Lowenstein grounded out to third but Buddy Bell dumped a base hit to right. Bell was thrown out at second by Dwight Evans to end the inning. The Sox jumped on Jim Perry in the bottom of the first as Cecil Cooper walked to start. Doug Griffin caught the Indians asleep with a bunt single and Bernie Carbo walked to load the bases. Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second but Cooper scored to put Boston on top. Rico Petrocelli was intentionally walked to re-load the bases but Evans struck out swinging. Rick Miller popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                 Yaz drives in a run

John Ellis singled to left to start the top of the second and Charlie Spikes forced him at second. Chris Chambliss flied out to right and George Hendrick forced Spikes at second to end the inning. Bob Didier popped up to third to start the bottom of the second before Mario Guerrero grounded out to third. Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Indians struck back in the top of the third as Dave Duncan flied out to center to start. Frank Duffy grounded out to third but Hermoso singled to right. Lee then threw a pickoff throw away to move Hermoso to second but Lowenstein hit a home run all the way to Billerica to put Cleveland on top. Bell flied out to center to end the inning with the Indians up 2-1.

                                                                 Home run Lowenstein

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the third as Griffin grounded out to third to start. Carbo singled to center but Yaz popped up to left. Petrocelli flied out to left to end the inning.

Ellis flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Spikes grounded back to the mound. Chambliss took strike three to end the inning. Evans popped up to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Miller ripped a base hit to center. Rick moved to second on the Didier grounder to short. Guerrero struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Indians struck again in the top of the fifth as Hendrick walked to start. Hendrick got picked off but Griffin dropped a pop up from Duncan. Duffy singled to left and Hermoso got a seeing eye single into right to score Duncan. The Indians pulled off a double steal but Lowenstein grounded out to second with the infield in. Bell grounded out to third to end the inning with the Indians up 3-1.

                                                                Duncan scores a run

Cooper doubled to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Griffin's bunt attempt was too hard to Perry and Cooper stayed at second. Carbo grounded out to second to move Cooper to third and Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

Ellis beat out a roller to third to start the top of the sixth but Spikes forced him at second. Spikes stole second but Chambliss lined out to Griffin. Hendrick grounded out to short to end the inning. Petrocelli got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Evans banged into a double play. Miller doubled to right but Didier grounded out to second to end the inning.

Duncan singled to left to start the top of the seventh but Duffy dropped down a bunt. Lee threw the ball away for another error and Hermoso singled in the hole at short to load the bases. Lowenstein lined out to left and Bell beat out a double play ball to score Duncan.....and they forgot about Duffy who came around to score as well. Ellis hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Indians up 5-1.

                                                         Heads up play by Duffy

Guerrero popped up to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Cooper struck out swinging. Griffin flied out to center to end the inning.

Spikes singled to right to start the top of the eighth but was thrown out second trying to steal. Chambliss grounded out to third but Hendrick singled to left. Duncan singled to left but Duffy forced Duncan to end the inning. Carbo took strike three to start the bottom of the eighth but Yaz doubled to left. Petrocelli grounded out to third but Evans was hit with a pitch. Miller forced Evans at second to end the inning.

Lee returned for the top of the ninth and Hermoso grounded out to short to start. Lowenstein singled to right and stole second, but Bell grounded out to short. Ellis got picked off to end the inning. Lee went 9 innings and allowed 5 runs although only 2 were earned. He allowed 13 hits and a walk.

                                                                Lee goes nine

Suddenly the Sox woke up in the bottom of the ninth with Dick McAuliffe pinch hitting for Didier. Dick drew a walk and Danny Cater pinch hit for Guerrero. Cater got a base hit to right and that was it for Perry. Ken Sanders came in to pitch and Cooper singled to right to load the bases. Griffin got a base hit to right to score McAuliffe and reload the bases. Tom Hilgendorf came in to face Carbo and Bernie beat out a double play ball to score Cater. Juan Beniquez ran for Carbo and Yaz scored Cooper with a sac fly to cut the lead. Cecil Upshaw came in to face Petrocelli and with the game on the line....Rico doubled off the Monster to score Beniquez to tie the game. Terry Hughes ran for Petrocelli and Evans drew a walk. With the winning run at second....Miller took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                             Petrocelli ties it up

Bob Montgomery took over behind the plate with Diego Segui now on the mound for the top of the tenth. Ellis lined out to short but Spikes singled to right. Chambliss banged into a double play to end the inning. McAuliffe walked to start the bottom of 10th and was sacrificed to second by Montgomery. Milt Wilcox came in to face Cooper and accidentally threw a pickoff throw into centerfield. McAuliffe made a mad dash all the way around to score to win the game. The Sox had stolen the game 6-5.

Hero of The Night is Dick McAuliffe. His hustling around the bases scored the winning run in the 10th inning.

                                                              Hero McAuliffe

The Good:

Cecil Cooper was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Doug Griffin was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Juan Beniquez scored a run as a pinch runner.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Rick Miller was 2 for 5.

Danny Cater singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Bob Montgomery dropped down a crucial sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the tenth.

Diego Segui got the win with a scoreless 10th inning.

The Bad:

Bob Didier was 0 for 3.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and was hit with a pitch.

Bernie Carbo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but knocked in two runs.

Bill Lee pitched 9 innings and allowed 5 runs but only 2 of them were earned due to his own error. He allowed 13 hits and a walk.

Honorable Mention:

Terry Hughes ran for Petrocelli and played third base.

Final Thoughts:

That was the win of the season for sure. The Sox were down 5-1 going into the eighth and rallied to tie the game. Everyone contributed from Danny Cater getting a pinch hit single, Dick McAuliffe getting a pinch hit walk, Juan Beniquez scoring as a pinch runner and Diego Segui getting key outs in the 10th. Petrocelli's double with 2 outs was clutch as was well as Carbo avoiding the double play. Yaz got a big rbi and all around the team needed everyone to win this one. Lee was hit or miss in this one but still went 9 innings that would have been a complete game if the Sox pulled it off in the ninth. The Sox need to win every game possible and this is one of those games they'll need come September. The Sox swept Cleveland out of Fenway and now welcome in the Kansas City Royals for a two game set. Rick Wise (1-1) goes for the Sox against Nelson Briles of the Royals. The game begins at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.