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.

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.

Jenkins Outduels Cleveland, Sox (4/24/74)

The good news was the Boston Celtics eliminated the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their NBA East Finals series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox lost to the Texas Rangers. Rangers ace Fergie Jenkins was almost unhittable for Texas, tossing a complete game 6 hitter against the hapless bats. Reggie Cleveland (1-2, 2.39 ERA) was the hard luck loser in this one, pitching his own complete game. Alex Johnson drove in Texas' first run in the bottom of the first but Rico Petrocelli tied it in the top of the seventh. Cleveland then got tagged by a two run Lenny Randle double in the bottom of the seventh to put the Rangers up for good. The Sox got the tying run on in the eighth but couldn't knock it in as the Rangers had won the game 3-1 at Arlington Stadium.

                                                      "THEY COULDN'T HIT JENKINS!"

Jenkins got the ball in the top of the first as Tommy Harper flied out to left to start. Cecil Cooper took strike three and Bernie Carbo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Rangers struck first against Cleveland in the bottom of the first as Dave Nelson singled in the hole at short to start. Toby Harrah grounded out to first to move Nelson to second then Dave took third on a passed ball. Alex Johnson beat out a roller to third to score Nelson to put Texas on top. Johnson was thrown out at second trying to steal and Jeff Burroughs grounded out to third to end the inning with Texas up 1-0.

                                                                 Rangers strike first

Carl Yastrzemski doubled to left to open the top of the second but Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging. Juan Beniquez flied out to left and Bob Montgomery grounded out to third to end the inning. Tom Grieve struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Jim Spencer flied out to center. Joe Lovitto grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Doug Griffin got a base hit to left to start the top of the third but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Mario Guerrero flied out to left and Harper popped up to first to end the inning. Lenny Randle grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Jim Sundberg also grounded out to second. Nelson caught the Sox asleep with a bunt down the third base line and moved to second when Cooper botched the pickoff throw for an error. Harrah grounded out to second to end the inning.

Cooper flied out to center to begin the top of the fourth before Carbo grounded back to the mound and Yaz struck out swinging to end the inning. Johnson flied out to center to open the bottom of the fourth before Burroughs grounded out to second. Grieve walked but Spencer grounded out to second to end the inning.

Petrocelli flied out to left to begin the top of the fifth before Beniquez popped up to center. Montgomery lined out to center to end the inning. The Rangers beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as Lovitto grounded back to the mound to start. Randle and Sundberg both grounded out to short to end the inning.

Griffin popped up to third to begin the top of the sixth and Guerrero popped up to second. Harper struck out swinging to end the inning. Nelson popped up to second to begin the bottom of the sixth and Harrah lined out to short. Johnson grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the seventh as Cooper doubled to left to begin. Cooper moved to third on the Carbo grounder to second and Yaz was intentionally walked. Petrocelli got a base hit to left to score Cooper but Yaz was thrown out at third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                RBI for Rico

The Rangers iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Burroughs lined out to left to start. Grieve grounded out to short and Spencer doubled to center. Lovitto was intentionally walked but Randle hit a pop up to center. Harper and Yaz failed to call each other off and the ball dropped between them for a double to score both runners. Sundberg grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rangers up 3-1

                                                             "Dammit Yaz, I had it" - Harper

  

Larry Brown took over at third to start the top of the eighth but Montgomery got a base hit to center to start. Griffin popped up to center but Danny Cater pinch hit for Guerrero. Cater got a base hit to left and Dick McAuliffe pinch ran for him. Harper popped up to short and Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning. Cleveland returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth as Nelson caught the Sox asleep again with a bunt single to third then moved to second on the bunt by Harrah. Johnson walked but Burroughs beat out a double play ball. Grieve flied out to right to end the inning. Cleveland was game as he went 8 innings, allowing 3 runs of 6 hits and 3 walks.

                                                                Cleveland did well

Jenkins returned to close out the top of the ninth and Carbo grounded out to first to start. Yaz grounded out to second and Petrocelli struck out swinging to end the game. The Rangers had won it 3-1.

                                                                Rangers win

Jackass of The Night is Tommy Harper. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including popping up with the tying runs on.

                                                               Jackass Harper

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3.

Danny Cater singled as a pinch hitter.

One of the rare times the winning pitcher ends up on the Good list but Reggie Cleveland allowed 2 earned runs (3 total) in 8 strong innings. He gave up 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out a batter.

The Bad:

Bernie Carbo was 0 for 4.

Juan Beniquez was 0 for 3.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 2.

The Ugly:

Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Bob Montgomery was 1 for 3 but allowed a crucial passed ball.

Honorable Mention:

Dick McAuliffe ran for Cater in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Fergie is one of the best pitchers in the game and the Sox are missing Carlton Fisk but at some point the Sox are going to have to beat great pitchers. Cleveland pitched great but took the loss because the offense totally evaporated. As mentioned before, the bottom of the order is becoming a black hole. Beniquez is hitting .229, Montgomery at .195 and Guerrero at .224. The biggest surprise is Harper at .189. He may turn it around but when you have four out of nine hitters as automatic outs, that's not good. Getting Fisk back would be nice but the others have to step it up. Physical mistakes like the passed ball and Cooper's error didn't help either. The Sox did get men on base but just couldn't drive them in. Hopefully the Sox can turn it around moving forward. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow tonight against the Rangers when Luis Tiant (2-1) goes one on one with Jim Bibby. The game begins at 10:00 PM Eastern time at Arlington 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.

Sox Hold Off Indians (4/20/74)

That was too close for comfort but the Boston Red Sox made it two in a row over the Cleveland Indians in tonight's game. Luis Tiant (1-1, 5.28 ERA) went the distance allowing 9 hits, a walk and four runs through the course of the game. The Sox rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the first off Bob Johnson of Cleveland and increasing the lead to 4-0 until Buddy Bell hit a three run home run in the seventh. Rico Petrocelli drove in Juan Beniquez in the bottom of the seventh for a big insurance run and the Sox would need it. Charlie Spikes hit a home run in the top of the ninth but Tiant held on and the Sox had beaten the Indians 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Lynda Carter approves of the win

Tiant got the ball in the top of the first inning and John Lowenstein singled to right to start. Lowenstein was immediately picked off and Remy Hermoso grounded out to short. George Hendrick took strike three to end the inning. The Sox jumped on Johnson immediately in the bottom of the first as Tommy Harper beat out a roller to third. Harper swiped second but Juan Beniquez grounded out to third. Bernie Carbo doubled to right to score Harper and Carl Yastrzemski was intentionally walked in the first inning. Rico Petrocelli made the Indians pay with a base hit to center to score Carbo. Dwight Evans flied out to left but Doug Griffin doubled to left to score Yaz. Bob Didier of all people was intentionally walked and Mario Guerrero forced Griffin at third to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                     Has Ken Aspromonte been drinking?

John Ellis hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the second but Chris Chambliss singled to right. Charles Spikes struck out swinging and Dave Duncan hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Harper grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Beniquez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Carbo got a base hit to right but Yaz lined out to right to end the inning.

Buddy Bell grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Frank Duffy struck out swinging. Lowenstein popped up to first to end the inning. Petrocelli popped up to right to start the bottom of the third but Evans managed to triple into the centerfield triangle. Griffin got a base hit to right to score Evans but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Didier grounded out to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-0.

                                                       You're out, you dummy!

Hermoso's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Petrocelli to start the top of the fourth and Hendrick grounded out to first. Ellis popped up to short to end the inning. Guerrero doubled off the Monster to start the bottom of the fourth and Harper popped up to right. Beniquez lined out to third and Carbo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Chambliss doubled to right to start the top of the fifth but Spikes struck out swinging. Duncan walked but Bell struck out swinging. Duffy popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Petrocelli popped up to short. Evans grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Lowenstein singled to center to open the top of the sixth but Jack Brohamer pinch hit for Hermoso. Brohamer singled to right but Hendrick struck out swinging. Ellis grounded into a double play to end the inning. Griffin singled to right to begin the bottom of the sixth but Didier popped up to center. Griffin was thrown out trying to steal second and Guerrero grounded out to third to end the inning.

All of a sudden the Indians rallied in the top of the seventh as Chambliss singled to right to start. Spikes beat out a roller to short but Duncan struck out swinging. Bell then hit a three run home run all the way to the Soviet Union to cut the lead. Leron Lee pinch hit for Duffy and struck out swinging before Lowenstein flied out to right to end the inning with the Indians down 4-3.

                                                           Bell brings the Indians closer

Jack Heidemann took over for Lee to start the bottom of the seventh and Harper grounded out to third to start. Beniquez walked but Carbo struck out swinging again. Yaz walked and Petrocelli dumped a base hit to center to score Beniquez. Cecil Upshaw came in to pitch and Dick McAuliffe ran for Rico. Evans grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                                       Petrocelli drives in a run

Brohamer grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Hendrick struck out swinging. Ellis flied out to left to end the inning. Griffin grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the eighth and Didier popped up to first in foul territory. Guerrero singled to left but Harper forced him at second to end the inning.

Tiant came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Chambliss grounded out to center. Spikes hit a home run all the way to San Jose to cut the lead but Duncan grounded out to short. Bell flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

                                                         "Had them all the way" - Tiant

Hero of The Night is Rico Petrocelli. He drove in two big runs including the decisive run in the seventh.

                                                             Hero Petrocelli

The Good:

Bernie Carbo was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski walked twice and scored a run in four plate appearances.

Doug Griffin was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Mario Guerrero was 2 for 4.

Luis Tiant went the distance to earn the win, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits and a walk while striking out 9.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was just 1 for 5 but stole a base and scored a run.

Juan Beniquez was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

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

Bob Didier was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Dick McAuliffe pinch ran for Petrocelli and played third base.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good win by the Sox and badly needed with Carlton Fisk and Bob Montgomery out. Tiant went the distance to save the bullpen and hats of to the offense who did just enough to win. Things got a little hairy at the end but the Petrocelli rbi late ended up being the difference in the game. The Indians don't appear to be headed for greatness this season so its imperative to beat them this season. Tiant did his job in this one but the Sox need to keep the momentum going, especially this early in the season. The Sox look to sweep the Indians out of Boston tomorrow afternoon when they send Bill Lee to the mound against Jim Perry of Cleveland. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.