Royals Pound Romo, Sox (8/13/70)

If only getting a split against the Kansas City Royals wasn't bad enough in yesterday's double header, tonight was even worse as the Royals almost effortlessly pounded the Boston Red Sox further into oblivion. Vicente Romo (6-3, 3.93 ERA) was blitzed for 5 runs before getting knocked out in the second inning. Rookie pitchers Ed Phillips and John Curtis got tagged for six runs combined as the Royals banged out 16 hits and 11 runs. Meanwhile Royals starter Al Fitzmorris tossed a complete game 6 hitter, holding the Sox to just 3 runs. It all added up to an embarrassing 11-3 loss to the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                      "Dammit Romo!"

The Royals attacked immediately in the top of the first as Pat Kelly doubled down the left field line to start. Kelly moved to second on a wild pitch and Cookie Rojas popped up to third. Amos Otis grounded out to short to score Kelly but Lou Piniella walked. Ed Kirkpatrick got a base hit in the hole at second and Bob Oliver got a base hit to center to score Piniella. Paul Schaal doubled to center to score Kirkpatrick but Oliver was thrown at home to end the inning with the Royals up 3-0.

                                                                   Yer outtttt

Fitzmorris got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Andrews belted his 12th home run of the season to begin the inning. Reggie Smith popped up to short but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Tony Conigliaro singled to center but Rico Petrocelli flied out to center. Billy Conigliaro forced his brother at second to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                              Home run Andrews

The Royals finished off Romo in the top of the second as Rich Severson took strike three to start. Fitzmorris grounded back to the mound but Kelly walked. Rojas hit a routine grounder to John Kennedy who picked the ball up and heaved it over his head for an error. Otis singled to left to score Kelly and chase Romo from the game. He'd be charged with 5 runs in just 1 2/3 innings. Ed Phillips came in and Piniella greeted him with a base hit to center to score Rojas. Kirkpatrick was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning with the Royals up 5-1.

                                                              Romo gets rocked

John Kennedy struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Jerry Moses grounded out to short. Phillips grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Royals struck again in the top of the third as Oliver struck out swinging to start. Schaal doubled to left but Severson took strike three. Fitzmorris then stroked a base hit to left to score Schaal. Kelly struck out swinging to end the inning with the Royals up 6-1.

                                                           Fitzmorris driving in runs

Andrews flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Smith did the same. Yaz grounded out to third to end the inning.

Rojas doubled to left to start the top of the fourth before Otis took strike three. Piniella grounded out to third and Kirkpatrick grounded out to first to end the inning. Tony C struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Petrocelli ripped a base hit to left. Billy C grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Oliver grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth but Schaal singled to left. Severson doubled to center to score Schaal and chase Phillips from the game. Chuck Hartenstein came in to pitch and Fitzmorris moved Severson to third with a fly ball to right. Kelly walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Royals up 7-1.

                                                                  RBI for Severson

Kennedy grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth and Moses popped up to third. Defying all logic, Sox manager Eddie Kasko brought in pitcher Gary Peters to pinch hit for Hartenstein. Peters grounded out to first to end the inning. Did Dick Schofield fall asleep in the dugout?

John Curtis came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Rojas grounded back to the mound to start. Otis took strike three and Piniella grounded out to short to end the inning. Andrews popped up to first in foul territory to start the bottom of the sixth before Smith grounded out to first. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

Kirkpatrick walked to start the top of the seventh before Oliver forced him at second. Schaal singled to center and both runners moved over on a grounder to short by Severson. Fitzmorris flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Tony C belted his 21st home run of the season to cut the lead. Petrocelli walked but Billy C grounded into a double play. Kennedy grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 7-2.

                                                              Home run for Conigliaro

The Royals poured it on in the top of the eighth as Kelly lined out to right to start. Kennedy booted a grounder by Rojas for an error and Otis got a base hit to center. Piniella singled to left and Kirkpatrick hit a grand slam all the way into the Grand Canyon to increase the lead. That was it for Curtis as Gary Wagner came in to pitch. Oliver got a base hit to left but Schaal flied out to center. Severson lined out to left to end the inning with the Royals ahead 11-2.

                                                            Grand slam for Kirkpatrick

Jackie Hernandez took over for Rojas to begin the bottom of the eighth and Moses got a base hit to left. For whatever reason with the game out of reach, NOW Kasko pinch hit Wagner with Dick Schofield. Moses moved to second a on a grounder to third before Andrews flied out to right. Smith doubled to right to score Moses and took third on the error by Kelly. Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 11-3.

                                                        RBI double for Smith

Sparky Lyle came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Fitzmorris walked to start. Kelly took strike three and Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Fitzmorris returned to finish the bottom of the ninth and Tony C popped up to second to start. Hernandez booted a grounder by Petrocelli for an error but for the third time all game, Billy C grounded into a double play to end the game. The Royals had won it 11-3.

Jackass of The Night is Vicente Romo. He got rocked for 5 runs in just 1 2/3 innings to put the game out of reach early.

                                                                 Jackass Romo

The Good:

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jerry Moses was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Chuck Hartenstein tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Gary Wagner tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Sparky Lyle pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4 with 3 double plays.

John Kennedy was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and 2 errors.

Gary Peters was 0 for 1 at the plate

Dick Schofield was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Ed Phillips allowed 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings and was 0 for 1 at the plate.

John Curtis allowed 4 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Final Thoughts:

Getting killed by the terrible Royals is a microcosm of this lost season. The Sox can never get good pitching or hitting when it matters. Romo and the bullpen got annihilated by a lowly Royals team and Al Fitzmorris held the offense in check. All the Sox can do is play out the string at this point because the Baltimore Orioles are on a mission to avenge last year's World Series loss to the New York Mets. Its a shame the Sox just couldn't get Jim Lonborg healthy and the other starters were good but not great. It all added up to a lost season with just 49 games remaining. The loss dropped the Sox to 57-56, 14.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox continue the homestand by welcoming in the Minnesota Twins for a four game set. Ray Culp (12-10) takes on Bill Zepp of the Twins tomorrow night at 6:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Tigers Stun Sox Late (8/8/70)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox had the Detroit Tigers beat. Vicente Romo was knocked out in the 7th inning and Chuck Hartenstein (1-2, 5.74 ERA) coughed up the lead to tie the game at 4 apiece. Carl Yastrzemski belted his 30th home run of the year to put the Sox on top, but then came the ninth inning. Old pal Dalton Jones walked and then Dick McAuliffe belted a two run bomb to put the Tigers ahead. The Sox did get the tying run on against Tom Timmermann in the bottom of the ninth but Billy Conigliaro struck out to end the game. The Tigers had won the game 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                     "Hartenstein..."

Romo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dick McAuliffe struck out swinging to start. Mickey Stanley grounded out to short and Al Kaline grounded out to third to end the inning. McLain got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mike Andrews grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith flied out to right but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Tony Conigliaro struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Jim Northrup popped up to short to start the top of the second and Norm Cash took strike three. Bill Freehan popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli singled to left to open. Billy Conigliaro got a base hit to center and John Kennedy doubled to left to score Petrocelli. Tom Satriano grounded out to first to score Billy C and move Kennedy to third. Romo hit a sac fly to right to score Kennedy but Andrews struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                   Big rbis from Kennedy

The Tigers answered in the top of the third as Don Wert to right to start. Cesar Gutierrez grounded out to second to move Wert to third but McLain popped up to right. McAuliffe doubled to center to score Wert to cut the lead. Stanley walked but Kaline struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers down 3-1.

                                                             Tigers get a run back

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the third as Smith's bunt attempt was snuffed out by McLain. Yaz singled to left and Tony C singled to center to move Carl to third. Petrocelli beat out a double play ball to score Yaz but Billy C flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                              Petrocelli drives in a run

Northrup doubled to center to start the top of the fourth but Cash popped up to second. Freehan flied out to right and Wert struck out swinging to end the inning. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth but Satriano singled to right. Romo hit a bullet to Wert but his throw to double off Satriano went wide, putting Tom at second. Andrews walked but Smith popped up to third to end the inning. 

The Tigers struck back in the top of the fifth as Gutierrez struck out swinging to start. McLain grounded out to short but McAuliffe walked. Stanley then hit a home run all the way to central Arkansas to cut the lead. Kaline flied out to right to end the inning with the Tigers down 4-3.

                                                                  Tigers inch closer

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Yaz grounded out to short to start. Tony C's bunt attempt was snuffed out by McLain but Petrocelli got a base hit to center. Billy C also got a base hit to center but Kennedy popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Northrup got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth but Cash grounded into a double play. Freehan walked but Wert grounded out to short to end the inning. Satriano flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Romo popped up to first. Andrews got a base hit to left but Smith grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Tigers struck again in the top of the seventh as old pal Dalton Jones pinch hit for Gutierrez to start. Jones grounded out to first and Gates Brown pinch hit for McLain. Brown walked and MacAuliffe doubled to right to chase Romo. Vicente got tagged for four runs in 6 2/3 innings, not the greatest. Chuck Hartenstein came in and Stanley grounded out to short to score Brown, tying the game. Kaline grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                             "Aye carumba!" - Romo

Daryl Patterson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yaz greeted him with his 30th home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Tony C grounded out to short and Petrocelli grounded out to third, but Billy C walked. Kennedy got a base hit to right but Satriano forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                              Yaz puts Boston ahead

Northrup grounded out to first to start the top of the eighth but Cash doubled to right. Freehan flied out to center and Wert hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Sox manager Eddie Kasko foolishly allowed Hartenstein to hit to start the bottom of the eighth and he took strike three right down the middle. Andrews popped up to third and George Thomas pinch hit for Smith. Thomas popped up to third to end the inning.

Hartenstein returned to close out the top of the ninth and Jones walked to start. Russ Nagelson pinch hit for Patterson and took strike three. McAuliffe then hit a home run into the Charles River to put the Tigers on top. Eddie Kasko's decision to let Chuck hit backfired and he brought in Gary Wagner to pitch. Stanley flied out to center and Kaline took strike three to end the inning with the Tigers up 6-5.

                                                         One man wrecking crew

Tom Timmermann came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Yaz grounded out to second to start. Tony C struck out swinging but Petrocelli got a base hit to right. Billy C struck out swinging to end the game. The Tigers had won it 6-5.

Jackass of The Night is Chuck Hartenstein. He allowed the tying run to score in the seventh and gave up the two run home run to lose the game.

                                                             Jackass Hartenstein

The Good:

Carl Yastrzesmki was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Billy Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

John Kennedy was 2 for 4 with a rbi and a run scored.

Gary Wagner got the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

George Thomas was 0 for 1.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Tony Conigliaro was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Tom Satriano was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Vicente Romo was charged with 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings and was 0 for 2 at the plate, but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Another tough loss which has been a microcosm of the season. The starting pitching and offense has been good enough to compete but the relief pitching has been awful. Not that anyone's touching the Baltimore Orioles this season but how many games have they lost in the later innings this season? Eddie Kasko had Gary Wagner ready to go for the ninth but he stuck with Hartenstein. Having him hit might have cost them the game because a hit by a pinch hitter might have gotten them another run, plus Wagner might have saved the game. Instead, Hartenstein blows it and its another bad loss in a season full of them. Not even a healthy Jim Lonborg could have saved this season from disaster. Just too many bad games and a historic Orioles team in the way. Not much you can do but play out the string in the final two months and hope for the best next year. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-54, 14.5 games behind the O's for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Tigers when Ray Culp (11-10) takes on Mickey Lolich of Detroit. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

A's Beat Romo, Sox (7/28/70)

As the Boston Red Sox "July swoon" comes to a close with a very disappointing month, the latest chapter is Vicente Romo is undefeated no more. The Oakland Athletics got to Romo for 5 runs in 5 innings to give the A's the lead. The Sox offense rallied for 4 runs against Oakland starter Chuck Dobson but the indomitable Mudcant Grant stymied the Sox the rest of the way. The Sox continued their slide this month as the A's took the game 6-4 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                               "Romo you imbecile!"

Dobson took the mound in the top of the first and Mike Andrews led off by flying out to center. Reggie Smith singled to center and moved to second on a passed ball before Carl Yastrzemski drew a walk. Tony Conigliaro flied out to right and Rico Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning. Romo got the ball and cruised in the bottom of the first as Bert Campaneris flied out to right to begin. Rick Monday lined out to left and Felipe Alou grounded out to short to end the inning.

George Thomas drew a walk to begin the top of the second but John Kennedy flied out to center. Jerry Moses struck out and Romo flied out to right to end the inning. Sal Bando walked to start the bottom of the second but Don Mincher took strike three. Reggie Jackson walked but Dave Duncan struck out. Dick Green grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as Andrews walked to start. Smith singled to right but was erased on the Yaz force. Tony C flied out to left but Petrocelli clubbed his 17th home run of the year to put Boston on top. Thomas grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.

                                                      Number 17 for Rico

Romo got Dobson to take strike three to begin the bottom of the third and Campaneris lined out to right. Monday beat out an infield single to third but Alou grounded into a force to end the inning.

Kennedy flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Moses struck out. Romo beat out an infield single to third but Andrews grounded out to short to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Bando singled and Mincher smashed a 50,000 foot home run to put the A's back in it. Then Jackson hit a 5,000 foot home run to tie the game just like that. Duncan lined out to left, Green struck out looking and Dobson grounded out to third to end the inning but the A's had tied it 3-3.

                                                Jackson ties it up

Smith put the Sox back on top instantly in the top of the fifth with his 14th home run of the season. Yaz popped up to third, Tony C grounded out to third and Petrocelli popped up to first to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

                                              Smith goes yard

The A's clawed back in the bottom of the fifth although Campaneris hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Monday grounded back to the mound but Alou beat out an infield single to short. Bando made the Sox pay by bashing a 5 million foot home run into the Pacific Ocean to give the A's the lead. Mincher struck out to end the inning but the A's had regained the lead and chased Romo 5-4.

                                                      "Damn that Bando"

Thomas popped up to second to start the top of the sixth before Kennedy struck out. Moses drew a walk and Dick Schofield pinch hit for Romo, taking a walk as well. Marcel Lachemann came in for Dobson to pitch to Andrews and Mike grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ken Brett was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and he struck out both Jackson and Duncan to start. Green walked but Tommy Davis pinch hit for Lachemann. Brett got Davis to strike out to end the inning.

If the Sox had to rally, they would have to do it against arguably the best relief pitcher in baseball in Mudcat Grant in the top of the seventh. Smith singled to right but Yaz flied out to left. Tony C forced Smith at second but Petrocelli singled to put the tying run at second. Thomas struck out to end the inning. Brett cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Campaneris flied out to left to start. Monday struck out and Alou flied out to center to end the inning. Brett retired 4 of the 7 batters he faced by strike out, not bad.

                                               Brett keeps the Sox in it

The Sox could do nothing against Grant in the top of the eighth as Kennedy flied out to center to start. Moses flied out to left and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Brett only to line out to second to end the inning. The A's hit the kill shot in the bottom of the eighth against Sparky Lyle as Bando walked to start. Joe Rudi pinch hit for Mincher and dropped down a bunt. Kennedy threw out Rudi at first but Yaz turned and fired the ball into the first base dugout for no apparent reason to score Bando with the insurance run. Jackson took strike three and Duncan grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 6-4 Oakland.

                                           "What the hell was THAT, Yaz??" - SL

Grant finished off the Sox in the top of the ninth as Andrews flied out to left to start. Smith popped up to third but Yaz singled to center. Tony C flied out to left to end the game. The A's had won it 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Vicente Romo. He got slammed for 5 runs in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 3 home runs and 2 walks while striking out 5.

                                                         Jackass Romo


The Good:

Reggie Smith was 4 for 5 with a home run.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 including a 3 run home run.

Dick Schofield walked as a pinch hitter

Ken Brett tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 5.

John Kennedy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Sparky Lyle allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked and scored.

George Thomas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jerry Moses was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

The way the Baltimore Orioles are going, even if the Sox were to be on a hot streak it seems like there would be no way to catch them. The bottom line is the O's have the starting rotation the Sox don't. Jim Lonborg didn't revert to 1967 form and the others just aren't good enough. The Sox still have 2 months to turn it around but they're falling dangerously behind. The error by Yaz should never have happened and the offense went cold after the fourth inning. Mudcat Grant has found new life as a reliever after strong-arming the Minnesota Twins to the AL pennant 5 years ago, not much you can do with him. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-48, 11.5 games behind the O's for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the A's. Ray Culp (10-9) takes on Diego Segui at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Culp Outpitches Kaat, Sox Defeat Twins (6/13/70)

In one of the few brightspots in this mediocre season for the Boston Red Sox, Ray Culp (5-6, 2.81 ERA) defeated Minnesota Twins ace Jim Kaat in today's game against the Minnesota Twins. The Twins took a 3-1 lead early but the Sox came through with four runs in the 6th and one in the 7th to take a commanding lead. The Twins rallied in the bottom of the ninth but the Sox held on to come back to .500 on the season with a 6-4 win at Metropolitan Stadium.

                                                      Greta Garbo approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Kaat in the top of the first inning although Mike Andrews flied out to center to start. George Thomas doubled to right and moved to third on the Carl Yastrzemski ground out. A wild pitch scored Thomas to give the Sox the lead and Reggie Smith doubled to right. Rico Petrocelli flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              Thomas scores a run

The Twins wasted no time tying the game in the bottom of the first against Culp. Cesar Tovar beat out an infield single but Culp threw the ball away, allowing Tovar to reach second on the error. Rod Carew took strike three but Tony Oliva moved Tovar to third with a grounder. A wild pitch scored Tovar to tie the game before Harmon Killebrew walked. Rich Reese singled to center and Jim Holt walked to load the bases, but Leo Cardenas grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

George Scott singled to center to start the top of the second but Billy Conigliaro popped up to first. Jerry Moses popped up to third in foul territory as a wild pitch moved Scott to second. Culp grounded out to third to end the inning. The Twins struck again in the bottom of the second as Paul Ratliff walked to start. Ratliff was erased on the force by Kaat and Tovar singled to left. Carew singled to right and Kaat motored around, only to score when catcher Jerry Moses muffed the ball for an error. Oliva singled home Tovar with another run but Killebrew banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                        Catch the damn ball Jerry!

Andrews tried to start a rally with a base hit to to center to start the top of the third before moving to second on the grounder by Thomas. Andrews moved to third on the grounder by Yaz but Smith lined out to center to end the inning. Reese doubled to right to start the bottom of the third and moved to third on the grounder by Holt, but Cardenas popped up to third. Ratliff flied out to right to end the inning.

Kaat cruised in the top of the fourth as Petrocelli flied out to right to start. Scott and Billy C both grounded out to short to end the inning. Culp matched Kaat in the bottom of the fourth as Jim himself grounded out to short to start. Tovar lined out to left and Carew flied out to left to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the fifth as Moses flied out to left to start. Culp lined out to right and Andrews grounded out to short to end the inning. Culp got Oliva to ground out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Killebrew lined out to short. Reese lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox came to life in the top of the sixth inning as Thomas doubled to right to start. Yaz singled him home to cut the lead. Smith doubled to left to chase Kaat after just 5 innings. Bill Zepp came in and managed to get Petrocelli to line out to right and Scott to strike out, but Billy C singled home Yaz and Smith to put the Sox on top. Moses singled to right and Culp helped his own cause with a base hit up the middle to score Conigliaro. Andrews grounded into a force to end the inning but the Sox rallied to take a 5-3 lead.

                                                       What a rally by Yaz and the Sox

Culp did his job in the bottom of the sixth as Holt grounded back to the mound to start. Cardenas struck out and Ratliff lied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Thomas singled to start. Yaz walked and but Smith hit a double play ball to second. Yaz was forced but Cardenas threw the relay throw away. Thomas scored and Smith moved to second. Petrocelli grounded out to short and Scott grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                        Smith helps the Sox rally...sort of

Charlie Manuel pinch hit for Zepp to begin the bottom of the seventh and took strike three to start. Tovar grounded out to third but Carew motored around for a triple. Oliva grounded out to first to end the inning.

Stan Williams took over on the mound for the top of the eighth inning and Billy C struck out to start. Moses flied out to center and Culp grounded out to third to end the inning. Culp gave up a single to Killebrew to start the bottom of the eighth but he was erased on the force by Reese. Holt banged into a double play to end the inning. At this point Culp had pitched 8 innings of 3 run ball, well done.

                                                         "Eat my dust, Kaat!"

The Sox failed to add anymore runs in the top of the ninth as Andrews popped up to short to start. Thomas got plunked and moved to second on the Yaz grounder, but Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. Culp returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth but got no help from his defense. Petrocelli booted a routine grounder by Cardenas to start and a single by Ratliff chased Culp. Sox manager Eddie Kasko brought in Vicente Romo to pitch to pinch hitter Rick Renick. Renick walked to loaded the bases with nobody out, but Tovar could only score Cardenas with a sac fly. Kasko wanted Sparky Lyle to pitch to Carew. The gamble worked as Lyle punched out Carew and Oliva grounded into a force to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 6-4.

                                                        "Had em all the way!" -


Hero of the Night is Billy Conigilaro. He put the Sox up for good in the 6th inning with a 2 run single.

                                                          Billy C is the Hero


The Good:

George Thomas was 3 for 4 with a hit by pitch and 3 runs scored.

Reggie Smith was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Ray Culp tossed 8 innings of 4 run (3 earned) ball to get the win. He allowed 9 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. He was also 1 for 4 at the plate with an rbi.

Sparky Lyle earned his 9th save of the year by getting the final two outs of the ninth.



The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4.

Vicente Romo allowed a walk and an inherited runner to score in the two batters he faced.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

George Scott was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jerry Moses was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Sox especially with Sparky Lyle able to hold on at the end. If only the Sox had someone else besides Sonny Siebert and Culp to pitch well. If Jim Lonborg could revert back to 1967 form, this would be a dangerous team. Culp did well against a high powered Twins offense and good on the Sox for getting to Kaat in the 6th inning. Culp and Conigliaro driving in runs helped big time. All in all it was a good win and hopefully more of these are on the way. The win improved the Sox to 27-27, 8.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox play the Twins in the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon when the Sox send Sonny Siebert (5-3, 3.54 ERA) to the mound to take on Bert Blyleven at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Metropolitan Stadium.

Petrocelli Slams Royals in Game 2 (6/7/70)

For 7 innings it looked like the Kansas City Royals were going to avenge their Game 1 doubleheader loss against the Boston Red Sox. Reggie Smith drove home Gary Peters in the bottom of the sixth to take a 1-0 lead over Bob Johnson and the Royals. Pat Kelly then drove in two runs against Peters to chase him from the game and give the Royals the lead. With two out in the bottom of the eighth, Rico Petrocelli hit a grand slam to put the Red Sox up for good. Vicente Romo (4-0, 3.38 ERA) got the win and Sparky Lyle got the save and the Sox had won their fifth straight game 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                               Corinna Tsopei

Peters got the ball in the top of the first inning and Pat Kelly flied out to left to start. Paul Schaal and Amos Otis stroked back to back singles but Bob Oliver struck out swinging. Lou Piniella popped up to second to end the inning. Johnson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Andrews grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith popped up to third and Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to short to end the inning.

Luis Alcaraz flied out to left to start the top of the second before Jackie Hernandez singled to right. Ellie Rodriguez banged into a double play to end the inning. Tony Conigliaro struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second before Rico Petrocelli popped up to short. George Scott struck out swinging to end the inning.

Johnson struck out swinging to open the top of the third but Kelly singled to left. Schaal forced Kelly at second and Otis forced Schaal at second to end the inning. Don Pavletich popped up to first to start the bottom of the third but Luis Alvarado singled to right. Alvarado stole second but Peters struck out swinging. Andrews popped up to short to end the inning.

Oliver walked to begin the top of the fourth but Piniella flied out to center. Oliver moved to second on the grounder to third by Alcaraz and Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Smith grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth before Yaz popped up to first. Tony C was plunked but Petrocelli popped up to first to end the inning.

Rodriguez flied out to right to start the top of the fifth before Johnson took strike three. Kelly walked and stole second but Schaal grounded out to third to end the inning. Johnson cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Scott struck out swinging to start. Pavletich took strike three and Alvarado flied out to right to end the inning.

Otis flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and Oliver also flied out to center. Piniella grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the sixth as Peters singled to right to begin. Andrews dropped down a bunt to move Peters to second and Gary scored on the base hit to right by Smith. Reggie took second on a wild pitch and third on a passed ball but Yaz struck out swinging. Tony C struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Smith drives in a run

The Royals answered in the top of the seventh as Alcaraz and Hernandez got back to back base hits to start before moving over on a passed ball. Rodriguez walked to load the bases and Hawk Taylor pinch hit for Johnson. Taylor took strike three but Kelly lashed a base hit to left. Yaz then turned and threw the ball onto the Mass Pike for an error to score Alcaraz and Hernandez to give the Royals the lead. That was it for Peters who allowed 2 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Vicente Romo came in to pitch and Schaal walked to reload the bases, but Otis flied out to center. Oliver took strike three to end the inning with the Royals up 2-1.

                                                          "Dammit Yaz"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh with Al Fitzmorris now on the mound. Petrocelli and Scott both grounded out to third but Pavletich singled to left. Dick Schofield pinch hit for Alvarado but grounded out to first to end the inning.

Schofield moved to third with Petrocelli at short for the top of the eighth and Piniella grounded out to short to start. Alcaraz flied out to center and Hernandez popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox suddenly rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Mike Derrick pinch hit for Romo to begin. Derrick grounded back to the mound but Andrews ripped a base hit to left. Smith popped up to short but Yaz and Tony C drew back to back walks to load the bases. Petrocelli then smashed a grand slam to put the Sox on top. Scott flied out to right to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-2.

                                                     Grand slam Petrocelli

Sparky Lyle came in to close out the top of the ninth and Rodriguez grounded out to third to start. Rich Severson pinch hit for Fitzmorris and singled in the hole at short. Kelly lined out to left and Schaal flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

Hero of the Night is Rico Petrocelli. His two out grand slam in the bottom of the eighth put the Sox up for good.

                                                            Petrocelli The Hero

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Don Pavletich was 1 for 3.

Luis Alvarado was 1 for 2.

Gary Peters tossed 6 1/3 innings of 2 run ball and was 1 for 2 at the plate with a run scored.

Vicente Romo got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Sparky Lyle got his eighth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

George Scott was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Dick Schofield was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Mike Derrick was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error but walked and scored a run.

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

This season has been a disaster so far but today was fun. Winning both games of a doubleheader put the Sox back over .500 temporarily. Its a shame that back in April the Sox looked like they could hang with Baltimore but the Sox pitching never got untracked to help the offense. Peters did well today but his ERA is damn near 6.00. Maybe the Sox can turn it around this month but its highly unlikely. They also don't have much to trade to bring in some help unless they want to give up their 1967 core in the process. Still, they won the first game and they won this game with a timely grand slam from Petrocelli. The win improved the Sox to 25-25, 9 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night in Chicago to take on the hapless Chicago White Sox. Sonny Siebert (5-2) takes on Gary Janeski of Chicago at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Romo Outduels Hunter, Sox Beat A's (4/27/70)

The Boston Red Sox needed a big lift from spot starter Vicente Romo (1-0) when tasked against arguably the Oakland Athletics' best pitcher Catfish Hunter, and they got it. Hunter allowed 4 runs in a complete game effort against the Boston offense but Romo allowed just 3 in 8 innings of work. Reggie Smith scored on a wild pitch and hit a home run, Carl Yastrzemski knocked in Mike Andrews and George Scott doubled home Rico Petrocelli for all the offense the Sox would need. Sparky Lyle slammed the door in the top of the ninth inning and the Red Sox had beaten the A's in the first game of a four game set 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Pete Townshend approves of the win

Romo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Felipe Alou flied out to left to start. Rick Monday singled to center but was picked off trying to steal. Reggie Jackson flied out to center to end the inning. Hunter got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Andrews struck out swinging to start. Reggie Smith tripled into the centerfield triangle and scored on a wild pitch to give the Sox the lead. Carl Yastrzemski flied out to left and Tony Conigliaro grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                         Smith triples and scores

Sal Bando popped up to first to open the bottom of the second but Don Mincher walked. Dick Green singled to second but Frank Fernandez struck out swinging. Roberto Pena flied out to left to end the inning. Hunter cruised in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli popped up to third in foul territory to start. George Scott lined out to Hunter and Gerry Moses grounded out to short to end the inning.

Hunter flied out to right to begin the top of the third but Alou got a base hit to center. Smith dove on the ball and clawed at it like a cat for an error to advance Alou to second. Monday singled to left and Yaz threw home to keep Alou from scoring but Monday took second on the throw. Romo got a big out when Jackson struck out swinging and Bando grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Luis Alvarado grounded out to third to start. Romo grounded out to third but Andrews walked. Smith atoned for his error with a base hit to center and Yaz scored Andrews with a base hit to right. Yaz stole second but Tony C flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                          Yaz drives in a run

The Athletics struck back in the top of the fourth as Mincher flied out to center to start. Green struck out swinging but Fernandez hit a home run all the way to Calgary, Alberta Canada to cut the lead. Pena popped up to first to end the inning but the A's were down 2-1.

                                                                 Fernandez goes deep

Petrocelli struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Scott also went down hacking. Moses popped up to short to end the inning.

Romo cruised in the top of the fifth as Hunter grounded out to short to start. Alou struck out swinging and Monday grounded out to second to end the inning. Alvarado singled to left to start the bottom of the fifth but was doubled off first on a bullet hit to Green by Romo. Andrews grounded out to third to end the inning.

The A's struck again in the top of the sixth as Jackson grounded out to first to start. Bando dropped a base hit to left but Yaz gunned him down trying to stretch a double. Mincher then hit a 59,000 foot home run to tie the game. Green popped up to short to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Mincher ties the game

Smith walked to start the bottom of the sixth but was doubled off first on the bullet to Mincher hit by Yaz. Tony C grounded out to short to end the inning.

Fernandez hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the seventh but Moses dropped it for an error. Frank flied out to center anyway and Pena flied out to right. Hunter struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Petrocelli doubled off the Monster to start. Scott doubled to right to score Rico to give the Sox the lead. Moses grounded out to third and Alvarado was intentionally walked. Romo dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but Andrews popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                         Scott drives in a run

The A's wasted no time tying the game in the top of the eighth as Alou popped up to short to start. Monday then cracked a 10,000 foot home run to tie the game. Jackson popped up to third and Bando grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 3-3. Romo did well, tossing 8 innings and allowing 3 long balls on a spot start.

                                                       Romo goes 8 innings

The Sox went up for good in the bottom of the eighth as Smith launched his third home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Yaz grounded out to first and Tony C grounded out to third, but Petrocelli singled to left. Scott forced Rico at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                         Smith puts the Sox on top

Romo tried to go the distance but was chased in the top of the ninth when Mincher singled to left. Sparky Lyle came in to pitch and old friend Jose Tartabull came in to run for Mincher. Green banged into a double play and Fernandez took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

Hero of the Night is Reggie Smith. He scored the first run and hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth.

                                                             Reggie Hero

The Good:

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Luis Alvarado was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Vicente Romo got the win with 8 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 9 hits and a walk while striking out five.

Sparky Lyle earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 4.

Gerry Moses was 0 for 3 with an error.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and stole a base.

George Scott was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good start to the series and kudos to Sox manager Eddie Kasko for switching up the lineup for once. Dropping Petrocelli and Scott for their struggles seems to have worked considering they both got big hits today. Rolling the dice on Romo worked out this time as he responded with a great game that outdid Catfish Hunter, one of the best young pitchers in the game. Lyle hasn't allowed an earned run yet so he definitely should be in consideration for someone to close out the games if the starters can't go the distance. Reggie Smith was the hero today with the eighth inning home run and hopefully that can spark the Sox on a long winning streak to close the gap between them and the Baltimore Orioles. Tomorrow night Bill Lee (0-1) looks to rebound from his last start when he takes on Al Downing of the Athletics. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.