Peters, Sox Down Indians (4/20/71)

If nothing else, the Boston Red Sox are getting as much from the plate from their pitchers as they're getting from them on the mound. Gary Peters (2-1, 3.80 ERA) helped the Sox defeat the Cleveland Indians for the first time all season on both offense and defense. Peters tossed 5 2/3 innings while allowing just one run while knocking in 2 runs of his own at the plate. Ken Tatum pitched his best game of the season in relief to earn the save and the Sox finally beat the Indians 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Ingrid Pitt approves of the win

Peters took the ball in the top of the first inning and Eddie Leon grounded out to short to start. Vada Pinson lined out to center but Graig Nettles walked. Ray Fosse grounded out to short to end the inning. Sox manager Eddie Kasko changed his starting lineup for the first time all season by having John Kennedy lead off the bottom of the first inning against Indians starter Camilo Pascual. Kennedy grounded out to second and Reggie Smith grounded out to first, but Carl Yastrzemski singled to right. Rico Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning.

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson led off the top of the second with a fly out to left but Roy Foster walked. Larry Brown forced Foster at second and Buddy Bradford flied out to left to end the inning. George Scott watched strike three go by to start the bottom of the second but Duane Josephson and Billy Conigliaro stroked back to back singles. Doug Griffin flied out to left and Peters grounded out to first to end the inning.

Pascual beat out an infield single to second to start the top of the third but was forced at second by Leon. Pinson popped up to first in foul territory but Nettles struck out to end the inning. Kennedy struck out to start the bottom of the third before Smith flied out to center. Yaz struck out to end the inning.

Fosse grounded out to third to begin the top of the fourth but Harrelson drew a walk. Foster and Brown got back to back base hits to load the bases but Bradford banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Petrocelli grounded out to third to start. Scott took strike three and Josephson flied out to right to end the inning.

Peters cruised in the top of the fifth as Pascual flied out to left to start. Leon popped up to first and Pinson grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fifth as Billy C doubled to left to start. Griffin beat out an infield single to short and Peters doubled home both men, taking third on the throw. Kennedy was plunked and that was it for Pascual. Steve Mingori came in and Smith doubled home both runners to increase the lead. Smith moved to third on the Yaz grounder but Petrocelli lined out to third. Scott was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                     Conigliaro starts the rally

The Indians fought back in the top of the sixth as Nettles flied out to center to start. Fosse pounded a home run into the Gulf of Mexico to put Cleveland on the board. Harrelson grounded out to third but Foster and Brown stroked back to back singles. Bradford walked to load the bases and Sox manager Eddie Kasko pulled the plug on Peters before it got any worse. Ken Tatum came in and Gomer Hodge pinch hit for Mingori, grounding out to second to end the inning with the Indians down 4-1.

                                                              Fosse hits one out

Ray Lamb came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Josephson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Billy C struck out and Griffin popped up to short to end the inning.

John Lowenstein pinch hit for Leon to start the top of the seventh and flied out to center to begin. Pinson and Nettles both grounded out to second to end the inning. Tatum and Kennedy both watched strike three go by to begin the bottom of the seventh before Smith lined out to center to end the inning.

Fosse flied out to left to start the top of the eighth but Harrelson walked. Foster forced Harrelson at second and Brown flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                               Tatum keeps the Sox in front

Yaz flied out to left to start the bottom of the eighth but Petrocelli singled to left. Scott forced Rico at second and Josephson lined out to center to end the inning.

Tatum came back to close out the top of the ninth and Lou Camilli pinch hit for Bradford to start. Camilli flied out to left and Ted Uhlaender pinch hit for Lamb only to take strike three. Lowenstein grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

Hero of the Night is Gary Peters. He earned the win with 5 2/3 innings of 1 run ball and driving in 2 runs of his own.

                                                      Hero for a day

The Good:

Billy Conigliaro was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Ken Tatum got the save with 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

George Scott was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

John Kennedy was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but knocked in 2 runs.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Duane Josephson was just 1 for 4.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

THIS is what the Sox wanted out of Ken Tatum when they traded the ultra popular Tony Conigliaro for him. The Sox needed bullpen help and this is what they envisioned. Hopefully they can get more games like this out of Tatum. As for Peters, what more can be said? He won the game on both sides of the ball and so far the Sox are getting more walks than home runs, but at least they're winning games. The offense didn't do much in this one again and as sad as it sounds, this was the first time they've switched the starting lineup all season. Its been the same nine guys in the same nine spots since Opening Day and today they swapped out Luis Aparicio with John Kennedy....and nothing changed. Still a win is a win and they all count. The Sox look to take the rubber game against the Indians tomorrow afternoon when Ray Culp gets the start for the Sox up against Steve Hargan. The game begins at 1 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Outlast Sox in 13 Innings (4/19/71)

The Cleveland Indians have won 5 games this season and four of them have come against the Boston Red Sox. After sweeping the Sox out of Cleveland two weeks ago, the Indians came to Fenway and beat the Sox in extra innings. The Sox and Indians fought to a 3-3 tie by the eighth inning then were deadlocked  the next four innings. Roy Foster bashed a 2 run home run off Bill Lee (0-1, 4.15 ERA) to put the Indians ahead then survived a rally by the Sox in the bottom of the 13th. The Sox couldn't get the tying run in and the Indians had won it 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    "DAMN INDIANS!!!!"

Mike Nagy got the start for the Sox in the top of the first inning and Ted Uhlaender struck out looking to start. Vada Pinson flied out to left but Ray Fosse singled to center. Graig Nettles popped up to first to end the inning. Alan Foster got the start for the Indians and Luis Aparicio started the bottom of the first with a fly out to left. Reggie Smith flied out to right and Carl Yastrzemski popped up a bunt back to Foster to end the inning.

Old pal Ken "Hawk" Harrelson grounded back to the mound to start the top of the second before John Lowenstein flied out to right. Larry Brown popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli walked to start. George Scott struck out but Duane Josephson walked. Billy Conigliaro struck out but Doug Griffin walked. Nagy popped up to second to end the inning.

Buddy Bradford flied out to center to start the top of the third before Foster struck out looking. Uhlaender grounded out to first to end the inning. Aparicio grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the third but Smith singled to right. Smith was forced at second by Yaz and Petrocelli popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth as Pinson singled to center to start. Pinson stole second but Fosse grounded out to short. Nettles walked and Harrelson clobbered a home run into the Charles River to give the Indians the lead. Lowenstein flied out to center and Brown grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Indians ahead 3-0.

                                                       Of course it had to be The Hawk

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the fourth as Scott grounded out to short to start. Josephson grounded out to third and Billy C flied out to center to end the inning.

The Indians ran themselves out of the top of the fifth as Bradford flied out to right to start. Foster grounded out to third but Uhlaender singled to right. Uhlaender was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Josephson to end the inning.

                                             "Hey Uhlaender, get the hell out of here" - DJ

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Griffin struck out to start. Nagy hit one up the elevator shaft and Aparicio flied out to center to end the inning.

Nagy got Pinson to ground out to first to start the top of the sixth but Petrocelli threw away a grounder by Fosse for an error. Nettles walked but Harrelson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Smith walked to start. Yaz singled Smith to third and Petrocelli singled Reggie home...but was thrown out trying to stretch a double. Scott singled home Yaz to cut the lead and that was it for Foster. Chuck Machemehl came in and struck out Josephson before Billy C flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox had cut the lead 3-2 despite the Petrocelli blunder.

                                                         What the hell are you doing?

Lowenstein grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh before Brown flied out to center. Bradford grounded out to short to end the inning. Griffin flied out to right to begin the bottom of the seventh and Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Nagy. Lahoud flied out to center and Aparicio popped up to first to end the inning. Nagy was officially out of the game but had held the Indians to 3 runs in 7 innings.

                                                        One mistake cost him the win

Sparky Lyle came in for the top of the eighth and the pitcher Machemehl singled to center to start. Chuck Hinton pinch hit for Uhlaender and flied out to center before Pinson flied out to left. Fosse singled to left but Nettles flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth with Ted Ford now in left. Smith walked to start the frame and Phil Gagliano ran for him. Yaz struck out but Petrocelli reached on an error by Nettles. Scott singled home Gagliano and Petrocelli advanced to third, but Josephson struck out. Billy C grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Gagliano ties the game

George Thomas took over in right for the top of the ninth and Harrelson singled to center to start. Roy Foster ran for Hawk and Lowenstein sacrificed him to second with a bunt. Sox manager Eddie Kasko brought Bobby Bolin in to pitch to Brown and Larry grounded out to third. Bradford struck out to end the inning. Griffin grounded out to third to start the bottom of the ninth and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Bolin. Fiore walked...but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Aparicio grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                        Nice baserunning Fiore!

Ken Brett came in for the top of the tenth with Gomer Hodge pinch hitting for Machemehl to start. Hodge singled to left and Vince Colbert pinch ran for him. Ford sacrificed Colbert to second and Pinson walked, but Fosse flied out to center. Nettles grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox had a chance to end it in the bottom of the tenth although Thomas grounded back to the mound to start. Yaz grounded back to the mound but Petrocelli and Scott drew back to back walks. With the winning run at second....Josephson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Foster popped up to second to start the top of the eleventh but Lowenstein doubled to left. Brown popped up to first and Bradford was intentionally walked. Eddie Leon pinch hit for Colbert and flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox had a chance to end it again in the bottom of the eleventh against Steve Mingori but Billy C watched strike three go by to start. Griffin flied out to left and Don Pavletich pinch hit for Brett. Pavletich and Aparicio drew back to back walks and with the winning run at second....Thomas popped up to first to end the inning.

Bill Lee came in to pitch the top of the 12th and Ford grounded out to third to start. Pinson grounded out to second and Fosse struck out to end the inning. Yaz popped up to second to start the bottom of the 12th before Petrocelli grounded out to short. Scott also grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Indians took command in the top of the 13th as Nettles walked to start. Foster hit a home run all the way to Alaska to give Cleveland the lead. Lowenstein struck out looking and Brown whiffed. Bradford swung at air to end the inning but the Indians now led 5-3.

                                                        Indians take the lead

The Sox didn't go quietly in the bottom of the 13th as Josephson singled to to center to start. Billy C singled to left and Griffin walked to load the bases with nobody out. Sox manager Eddie Kasko sent the pitcher Gary Peters to pinch hit for Lee and he took strike three. Aparicio beat out a double play ball to score Josephson and put runners at the corners. With the tying run at third....Thomas flied out to center to end the game. The Indians had held on to win 5-4 in 13 innings.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with George Thomas. He was 0 for 3 and failed twice with a chance to win or tie the game.

                                                             Thomas the Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Phil Gagliano scored a run as a pinch runner.

George Scott was 2 for 5 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Don Pavletich walked as a pinch hitter.

Mike Nagy tossed 7 solid innings of 3 run ball. His only mistake was the home run by Harrelson.

Sparky Lyle tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bobby Bolin retired the only two men he faced.

Ken Brett tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Gary Peters struck out as a pinch hitter.

Bill Lee took the loss by allowing a 2 run homer in the top of the 13th.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was 0 for 6 but walked and drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 6 but scored a run.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 but walked twice and drove in a run.

Duane Josephson was just 1 for 5 but walked and scored a run.

Billy Conigliaro was just 1 for 6.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4 but walked twice.

Mike Fiore walked as a pinch hitter but was thrown out trying to steal.

Final Thoughts:

Sox manager Eddie Kasko needs his head examined. Why in the world would you pinch run George Thomas for Reggie Smith? Thomas ended up going 0 for 3 after Smith was out of the game, you don't think Reggie could have made a difference? Also with the bases loaded in the 13th why would you pinch hit Lee with another pitcher? There was nobody out, you could have had Lee bunt and catch everyone asleep. The Sox had plenty of chances to win this one but just couldn't get out of their own way. Mike Fiore getting thrown out trying to steal, Petrocelli getting thrown out trying to stretch a double...it all added up to a 13 inning defeat. Kasko was supposedly better to the players than Dick Williams was but I'd rather have Dick right now, at least he made moves that made sense even if he was a jerk to the players. Mike Nagy gave it his all and you can't even blame Lee for giving up the bomb if the game was over long before that. Once again, the Indians have won 5 games this year and beat the Sox for 4 of them. The Sox look to avoid another ignominious defeat to the Indians tomorrow afternoon when they send Gary Peters (1-1) against Camilo Pasqual at 1 PM at Fenway Park.

Siebert Outduels Chance, Sox Edge Tigers (4/18/71)

When Ray Culp of the Boston Red Sox took on Detroit Tigers ace Mickey Lolich yesterday, the pitcher's duel turned into a slugfest. Today Sonny Siebert and Dean Chance had the duel everyone thought was coming yesterday. With the city of Boston abuzz for tonight's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs between the Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens, the Red Sox gave the fans an afternoon treat by edging the Tigers. Carl Yastrzemski supplied the only run the Sox needed with a home run as they beat Detroit 1-0 at Tiger Stadium.

                                                        Phil Esposito approves of the win

Chance got the ball in the top of the first and Luis Aparicio flied out to center to start. Reggie Smith singled to left and moved to second on the Carl Yastrzemski grounder. Rico Petrocelli took strike three to end the inning. Siebert got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dick McAuliffe took strike three to start. Al Kaline grounded out to short but both Jim Northrup and Norm Cash drew walks. Willie Horton popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

George Scott grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Duane Josephson took strike three. Billy Conigliaro singled to center and swiped second, but Doug Griffin grounded out to third to end the inning. Aurelio Rodriguez popped up to center to start the bottom of the second but Bill Freehan singled to left. Freehan swiped second but Ed Brinkman grounded out to short. Chance flied out to right to end the inning.

Siebert took strike three to start the top of the third before Aparicio grounded out to short. Smith lined out to left to end the inning. Siebert cruised in the bottom of the third as McAuliffe popped up to short to start. Kaline took strike three and Northrup grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth when Yaz belted his second home run of the season to score the only run of the game. Petrocelli popped up to third in foul territory, Scott flied out to right and Josephson grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              Yaz puts Boston on top

Siebert cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Cash flied out to right to start. Horton popped up to short and Rodriguez hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Chance dominated the top of the fifth as Billy C struck out to start. Griffin lined out to second and Siebert flied out to left to end the inning. Freehan popped up to third in foul territory to start the bottom of the fifth before Brinkman hit one up the elevator shaft. Chance struck out to end the inning.

Aparicio popped up to second to start the top of the sixth before Smith grounded out to first. Yaz walked but Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning. Siebert got McAuliffe to ground out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Kaline grounded out to third. Northrup beat out an infield single to short but Cash grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh as Scott grounded out to short to start. Josephson grounded out to short as well and Billy C grounded out to first to end the inning. Horton grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Rodriguez did the same. Freehan beat out an infield single to first but Brinkman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Griffin flied out to left to start the bottom of the eighth before Siebert grounded out to short. Aparicio grounded out to short to end the inning. Dalton Jones pinch hit for Chance to start the bottom of the eighth and singled to center. Cesar Gutierrez ran for Jones but was doubled off first on the liner to Griffin by McAuliffe. Kaline grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                               Heads up play by Griffin

Bill Zepp came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Smith grounded out to first to start. Yaz grounded back to the mound and Petrocelli took strike three to end the inning. The Sox managed just 3 hits and a walk the whole game but were 3 outs away from stealing one. Siebert began the bottom of the ninth by allowing a single to Northrup. Cash flied out to center and Horton struck out, but Gates Brown pinch hit for Rodriguez. Brown took strike three to end the game. Siebert had tossed a complete game 5 hit shutout to beat the Tigers 1-0.

Hero of the Night is Sonny Siebert. He tossed a complete game 5 hit shutout to earn his second win of the season.

                                                  Hell of an effort by the Hero

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with a stolen base.

The Bad:

Luis Aparicio was 0 for 4.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4 with 2 stirkeouts.

George Scott was 0 for 3.

Duane Josephson was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Go Bruins and go Red Sox. After yesterday's disaster the Sox offense went to sleep but luckily Siebert was there to save the day. The Sox are going to have to ride Ray Culp and Siebert this season if Jim Lonborg isn't going to be much help and they don't make a trade during the season. This game was a great pitcher's duel and Siebert was up to the challenge. Anytime you can win a game with only 3 hits is stealing one and the Sox can't afford too many games like this. Still a win is a win even if its by 1 run or 10. Its only 10 games into the season but the power just hasn't been there this season so far. Yes, Carl Yastrzemski homered today but in general the team just isn't hitting them out as much. Like I said its only been 10 games so there's plenty of time to warm up, just concerning so far in April. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox return home to face the very same Indians that swept them out of Cleveland last week. Mike Nagy gets the start for the Sox up against Alan Foster of the Indians at 1 PM at Fenway Park.

Tigers Walkoff Red Sox (4/17/71)

Well that was completely unexpected. What should have been a matchup of aces between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers turned into a slugfest. Tigers ace Mickey Lolich failed to make it out of the second inning while Sox ace Ray Culp was knocked out in the seventh. The Sox did have a 9-6 lead but the Tigers tied it in the seventh and won the game in the bottom of the tenth with a rally off Ken Tatum (0-2, 5.79 ERA). In what should have been a pitcher's duel, the Tigers outmuscled the Sox 10-9 at Tiger Stadium.

                                                "Tigers beat the Red Sox? Say it ain't so!"

The Sox wasted no time against Lolich in the top of the first as Luis Aparicio popped up to second to start. Reggie Smith got the party started with a double and Carl Yastrzemski singled him home. Rico Petrocelli singled to center and Jim Northrup booted the ball allowing Yaz to come around to score, Rico advancing to third. George Scott singled home Petrocelli and Duane Josephson walked. In what turned out to be a big play, Billy Conigliaro banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Smith starts the rally with a double

The Tigers answered against Culp in the bottom of the first as Dick McAuliffe walked to start. Dick was doubled off first on the liner to third by Al Kaline, but Ray Culp threw a grounder by Northrup into the bleachers for a 3 bag error. Norm Cash singled home Northrup but Willie Horton grounded into a force to end the inning with the Tigers down 3-1.

                                                  Keep the ball in play will ya?

The Sox finished off Lolich in the top of the second as Doug Griffin doubled to left to start. Culp dropped down a bunt to advance Griffin to third and Aparicio singled him home. Smith singled Aparicio to third and Tigers manager Billy Martin had seen enough, pulling Lolich after just 4 outs. Fred Scherman came in and Yaz greeted him with a base hit to right to score Aparicio. Petrocelli beat out an infield hit to third to score Smith and chase Scherman. Daryl Patterson came in and Scott singled Yaz home but got caught in a rundown. For some reason Petrocelli tried for home and was thrown out to kill the rally. A wild pitch moved Scott to second but Josephson struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                           What was he thinking?

Aurelio Rodriguez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Bill Freehan beat out an infield single to third. Ed Brinkman forced Freehan at second and Kevin Collins pinch hit for Patterson. Collins popped up to first to end the inning.

Dave Boswell came in to pitch the top of the third and Billy C walked to start. Griffin flied out to left and Culp took strike three. Aparicio flied out to left to end the inning. The Tigers roared back in the bottom of the third as McAuliffe singled to start. Kaline walked and Northrup singled home McAuliffe. Cash walked and Horton pounded a grand slam to Neptune to cut the lead just like that. Rodriguez popped up to left in foul territory, Freehan lined out to center and Brinkman struck out to end the inning with the Tigers down 7-6.

                                                      Grand Slam Horton

The Sox tried to fight back when Smith walked to start the top of the fourth. Yaz moved Reggie to second on a grounder and Petrocelli walked to chase Boswell. Jim Hannan came in and Scott singled home Smith to increase the lead. Josephson walked but Billy C hit into another double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-6.

                                                          Scott drives in a run

Hannan was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the bottom of the fourth before McAuliffe popped up to first in foul territory. Kaline grounded out to short to end the inning.

Griffin singled to left to start the top of the fifth and Culp moved him to second with a bunt. Aparicio flied out to left and Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. Culp got in trouble in the bottom of the fifth although Northrup popped up to third to start. Cash grounded out to first but Horton singled to left. Rodriguez and Freehan both walked to load the bases but Brinkman took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth when Yaz walked to start. Petrocelli took strike three but Scott reached on an error by Rodriguez. Josephson singled home Yaz to increase the lead. Billy C hit into his third double play of the game to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-6.

                                               How about hitting the ball in the air for once?

George Thomas made his season debut in the bottom of the sixth when he came in for Yaz to start. Old friend Dalton Jones pinch hit for Hannan and was retired on a nubber in front of the plate. McAuliffe and Kaline both flied out to center to end the inning.

Tom Timmermann came in for the top of the seventh and plunked Griffin to start. Culp sacrificed Griffin to second with a bunt but Aparicio grounded out to third. Smith was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Thomas struck out to end the inning. The wheels fell off for Culp as Northrup and Cash crushed back to back home runs to chase him from the game. He didn't have his best stuff as he got tagged for 8 runs in just 6 innings. Bobby Bolin came in and Horton crushed his second home run of the game to tie it up. Rodriguez hit one up the elevator shaft, Freehan grounded out to short and Brinkman grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The three homers in a row tied the game 9-9.

                                                         Nice going Bolin

Petrocelli walked to start the top of the eighth but Scott struck out. Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Josephson and flied out to right Billy C lined out to second to end the inning. Don Pavletich took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth and Timmermann popped up to first to start. McAuliffe popped up to short and Kaline struck out to end the inning.

Griffin grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Bolin. Fiore reached on an error by Cash and Aparicio walked, but Smith banged into a double play to end the inning. Bill Lee came in for the bottom of the ninth and Northrup grounded out to first to start. Cash singled to to center and Cesar Gutierrez ran for him. Horton singled Gutierrez to third to chase Lee. Ken Tatum came in and Rodriguez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Gates Brown pinch hit for Freehan and Gutierrez was thrown out at home on the force. Brinkman flied out to center to end the inning.

Mickey Stanley took over in center with Jim Price in for Brown to start the top of the tenth. Thomas grounded out to short, Petrocelli flied out to left and Scott grounded out to short to end the inning. Timmermann himself started the final rally with a walk to start the bottom of the tenth. McAullife popped up a bunt but Petrocelli tried to double off Timmermann and ended up throwing the ball into Lake Eerie to advance the pitcher to third. Kaline and Northrup were intentionally walked to load the bases but Stanley popped up to second. Who else but Horton singled home Timmermann to win the game for the Tigers? The Tigers had walked off the Sox 10-9.

Jackass of the Night is Ken Tatum. He allowed the winning run to score in the bottom of the tenth by walking the relief pitcher to start the inning.

                                                             Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 2 for 4 with 2 walks and 3 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

George Scott was 3 for 6 with 3 rbis.

Duane Josephson was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Doug Griffin was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

The Bad:

George Thomas was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ray Culp was lit up for 8 runs in just 6 innings of work.

Bill Lee gave up hits to two of the three men he faced.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 5 but walked, drove in a run and scored.

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4 but walked.

Bobby Bolin allowed the tying home run in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Don Pavletich caught the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

If blowing a 5 run lead to the Washington Senators wasn't bad enough, how do you lose a game where you knock Mickey Lolich out in the second inning and lead 7-1? The Sox pitching has been Jekyll and Hyde this season and Hyde showed up today. Culp didn't have his best stuff but good golly is that bullpen BAD. The trio of Bobby Bolin, Ken Tatum and Ken Brett hasn't shown much at all even though Brett didn't pitch in this one. Billy C's double play in the first and Petrocelli running into an out in the second ended up being big rally killers that ended up costing the Sox. In essence the Sox were beaten by two men, Willie Horton and Tom Timmermann. Timmermann tossed 4 shutout innings and started the winning rally with a walk and Horton was hitting home runs all game. Its only April but the Sox can't afford to get off to a bad start with the Baltimore Orioles being as good as they are. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow when they send Sonny Siebert (1-0) to the mound up against former Minnesota Twins ace Dean Chance of the Tigers. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Tiger Stadium.

Sox Hold On to Beat Tigers (4/16/71)

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox posted a victory in today's game against the Detroit Tigers. Gary Peters (1-1, 4.60 ERA) tossed 8 outstanding innings to keep the Sox in the game. The offense didn't muster much but took advantage of some shoddy Detroit defense to take command in the top of the eighth inning. Once again Sox manager Eddie Kasko nearly lost the game by having his starter try to complete the game. Peters ran out of gas in the ninth inning, Sox closer Ken Tatum faltered but Sparky Lyle saved the day on the 5-3 win at Tiger Stadium.

                                                        Agent 99 approves of the win

Joe Niekro got the start for Detroit and the Sox beat the ball in the dirt to begin the top of the first. Luis Aparicio grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith grounded out to second and Carl Yastrzmeski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Peters got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ed Brinkman grounded out to third to start. Jim Northrup grounded out to second but Al Kaline singled to left. Willie Horton popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second although Rico Petrocelli popped up to short to start. George Scott grounded back to the mound but Duane Josephson walked. Josephson swiped second and scored on the rbi single by Billy Conigliaro. Doug Griffin lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                      Billy C drives in a run

Peters cruised in the bottom of the second as Bill Freehan hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Aurelio Rodriguez popped up to second and Dick McAuliffe grounded out to second to end the inning.

Peters singled to right to start the top of the third but Aparicio banged into a double play. Smith singled to center and Yaz walked, but Petrocelli lined out to short to end the inning. Mickey Stanley grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Niekro struck out. Brinkman flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth although Scott grounded out to short to start. Josephson singled to center and took third on the error by Stanley. Billy C and Griffin worked back to back walks to load the bases and Peters beat out a double play ball to score Josephson. Aparicio grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Josephson scores a run

Northrup grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth but Kaline singled to left. Horton banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox scored another run in the top of the fifth when Smith cracked his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Yaz walked but Petrocelli banged into a double play. Scott grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox lead 3-0.

                                                        Smith hits his first homer

Freehan flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Rodriguez lined out to second. McAuliffe grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Josephson struck out to start. Billy C singled to center but Griffin popped up to second. Peters lined out to center to end the inning. The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Stanley singled to start. Ike Brown pinch hit for Niekro and hit a home run all the way to British Columbia to cut the lead. Brinkman, Northrup and Kaline all grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 3-2 Sox.

                                               Brown with a pinch hit home run

Bill Zepp came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Aparicio grounded out to third to start. Smith and Yaz stroked back to back singles but Petrocelli struck out. Scott flied out to center to end the inning. Horton flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Freehan doubled to left. Rodriguez struck out swinging and McAuliffe struck out looking to end the inning.

The Sox took advantage of shoddy defense to score in the top of the eighth. Josephson walked to start and Billy C singled to left. Josephson was forced at third on a grounder by Griffin and Peters walked to load the bases. Aparicio dropped down a bunt for the suicide squeeze and it ate Northrup up for an error to score Conigliaro and re-load the bases. Smith hit a sac fly to score Griffin and that was it for Zepp. Fred Scherman came in and Yaz walked to re-load the bases. Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                         Griffin scores a run

Peters cruised in the bottom of the eighth as Stanley grounded out to short to start. Cesar Gutierrez pinch hit for Scherman and popped up to first before Brinkman grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Daryl Patterson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Scott singled to center to start. Josephson popped up to first, Billy C struck out and Griffin grounded into a force to end the inning. For some inane reason Sox manager Eddie Kasko sent Peters out to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth. Northrup popped up to short but Kaline doubled to left. Horton singled Kaline to third to chase Peters. He was great and almost went the distance, tossing 8 1/3 innings of 3 run ball. Ken Tatum came in and Freehan singled home Kaline to cut the lead. Kevin Collins pinch ran for Freehan but Rodriguez took strike three. Kasko then brought in Sparky Lyle to face McAuliffe and Dick popped up to short to end the game. The Sox held on to win it 5-3.

Hero of the Night is Gary Peters. He was outstanding by tossing 8 1/3 innings of 3 run ball. He was also 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi at the plate.

                                                     Peters the Hero

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 3 for 4 with a solo home run and 2 total rbis.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 2 with 3 walks.

Duane Josephson was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Billy Conigliaro was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Sparky Lyle earned the save by retiring the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

George Scott was just 1 for 5.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Ken Tatum allowed an inherited runner to score but struck out the other man he faced.

Final Thoughts:

I don't know what is with Eddie Kasko and trying desperately to have his starters finish games. When you have Sparky Lyle, Ken Brett, Ken Tatum and Bill Lee, why do you want your starters to burn their arms out? The Sox team ERA would be significantly lower if they had one of those four guys start the ninth instead of sending the starter back out there, especially in April! Gary Peters, Sonny Siebert and Ray Culp have pitched admirably so why not save them wear and tear come July, August and September? Not much to complain about on the offensive side other than Petrocelli was useless in this one. Billy Conigliaro had a good game though, he's never going to be his brother but he doesn't have to be if he can drive in runs and get on base. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Tigers tomorrow in a battle of the aces. Ray Culp goes for the Sox up against Mickey Lolich at 2:00 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Senators Six Run Rally Sinks Sox (4/14/71)

For 6 innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were going to sweep the Washington Senators out of Washington. Mike Nagy had tossed 6 shutout innings and the Sox enjoyed a 5-0 lead....but the wheels fell off. The Senators exploded for 6 runs in the bottom of the seventh, 4 off Nagy and 2 off his replacement Bobby Bolin (0-1, 27.00). The Sox offense were shellshocked the remaining 2 innings and the Senators avoided a sweep with a 6-5 win at RFK Stadium.

                                                       "They lost? To the Senators?"

Jim Shellenbeck got the start for Washington in the top of the first and Luis Aparicio grounded out to second to start. Reggie Smith struck out but Carl Yastrzemski tripled to center. Rico Petrocelli walked but George Scott flied out to right to end the inning. Mike Nagy made his season debut in the bottom of the first and Del Unser popped up to left in foul territory to start. Tim Cullen flied out to right and Mike Epstein flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Duane Josephson grounded out to short to start. Billy Conigliaro walked and Doug Griffin dropped down a bunt to advance him to second. Nagy helped his own cause with an rbi double to center. Aparicio singled home Nagy to increase the lead but Smith grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                 Aparicio drives in a run

Joe Foy flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Frank Howard walked. Richie Scheinblum lined out to second but Howard swiped second base. Jim French walked but Toby Harrah popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Yaz singled off the pitcher to start. Petrocelli singled to second and Scott singled home Yaz. Josephson singled home Petrocelli to increase the lead but Billy C forced Scott at third. Griffin beat out a double play ball but Nagy struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                          Scott drives in a run

Curt Flood pinch hit for Shellenbeck in the bottom of the third and grounded out to second to begin. Unser walked and Cullen banged into a double play to end the inning.

Joe Grzenda came in to pitch the top of the fourth and made the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Aparicio grounded out to short, Smith grounded out to third and Yaz grounded out to short to end the inning. Epstein singled to center to begin the bottom of the fourth but Foy banged into a double play. Howard grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox ran themselves out of the top of the fifth inning but Petrocelli doubled to left to start. Petrocelli made a mad dash to third on a base hit by Scott and George took second on the throw over. Josephson grounded out to third and Billy C was intentionally walked to load the bases. Griffin hit a sac fly to score Petrocelli but Billy C was foolishly thrown out at second base to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                            What were you thinking?

Scheinblum walked to start the bottom of the fifth but French took strike three. Smith made a great diving catch off a Harrah liner and doubled off Scheinblum at first to end the inning.

Nagy grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Aparicio grounded out to third. Smith flied out to center to end the inning. Bernie Allen pinch hit for Grzenda to start the bottom of the sixth and flied out to center. Unser singled to right but Cullen banged into a double play to end the inning.

Darold Knowles came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Yaz struck out to start. Petrocelli took strike three and Scott grounded out to third to end the inning. The wheels fell off in the bottom of the seventh as Epstein walked to start. Foy singled to left and Howard singled Epstein home. Scheinblum singled home Foy and that was it for Nagy. He ran out of gas big time and Bobby Bolin came in to pour gas on the fire. French dropped down a bunt and Bolin threw it completely out of RFK Stadium to load the bases. Tommy McCraw pinch hit for Harrah and walked home Howard. Elliott Maddox pinch hit for Knowles and walked home the tying run to chase Bolin. Bill Lee came in and Dick Billings pinch hit for Unser. Billings forced French at home on a grounder but Cullen singled home Maddox and McCraw to put the Senators on top. Epstein took strike three and that was it for Lee. Ken Tatum came in and walked Foy to re-load the bases. Howard flied out to right to end the inning but the Senators knocked around four Sox pitchers to take the lead 6-5.

                                                              Nagy gets no relief help

Horacio Pina took over on the mound with Tom Ragland in for Billings for the top of the eighth inning. Josephson flied out to center and Billy C grounded out to short but Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Griffin. Lahoud singled to center and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Tatum. Fiore lined out to second to end the inning. Ken Brett came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with John Kennedy taking over at second base. Scheinblum popped up to first but French doubled to center. McCraw flied out to center but Maddox was intentionally walked. Ragland struck out to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth as Aparicio and Smith struck out to start. Denny Riddleberger came in to pitch to Yaz and Carl walked. Gerry Janeski came in to pitch to Petrocelli and Rico grounded out to short to end the game. The Senators had stunned the Sox 6-5.

Jackass of the Night is Bobby Bolin. He walked in two crucial runs, made an error and was charged with two runs of his own to take the loss.

                                                         Bolin the Jackass

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

George Scott was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Billy Conigliaro walked twice and scored a run in 4 plate appearances.

Doug Griffin dropped down a perfect bunt and drove in a run.

Joe Lahoud singled as a pinch hitter.

Ken Brett tossed a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Duane Josephson was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Mike Nagy was charged with 4 runs in 6 plus innings of work. He was 1 for 3 at the plate with an rbi single.

Bill Lee allowed two inherited runners to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Ken Tatum only retired one of the two men he faced.

Honorable Mention:

John Kennedy played second base in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

That was one to forget. It looked like the Sox were about to sweep the Senators on the road but the bullpen blew that to smithereens. That's the third time in 7 games the bullpen blew a big lead and this time it proved fatal. How are the Sox supposed to compete with Baltimore this season if they have bullpen issues already? Sox manager Eddie Kasko used 4 pitchers in one inning and barely got through it, how are they supposed to get Frank & Brooks Robinson out down the road? The offense did what they could to put 5 runs on the board but it just wasn't enough. The Sox continue their road trip Friday afternoon in Detroit. Gary Peters (0-1) goes for the Sox up against Joe Niekro of the Tigers. The game begins at 2:00 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Siebert, Sox Down Senators (4/13/71)

One thing is for sure, the Boston Red Sox have a chance to win a game whenever Ray Culp or Sonny Siebert (1-0, 0.59 ERA) pitches. Now if only Sox manager Eddie Kasko could get his head out of his rear end and stop leaving them in too long. Sonny was amazing as he dazzled the Senators for 2 runs in 8 innings of work. Just like with Ray Culp yesterday, Siebert was asked to finish the game and nearly blew it in the bottom of the ninth. Luckily, Sparky Lyle was able to save the day. The Sox offense got to former 30 game winner Denny McClain for 5 runs thanks to a clutch home run by Duane Josephson. The Sox got back to .500 with a 5-3 win over the Senators at RFK Stadium.

                                                    Willy Rey approves of the win

McClain got the ball to start the top of the first and Luis Aparicio lined out to second to start. Reggie Smith lashed a single to right but Carl Yastrzemski flied out to center. Rico Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning. Siebert took the mound in the bottom of the first and Del Unser took strike three to start. Tim Cullen singled to right but Frank Howard banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as George Scott singled to center to start. Duane Josephson cracked his first home run of the season to put Boston on top. Billy Conigliaro popped up to second, Doug Griffin grounded out to third and Siebert struck out looking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                              Home run Duane

Siebert cruised in the bottom of the second as Mike Epstein grounded out to first to start. Joe Foy flied out to center and Richie Scheinblum grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third although Aparicio struck out looking to start. Smith lined out to second but Yaz smashed his first home run of the year to increase the lead. Petrocelli took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-0 Boston.

                                                             About time you hit one out

The Sox defense played hot potato in the bottom of the third as Aparicio booted a grounder by Toby Harrah to start. Paul Casanova doubled Harrah home to put Washington on the board and McClain dropped down a bunt to move Paul over. A passed ball scored Casanova and Petrocelli booted a grounder by Unser for an error. Cullen singled to right but Howard banged into a double play to end the inning. 2 errors and a passed ball had the Senators back in the game 3-2.

                                                   Live look at the Sox defense in that inning

The Sox atoned for their bad defense by getting another run in the top of the fourth as Scott beat out an infield single to short. Josephson doubled George to third and Scott scored on the sac fly by Billy C. Griffin popped up to second and Siebert grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                      Herculean sac fly by Conigliaro

Siebert settled down in the bottom of the fourth as Epstein popped up to Yaz in foul territory to start. Foy flied out to right and Scheinblum grounded out to second to end the inning.

This time it was Washington's turn for bad defense in the top of the fifth as Aparicio singled to center to start. Harrah booted a grounder by Smith but Yaz banged into a double play. McClain balked home Smith to increase the lead and Petrocelli grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                          Smith scores a run on a balk

Harrah grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth before Casanova flied out to right. Bernie Allen pinch hit for McClain and grounded out to second to end the inning.

Casey Cox came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Scott was plunked to start. Josephson banged into a double play and Billy C struck out to end the inning. Unser doubled to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Cullen struck out. Unser moved to second on the Howard grounder but Epstein struck out to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh as Griffin grounded back to the mound to start. Siebert and Aparicio both grounded out to short to end the inning. Siebert cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Foy popped up to short to start. Scheinblum flied out to right and Harrah grounded out to third to end the inning.

Smith doubled to right to start the top of the eighth and that was it for Cox. Joe Grzenda came in to pitch with Tom Ragland coming in to play second and Cullen moving to short to get Harrah out of the game. Smith moved to third on the fly ball by Yaz and Horacio Pina came in for Grzenda. Petrocelli was intentionally walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Scott banged into a double play to end the inning. Casanova flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth before Ragland flied out to left. Unser flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth as Billy C grounded out to short to start. Griffin grounded back to the mound and Siebert took strike three to end the inning. For some reason Siebert was sent back to finish the game and at first the gamble worked when Cullen flied out to center to start the bottom of the ninth. Howard walked and Curt Flood pinch ran for him. Epstein hit a routine grounder to Griffin who kicked the ball over to first for an error. Foy singled to center to score Flood and finally the plug was pulled by Kasko. Sparky Lyle came in and got Scheinblum to bang into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

Hero of the Night is Sonny Siebert. He nearly went the distance, going 8 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

                                                        Siebert the Hero of this one

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 2 for 4.

George Scott was 2 for 2 with a walk, a hit by pitch and scored 2 runs.

Duane Josephson was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Sparky Lyle got the final 2 outs to earn the save.

The Bad:

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3 with an error but walked.

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

This team has a lot of holes but if Siebert or Culp are pitching, they at least have a chance to win the game. The bottom of the order is a black hole if Conigliaro and Griffin aren't hitting, and that's going to be a problem all season. If Sox brass dumped Tony Conigliaro because he didn't get along with Yaz, they could have at least gotten someone competent to replace him. Going from a 30 home run hitter to a slap hitter like Griffin isn't exactly an upgrade. Still, a win is a win and Siebert pitched well. Kasko needs to learn how to trust Lyle and Ken Tatum to start the ninth inning. He's not doing the team ERA any good by leaving Culp and Siebert out too long. Still, its a long season and hopefully things will work itself out. The Sox look to sweep the Senators tomorrow night when Mike Nagy makes his season debut up against Jim Shellenback at 7:00 PM at RFK Stadium.