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.

Sox Bash Sloppy Royals in Game 1 (6/7/70)

This was a win giftwrapped on a silver platter for the Boston Red Sox in the first game of a day night doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. Old friend Dave Morehead didn't get out of the first inning as the Boston bats pounded out 7 runs including a home run from Ken Brett....yes, HIM. The Royals committed 3 errors and the Sox bullpen led by Brett and Lee Strange slammed the door as the Sox took Game 1 7-4 at Fenway Park

                                                   Jennifer Liano approves of the win

Sox starter Ray Culp got the ball in the top of the first inning and Pat Kelly beat out an infield single to third to start. Kelly was thrown out trying to steal before Rich Severson struck out swinging. Amos Otis popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Morehead in the bottom of the first as Mike Andrews walked to start. Reggie Smith singled to right and Carl Yastrzemski walked to load the bases with nobody out. Tony Conigliaro ripped a base hit to left that got under the glove of left fielder Lou Piniella. Andrews and Smith scored, Yaz took third and Moreland had to leave the game. Royals manager Charlie Metro brought in Tom Burgmeier to pitch and Petrocelli walked to re-load the bases. George Scott banged into a double play but Yaz scored to increase the lead. Jim Campanis came in to catch for Ed Kirkpatrick and Tom Satriano grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                             Conigliaro drives in a pair

Culp got Bob Oliver to fly out to center to start the top of the second but Piniella got a base hit to left. Joe Keough flied out to left but Jackie Hernandez walked. Campanis struck out swinging to end the inning. Luis Alvarado flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Culp struck out swinging. Andrews walked but Smith forced him at second to end the inning.

The Royals struck back in the top of the third inning as Burgmeier singled to center to start. Kelly clobbered a home run all the way to Utica to cut the lead. Severson singled to left but Otis struck out swinging. Oliver lined out to left but Piniella singled Severson to third. Keough walked to load the bases but Hernandez grounded into a force at second to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 3-2.

                                                         The pitcher scores a run

The Sox answered in the bottom of the third as Yaz lined one off Burgmeier but right to Hernandez who threw to first for the out. Tony C grounded out to short but Petrocelli tripled to center. Scott bashed a base hit to right to score Rico for another run but Satriano forced Scott at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                            Scott drives in a run

Campanis was plunked to start the top of the fourth but Burgmeier struck out swinging. Campanis moved to second on the grounder to second by Kelly but Severson grounded out to short to end the inning. Alvarado struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Culp grounded out to short. Andrews singled to center but Smith forced him at second to end the inning.

Culp cruised in the top of the fifth inning as Otis struck out swinging to start. Oliver grounded out to short and Piniella flied out to left to end the inning. The sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Yaz grounded out to second to start. Tony C singled to center but was forced at second by Petrocelli. Scott singled to left and Satriano walked to load the bases. Alvarado flied out to center to end the inning.

The Royals chased Culp in the top of the sixth as Keough walked to start. Hernandez hit a home run all the way to Bismarck, North Dakota to tie the game and Campanis walked. That was it for Culp who left after allowing 4 runs in just 5 plus innings. Lee Strange came in and Burgmeier forced Campanis at second before Kelly walked. Both runners moved over on the grounder to first by Severson and Otis walked to load the bases. Oliver grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                          Culp couldn't get it done

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth with Dick Schofield pinch hitting for Strange. Schofield walked and Burgmeier booted a grounder by Andrews for an error before throwing the ball away for another error to send Schofield to third. Smith hit a sac fly to score Schofield plus move Andrews to second but Yaz flied out to right. Tony C got a base hit to left to score Andrews with an insurance run and chase Burgmeier. Ken Wright came in and Petrocelli grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                       Schofield scores the go-ahead run

Ken Brett came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Piniella walked to start. Keough popped up to short but Hernandez walked. Campanis struck out swinging and Hawk Taylor pinch hit for Wright. Taylor struck out swinging to end the inning. Moe Drabowski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Scott took strike three to start. Satriano flied out to right and Alvardo grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Mike Fiore came in to play first for Scott in the top of the eighth and Kelly grounded out to first to start. Severson flied out to center and Otis struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the eighth when Brett himself hit his first home run of the season. Andrews his one up the elevator shaft and Smith struck out looking, but Yaz walked. Tony C flied out to right to end the inning with Boston up 7-4.

                                                           Home run Brett

Brett returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Oliver struck out swinging to start. Piniella doubled to right and moved to third on the grounder to second by Keough, but Hernandez grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won Game 1 by a score of 7-4.

Hero of the Night is Ken Brett. He tossed 3 scoreless innings to get the save and hit a home run.

                                                        Hero Brett

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Tony Conigliaro was 3 for 5 with 3 runs batted in.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

George Scott was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Dick Schofield walked and scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Lee Strange got the win by pitching a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ray Culp allowed 4 runs in just 5 plus innings. He was 0 for 2 with a strikeout at the plate.

The Ugly:

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Tom Satriano was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Mike Fiore played first base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Culp not lasting long wasn't good and neither was Scott getting yanked from the game after watching strike three go by. Kudos to Brett and Strange for holding the fort but the pitching on this team has been atrocious this season as a whole. Losing Jim Lonborg hurt but the Sox needed ace pitching from Sonny Siebert, Culp and Mike Nagy....but aren't getting it. The Baltimore Orioles have a huge lead and it doesn't look like the Sox can get out of their mediocrity even with their powerful offense. Its a shame considering the season Tony Conigliaro is having, hopefully the pitching improves as the season moves along. The win improved the Sox to 24-25. The Sox play Game 2 of the doubleheader in an hour against these same Royals. Gary Peters starts for the Red Sox against Bob Johnson of Kansas City. The game begins at 5 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Walkoff White Sox (5/29/70)

What a comeback win for the Boston Red Sox. In danger of losing their fourth straight game, they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox took a 3-0 over Sonny Siebert and the Red Sox due to the brilliant pitcher of Tommy John. Then a sac fly by Rico Petrocelli made the score 3-1 and Jim Lonborg (4-1, 3.09 ERA) held the fort in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, old friend Wilbur Wood gave up a two run single to Billy Conigliaro to tie the game. Danny Murphy then allowed an rbi single by Jerry Moses to give the game to the Red Sox. Boston had won it 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Leslie Caron approves of the win

Siebert got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy McCraw flied out to left to start. Luis Aparicio grounded out to third but Gail Hopkins singled in the hole at short. Carlos May grounded out to second to end the inning. John got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Andrews grounded out to short to start. Reggie Smith grounded out to second but Carl Yastrzemski singled to center. Tony Conigliaro grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The White Sox struck first in the top of the second as Duane Josephson flied out to right to start. Bill Melton doubled to center but Sid O'Brien grounded out to third. Buddy Bradford got a base hit to center to score Melton and John flied out to right to end the inning with Chicago up 1-0.

                                                                    Chicago strikes first

Rico Petrocelli flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and George Scott took strike three. Luis Alvarado grounded out to third to end the inning. 

McCraw flied out to left to start the top of the third and Aparicio did the same. Hopkins popped up to third to end the inning. Tom Satriano singled to right to start the bottom of the third and Siebert's bunt failed as Tom was out at second. Andrews forced Siebert at second but Smith walked. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning.

All of a sudden Smith was rushed to the local ICU for no reason and Billy Conigiliaro took over for him to start the top of the fourth. May got a base hit to right but Josephson grounded into a double play. Melton then bashed a home run all the way into the Charles River to increase the lead. O'Brien singled in the hole at short and Bradford took strike three to end the inning with the White Sox up 2-0.

                                                               Home run Melton

Tony C reached on an error by John to start the bottom of the fourth and pulled up lame, leaving the game as well, Jerry Moses ran for Tony and Petrocelli flied out to center. Scott walked but Alvarado flied out to center and Satriano grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

John walked to start the top of the fifth but McCraw hit one up the elevator shaft. Aparicio forced John at second but promptly stole second. Hopkins walked but May took strike three to end the inning. Siebert grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth and Andrews struck out swinging. O'Brien dropped a pop up by Billy C but Yaz grounded out to short to end the inning.

Josephson got a base hit to left to start the top of the sixth but Melton popped up to first in foul territory. O'Brien grounded into a double play to end the inning. O'Brien booted a grounder by Moses to start the bottom of the sixth but Petrocelli forced Jerry at second. Scott walked but Alvarado beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Don Pavletich pinch hit for Satriano and forced Alvarado at second to end the inning.

Bradford popped up to first to start the top of the seventh and John grounded out to first. McCraw got a base hit to left and Aparicio doubled to left as well. Hopkins grounded out to short to end the inning. Ken Berry came in for Hopkins to start the bottom of the seventh and Dick Schofield pinch hit for Siebert. Dick grounded out to short, Andrews grounded out to third and Smith lined out to short to end the inning.

Jim Lonborg came in to pitch the top of the eighth and May doubled to center to start. A wild pitch moved May to third and Carlos scored on the Josephson sac fly to center. Melton popped up to first but O'Brien got a base hit to right. O'Brien got picked off to end the inning with Chicago up 3-0.

                                                              Another run for Chicago

The Red Sox struck back in the bottom of the eighth with Bobby Knoop in for O'Brien. Yaz got a base hit to center and took second on a wild pitch. Moses flied out to center to move Carl to third and Petrocelli hit a sac fly to center to score Yaz. Scott grounded out to first to end the inning with the Red Sox down 3-1.

                                                              Petrocelli drives in a run

Bradford struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth and John flied out to center. McCraw got a base hit to right but Aparicio grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the ninth as Alvarado walked to start. Wilbur Wood came in to pitch with Ed Herrmann in to catch. Pavletich flied out to center but Jose Santiago pinch hit for Lonborg. Santiago got a base hit to left and Andrews walked to load the bases. Billy C got a base hit to left to score both Alvarado and Santiago to tie the game. Yaz walked to re-load the bases and Danny Murphy came in to face Moses. Jerry got a base hit to left to score Andrews to win the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

Hero of The Night is Jerry Moses. He came off the bench to deliver the game ending blow.

                                                              Hero Moses

The Good:

Reggie Smith walked in two plate appearances.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

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

George Scott walked twice in four plate appearances.

Tom Satriano was 1 for 2.

Jose Santiago singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Sonny Siebert allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings off 9 hits and 2 walks.

The Bad:

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 2.

Don Pavletich was 0 for 2.

Dick Schofield was 0 for 1.

The Ugly:

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

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3 with an rbi.

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Jim Lonborg got the win by allowing a run in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

The bad news was both Reggie Smith and Tony Conigliaro left the game but the good news was their replacements both helped win the game. Billy Conigliaro got the game tying hit and Moses got the winning hit. That was a hell of a rally in the ninth because the Sox had accomplished almost nothing the entire game. Siebert deserved the win but Lonborg got it instead. You're going to need your role players to step up eventually and today they did. Kudos to Eddie Kasko for making the balsy decision to have Santiago pinch hit for Lonborg. Santiago's single was integral to the game winning hit and every run counted. The Sox may be under .500 but you can't stay that game wasn't exciting. The win improved the Sox to 19-24, 12.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the White Sox tomorrow afternoon when Mike Nagy goes for the Sox against Bart Johnson of Chicago. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Snap Streak, Beat Indians (5/16/70)

Hey look, the Boston Red Sox finally won a game. After getting walked off twice and dropping 5 straight games, the Sox are back in the win column....briefly anyway. Ray Culp (3-4, 2.39 ERA) was the stopper in this one, outdueling Dean Chance of the Cleveland Indians while tossing a complete game 5 hitter. Culp went the distance allowing 2 unearned runs to help the Sox win the game. Offensively the Sox put two runs up against Chance but got 4 more against Dennis Higgins to put themselves up for good. Tony Conigliaro, Carl Yastrzemski and Rico Petrocelli all went deep to help the Sox snap their streak with a 6-2 win over the Indians at Fenway Park.

                                                   Helen Mirren approves of the win

Culp got the ball in the top of the first inning and Larry Brown popped up to short to start. Ted Uhlaender struck out swinging but Tony Horton singled to left. Horton swiped second but Vada Pinson took strike three to end the inning. Chance got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dick Schofield grounded back to the mound to start. Reggie Smith singled to center but Carl Yastrzemski flied out to center. Tony Conigliaro singled Smith to third but Rico Petrocelli forced Tony at second to end the inning.

Duke Sims flied out to right to start the top of the second before Graig Nettles struck out swinging. Ray Fosse struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as George Scott grounded back to the mound to start. Mike Andrews popped up to second and Gerry Moses grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jack Heidemann singled to left to start the top of the third and Chance hit a routine grounder to Culp. Ray tried to kick the ball over to first for an error but Brown beat out a double play ball. Uhlaender popped up to first and Horton forced Brown at second to end the inning. Culp grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Schofield was plunked. Smith doubled to right and Yaz was intentionally walked to load the bases. Tony C banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth as Pinson singled to right to begin. Sims flied out to right but Nettles singled to center. Culp had Pinson picked off second but he airmailed the throw, allowing Pinson to score and Nettles made it all the way to third. Fosse then dropped down a suicide squeeze to score Nettles to increase the lead. Heidemann grounded out to first to end the inning with the Indians up 2-0.

                                                       Stop throwing the ball away

Petrocelli tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Scott struck out swinging. Andrews banged into a double play to end the inning.

Culp froze Chance for strike three to start the top of the fifth and Brown grounded out to third. Uhlaender popped up to third to end the inning. Chance matched Culp in the bottom of the fifth as Moses flied out to left to start. Culp grounded out to third and Schofield struck out swinging to end the inning.

Horton grounded out to third to open the top of the sixth but Pinson singled to center. Sims struck out swinging and Nettles grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Smith lined out to center to start. Yaz doubled to right and Tony C whalloped his eighth home run of the season to tie the game. Petrocelli and Scott both grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Tony C ties it

Foss struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Heidemann walked, Russ Nagelson pinch hit for Chance but struck out swinging before Brown flied out to left to end the inning. Dennis Higgins came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Andrews was plunked to start. Andrews was thrown out trying to steal second and Moses grounded out to third. Culp took strike three to end the inning.

Uhlaender walked to start the top of the eighth but Horton hit into a double play. Pinson flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the eighth as Schofield walked to start. Smith walked as well and Yaz pulverized a 3 run home run to give the Sox the lead. Tony C grounded out to first but Petrocelli smashed his fifth home run of the season to ice the game. Scott grounded back to the mound but Andrews walked. Moses was intentionally walked to get to Culp and Ray hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                          Yaz with a 3 run bomb

Culp returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Sims flied out to center to start. Nettles flied out to left and Fosse also flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had snapped their losing streak with a 6-2 win.

We have Co-Heroes of the Night is Ray Culp. He went the distance allowing just 5 hits and 2 unearned runs for the complete game win.

                                                                Culp The Hero

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk, 3 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a 2 run homer.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a home run.

The Bad:

George Scott was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Dick Schofield was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Mike Andrews was 0 for 2 but walked.

Gerry Moses was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Thank god the Sox finally won a game. Its a shame the Sox fell flat on their face after the April they had but the pitching just isn't that good. If Jim Lonborg could rediscover his 1967 self and Mike Nagy developed into the ace everyone thought he would, they'd be right there with the Baltimore Orioles this season. A rotation of ace Lonborg, Sonny Siebert, Culp and Nagy all doing well could put them with Baltimore but it doesn't look like it'll happen. It was a good win today with the offense producing but down the road offense can only do so much without pitching. Still, a win is a win even if its over the worthless Cleveland Indians. The win improved the Sox to 15-17, 8.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Detroit Tigers to Fenway for a set. Mike Nagy goes for the Sox up against Joe Niekro of the Tigers tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Krausse, Brewers Stymie Sox (5/7/70)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The bad news was it was another day, another miserable performance by the Boston Red Sox bats. Lew Krausse of the Milwaukee Brewers was the latest to shut them down as he allowed just 1 measly run in 7 2/3 innings. Ray Culp (2-4, 3.07 ERA) was game but allowed 2 runs in 7 innings. The game turned in the eighth inning when Mike Andrews booted a bases loaded grounder by Russ Snyder to put the game out of reach. The Sox bats did nothing against John Gelnar in the top of the ninth and the Brewers had won the game 5-1 at County Stadium.

                                                 "Well that was boring" - Gary Lockwood

Krausse got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews struck out swinging to start. Reggie Smith grounded out to first but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Yaz stole second but Tony Conigliaro struck out swinging to end the inning. The Brewers got to Culp right away in the bottom of the first as Tommy Harper doubled to left to start. Mike Hegan grounded out to first to move Harper to third and Russ Snyder grounded out to second to score Harper. Danny Walton got a base hit to center but Steve Hovley popped up to first to end the inning with the Brewers up 1-0.

                                                             Brewers strike first

Rico Petrocelli popped up to short to start the top of the second and George Scott lined out to right. Luis Alvarado singled to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Ted Kubiak grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and John Kennedy grounded out to third. Phil Roof struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jerry Moses grounded out to short to start the top of the third and Culp swung and missed for strike three...but took first on a wild pitch. Andrews flied out to center and Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. Krausse took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Harper popped up to third. Hegan walked but Snyder grounded out to second to end the inning.

Yaz grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth and Tony C walked. Petrocelli and Scott both struck out swinging to end the inning. Walton grounded out to third to open the bottom of the fourth but Hovley walked. Kubiak grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Alvarado flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Moses singled to left. Moses was thrown out at second trying to steal and Culp flied out to right to end the inning. Kennedy struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Roof walked. Roof was thrown out at second trying to steal and Krausse struck out swinging to end the inning.

Andrews hit a little roller to third that was thrown away by Harper for an error to start the top of the sixth. Smith popped up to first and Yaz grounded out to second to move Andrews to third. Tony C flied out to center to end the inning. Harper popped up to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Hegan hit one up the elevator shaft. Snyder lined out to right to end the inning.

Petrocelli flied out to center to start the top of the seventh and Scott did the same. Kubiak booted a grounder by Alvarado for an error but Moses flied out to right to end the inning. The Brewers struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Walton hit a home run all the way to Green Bay to increase the lead. Hovley popped up to short, Kubiak grounded out to second and Kennedy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-0.

                                                           Home run Walton

The Sox finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh as Dick Schofield pinch hit for Culp to start. Dick walked to start and Andrews got a base hit to center, but Smith grounded into a double play. Yaz got a base hit to center to score Andrews and that was it for Krausse. John Gelnar came in to face Conigliaro and Tony flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                              Yaz drives in a run

Sparky Lyle got failed by bad defense as he took the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Roof popped up to second but somehow Lyle walked Gelnar. Harper walked and Hegan got a base hit to center to load the bases. Snyder hit a routine grounder to second....under the glove of Andrews, All 3 runners scored on the error to ice the game. Walton was intentionally walked but Hovley took strike three. Kubiak forced Walton at second to end the inning with the Brewers up 5-1.

                                                           "Thanks a lot Andrews" - Lyle

Petrocelli flied out to center to start the top of the ninth and Scott struck out swinging. Alvarado got a base hit to center and Moses beat out a roller to the mound. Mike Derrick pinch hit for Lyle and popped up to short to end the game. The Brewers had won it 5-1.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Andrews. His error allowed 3 runs to score to put the game away.

                                                            Jackass Andrews

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Luis Alvarado was 2 for 4.

Jerry Moses was 2 for 4.

Dick Schofield walked and scored as a pinch hitter.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Ray Culp held the Brewers to just 2 runs in 7 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

George Scott was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Derrick was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Sparky Lyle didn't get any help from his defense but still allowed 3 runs in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That game was awful and its a shame because Culp pitched well. The Sox bats did absolutely nothing against a mediocre pitcher and the Sox can't afford to lose games to pitchers like that with the Baltimore Orioles red hot right now. The key to the game was Lyle walking John Gelnar. Its one thing to walk a pitcher, its another thing to walk a relief pitcher. Not that the Sox were going to score any runs in the ninth, but a 2 or 3-1 deficit is better than 5-1. Andrews had a pretty good day at the plate so its unfortunate that his error cost them the game. Only thing you can do is not make any mistakes tomorrow in the next game. The loss dropped the Sox to 13-11, 3.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow as they travel to Oakland for a three game set with the Athletics. Jim Lonborg (2-0) gets the start against Chuck Dobson of Oakland. The game begins at 10 PM eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sox Beat Angels for 5th Straight Win (5/1/70)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox have gotten hot. After wiping out the Oakland A's in four straight games, the Sox made it five in a row with the California Angels as their latest victims. Ray Culp (2-3, 3.16 ERA) went the distance, allowing 6 hits and 3 runs to earn his second win of the season. On the offensive side, the Red Sox pounded out four home runs. 2 from Carl Yastrzemski and one from both Reggie Smith and George Scott. The Sox as a team pounded out 12 hits and 8 runs as they defeated the Angels 8-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Barbara Hillary approves of the win

Culp got the ball in the top of the first inning and Sandy Alomar lined a base hit to center to start. Alomar stole second but Roger Repoz struck out swinging. Jim Fregosi singled to left to put runners at the corners but Alex Johnson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Angels starter Tom Murphy as Mike Andrews popped up to third to start. Reggie Smith singled to right, took second on a wild pitch and stole third. Carl Yastrzemski then smashed a 2 run bomb to put Boston on top. Tony Conigliaro walked but Rico Petrocelli banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                      Yaz goes deep

Culp cruised in the the top of the second as Jim Spencer grounded out to first to start. Ken McMullen struck out swinging and Bill Voss flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as George Scott belted his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Luis Alvarado doubled to left and moved to third on a fly ball to right by Gerry Moses. Culp aided his own cause with a base hit to center to score Alvarado to add to the lead. Andrews banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 4-0.

                                                          Scott goes deep

The Angels struck back in the top of the third as Joe Azcue hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Murphy grounded out to short but Alomar reached on an error by Alvarado. Repoz walked and Fregosi lashed a base hit to left to load the bases. Johnson singled to left to score Alomar and Repoz to cut the lead. Spencer struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels down 4-2.

                                                       Johnson inches the Angels closer

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Smith grounded out to first to start. Yaz grounded out to second and Tony C grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Angels got another run in the top of the fourth as McMullen doubled to center to start. McMullen moved to third on a grounder by Voss to first and scored on the sac fly to center by Azcue. Murphy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels down 4-3.

                                                     Azcue drives in a run

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Petrocelli doubled to left to start. Scott doubled home Rico to chase Murphy from the game. Eddie Fisher came in and Alvarado moved Scott to third with a grounder to first. Moses grounded out to short and Culp grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                              Petrocelli scores a run

Culp cruised in the top of the fifth as Alomar flied out to center to start. Repoz grounded out to first and Fregosi grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Andrews grounded out to third to start. Smith grounded out to second but Yaz smashed his second home run of the game to ice it. Tony C singled to left but Petrocelli flied out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 6-3.

                                                              Yaz with another home run

Johnson flied out to center to open the top of the sixth before Spencer struck out swinging. McMullen struck out swinging to end the inning. Scott singled to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Alvarado struck out swinging. Moses flied out to left and Culp forced Scott at second to end the inning.

Voss flied out to center to start the top of the seventh before Azcue struck out swinging. Jay Johnstone pinch hit for Fisher and popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Wally Wolf came in to pitch. Andrews flied out to right but Smith clobbered his fourth home run of the season to add to the lead. Yaz walked and stole second before Tony C struck out swinging. Petrocelli doubled to left to score Yaz but Scott struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                            Smith with his fourth homer

Alomar took strike three to open the top of the eighth and Repoz struck out swinging. Fregosi grounded out to short to end the inning. Alvarado flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth before Moses took strike three. Culp took strike three to end the inning.

Culp came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Johnson grounded back to the mound to start. Spencer flied out to center but McMullen singled to left. Voss popped up to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

Hero of the Night is Ray Culp. Not only did he go the distance to earn the win, he also knocked in a run of his own.

                                                                  Hero Culp

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 2 for 4 with a stolen base, solo home run and 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk, stolen base, 2 home runs, 3 total rbis and 3 total runs scored.

Tony Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with a walk.

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

George Scott was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 total rbis.

The Bad:

Mike Andrews was 0 for 4.

Gerry Moses was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Luis Alvarado was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

After the up and down month of April the Red Sox have, starting May on the right foot is just what the doctor ordered. Culp looked good in this one and the Sox needed a start like that from him big time. The offense is clicking even if Moses has come down to earth. Swapping Tony C and Scott in the batting order has done wonders since Scott has been tearing the cover off the ball lately. The offense was always going to score runs, its preventing them that's the problem. Culp got the job done today and hopefully the trend can continue this month. The win improved the Sox to 12-8, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for win number six in a row tomorrow afternoon when Vicente Romo gets the start against Clyde Wright of the Angels. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.