Yaz Returns, Sox Beat Orioles (4/15/81)

Welcome back Carl Yastrzemski! After missing the first few games of the season, Carl returned with a bang in today's game against the Baltimore Orioles. In front of a paltry crowd of just 8,925 paying customers, Yaz drove in 3 runs in support of the pitching side. Mike Torrez left the game in the third inning but Bob Stanley (1-1, 2.08) was there to pick up the pace. Stanley tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings in relief to pick up the win. Tony Perez homered for the Sox and they enjoyed a 7-2 win in front of almost nobody at Fenway Park.

                                                       Teri Peterson approves of the win

Torrez got the ball in the top of the first and Al Bumbry flied out to left to start. Rich Dauer singled to center but Jim Dwyer banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to O's starter Dennis Martinez in the bottom of the first. Dwight Evans led off with a single and Dave Stapleton singled him to third. Carl Yastrzemski made his season debut by grounding out to second but Evans scored to give the Sox the lead. Jim Rice grounded out to short but Tony Perez smashed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Carney Lansford doubled to left and Glenn Hoffman singled him home. Gary Allenson flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                          Perez hits his first home run

The O's struck back in the top of the second as Eddie Murray popped up to short to start. John Lowenstein hit a routine grounder to Perez who threw himself on the ball and wrestled with it for an error. Terry Crowley moved Lowenstein to second with a grounder and Dan Graham singled him home to cut the lead. Rick Dempsey flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 4-1.

                                                                Graham drives in a run

Rick Miller doubled to right to start the bottom of the second but Evans grounded out to short. Stapleton grounded out to third but Yaz walked. Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Torrez was chased quickly in the top of the third as Mark Belanger singled to left to start. Bumbry struck out swinging but Dauer singled to center. Dwyer singled to right to score Belanger and Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough. Bob Stanley was brought in to keep things from getting out of hand and he got Murray to bang into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                    Torrez doesn't last very long

Perez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third and Lansford flied out to right. Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lowenstein singled to center to begin the top of the fourth but was thrown out by the alert Allenson trying to steal. Crowley popped up to short and Graham lined out to first to end the inning.

                                                          "Where the hell are YOU going?"

The Sox chased Martinez in the bottom of the fourth as Allenson grounded out to short to start. Miller singled to left and Evans singled him to third. Evans moved to second on the grounder by Stapleton and Yaz singled home both runners to increase the lead. That was it for Martinez as Sammy Stewart came in to get Rice to fly out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                         Yaz drives in a pair

Dempsey walked to start the top of the fifth but was erased on the force by Belanger. Belanger moved to second on the ground out by Bumbry and Dauer lined out to second to end the inning. Perez popped up to first in foul territory to star the bottom of the fifth but Lansford doubled to left. Hoffman took strike three to end the inning.

Stanley cruised in the top of the sixth as Dwyer grounded out to second to begin. Murray grounded out to short and Lowenstein struck out swinging to end the inning. Miller flied out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth and Evans flied out to center. Stapleton also flied out to center to end the inning.

The O's threatened in the top of the seventh as Crowley singled to center to start. Graham struck out swinging but Dempsey walked. Ken Singleton pinch hit for Belanger and moved the runners over with a grounder. Bumbry flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox got some help from bad defense to score in the bottom of the seventh with Wayne Krenchicki now at short. Yaz grounded out to second but Rice singled to center. Perez flied out to center and Lansford hit a routine fly to Dwyer...DROPPED FOR AN ERROR! Rice scored and the Sox had another run. Hoffman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                                    Thanks Jim

Stanley cruised in the top of the eighth as Dauer grounded out to third to start. Dwyer grounded out to short and Murray flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the eighth as Allenson walked to start. Miller singled to center but Evans forced Allenson at third. Stapleton hit a bullet to short who doubled off Miller to end the inning.

Stanley came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Lowenstein grounded out to first to start. Crowley and Graham struck back to back singles but Dempsey banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-2.

Hero of the Night is Bob Stanley. He tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings in relief of Torrez to pick up the win.

                                                             Stanley The Hero

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk and 3 total rbis.

Carney Lansford was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rick Miller was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Mike Torrez lasted just 2 1/3 innings and allowed 2 runs.

The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4 with an error but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good win by the Sox and a tremendous effort by Bob Stanley. He was pressed into action in the third inning and was virtually unhittable the rest of the way. The offense was a collective effort but good to see Yaz back driving in runs. Perez made an error but made up for hit with a 2 run home run. Torrez leaving in the third inning is concerning because Stanley can't bail him out every time. The Sox have a chance to topple the New York Yankees this season if the pitching can hold up. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Friday afternoon in Chicago. Dennis Eckersley gets the start for the Red Sox against Richard Dotson of the White Sox. The game begins at 2:15 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Off-Day News (4/14/81)

On this day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History: 

1915 - Pennock, A's blank Sox

1930 - Sox win Opening Day

1970 - Sox crush Yankees in Fenway Opener

1971 - Senators rally past Sox

1973 - Sox drop Yankees

1974 - Sox smash Tigers

Palmer, O's Shut Down Sox (4/13/81)

For 8 innings, 23 year old Boston Red Sox rookie Steve Crawford (0-1, 0.00 ERA) matched future Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles ace Jim Palmer to a 1-1 draw. Thanks to some really bad defense, the Orioles scored 5 un-earned runs off Crawford and reliever Tom Burgmeier to put the game away. The Red Sox bats went silent against Palmer and the Orioles rode a 4 run ninth inning to beat the Sox 5-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                  "I hate bad defense!" - Colonel Potter

Crawford cruised in the top of the first inning as Al Bumbry took strike three to start. Old pal Jim Dwyer whiffed and Ken Singleton went down swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the frame although Jerry Remy grounded out to third to start. Dave Stapleton walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal. The caught stealing turned out big as Dwight Evans bashed his second home run of the year to put Boston on top. Jim Rice flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. Sadly that would be the only run they'd score the rest of the game.

                                                          Evans puts the Sox ahead.

Eddie Murray struck out swinging to start the top of the second before John Lowenstein flied out to left. Doug DiCinces singled to left and Rick Dempsey walked, but Mark Belanger lined out back to Crawford to end the inning. Tony Perez struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second but Carney Lansford singled to center. Glenn Hoffman banged into a double play to end the inning.

Rich Dauer grounded out to third to start the top of the third but Bumbry grounded out to first. Dwyer singled to right but was caught stealing second to end the inning. Gary Allenson popped up to short to begin the bottom of the third but Rick Miller walked. Remy banged into a double play to end the inning.

Singleton singled to center to start the top of the fourth but Murray flied out to left. Lowenstein singled to right but DiCinces banged into a double play to end the inning. Stapleton flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Evans singled to right. Rice took strike three and Perez whiffed to end the inning.

The Orioles struck back in the top of the fifth as Dempsey singled to center to start. Dempsey moved to second on the Belanger grounder and to third on a passed ball. Dauer singled Dempsey home to tie the game. Bumbry banged into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Dauer ties it up

Lansford doubled to left to begin the bottom of the fifth but Hoffman flied out to left. Allenson grounded out to third and Miller grounded out to second to end the inning.

Crawford got Dwyer to fly out to left to open the top of the sixth but Singleton struck out swinging. Murray doubled to left but Lowenstein flied out to center to end the inning. Remy lined out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Stapleton walked. Evans popped up to first and Rice flied out to center to end the inning.

Crawford got the O's to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh as DeCinces grounded out to short to start. Dempsey grounded back to the mound and Belanger grounded out to second to end the inning. Perez walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Sox manager Ralph Houk sent Reid Nichols to pinch run for him. Lansford dropped down a bunt to advance Reid to second but Hoffman popped up to second. Allenson walked but Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Crawford cruised in the top of the eighth as Dauer grounded out to third to start. Bumbry grounded out to second and Dwyer flied out to right to end the inning. Tim Stoddard replaced Palmer in the bottom of the eighth and Remy grounded out to short to start. Stapleton singled to left but was thrown out at second on the strikeout by Evans to end the inning.

The Sox turned into a comedy of errors in the top of the ninth to blow the game. Singleton doubled to left to chase Crawford after 8 outstanding innings. Tom Burgmeier came in and Wayne Krenchicki pinch ran for Singleton. Murray hit a routine grounder to Hoffman who dove on the ball and swam on it for an error. Gary Roenicke pinch hit for Lowenstein and beat out an infield single to third to load the bases. Burgmeier did manage to get DeCinces flied out to left and Dempsey to pop up to short, but Jose Morales pinch hit for Belanger. Morales lashed a base hit to center to score Krenchicki and Murray to give the O's the lead. Lenn Sakata pinch ran for Morales and took off for second. Allenson fired there and he was safe, Roenicke taking off for home....safe! The Sox were humiliated and the O's had iced the game. Dauer doubled home Sakata to wrap up the scoring. Bumbry grounded out to first to end the inning with the O's up 5-1.

                                                              Crawford deserved better

Rice tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to start the bottom of the ninth and Gary Hancock pinch hit for Nichols, striking out swinging. Lansford forced Rice at second and Hoffman struck out swinging to end the game. The Orioles had won it 5-1.

Jackass of the Night is Tom Burgmeier. He was felled by some piss-poor defense but he still allowed 3 hits and 4 runs.

                                                             Tom Jackass

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Carney Lansford was 2 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Steve Crawford was outstanding, being charged with 2 runs in 8 innings of work. Its too bad the Sox couldn't score for him.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Gary Hancock struck out as a pinch hitter.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Perez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked.

Rick Miller was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols pinch ran for Tony Perez.

Final Thoughts:

The game was a classic pitcher's duel for 8 innings but completely fell apart in the ninth. Steve Crawford went toe to toe with Jim Palmer and did very well. If he can pitch like that down the road, the Sox are in good hands. There's no shame in being beaten by Jim Palmer and its encouraging to see Crawford hang in there. The defense in the ninth was garbage but its April and its only one game. Hopefully this was just a hiccup and the Sox can bounce back Wednesday against the Orioles. Mike Torrez makes his season debut opposite Dennis Martinez of the O's. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally For First Win (4/12/81)

It was a good day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics swept the Bulls in Game 4 of their second round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox had a role reversal of opening day. The Chicago White Sox led 3-0 going into the bottom of the seventh of today's matinee game but the Boston Red Sox pulled off a huge rally. Four outs away from a second straight defeat, Jim Rice mashed a go-ahead grand slam to put the BoSox ahead. The White Sox made it interesting in the ninth but the BoSox held on by the skin of their teeth to post their first win of the season 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Terry Duerod approves of the win

The White Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first against Frank Tanana making his Red Sox debut. Ron LeFlore walked and swiped second before moving to third on the sacrifice bunt by Mike Squires. Once again Carlton Fisk made the BoSox pay for letting him go with a double to score LeFlore to put Chicago up early. Greg Luzinski whiffed before Chet Lemon looked at strike three to end the inning. Lemon was so offended he started tearing off all his clothes and shouted invectives at the umpire before he was hauled off by security. Lemon was out of the game but the White Sox were up 1-0.

Rusty Kuntz replaced Lemon as White Sox starter Richard Dotson cruised in the bottom of the first inning. Jerry Remy walked but Dave Stapleton banged into a double play. Dwight Evans walked but Rice grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Tanana settled down in the top of the second inning as Wayne Nordhagen whiffed to start. Jim Morrison (not THE Jim Morrison) grounded back to the mound before Tony Bernazard also grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Boston did nothing in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez grounded out to second, Carney Lansford flied out to center and Glenn Hoffman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Tanana got Bill Almon to line out to third to start the top of the third. LeFlore grounded out to short and Squires flied out to center to end the frame. The Sox had a chance to score when Gary Allenson drew a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the third before Rick Miller sacrificed him to second. A balk was called on Dotson to move Allenson to third but Remy flied out to left. Stapleton whiffed to end the inning.

The White Sox threatened in the top of the fourth but Fisk lined out to short to start. Luzinski and Kuntz stroked back to back singles but the alert Allenson picked Kuntz off of first. Nordhagen flied out to center to end the inning. The Red Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fourth as Evans looked at strike three, Rice flied out to center and Perez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Morrison lined out to third to start the top of the fifth before Bernazard hit a routine grounder to Lansford. Carney kicked the ball over to second and disco danced for an error although Bernazard was erased on the Almon force. Almon swiped second but LeFlore grounded out to third to end the inning. Lansford flied out to right to begin the bottom of the fifth before Hoffman flied out to left. Allenson whiffed to end the inning.

Squires singled to start the top of the sixth but Fisk banged into a double play. Luzinski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the sixth as Miller flied out to left, Remy flied out to center and Stapleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Tanana ran out of gas in the top of the seventh inning as Kuntz singled to center to begin. Nordhagen whiffed but Morrison doubled. Bernazard was intentionally walked to load the bases and Almon made the BoSox pay with a base hit to center to score Kuntz and Morrison. That was it for Tanana who lasted 6 1/3 innings while allowing 3 runs, not bad but didn't get any run support. Mark Clear made his Sox debut by getting LeFlore to bang into a double play to end the inning with Chicago ahead 3-0

                                                          Good debut by Tanana

The lead held in the bottom of the seventh with Harold Baines taking over for Nordhagen in right. Evans beat out an infield single to third but was erased on the force by Rice. Perez singled Rice to third before Lansford hit a fly ball to left. Rice broke for home but was gunned down to end the inning.

Clear returned for the top of the eighth and got Squires to ground out to third to start. Fisk singled to left but Luzinski popped up to first. Kuntz walked but Baines flied out to center to end the inning. After being dormant all day, the BoSox offense exploded in the bottom of the eighth. Hoffman grounded out to short and Allenson grounded out to second, but Miller doubled and Remy singled home Rick to put the BoSox on the board. Ed Farmer replaced Dotson and Stapleton got a base hit to left. Evans walked to load the bases and Rice lit up the crowd with a grand slam to give Boston the lead just like that. Perez whiffed to end the inning but the BoSox were 3 outs from victory and led 5-3.

                                                          Way to go Rice

The White Sox made it interesting in the top of the ninth as Morrison led off with a 5,000 foot home run to cut the lead to one. Bernazard grounded out to second before Bob Molinaro pinch hit for Almon. Molinaro walked but was doubled off first when LeFlore lined to short to end the game. The BoSox had survived and had won it 5-4.

Hero of the Night is Jim Rice. His eighth inning grand slam was the difference in the game.

                                                           Rice the Hero

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a run scored.'

Frank Tanana pitched well in his debut, tossing 6 1/3 innings of 3 run ball.

Mark Clear got the win with 2 2/3 innings of 1 run ball.

The Bad:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Now that's more like it. After the White Sox stunned the Red Sox in Friday's opener, it was good to see Boston get some payback in a similar fashion today. Rice hitting the grand slam was big as the offense had done virtually nothing all game. With Lynn and Fisk gone, the bottom of the order is a bonafide black hole for now. Maybe the Sox can make an in-season trade to improve, otherwise their offense isn't going to scare too many people. Tanana looked good in his debut even if he ran out of gas. The Sox are gonna need Clear to pitch well out of the bullpen if Bob Stanley falters. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox are back in action against the Baltimore Orioles. 22 year old rookie Steve Crawford makes his season debut opposite Tim Stoddard at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Fisk Keys White Sox Rally Past Red Sox on Opening Day (4/10/81)

The Boston Red Sox are not a very well liked organization right now after they let one of the most popular players in team history walk in free agency then were forced to trade another. If that wasn't bad enough, today the player they let walk struck the decisive blow against them as Carlton Fisk served a big fat "screw you" to Haywood Sullivan, Buddy LeRoux and Jean Yawkey. With the BoSox up 2 in the top of the eighth, Fisk smashed a 3 run bomb to put the Chicago White Sox on top and they never looked back, stunning Boston 5-3 at Fenway Park. Thanks a lot ownership group.

                                                                 Fisk gets the last laugh

Dennis Eckersley was Boston's opening day starter and he began the 1981 season by allowing a base hit to Ron LeFlore. If that wasn't enough, Eck had LeFlore picked off but Tony Perez missed the throw for an error which allowed Ron to reach second. Mike Squires grounded right back to Eck to hold LeFlore but he took third on another grounder to the mound, this time by the returning Fisk. Greg Luzinski looked at strike three to end the inning. Britt Burns got the start for Chicago and Dwight Evans popped up to first to start. Dave Stapleton flied out to right but Joe Rudi made his Sox debut by walking. Jim Rice singled Joe to third but Perez whiffed to end the inning.

Eck got in trouble in the top of the second by hitting Chet Lemon was hit with a pitch to start. Harold Baines got a base hit to left but Jim Morrison (no, not The Doors frontman) popped up a bunt to Eck. Tony Bernazard grounded into a force before Bill Almon whiffed to end the inning. Carney Lansford made his Red Sox debut in the bottom of the second by flying out to center. Glenn Hoffman whiffed and Gary Allenson looked at strike three to end the inning.

LeFlore whiffed to begin the top of the third but Squires walked. Fisk singled but Squires got greedy and was thrown out at third trying to stretch. Luzinski whiffed to end the inning. Rick Miller was back with the Sox and began the bottom of the third by striking out swinging. Evans lined out to right but Stapleton walked. Rudi lined out to left to end the inning.

Eck cruised in the top of the fourth as he struck out Lemon to begin. Baines popped up to third before Morrison grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Rice whiffed to start. Perez doubled to left but Lansford whiffed. Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Eck ran into trouble in the top of the fifth although Bernazard popped up to second to begin. Almon grounded out to third before LeFlore hit a routine grounder to second. Stapleton threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error. LeFlore then swiped second but Squires popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Allenson whiffed to start. Miller grounded out to short but Burns left a fastball right down the middle, Evans crushing a home run for the first run of the season. Fans in the crowd started throwing frisbees on the field that were giveaways for the game. Stapleton popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Evans puts the Sox on top

Eck cruised in the top of the sixth inning as Fisk whiffed to start. Luzinski popped up to third and Lemon grounded out to third to end the inning. Rudi began the bottom of the sixth with a lineout to center to begin. Rice popped up to first but Perez singled to left. Lansford popped up to second to end the inning.

Eck came back for the top of the seventh and got Baines to line out to second to begin. Morrison grounded out to short and Bernazard whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh although Hoffman whiffed to start. Allenson then smashed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Miller grounded out to short but Evans walked. Stapleton hit a routine fly ball to right but Baines dropped it for an error. White Sox manager Tony LaRussa brought in LaMarr Hoyt and he whiffed Rudi to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Allenson increases the lead

Just 6 outs from a shut-out victory everything fell apart in the top of the eighth. Eck came out but walked pinch hitter Bob Molinaro (for Almon). LeFlore singled to center and new BoSox manager Ralph Houk brought in Bob Stanley to get the last 6 outs. Squires sacrifice bunted the runners over to set the stage for Fisk. Carlton was looking for Stanley's sinker and he got it on the first pitch, driving it into the screen in left to put Chicago on top. To show how angry Red Sox fans were at their own front office, the fans in the crowd CHEERED Fisk as he rounded the bases. Luzinski whiffed but Lemon was plunked and swiped second. Baines whiffed to end the inning but Chicago was up 3-2.

                                                  Holy Cow!

Greg Pryor came in for Molinaro in the batting order but at short with Rusty Kuntz taking Lemon's spot while playing center. The BoSox rolled over and died in the bottom of the eighth as Rice and Perez whiffed before Lansford popped up to second to end the inning.

Stanley gagged again in the top of the ninth as Morrison singled and Bernazard singled him to third. Stanley managed to get Morrison in a run down but Allenson muffed the throw home and Morrison was safe with Bernazard taking second. Pryor sacrifice bunted Bernazard over to third and LeFlore scored him with a groundout for the kill shot. Squires flied out to center to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 5-2.

The Sox did rally in the bottom of the ninth when Gary Hancock pinch hit for Hoffman and walked. Allenson whiffed before Miller hit a picture perfect double play ball to second....under the glove of Bernazard to bring the tying run to the plate. Evans popped up to first but Stapleton singled home Hancock to put the tying run at first. Ed Farmer was brought in to pitch to Rudi and with a chance to be the hero in his first game....Joe flied out to center to end the game. The White Sox had won the game and Fisk got his revenge 5-3.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Stanley. He served up the go-ahead dinger to Fisk and the insurance runs to take the loss.

                                                           Stanley The Jackass


The Good:

Tony Perez was 2 for 4.

Gary Hancock walked and scored as a pinch hitter

Dennis Eckersley pitched well until the 8th inning but still went 7 innings allowing 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and he struck 7 batters.



The Bad:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Rick Miller was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the one hit was a solo home run.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 with a walk but drove in a run.

Joe Rudi was 0 for 4 but drew a walk.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.

Gary Allenson was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts and an error...but the one hit was a home run.




Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox deserved that loss big time. If they were foolish enough to let their franchise catcher walk then it serves them right for him to be the hero today. The trade of Fred Lynn didn't yield much merritt as Rudi, Miller and Lansford did almost nothing today. Still its only one game and there are 161 to go. Eckersley pitched well today and its encouraging to see him look like the ace of old. The question is can the rest of the rotation keep up? After an off-day the Sox are back in action against the White Sox with Richard Dotson going for Chicago and Frank Tanana making is Sox debut. The game starts at 2 PM Sunday at Fenway Park.

Yankees Blank Sox (9/21/80)

Its one thing for the Boston Red Sox to be mediocre this season, its another thing to get their brains beaten in by the rival New York Yankees. The Yankees are on pace to win 100 games and the Sox would be lucky to win 89 by season's end. Ron Guidry mastered the Sox for 7 innings, surrendering just 3 hits while striking out nine batters. Goose Gossage came in to slam the door afterwards. John Tudor (7-5, 3.00 ERA) failed to make it out of the first inning as he was charged with 3 runs. Bill Campbell and Mike Torrez managed to shut the Yankees down the rest of the way but the damage was done. The Yankees continued their march toward October by blanking the Sox 3-0 at Yankee Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Guidry took the ball in the top of the first and Rick Burleson struck out to start. Dave Stapleton popped up to short and Carlton Fisk hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Yankees jumped on Tudor in the bottom of the first as Willie Randolph walked to start. Bucky Dent walked and Randolph swiped third before Bob Watson doubled home Willie put the Yankees up for good three batters into the game. Reggie Jackson scored Dent with a sac fly and Watson moved to third on a grounder by Lou Piniella. Rick Cerone singled home Watson and Sox manager Don Zimmer stormed out of the dugout and charged Tudor. Zimmer threw a roundhouse right that Tudor ducked under and ran for the dugout. Bill Campbell was brought in and Eric Soderholm flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-0.

Jim Rice started the top of the second by striking out to begin. Tony Perez struck out but Dwight Evans tripled to right. Chico Walker flied out to left to end the inning. Aurelio Rodriguez lined out to second to start the bottom of the second before Bobby Brown grounded out to second. Randolph grounded out to short to end the inning.

Glenn Hoffman popped up to second to start the top of the third and rookie Reid Nichols grounded back to the mound. Burleson walked but Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning. Dent walked to start the bottom of the third but was thrown out by Fisk trying to steal second. Watson singled to left but Jackson banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                        "Bucky you know better than to run on me." - CF

Fisk popped up to third to open the top of the fourth before Rice singled to center. Perez and Evans both struck out to end the inning. Piniella singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Cerone flied out to right. Soderholm and Rodriguez both whiffed to end the inning.

Guidry cruised in the top of the fifth as Walker grounded out to second to start. Hoffman took strike three and Nichols swung and missed at strike three to end the inning. Campbell kept pace in the bottom of the fifth as Brown took strike three to start. Randolph singled to center and Rice made a great diving catch to rob Dent of extra bases, but Randolph took second. Watson flied out to center to end the inning. Campbell put in a yeoman's effort with 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

                                                      Campbell does well 

Burleson grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Stapleton drew a walk. Dave was doubled off of first on a line drive by Fisk to end the inning. Mike Torrez took over for the bottom of the sixth and Jackson singled to right to begin. Piniella flied out to center, Cerone flied out to left and Soderholm grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rice grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before Perez took strike three for his third strikeout of the game. Evans singled to center and Walker watched strike three go by to end the inning. Torrez got Rodriguez to ground out to short to start the bottom of the seventh and Brown popped up to second. Randolph flied out to center to end the inning.

Goose Gossage came on for the six out save in the top of the eighth and Dave Rader pinch hit for Hoffman only to take strike three. Garry Hancock pinch hit for Nichols and grounded back to the mound before Burleson took strike three to end the inning. Larry Wolfe took over at third for the bottom of the eighth and Dent lined out to short to start. Watson flied out to right but Jackson singled to left. Joe Lefebvre pinch ran for Jackson as Piniella singled to left. Cerone flied out to center to end the inning. The much maligned Torrez tossed 3 scoreless innings, good stuff.

                                                        Torrez eats some innings

Stapleton tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to open the top of the ninth and moved to second on the grounder by Fisk. The rally ended as Gossage froze Rice for strike three and blew away Perez to end the game. The Yankees had won it 3-0.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. Not that the Sox were gonna score off Guidry but getting knocked out in the first inning spelled the Sox doom.

                                                Jackass Tudor wasn't ready for prime time

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 3.

Bill Campbell tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Mike Torrez tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 4.

Tony Perez was 0 for 4 with the golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Chico Walker was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Dave Rader struck out as a pinch hitter.

Reid Nichols was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Garry Hancock was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Larry Wolfe played third base in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

As the season comes to a close, there are rumblings that Don Zimmer may not make it to the end of the season. At this point it would be the right move to make to tell him that his services are no longer needed. When he took over in 1976, he whined to Tom and Jean Yawkey that Bill Lee's crew was hampering his managerial style. Well Lee and his crew have been gone for years now and Zimmer still hasn't been able to get the most out of who's there. Taking out Tudor after 2/3 of an inning forced the bullpen to essentially toss 8 innings. The move worked, Torrez and Campbell did a hell of a job, but the principle of it stinks. The offense took the day off against Guidry and Gossage, never really posing a threat. Looking at the difference between the Sox and Yankees is frightening. Maybe someday the Sox will have the pitching to match the Yankees....maybe. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 78-68, 15.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to play spoilers when they start a set with the second place Baltimore Orioles. Dick Drago (6-5) goes for the Sox against Scott McGregor, looking for his 20th win of the season. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Sox Outlast Rangers (8/3/80)

Hahaaaaa! The Boston Red Sox have won a whopping TWO in a row? Time to play Stars & Stripes Forever because the Sox took down the Texas Rangers for the second straight day. The Sox broke out to a 6-0 lead on the back of Glenn Hoffman's 4 runs batted in. Mike Torrez (6-12 4.50 ERA) lasted just 5 innings but the bullpen managed to hold on just enough to preserve the victory. Skip Lockwood earned his second save of the season due some strange Don Zimmer managing and the Sox won the game 6-4 at Arlington Park.

                                                   Ted Kramer approves of the win

John Matlack got the start for Texas and Rick Burleson greeted him with a pop up to second base to start the top of the first inning. Dave Stapleton and Fred Lynn stroked back to back singles but Tony Perez popped up to second. Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. Torrez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Rivers flied out to right to start. Bump Wills struck out and Al Oliver grounded out to second to end the inning.

Boston struck first in the top of the second as Carlton Fisk and Dwight Evans pounded back to back doubled to put Boston on top. Evans moved to third on the grounder by Gary Allenson. Glenn Hoffman hit his second home run of the year to cap off the inning. Burleson lined out to right and Stapleton grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.

                                                   Evans doubles in a run

Torrez kept the lead in the bottom of the second as Buddy Bell grounded out to third to start. Rusty Staub grounded out to short and Pat Putnam struck out to end the inning.

The Sox tried to rally in the top of the third as Lynn and Perez stroked back to back singles to start. Rice beat out a double play ball and Fisk walked to load the bases. Evans banged into a double play to end the inning. Torrez cruised in the bottom of the third as Johnny Grubb flied out to right to start. Jim Sundberg flied out to center and Pepe Frias struck out to end the inning.

Allenson got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth before moving to second on the sacrifice bunt by Hoffman. Burleson grounded out to third and Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning. Rivers got an infield single to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Wills flied out to left. Rivers was doubled off first on the line drive to first by Oliver to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth although Lynn grounded back to the mound to start. Perez grounded out to short but Rice singled to left. Fisk and Evans stroked back to back base hits to load the bases and Allenson singled home Rice. Hoffman singled home Fisk to wrap up the scoring and chase Matlack. Charlie Hough came in and Burleson flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                          Allenson drives in a run

Torrez suddenly fell apart in the bottom of the fifth as Bell singled to left to start. Staub doubled him to third but Putnam struck out. Grubb singled home Bell but Staub was thrown out at home on a ground ball by Sundberg. Jim Norris pinch hit for Frias and doubled home Sundberg. Rivers grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rangers down 6-2. Torrez only went 5 innings but allowed just 2 runs.

                                                      Not great but it'll do

Dave Roberts took over at short for the top of the sixth and Stapleton grounded out to third to start. Lynn also grounded out to third and Jim Dwyer pinch hit for Perez only to ground out to first to end the inning. Dick Drago came in for the bottom of the sixth and threw up on himself. Wills singled to center and Oliver singled him to third. Bell beat out a double play ball to score Wills to cut the lead in half. Staub grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                        Nice going Drago, ugh!

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Rice grounded out to third to start. Fisk grounded back to the mound and Evans took strike three to end the inning. Drago got the Rangers to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh as Putnam grounded out to first to start. Grubb also grounded out to first but Sundberg grounded out to third to end the inning.

Allenson took strike three to start the top of the eighth but Hoffman walked. Hoffman swiped second but Burleson struck out. Stapleton grounded out to first to end the inning. Drago ran out of steam in the bottom of the eighth although Roberts struck out to start. Rivers singled to center but was forced at second by Wills. Oliver singled and Bell doubled home Wills to cut the lead and put the tying run at second. Richie Zisk pinch hit for Staub and Sox manager Don Zimmer countered by bringing in Tom Burgmeier to face him. Zisk lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 6-4.

Lynn walked to begin the top of the ninth and John Henry Johnson came in to pitch to Dwyer. A wild pitch moved Lynn to second but Dwyer struck out. One and done for Johnson as Danny Darwin came in and got Rice to hit a fly out to center. Fisk was intentionally walked and Evans struck out to end the inning. Burgmeier returned for a crazy bottom of the ninth as Billy Sample pinch hit for Putnam and was hit with a pitch. John Ellis pinch hit for Grubb and banged into a double play. Sundberg singled to center and Zimmer pulled off the move of the century. The next batter was Roberts but Rivers was on deck. He wanted Burgmeier to face Rivers if it got to that point but didn't want him pitching to the righty hitting Roberts. Zimmer then had Burgmeier trot out to left field to take Jim Rice out of the game and brought in Skip Lockwood to face Roberts, praying he didn't hit the ball to left. Lockwood got Roberts to hit one up the elevator shaft to end the game. A bit of razzle dazzle by Zimmer worked and the Sox had won it 6-4.

Hero of the Night is Glenn Hoffman. He was 2 for 2 with a walk, a 2 run homer, a stolen base and 4 total runs batted in.

                                                        Hero Hoffman



The Good:

Fred Lynn was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Tony Perez was 1 for 3.

Carlton Fisk was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Gary Allenson was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Mike Torrez got the win with 5 innings of 2 run ball.

Tom Burgmeier pitched a full scoreless inning.

Skip Lockwood earned his second save by retiring the last batter in the ninth inning.



The Bad:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Jim Dwyer was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Dick Drago allowed 2 runs in 2 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 5.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.




Final Thoughts:

Gice props for creativity to Zimmer for putting Burgmeier in left hoping Skip Lockwood could get Roberts to hit the ball anywhere but left field in the bottom of the ninth. Still, it was a good victory for the Sox who need to get hot real quick if they want to get anywhere close to the New York Yankees. Dwight Evans seems to be finding his groove and Glenn Hoffman had a hell of a game. The Sox pitching is still their achillies heel but they found a way to win this game. The win improved the Sox to 52-50, 12.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three in a row when they start a series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Steve Renko (5-4) goes for the Sox against old pal Reggie Cleveland at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.