White Sox Hold Off Red Sox (4/12/82)

It was a tough day at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox. The Chicago White Sox broke a 0-0 pitcher's duel with a 2 run top of the sixth inning off Boston starter Mike Torrez (0-1, 4.26 ERA). The BoSox tried to fight back with a Carl Yastrzemski home run in the bottom of the sixth but the ChiSox answered with a big insurance run in the top of the seventh. The BoSox rallied in the bottom of the ninth off Lamar Hoyt and had the tying run at third base.....only for Tony Perez to ground out to end the game. It was a tough game to lose but Chicago came away with the hard fought victory 3-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                  "DAMMIT PEREZ!!!"

Torrez took the mound in the top of the first inning and Ron LeFlore flied out to right to start the game. Tony Bernazard flied out to left but Steve Kemp singled to center. Greg Luzinski flied out to center to end the inning. Richard Dotson got the start for Chicago and Jerry Remy led off the bottom of the first with a flyout to center. Dwight Evans grounded out to second but Jim Rice singled to center. Carl Yastrzemski took strike three to end the inning.

Tom Paciorek singled to center to start the top of the second before Harold Baines walked to put the pressure on. Old buddy Carlton Fisk flied out to right and Jim Morrison popped up to second, but Bill Almon walked to load the bases. LeFlore flied out to right to end the inning. Carney Lansford reached on an error by Almon to begin the bottom of the second but Dave Stapleton banged into a double play. Glenn Hoffman reached on an error by Morrison but Rich Gedman took strike three to end the inning.

Bernazard flied out to center to begin the top of the third but Kemp grounded back to the mound. Luzinski grounded out to third to end the inning. Rick Miller drew a walk to start the bottom of the third and took second on the sacrifice bunt by Remy. Both Evans and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning.

Paciorek walked to start the top of the fourth but the BoSox committed a strike em out, throw em out double play when Baines whiffed and Tom got caught stealing second. Fisk singled to right but Morrison popped up to short to end the inning. The BoSox tried to rally in the bottom of the fourth when Yaz dropped a base hit to right to start. Lansford flied out to right but Stapleton singled to center to move Yaz to third. Unfortunately Hoffman banged into a double play to end the inning.

Torrez cruised in the top of the fifth as Almon flied out to left to start. LeFlore struck out swinging and Bernazard grounded out to first to end the inning. The BoSox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Gedman hit a gap shot to right but was foolishly thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Miller grounded out to short which would have advanced Rich and Remy grounded out to short to end the inning.

The ChiSox struck first in the top of the sixth as Kemp doubled to left to start. Kemp moved to third on the fly out to center by Luzinski and Paciorek singled up the middle to score him to give Chicago the lead. Baines struck out swinging but Fisk smashed a double off the Monster to score Paciorek and Carlton took third on the throw. Morrison struck out swinging to end the inning but the ChiSox led 2-0.

                                                            Who else but Fisk?

The BoSox did try to fight back in the bottom of the sixth as Evans struck out swinging to start. Rice took strike three but Yaz belted his second home run of the season to cut the lead. Lansford walked and stole second but Stapleton struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston down 2-1.

                                                               Yaz gets a run back

The White Sox finished off Torrez in the top of the seventh as Almon beat out an infield single to third to start. LeFlore forced Almon at second but stole second and scored on the double to center by Bernazard. That was it for Torrez who pitched relatively well but ran out of gas, allowing 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Mark Clear came in for his season debut and struck out Kemp swinging before Luzinski was rung up for strike three to end the inning with Chicago ahead 3-1.

                                                     Good, but not good enough for Torrez

Lamar Hoyt came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hoffman singled to left to begin. Gedman and Miller both flied out to left before Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Clear struck out Paciorek swinging to open the top of the eighth before Baines also went down hacking. Fisk was plunked but Morrison flied out to center to end the inning. The BoSox failed to come back in the bottom of the eighth with Mike Squires now playing first. Evans singled to center but Rice banged into a double play. Yaz drew a walk but Lansford struck out swinging to end the inning.

Clear ran into trouble in the top of the ninth as Almon singled to center to start. Almon stole second and moved to third when Gedman threw the ball a mile over the head of Hoffman for an error. Somehow Cleark got LeFlore looking and Bernazard grounded out to third. Kemp walked and Luzinski was plunked to load the bases but Squires flied out to center to end the inning. The BoSox rallied in the bottom of the ninth although Stapleton flied out to right to start. Hoffman hit a little roller to short and Morrison threw the ball away to move Glenn to second. Gedman pounded a double off the Monster to score Hoffman and chase Hoyt from the game. Kevin Hickey came in to close out the game....and Miller took strike three. Salome Barojas came in to pitch to Remy but Red Sox manager Ralph Houk countered by bringing in Tony Perez to pitch hit for Jerry and Reid Nichols to run for Gedman. A Wild pitch moved Nichols to third but Perez grounded out to short to end the game. Chicago had held on to win 3-2.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but it has to be Mike Torrez. The hardest thing in the world is to come off the bench ice cold and pinch hit so it would be unfair to name Perez. Torrez took the loss when he was an out away from retiring Fisk only to give up the go-ahead run.

                                                                   Jackass by default

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.

Glenn Hoffman was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Mark Clear tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3.

Tony Perez grounded out to end the game.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and stole a base.

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols pinch ran in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Tough loss and the BoSox just couldn't get the clutch hit when it counted. Gedman getting thrown out at third, the double plays and the failure to get Nichols home in the ninth all added up to the loss. Torrez didn't even pitch that bad its just the Red Sox couldn't generate any offense. The Sox starting rotation isn't scary at all so they can't afford to waste quality starts from Torrez and the others when they actually pull one out. Fisk once again sticks it to his old team by putting Chicago ahead almost a year after his opening day three run home run. Its just one loss but as we found out at the end of last year, every loss adds up by the end. The Red Sox look to bounce back Wednesday afternoon in the second game of this set when Chuck Rainey gets the ball opposite Steve Trout of Chicago. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Tudor, Sox Blank Orioles (4/11/82)

It was a great day for Boston sports. First the Boston Bruins eliminated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox shut out the Baltimore Orioles. John Tudor (1-0, 0.00 ERA) made his season debut by tossing a complete game 6 hit shutout against the dirty birds. The Sox bats got 5 runs off O's starter Mike Flanagan with Carney Lansford driving in four total runs. Carl Yastrzemski knocked in 2 runs as well as the Sox shutout the Orioles 6-0 at Memorial Stadium.

                                                        Peter McNabb approves of the win

The Sox struck first against Flanagan in the top of the first as Dwight Evans singled in the hole at short to start. Glenn Hoffman singled to left and Jim Rice walked to load the bases with nobody out. Carl Yastrzemski beat out a double play ball to score Evans and Carney Lansford hit a routine grounder to Cal Ripken Jr...booted for an error to score Hoffman. Both runners moved over on the Dave Stapleton grounder to first but Tony Perez lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                     Evans gets the party started

Tudor got the ball in the bottom of the first and Al Bumbry grounded out to short to start. Rich Dauer flied out to center and Ken Singleton grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Gary Allenson grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Rick Miller lined out to first. Evans singled to center but Hoffman lined out to center to end the inning. Eddie Murray singled to left to start the bottom of the second and Dan Ford was hit by a pitch. Gary Roenicke dropped down a bunt to move both runners over but Ripken Jr struck out swinging. Rick Dempsey walked to load the bases but Lenn Sakata lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Rice and Yaz drew back to back walks to start. Lansford singled to center to score Rice to add to the lead and both runners moved over on the grounder to second by Stapleton. Perez was intentionally walked to load the bases and the gamble by O's manager Earl Weaver worked as Allenson banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                              Lansford drives in a run

Tudor got the O's to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Bumbry grounded back to the mound to start. Dauer grounded out to short and Singleton grounded out to third to end the inning.

Miller struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Evans walked. Hoffman forced Evans at second but Rice singled in the hole at short. Yaz struck out swinging to end the inning. Murray singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Ford hit a routine grounder to Hoffman. Hoffman threw his glove at the ball and did a disco dance for an error but Roenicke flied out to left. Ripken Jr forced Murray at third and Dempsey flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the fifth as Lansford lined out to left to start. Stapleton grounded out to short and Perez also grounded out to short to end the inning. Tudor cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Sakata flied out to center to start. Bumbry grounded back to the mound and Dauer struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth as Allenson popped up to short to start. Miller singled to center and Evans doubled to left, but Hoffman popped up to second. O's manager Earl Weaver intentionally walked Rice to set up a force play but this time Yaz walked to score Miller and chase Flanagan. Dan Stanhouse took over for Flanagan and Lansford walked home Evans to increase the lead. Stapleton flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                                 Yaz drives in a run

Singleton singled to right to start the bottom of the sixth but Murray hit into a double play. Ford singled to center but Roenicke grounded into a force to end the inning.

Perez singled to center to open the top of the seventh but Allenson flied out to center. Miller forced Perez at second and Evans grounded out to short to end the inning. Tudor got Ripken to ground out to short to begin the bottom of the seventh and Dempsey also grounded out to short. Sakata singled to left but Bumbry struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the eighth with Tippy Martinez now on the mound. Hoffman beat out an infield single to third and Rice singled him to third. Yaz struck out swinging but Lansford hit a sac fly to score Hoffman. Stapleton forced Rice at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                       Hoffman scores a run

Dauer flied out to left to begin the bottom of the eighth and Singleton struck out swinging. Murray doubled to left but Ford grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the ninth as Perez grounded out to short to start. Allenson also grounded out to short and Miller grounded out to first to end the inning. Tudor came back to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth as Roenicke grounded out to third to start. Ripken Jr grounded out to short and Dempsey popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-0.

Hero of the Night is John Tudor. He tossed a complete game 6 hit shutout with one walk and 4 strikeouts.

                                                             Hero Tudor

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 3 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Glenn Hoffman was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 2 with 3 walks and a run scored.

Carney Lansford was 1 for 3 with a walk and 4 rbis.

The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 5.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 5.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked twice and scored 2 runs.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Just like Dennis Eckersley yesterday, John Tudor pitching a shutout was a great way to make his season debut. Tudor kept the O's off balance all game and the Sox needed a game like that after Bob Ojeda got knocked out in the nightcap. The offense was pretty much Carney Lansford driving anyone in who was on base and some days that'll be good enough to win. The Sox came within an eyelash of winning the AL East last September and hopefully Tudor can take the next step to get the Sox back in the race this season. Evans is doing well so far out of the leadoff spot and hopefully that can continue as well. It'll be interesting to see how much Yaz and Perez have left in the tank but so far Yaz looks normal. All in all it was a good win and its better to be 2-1 than 1-2. The Sox now come home to play their season opener tomorrow afternoon against the Chicago White Sox. Mike Torrez makes his season debut for the Red Sox against Richard Dotson of the White Sox. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Orioles Beat Sox in Game 2 (4/10/82)

It was a bad night for Boston sports. First the Boston Bruins dropped Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Buffalo Sabres then the Boston Red Sox dropped Game 2 of their season opening doubleheader to the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles pounced on Sox starter Bob Ojeda (0-1, 13.50 ERA) for 3 runs and he lasted just two innings. Bob Stanley was tagged for 2 runs as well as the Orioles put 5 total runs on the board. O's starter Dennis Martinez held the Sox offense to just 3 runs in 7 2/3 innings. Sammy Stewart slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the Orioles had won Game 2 by a score of 5-3 at Memorial Stadium.

                                                      "They LOST Game 2???"

The Sox wasted no time getting to Martinez in the top of the first inning as Rick Miller walked to start. Dwight Evans popped up to first but Jim Rice took strike three. Carl Yastrzemski smashed his first home run of the season to put the Sox on top but Carney Lansford grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Yaz hits homer number 1

The Orioles responded against Ojeda in the bottom of the first as Al Bumbry grounded back to the mound to begin. Rich Dauer doubled to left but Ken Singleton popped up to second. Eddie Murray pounded a ground rule double to right to score Dauer and cut the lead. Dan Ford lined out to center but the O's were on the board down 2-1.

                                                         Murray drives in a run

Dave Stapleton grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Rich Gedman grounded back to the mound. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning. Gary Roenicke grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Cal Ripken Jr singled to right. Rick Dempsey walked but Lenn Sakata grounded into a double play to end the inning.

23 year old Wade Boggs made his Major League debut in the top of the third by grounding back to the mound to start. Miller grounded out to third but Evans walked. Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. The O's chased Ojeda quickly in the bottom of the third as Bumbry walked to start. Dauer singled to center and Singleton singled home Bumbry to tie the game. That was it for Ojeda who was yanked after just 2 innings. Bob Stanley came in and Murray beat out a double play ball to score Dauer with the go-ahead run. Ford walked but Roenicke struck out swinging. Ripken Jr grounded out to second to end the inning with the O's ahead 3-2.

                                                           Ojeda lasts just 2 plus innings

Yaz tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to start the top of the fourth but Lansford forced him at second. Stapleton flied out to center and Gedman flied out to right to end the inning. Stanley struck out Dempsey swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Sakata singled in the hole at short. Bumbry forced Sakata at second and Dauer forced Bumbry at second to end the inning.

Hoffman was plunked to start the top of the fifth and Boggs moved him to second with a grounder to third. Miller dropped a base hit to left but Hoffman was thrown out at home on the play. Miller took second on the throw home and Evans walked, but Rice forced Dwight at second to end the inning. The O's struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Singleton walked to start. Murray singled to center but Ford flied out to right. Roenicke was plunked to load the bases and Ripken Jr scored Singleton with a grounder to third. Dempsey walked to reload the bases but Sakata flied out to center to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-2.

                                                         Dammit Bob!

Yaz grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Lansford singled to right. Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning. The O's got another run in the bottom of the sixth as Bumbry singled to center and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Dauer. Bumbry moved to third on the Singleton grounder and scored on the Murray double to left. Ford flied out to left to end the inning with the O's ahead 5-2.

                                                 Bumbry scores a run

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the seventh as Gedman grounded back to the mound to start. Hoffman flied out to center and Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning. Tom Burgmeier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Roenicke flied out to center to start. Ripken Jr flied out to right and Dempsey grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to rally in the top of the eighth as Miller walked to start. Evans flied out to center and Rice popped up to short but Yaz singled to right. Sammy Stewart came in to pitch and the ball four pitch to Lansford sailed to the backstop, scoring Miller. With the tying run at first, Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                          Miller scores a run

Burgmeier returned for the bottom of the eighth and Sakata flied out to left to start. Bumbry grounded back to the mound and Dauer singled to right. Singleton walked but Murray popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox tried to rally in the top of the ninth as Gedman walked to start. Reid Nichols pinch ran for Gedman and Hoffman got a base hit to left. Inexcusably, Nichols got picked off and Boggs forced Hoffman at second. Miller walked to put the tying run on but Evans took strike three to end the game. The O's had won it 5-3.

Jackass of the Night is Bob Stanley. He turned a 2-2 game into 5-2, putting the Sox in a hole they couldn't get out of.

                                                    Stanley The Jackass

The Good:

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 3 for 4 with a 2 run homer.

Carney Lansford was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.

Tom Burgmeier tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.

Reid Nichols got picked off as a pinch runner.

Wade Boggs was 0 for 4.

Bob Ojeda was charged with 3 runs in just 2 plus innings.

The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.

Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That loss was a kick to the groin after the first game. It was one of those cases where things went south and kept going south. Ojeda was yanked in the third inning and Stanley not only allowed the go-ahead run to score but two more runs. The Sox did manage to get a run back but couldn't get a clutch hit after that. Nichols getting picked off was a crucial out in the ninth and Evans not even getting the bat on the ball all added up to a deserved loss. With Tony Perez turning 40 in may and his career winding down, Boggs could be the guy to replace him. He was a good contact hitter in Pawtucket so we'll see if that translates to the majors. Burgmeier looked good out of the bullpen but all in all it was a bad loss that put a damper on the win in the first game. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Orioles when John Tudor makes his season debut against Mike Flanagan of Baltimore. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Red Sox Take Game 1, Season Opener Against Baltimore (4/10/82)

Thanks to adverse weather conditions, the Boston Red Sox regularly scheduled season opening series against the Chicago White Sox was postponed to a doubleheader on Monday April 26th. Then last night's scheduled game against the Baltimore Orioles was also wiped out by the same snowstorm that was in Chicago, leading to today's doubleheader. The Sox took Game 1 as their technical season opener behind the brilliant pitching of Dennis Eckersley (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Eckersley was outstanding, tossing a complete game six hit shutout. Scott McGregor went the distance for the Baltimore Orioles but got tagged for two runs. Jim Rice knocked in the only two runs in the third and it was enough to blank the Orioles 2-0 at Memorial Stadium.

                                                  Karen Witter approves of the win

McGregor got the ball in the top of the first and Dwight Evans led off with a fly out to center. Glenn Hoffman popped up to first and Jim Rice grounded out to second to end the inning. Eck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Al Bumbry flied out to left to start. Joe Nolan struck out swinging but Dan Ford singled to right. Ken Singleton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Carl Yastrzemski popped up to third to start the top of the second but Carney Lansford drew a walk. Dave Stapleton flied out to center but Tony Perez grounded into a force to end the inning. Eddie Murray grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and John Lowenstein struck out swinging. Cal Ripken Jr flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as Gary Allenson doubled to left to start. Allenson was thrown out at third on a grounder in front of the plate by Reid Nichols. Evans doubled to to right but Hoffman flied out to center. Rice lashed a base hit to left to score both runners and give the Sox the lead. Yaz walked but Lansford lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                               Rice drives in a pair

Lenn Sakata flied out to center to start the bottom of the third but Bobby Bonner singled to right. Bumbry struck out swinging and Nolan popped up to third to end the inning.

Stapleton caught the O's asleep with a bunt single to start the top of the fourth but Perez banged into a double play. Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning. Ford popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth but Singleton flied out to center. Murray flied out to left to end the inning.

Nichols popped up to first to start the top of the fifth and Evans flied out to right. Hoffman grounded out to third to end the inning. Eckersley cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Lowenstein grounded out to first to start. Ripken Jr popped up to third and Sakata popped up to Stapleton in foul territory to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Rice grounded out to third to start. Yaz and Lansford both grounded out to short to end the inning. Bonner flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Bumbry lined out to second. Nolan grounded out to first to end the inning.

Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to open the top of the seventh and Perez struck out swinging. Allenson flied out to left to end the inning. The O's only rally came in the bottom of the seventh although Ford flied out to center to start. Singleton flied out to center but Murray lined a base hit to right. Murray dug for second and Evans gunned the ball to second but Hoffman threw his glove at the ball and screamed for an error. Lowenstein singled off the first base bag to put runners at the corners but Ripken Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                    "I got those dirty birds today" - Eck

Nichols caught the O's asleep with a bunt single to start the top of the eighth but was forced at second by Evans. Hoffman flied out to left and Rice grounded into a force to end the inning. Old pal Jim Dwyer pinch hit for Sakata and struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth. Terry Crowley pinch hit for Bonner and popped up to short. Bumbry flied out to left to end the inning.

Rich Dauer took over at second and Floyd Rayford came in for Bonner/Crowley for the top of the ninth and Yaz flied out to right to start.  Lansford grounded out to short but Stapleton doubled to left. Perez popped up to first to end the inning. Sox manager Ralph Houk let Eck come back to finish off the O's in the bottom of the ninth. Nolan popped up to third and Ford flied out to center, but Singleton dropped a base hit into right field. Benny Ayala pinch ran for Singleton and Murray singled to right. Lowenstein flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won Game 1 of the doubleheader 2-0.

Hero of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He tossed a complete game 6 hit shutout while striking out six batters.

                                                              Eckersley is the Hero

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3.

Reid Nichols was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4 with an error.

Tony Perez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but knocked in 2 runs.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked.

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

After all Mother Nature did to derail the start to the season, the Sox overcame it all to at least win the first game of today's doubleheader. Eckersley pitched like an ace today and considering the rise of pitching prospects in the minors, they're going to need him to be the veteran of the staff when the kids come up. Rice got the only rbis today but they were all the Sox needed. Its pretty damn cold out so the dead air may kill a lot of bills that would be out of the park in June. The offense will be there this season but if Eckersley can put together a season like 1978 again, that would be nice. The Sox came within an eyelash of winning the second half of last season and getting off to a good start season is the goal. Unfortunately the Sox have no time to celebrate their win because Game 2 starts in 20 minutes. Bob Ojeda makes his season debut against Dennis Martinez of the Orioles at Memorial Stadium.

Yankees Outslug Red Sox (9/13/81)

So much for the Boston Red Sox making a September run. The New York Yankees appear to be headed to the AL East title after defeating the Sox in a crucial game today. Frank Tanana (3-9, 4.49 ERA) has been a disappointment all season and today was no different. With essentially the season on the line, Tanana got lit up for 4 runs in just 1 1/3 innings. The Sox rallied off Yankees starter Ron Guidry to come lose but John Tudor got hammered in the fourth inning and the Sox couldn't recover. The Yankees pounded out 12 hits and 10 runs as they inched closer to the AL East crown with a 10-6 victory at Yankee Stadium.

                                              Jack Torrance doesn't like bad Sox pitching

Guidry cruised in the top of the first inning as Dwight Evans struck out to start. Dave Stapleton grounded out to third before Jim Rice struck out to end the inning. Willie Randolph led off the bottom of the first with a base hit to center but Jerry Mumphrey flied out to right. Dave Winfield also flied out to right but Randolph swiped second. Lou Piniella struck out to end the inning.

Boston tried to rally in the top of the second although Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first to begin. Carney Lansford drew a walk and Tony Perez got a base hit to left. The rally ended as Gary Allenson flied out to center and Glenn Hoffman took strike three to end the inning. The Yankees came alive in the bottom of the second inning as Reggie Jackson singled to right to begin. Graig Nettles walked before Bob Watson singled home Jackson. Rick Cerone singled home Nettles to increase the lead before Larry Milbourne sacrificed both runners over. The move paid off as Randolph singled both men home and Sox manager Ralph Houk too no chances with the season on the line, getting Tanana out of there. Frank lasted just 1 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs, yuck! Luis Aponte came in and got Mumphrey to force Randolph at second and Winfield flied out to center to end the inning but it was 4-0 Yankees.

                                                         Nice going Frank.

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Rick Miller grounded back to the mound to start. Evans grounded out to first and Stapleton lined out to short to end the inning. John Tudor came in for the bottom of the third and dominated. Piniella went down swinging, Jackson took strike three and Nettles whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth as Rice stroked a base hit to left to begin. The Yankees got a crucial out when Yaz singled to right and Rice got thrown out at third. Lansford got a base hit and Perez blasted his 6th home run of the year to cut the lead. If Rice didn't get thrown out, that would have been a grand slam. Allenson grounded out to third and Hoffman flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 4-3.

                                                        Perez gets the Sox closer

Just as the Sox came close, the Yankees iced it in the bottom of the fourth. Watson walked and Cerone doubled him to third. Milbourne was plunked to load the bases and Watson scored on the ground out by Randolph, moving Cerone to third as well. Cerone scored on the sac fly by Mumphrey and Winfield iced it by crushing a 400,000 foot home run. Piniella grounded out to third to end the inning but the game was essentially over with the Yankees up 8-3.

                                                    "Its over...the season is over."

Miller grounded out to second to open the top of the fifth but Evans drew a walk. Stapleton popped up to short but Rice singled to left. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees got to Tudor again in the bottom of the fifth although Jackson grounded out to second to begin. Nettles popped up to first but Watson annihilated a 30,000 foot home run to increase the lead. Cerone walked but Milbourne took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 9-3.

George Frazier came in for Guidry for the top of the sixth but the Sox weren't going quietly. Lansford walked to start and Perez got a base hit to center. Allenson drove home Lansford with a base hit to chase Frazier. Ron Davis came in and Sox manager Ralph Houk sent in Gary Hancock to pinch hit for Hoffman. The move backfired as Hancock banged into a double play, which made Miller's rbi single that scored Perez even more agonizing. Evans whiffed to end the inning but the Hancock double play killed the rally with the Sox down 9-5.

                                                                Thanks a lot Hancock

Julio Valdez came in to play short with Steve Crawford now on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Randolph flied out to right but Mumphrey walked. Winfield forced Mumphrey at second before getting picked off by the alert Crawford to end the inning.

The Sox blew their last chance to get back in the game in the top of the seventh. Stapleton grounded out to short to start before Rice struck out swinging. Yaz doubled to right and Lansford walked....but Perez took strike three to end the inning. The Yankees wrapped up their scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Piniella singled to center to begin. Jackson flied out to left but Nettles beat out an infield single. Watson walked to load the bases and Cerone scored Piniella with a sac fly. Milbourne grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 10-5 Yankees.

Bobby Brown came in for the top of the eighth and Allenson walked to start. Allenson was doubled off first on the line drive by Valdez and Miller grounded out to short to end the inning. Chuck Rainey came in for the bottom of the eighth and Randolph doubled to right to begin. Mumphrey grounded out to third but Winfield singled Willie to third. Piniella hit into a double play to end the inning.

Dave LaRoche came in to close out the game in the top of the ninth although Evans walked to start. Stapleton flied out to left but Rice doubled Dwight to third. Yaz scored Evans with a grounder but Lansford grounded out to short to end the game. The Yankees took another step toward the AL East title with a 10-6 win.

Jackass of the Night is John Tudor. He allowed 5 big runs after the Sox clawed their way back in the game.

                                                             Jackass Tudor


The Good:

Jim Rice was 3 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carney Lansford was 1 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored.

Tony Perez was 3 for 4 with a 3 run home run and 2 runs scored.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Luis Aponte got the last two outs of the second.

Chuck Rainey pitched a scoreless 9th.



The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 5.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Gary Hancock hit into a double play as a pinch hitter.

Julio Valdez hit into a double play in his only at-bat.

Frank Tanana got rocked for 4 runs in just 1 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Steve Crawford allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

This season was crazy anyway but the Sox just couldn't beat the Yankees when it counted. The problem is the Sox didn't have the pitching as usual. They sent out Frank Tanana and John Tudor up against the likes of Ron Guidry and the results are as expected. There are still 20 games to play but the Yankees are up so far there may not be enough time left. The Sox missed Carlton Fisk this year but they missed a dependable third starter more. Still, the Sox could go on a run but it doesn't look good. The loss dropped the Sox to 47-41, 5.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for a crucial homestand beginning with the Detroit Tigers. Mike Torrez goes for the Sox up against Dan Petry at 8:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Ojeda Shuts Down Yankees (9/12/81)

In a weird, doomed year for major league baseball and the Boston Red Sox, one silver lining has been some of the memorable games they have played. Today's afternoon game against the New York Yankees was an instant classic from start to finish. 23 year old rookie Bob Ojeda no hit the Yankees for 8 innings before the Yankees rallied in the ninth inning. Mark Clear slammed the door and the Sox had one last fun win as this miserable season draws to a close with a 2-1 victory over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

                                                Officer Fish approves of the win

Rick Reuschel got the start for the Yankees and Jerry Remy grounded out to second to begin. Dwight Evans grounded out to short and Jim Rice was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Ojeda got the ball in the bottom of the first and Willie Randolph grounded out to second to begin. Jerry Mumphrey was frozen for strike three on a changeup before Lou Piniella drew a full count walk. Reggie Jackson whiffed on a curveball to end the inning.

Carl Yastrzemski led off the top of the second inning by taking a borderline pitch on the inside corner for strike three. Carney Lansford flied out deep to center before Dave Stapleton launched his 7th home run of the season just into the left field bleachers to give the Sox the lead. Rich Gedman hit a bullet but right to Randolph to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 1-0.

                                                          Touch em all Dave

Bob Watson flied out deep to center to start the bottom of the second before Craig Nettles was frozen for strike three with a fastball on the outside corner. Barry Foote also flied out to deep center to end the inning.

Rick Miller led off the top of the third inning by lining out to short. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short and Remy popped up to left to end the inning. Dennis Werth took strike three at the knees to begin the bottom of the third before Andre Robertson whiffed on a high curve. Randolph grounded out to short to end the inning.

Evans led off the top of the fourth inning by popping up to center to begin. Rice flied out to the left field wall but Yaz singled off the right field wall. Lansford hit a seeing eye single to second but Stapleton grounded into a force at third to end the inning. Ojeda got Mumphrey to pop up to right on a bad pitch before Piniella popped up to center. Jackson whiffed to end the inning.

Gedman grounded out to second to begin the top of the fifth before Miller grounded out on a comebacker to the mound. Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning. Ojeda cruised in the bottom of the fifth inning as Watson popped up to right to begin. Nettles grounded out to second and Foote grounded out to short to end the inning.

Reuschel got Remy to line out to Watson to start the top of the sixth inning before Evans grounded out to third. Rice whiffed on a foul tip into the mitt to end the inning. Ojeda kept the no-no going in the bottom of the sixth as Werth grounded out to third to begin. Robertson flied out to left and Randolph flied out to right to end the inning.

Yaz led off the top of the seventh inning by striking out swinging. Lansford popped up to a running Randolph but Stapleton hit a routine fly to right. The ball dropped and skipped away from Jackson which allowed Stapleton to make it to third. Gedman made Jackson pay with a base hit to right to score Stapleton with the insurance run. Miller grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                               Jackson "I got it, I got it....I don't got it"

Ojeda went back to work in the bottom of the seventh inning and Mumphrey whiffed badly to begin. Piniella grounded out to short and Miller sprinted to rob Jackson of a bloop single to end the inning. Ojeda was six outs away from a no-hitter.

Hoffman and Remy both grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth inning before Evans also grounded out to short to end the inning in short order. Ojeda came back for the bottom of the eighth inning and Watson knocked his glove off with a comebacker. Ojeda quickly picked the ball up barehanded and threw it to first for the out. Nettles popped up to second but Stapleton caught it for the second out. Foote flied out to right to end the inning and he was 3 outs away from becoming the first pitcher to no-hit the Yankees since Hoyt Wilhem did it in 1958.

The sad part was Reuschel pitched a hell of a game himself and he got Rice to ground out to third to begin the top of the ninth. Yaz lined a base hit to left but was thrown out trying to stretch a double. Lansford dumped a single to center but Stapleton grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                          YERRRR OUT!

Suddenly the Yankees came alive in the bottom of the ninth against the exhausted Ojeda. Rick Cerone pinch hit for Werth and hit a rocket just out of reach of Evans for a double to break up the no-no. Sox manager Ralph Houk immediately had Mark Clear warm up as Dave Winfield pinch hit for Robertson. Winfield lined a double to left to score Cerone and chase Ojeda from the game. Ojeda went from throwing a no-no to leaving with the tying run at second. Still, he left after 8 innings of 1 run ball while allowing just two hits, earning a standing ovation from the Yankee Stadium crowd.

                                                            Standing O for Ojeda

Now Mark Clear had to deal with the tying run on second with nobody out. Randolph squared to bunt but was rung up for strike three on a borderline pitch. Mumphrey whiffed on a fastball before Oscar Gamble pinch hit for Piniella. Gamble walked but Jackson popped up to right to end the game. The Sox held on to win it 2-1.

                                                   Big win for the Sox


Hero of the Night is Bob Ojeda. He tossed 8 no-hit innings before settling for the victory.

                                                     The rookie Hero



The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4.

Carney Lansford was 2 for 4.

Dave Stapleton was 2 for 4 with a solo home run and 2 runs scored.

Rich Gedman was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Mark Clear earned his 8th save with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

None



Final Thoughts:

As the season comes to a close, this was a nice preview of the future with Ojeda doing well. The Sox haven't had a good lefty since Bill Lee left town 3 years ago and Ojeda could be the answer. Dennis Ecksersley and Mike Torrez haven't been the same since 1978 so Ojeda could be the next ace. The Sox have some talent heading into next year offensively but they definitely need more pitching to match the Yankees. As for this game, it was a lot of fun. Ojeda had to be perfect because the Sox offense mustered little against Reuschel. It was a damn good, hard fought win even if Ojeda didn't get the no-no. The win improved the Sox to 47-40, 4.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to inch further closer in the standings when they play the Yankees again. Ron Guidry goes for the Yankees opposite Frank Tanana (3-8) of the Sox at 2:00 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Brewers Rally Past Red Sox (5/29/81)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were going to beat the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers jumped on Sox starter Mike Torrez for a run in the top of the first, but the Sox answered in the bottom of the inning. The Brewers got two more runs off Torrez while Carl Yastrzemski got one for Boston. In the bottom of the eighth, Joe Rudi clobbered a two run home run off his old buddy Rollie Fingers to put Boston ahead. Unfortunately with one out in the ninth, Tom Burgmeier allowed a 2 run bomb by Ted Simmons. The Sox did nothing in the ninth and the Brewers had dropped the Sox 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         "That damn Burgmeier"

The Brewers wasted no time getting to Torrez in the top of the first as Jim Gantner flied out to left to start. Robin Yount then hit a home run all the way to Maine to put Milwaukee on top. Cecil Cooper walked but moved to second on the Ben Oglivie grounder to first. Ted Simmons grounded out to second to end the inning with the Brewers up 1-0.

                                                                   Brewers take the lead

The Sox responded in the bottom of the first against Jim Slaton as Jerry Remy got a base hit to right to start. Dwight Evans popped up to first but Remy swiped second. Carl Yastrzemski doubled to right to score Remy but Jim Rice popped up to first. Carney Lansford flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                  Yaz ties it

Roy Howell walked to start the top of the second but Don Money flied out to center. Mark Brouhard forced Howell at second and Marshall Edwards struck out swinging to end the inning. Joe Rudi led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to third. Dave Stapleton flied out to center but Rich Gedman doubled to center. Rick Miller flied out to center to end the inning.

Gantner flied out to center to start the top of the third but Yount got a base hit to right but Cooper grounded into a double play to end the inning. Remy grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Evans flied out to center. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Brewers struck again in the top of the fourth Oglivie flied out to right to start. Simmons popped up to first but Howell hit a home run all the way to Neptune to put Milwaukee back on top. Money struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-1.

                                                            Howell goes yard

Rice flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Lansford reached on an error by Howell. Rudi grounded out to third to move Carney to second and Stapleton popped up to second to end the inning.

The Brewers struck again in the top of the fifth as Brouhard flied out to right to start. Lansford booted a grounder by Edwards for an error and Marshall moved to third on a throwing error by Gedman. Gantner grounded out to first to score Edwards and Yount grounded out to third to end the inning with the Brewers up 3-1.

                                                                Nice error Carney

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fifth as Gedman doubled to center to start. Miller flied out to left and Remy grounded out to second to move Rich to third. Evans walked and Yaz hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score Gedman. Rice flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                                   Gedman scores a run

Cooper walked to start the top of the sixth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Oglivie popped up to short and Simmons struck out swinging to end the inning. Lansford walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Rudi popped up to third. Stapleton grounded out to third to move Lansford to second but Gedman flied out to left to end the inning.

Howell flied out to center to start the top of the seventh before Money grounded out to short. Brouhard grounded out to second to end the inning. Jamie Easterly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Miller's bunt attempt was snuffed out by the catcher to start. Remy and Evans both flied out to left to end the inning.

Edwards grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Gantner did the same. Yount grounded out to short to end the inning. Torrez pitched great, allowing 3 runs in 8 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks.

                                                             Torrez with 8 great innings

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Yaz struck out swinging to start. Rice got a base hit to right and Brewers manager Buck Rodggers brought in Rollie Fingers for the five out save. Lansford flied out to right but a wild pitch moved Rice to second. All of a sudden Rudi blasted his second home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Stapleton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                              Rudi puts Boston ahead

Tom Burgmeier came in to close out the top of the ninth and crapped his pants. Cooper was hit with a pitch but Oglivie forced him at second. Simmons then hit a home run all the way to Alaska to put the Brewers on top. Sal Bando pinch hit for Howell and got a base hit to left. Money got a double to left and that was it for Burgmeier. Bill Campbell came in to get Brouhard to fly out to center and Edwards to pop up to third to end the inning with the Brewers up 5-4.

                                                             Simmons sinks the Sox

Gedman grounded out to second to start the bottom of the ninth and Miller flied out to left. Remy also flied out to left to end the game. The Brewers had won it 5-4.

Jackass of The Night is Tom Burgmeier. 2 outs from victory and he gives up the backbreaking home run to Simmons to lose the game.

                                                                Jackass Burgmeier

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Rich Gedman was 2 for 4.

Mike Torrez allowed 3 runs but only 2 earned in 8 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks.

Bill Campbell got the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rick Miller was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a run scored.

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

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3 with an error but walked.

Joe Rudi was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a sucker punch to the gonads. The Sox trailed the whole game only to take the lead for about five minutes. Joe Rudi hasn't done much all year but he was 2 outs away from being the hero. Burgmeier was an anchor out of the bullpen all year in 1980 but this year has been different. Its a shame because a win would have done wonders since they were only four games out of first place going into this one. There's still time to go on a run but losing like this kills any sort of momentum. Just have to shake it off and come back against the Brewers tomorrow. The loss dropped the Sox to 24-20, 5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound against the Brewers tomorrow afternoon when Frank Tanana takes on Moose Haas of Milwaukee. The game begins at 4:00 PM at Fenway Park.