Basebawful Report of The Month

Luis Aparicio - 5 Good, 1 Bad, 9 Ugly

Bobby Bolin - 5 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly

Danny Cater - 1 Good, 1 Bad

Orlando Cepeda - 8 Good, 3 Bad, 3 Ugly, 2 Hero

John Curtis - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 2 Jackass

Dwight Evans - 6 Good, 5 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass, 2 Honorable Mention

Carlton Fisk - 7 Good, 4 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Hero

Mike Garman - 1 Bad

Doug Griffin - 6 Good, 3 Bad, 8 Ugly

Mario Guerrero - 2 Good

Tommy Harper - 8 Good, 2 Bad, 5 Ugly

John Kennedy - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly and 1 Honorable Mention

Bill Lee - 2 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Lynn McGlothen - 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Rick Miller - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 4 Honorable Mention

Bob Montgomery - 1 Ugly

Roger Moret - 2 Good, 1 Hero

Ben Oglivie - 5 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Marty Pattin - 1 Good, 1 Ugly, 3 Jackass

Rico Petrocelli - 4 Good, 5 Bad, 5 Ugly,1 Jackass

Sonny Siebert - 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Reggie Smith - 7 Good, 3 Bad, 6 Ugly

Luis Tiant - 2 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Bob Veale - 5 Good, 3 Bad

Carl Yastrzesmki - 3 Good, 4 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Hero

The Most Valuable Players of the Month are Orlando Cepeda and Tommy Harper with 8 Good

The Least Valuable Players of the Month are Dwight Evans and Rico Petrocelli with 5 Bad

The Ugliest Players of the Month are Luis Aparicio and Carl Yastrzemski with 9 Ugly

Hero of the Month is Orlando Cepeda with 2 Hero

Jackass of the Month is Marty Pattin with 3 Jackass

Honorable Player of the Month is Rick Miller with 4 Honorable Mention

White Sox Blank Red Sox (4/29/73)

It was bad news all around as the 68 win Boston Celtics season ended in Game 7 of the NBA East Finals at the hands of the New York Knicks and the Chicago White Sox shut out the Boston Red Sox. Old pal Wilbur Wood held Boston to just 7 hits and no runs as he tossed a complete game against the team that gave up on him ten years ago. Marty Pattin got hammered for 5 runs before getting knocked out in the 5th inning. John Curtis pitched well in relief but the BoSox couldn't generate any offense. Boston ended the month of April on a down note with a bitter 5-0 shutout loss to the White Sox at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox get Mr. Wonka?

                                                           

Pattin got the ball in the top of the first inning and the pain in the ass Pat Kelly got a base hit to left to start. Carlos May ripped a base hit to right to move Kelly to third but Dick Allen struck out swinging. Bill Melton struck out swinging but May swiped second base. Ken Henderson struck out swinging to end the inning. Wood got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tommy Harper grounded out to short to begin. Luis Aparicio doubled to right but Carl Yastrzemski hit one up the elevator shaft. Reggie Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Mike Andrews popped up to first to start the top of the second but Ed Herrmann poked a base hit to right. Jorge Orta popped up to left and Eddie Leon struck out swinging to end the inning. Orlando Cepeda lined out to second to start the bottom of the second before both Carlton Fisk and John Kennedy struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The White Sox struck first in the top of the third as Kelly walked to start. May got another base hit to right to move Kelly to third and this time Allen scored Pat by beating out a double play ball. Melton hit a home run all the way to Minnesota to ice the game early. Henderson struck out swinging and Andrews popped up to third to end the inning with Chicago up for good 3-0.

                                                            Melton ends it early 

The BoSox failed to respond in the bottom of the third although Doug Griffin got a base hit to center to start. Evans moved Griffin to second with a grounder to short, but Harper went down hacking. Aparicio grounded out to short to end the inning. 

The White Sox struck again in the top of the fourth inning as Herrmann hit a home run into the Charles River to increase the lead. Orta and Leon both struck out swinging and Kelly took strike three to end the inning with Chicago up 4-0.

                                                                    Herrmann hits one out

Allen booted a grounder by Yaz to start the top of the fifth but Carl could only move to second on the grounder to third by Smith and to third on the grounder to short by Cepeda. Fisk struck out swinging to end the inning. The White Sox poured it on in the bottom of the fifth as May flied out to left to start but Allen hit a home run to Nebraska to put the game out of reach. Melton lined out to center but Henderson and Andrews stroked back to back base hits to chase Pattin. Marty sucked again, allowing 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. John Curtis came in to pitch and Herrmann walked to load the bases, but Orta struck out swinging to end the inning with the ChiSox up 5-0.

                                                                 Allen joins the homer parade

The BoSox did nothing against Wood in the bottom of the fifth with Johnny Jeter in for Kelly. Kennedy grounded out to third and Griffin grounded out to short but Evans lined a base hit to right. Harper popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Leon grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Jeter walked and stole second. May took strike three and Allen popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Aparicio popped up to first in foul territory to start the bottom of the sixth and Yaz flied out to right. Smith doubled to left but Cepeda popped up to second to end the inning.

Melton walked to start the top of the seventh but Henderson popped up to second. Andrews took strike three and Herrmann flied out to center to end the inning. Fisk got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Kennedy banged into a double play. Griffin lined out to center to end the inning.

Orta struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth but Leon grounded out to second. Jeter grounded out to short to end the inning. Evans flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth before Harper flied out to center. Aparicio singled to center but Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning.

May struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth but Allen drew a walk. Melton flied out to right but Henderson doubled to left. Andrews was intentionally walked but Herrmann grounded out to second to end the inning. Wood completed his masterpiece in the bottom of the ninth although Smith singled to left to start. Reggie took second on a wild pitch but Cepeda popped up to first in foul territory. Smith moved to third on the fly ball to center by Fisk but Kennedy hit one up the elevator shaft to end the game. The White Sox had blanked the Red Sox 5-0.

Jackass of the Night is Marty Pattin. He allowed 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings on 9 hits.

                                                          Pattin The Jackass

The Good:

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 4.

Reggie Smith was 2 for 4.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3.

John Curtis tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

Orlando Cepeda was 0 for 4.

John Kennedy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Not the way to end the month of April, that's for sure. The reign of error by Pinky Higgins continues to haunt the Red Sox as Wilbur Wood turned into a perennial Cy Young candidate. Imagine the 25 year old Wood on the 1967 Red Sox right next to Jim Lonborg? Sox might have actually beaten St. Louis that year. Either way Wood shut down the Sox and Pattin got hammered again. Curtis salvaged the situation but how many times is Pattin going to go out and take a beating before enough is enough? Its only April and there's plenty of time to turn things around but one of the main reasons why the Sox are in last place is because Pattin went 1-4. Offensively the Sox have been fine offensively with the exceptions of Yaz and Evans. If Yaz is nearing the end of the line, the Sox have a 20 year old kid in Bristol named Jim Rice that hit 17 home runs for Winter Haven last year. He could possibly replace Carl in a year or two. Or Evans if he never develops. All in all it was a bad game and the month was full of them, thankfully the month of April is over. The loss dropped the Sox to 7-10, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers at home. Bill Lee gets the start for Boston against Rich Hand of the Rangers. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Bahnsen Outduels Tiant, White Sox Edge Red Sox (4/28/73)

Tonight was a wonderful pitcher's duel between the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox....too bad the wrong team won. Stan Bahnsen of the White Sox and Luis Tiant (2-2, 4.01 ERA) locked in a death match for 6 innings with Bahnsen ahead. Terry Forster replaced him in the seventh and the Red Sox couldn't generate any offense. Meanwhile Tiant went the distance but surrendered two runs in the process to Chicago. The BoSox had two men on in the seventh inning, the bases loaded in the eighth and a man on in the ninth inning but couldn't drive anyone in to tie the game. The White Sox had won the duel 2-1 at Fenway Park.

                                          Ratso and Joe couldn't take the Red Sox bats anymore

The White Sox wasted no time getting to Tiant in the top of the first inning as Pat Kelly doubled to left to start. Carlos May dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Kelly to third and Pat scored on the Dick Allen grounder to short to put Chicago on top. Bill Melton doubled to right but old pal Ken Henderson struck out swinging to end the inning with Chicago up 1-0.

                                                                     Kelly scores a run

Bahnsen began his dominance in the bottom of the first as Tommy Harper grounded out to third to start. Luis Aparicio grounded out to short but Carl Yastrzemski tripled into the centerfield triangle. Orlando Cepeda took strike three to end the inning.

Old friend Mike Andrews popped up to second to begin the top of the second before Ed Herrmann ripped a base hit to left. Jorge Orta and Eddie Leon both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Carlton Fisk lined out to left to start. Ben Oglivie doubled off the Monster and John Kennedy beat out a roller to third before Doug Griffin dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners over. Rick Miller grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The White Sox struck again in the top of the third as Kelly again doubled to left to start. May popped up to center and Allen struck out swinging but Melton doubled to right to score Kelly to increase the lead. Henderson took strike three to end the inning with Chicago ahead 2-0.

                                                             Melton drives in a run

The Red Sox finally rallied in the bottom of the third as Harper and Aparicio drew back to back walks to start. Yaz banged into a double play but Cepeda walked to put runners at the corners. Fisk stepped up with a double to left to score Aparicio but Cepeda remained at third. With a chance to tie the game...Oglivie grounded out to first to end the inning with Chicago still ahead 2-1.

                                                             Fisk drives in a run

Andrews struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Herrmann grounded out to second. Orta struck out swinging to end the inning. The Red Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the fourth as Kennedy flied out to right to begin. Griffin grounded out to short but Miller lined a base hit to center. Harper walked and with a chance to tie the game....Aparicio popped up to center to end the inning.

Leon struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Kelly doubled to right. May was intentionally walked to set up a double play and Allen struck out swinging. Melton forced Kelly at third to end the inning. Once again the Red Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Yaz grounded out to second to start. Cepeda singled to right and Fisk was hit with a pitch....but Oglivie lined out to center. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Aparicio booted a grounder by Henderson to start the top of the sixth for an error and Andrews dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Ken to second. Herrmann popped up to Griffin in foul territory and Orta took strike three to end the inning. Griffin struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Miller lined out to second. Harper drew a walk but Aparicio flied out to left to end the inning.

Leon popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the seventh but Kelly walked. May singled to left but Allen struck out swinging. Melton flied out to right to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh but Cepeda singled to center to chase Bahnsen. Terry Forster came in to pitch and Danny Cater came in to run for Orlando. Fisk singled to left and Sox manager Eddie Kasko sent Dwight Evans in to pinch hit for Oglivie. The gamble failed as Evans struck out swinging and Kennedy also went down hacking to end the inning.

Henderson lined out to third to start the top of the eighth but Andrews drew a walk. Herrmann flied out to center and Orta grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Red Sox blew yet another rally in the bottom of the eighth with Johnny Jeter taking over for Kelly at first. Griffin and Miller both took strike three but Harper doubled to center. Aparicio beat out a roller to second and Yaz walked to load the bases. Kasko's decision to run for Cepeda came back to haunt him as Cater took strike three to end the inning.

Tiant came back to go the distance in the top of the ninth and Leon hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Jeter flied out to left and May flied out to center to end the inning. Tiant went the distance and allowed just 2 runs on just 7 hits while striking out 11 batters. Too bad he got almost no run support.

                                                              Tiant goes the distance

Fisk singled to right to put the tying run on in the top of the ninth but Evans popped up a bunt to third. Kennedy forced Fisk at second and Rico Petrocelli pinch hit for Griffin. Petrocelli popped up to left to end the game. The White Sox had won it 2-1.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one with everyone leaving someone on base but I'll go with Dwight Evans. He came up with two men on in the seventh and struck out before stranding Fisk in the ninth by popping up a bunt.

                                                               Jackass Evans

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 1 for 2 with 3 walks.

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Carlton Fisk was 3 for 4 with a hit by pitch and an rbi.

Ben Oglivie was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Luis Tiant tossed a complete game 7 hitter, striking out 11 batters while allowing 2 runs.

The Bad:

Danny Cater struck out as a pinch hitter.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Rico Petrocelli popped up as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

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

Carlton Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked.

John Kennedy was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Rick Miller was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a kick in the gonads considering the Sox left 10 guys on base. They had chances in almost every inning to tie the game and they failed each and every time. Leaving the bases loaded in the seventh was inexcusable and the fact they wasted Tiant going the distance is embarrassing. The BoSox actually outhit the ChiSox 10 to 7 but couldn't get anything done. Who knows why Kasko chose Dwight Evans over Reggie Smith to pinch hit but Cater over Petrocelli with the bases loaded as out and out asinine. Bad decisions aside, its been that kind of month for the Red Sox. Thankfully there's only one more game left this month and that's tomorrow afternoon. The Sox look to end April on a high note tomorrow afternoon against the White Sox. Marty Pattin (1-3) looks to get back on track against old friend and current White Sox ace Wilbur Wood. The game begins at 2:25 PM at Fenway Park.

Rainout News (4/27/73)

Tonight's game between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox has been postponed due to a massive rainstorm. The game will be made up as apart of a doubleheader against the White Sox on July 17th.

                                                  Live look at Red Sox manager Eddie Kasko

On This Day in Basebawful History:

1901 - Orioles beat Sox

1915 - Keating, Yankees Blank Sox

1970 - Romo outduels Hunter, Sox beat A's

1971 - Brewers edge Sox

The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the White Sox. Luis Tiant (2-1) of Boston takes on Steve Bahnsen of Chicago. The game begins at 2:25 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (4/26/73)

On This Day in Basebawful History:

1901 - Sox lose first game in franchise history

1915 - Sox beat Philadelphia in the rain

1970 - Brabender, Brewers beat Sox

1972 - Twins beat struggling Sox

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night against the Chicago White Sox. Luis Tiant (2-1) goes for Boston against Steve Bahnsen of Chicago. The game begins at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Edge Twins (4/25/73)

It was good news all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics stayed alive with a Game 5 win over the New York Knicks in their NBA East Finals series and the Boston Red Sox narrowly defeated the Minnesota Twins. The Sox and the Twins fought to a 3-3 tie after five innings with both Sox starter Lynn McGlothen and Minnesota starter Bill Hands out of the game. In the bottom of the sixth, John Kennedy doubled home Orlando Cepeda against Ray Corbin while Bill Lee (1-0, 1.45 ERA) pitched superb in relief of McGlothen. The Twins chased Lee in the top of the  ninth and loaded the bases against Bob Veale. Bobby Bolin had to face future Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew and.....got him out to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Paul Silas approves of the win

McGlothen got the ball in the top of the first inning and Larry Hisle got a base hit to left to start. Rod Carew forced Hisle at second and moved to second on the grounder to third by Harmon Killebrew. Tony Oliva popped up to second to end the inning. Hands got the ball in the bottom of the first and Doug Griffin flied out to left to start. Luis Aparicio took strike three and Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bobby Darwin doubled to left to start the top of the second before Steve Braun drew a walk. Danny Thompson dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but Carlton Fisk gunned down Braun at second on the swinging strikeout by George Mitterwald to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Reggie Smith got a base hit to center to start. Orlando Cepeda banged into a double play but Fisk smashed his sixth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Ben Oglivie grounded out to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 1-0.

                                                           Fisk jacks one

The Twins answered in the top of the third although Jim Holt struck out swinging to start. Hisle doubled to center and Carew slapped a base hit to center to score him to tie the game. Killebrew took strike three and Fisk gunned down Carew trying to steal to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                                   Carew ties it

John Kennedy popped up to third to start the bottom of the third and Dwight Evans grounded out to short. Griffin took strike three to end the inning.

The Twins took command in the top of the fourth as Oliva got a base hit to center to start. Darwin walked but Braun beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Thompson scored Oliva with a sac fly to put the Twins on top and Mitterwald got a base hit to right to score Braun. Sox manager Eddie Kasko yanked McGlothen before any further damage could be done and sent Bill Lee in to clean up the mess. Holt grounded out to second to end the inning with the Twins up 3-1.

                                                              Not a good start by Lynn

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Aparicio flied out to center to start. Yaz also flied out to center but Smith walked. Cepeda singled to right but Fisk popped up to left to end the inning.

Hisle hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fifth before Carew grounded out to second. Killebrew walked but Oliva forced him at second to end the inning. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the fifth as Oglivie singled to left to start. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to move Ben to second and Evans ripped a base hit to center. Oglivie came around to score and Evans took second on the throw. Griffin singled to right to put runners at the corners and Aparicio got a hit to right to score Evans. Yaz flied out to center and Smith lined out to right to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                       Evans drives in a run

Darwin singled to the right of Lee to start the top of the sixth before moving to second on the grounder to first by Braun. Darwin moved to third on the grounder to short by Thompson and Mitterwald walked. Steve Brye pinch hit for Holt and struck out swinging to end the inning. Ray Corbin took over for Hands to start the bottom of the sixth and Cepeda greeted him with a double to center. Fisk popped up to short and Oglivie struck out swinging, but Kennedy doubled to center to score Cepeda. Evans grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                        Kennedy pushes the Sox ahead

Hisle flied out to right to start the top of the seventh before Carew struck out swinging. Killebrew took strike three to end the inning. Griffin grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh but Yaz singled to the left of Corbin. Smith popped up to second to end the inning.

Danny Walton pinch hit for Oliva to start the top of the eighth and flied out to center to start. Darwin grounded out to first and Joe Lis pinch hit for Braun. Lis popped up to short to end the inning. Jerry Terrell took over at third for the bottom of the eighth and Cepeda struck out swinging to start. Fisk lined back to Corbin and Oglivie popped up to second to end the inning.

Lee came back to finish off the top of the ninth and Thompson struck out swinging to start. Mitterwald doubled off the Monster and Dan Monzon pinch ran for him. Mike Adams pinch hit for Brye and moved Monzon to third with a grounder to first. Hisle walked and Sox manager Eddie Kasko wanted Bob Veale to pitch to Carew. Rod walked to load the bases and Kasko sent Bobby Bolin to pitch to Killebrew. With everyone on the edge of their seats...Bolin froze Killebrew for strike three to end the game. The Sox had survived to win it 4-3.

Hero of the Night is Bill Lee. He came in to put out the fire in the fourth inning and almost went the distance after that, tossing 5 shutout innings to get the win.

                                                           Bill Hero

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

John Kennedy was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Bobby Bolin struck out Harmon Killebrew to end the game and earn the "save".

The Bad:

Lynn McGlothen allowed 3 runs in just 3 2/3 innings including 6 hits.

Bob Veale walked the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Ben Oglivie was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That's a little more like it. Everyone in the Sox batting order got a hit and Lee was able to salvage the game after McGlothen was knocked out. The only drawback to the game was McGlothen and the way the starting rotation has struggled so far this season is discouraging. Still, a win is a win and the Sox earned this one. Maybe Lee should be in the starting rotation and one of the others come out, what the hell? A balanced offense is nice but it won't be sustainable as the year moves forward. All in all it was a good win and hopefully more wins are in store. The Sox are back in action Friday night at home against the Chicago White Sox. Luis Tiant (2-1) goes up against Steve Bahnsen of Chicago. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Rout Pattin, Sox (4/24/73)

Another day, another loss for the Boston Red Sox and Marty Pattin (1-3, 8.85 ERA). Pattin got lit up for five runs and got knocked out in the third inning. John Curtis held the Twins to 1 run in relief but the Boston bats couldn't do enough damage against Twins starter Dick Woodson. The Sox rallied against Dave Goltz but couldn't deliver the knockout punch. Bobby Bolin allowed yet another rub and a Dwight Evans rbi single wasn't enough as the Twins beat the Red Sox 6-4 at Fenway Park. 

                                                           "Damn Twins"

Pattin got the ball in the top of the first inning and Larry Hisle grounded out to first to start. Rod Carew singled to left but Harmon Killebrew forced him at second. Tony Oliva popped up to second to end the inning. Woodson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Doug Griffin lined one off of Hisle but the ball went to Danny Thompson who threw to Killebrew for the out. Luis Aparicio singled to right and moved to second when Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first. Smith flied out to right to end the inning. 

Bobby Darwin grounded out to second to start the top of the second but Steve Braun walked. Thompson singled to left but Phil Roof took strike three. Jim Holt forced Thompson at second to end the inning. Orlando Cepeda hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the second before Rico Petrocelli grounded out to third. Carlton Fisk flied out to center to end the inning.

The Twins exploded in the top of the third with John Kennedy taking over for the injured Petrocelli as Hisle led off with a home run all the way to Pluto to start. Carew walked but Killlebrew hit one up the elevator shaft. Olivia singled to center and Darwin got a base hit to left to score Carew. Braun singled to right to score Oliva and Thompson got a base hit to right to score Darwin. That was it for Pattin who lasted just 2 1/3 innings and was charged with five runs. John Curtis came in and Roof scored Braun with a grounder to second to increase the lead. Holt beat out a roller to first to move Thompson to third but Hisle struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 5-0.

                                                             Oliva says "hola"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Ben Oglivie grounded out to first to start. Dwight Evans flied out to right and Griffin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Carew struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Killebrew worked a walk. Oliva struck out swinging and Darwin forced Killebrew at second to end the inning. Aparicio grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Yaz lined out to center. Smith popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Braun singled to center to start the top of the fifth but Thompson popped up to second. Roof banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the fifth as Cepeda singled in the hole at second to start. Kennedy struck out swinging but Fisk doubled to center. Oglivie walked to load the bases and Evans walked home Cepeda to cut the lead. Griffin hit a sac fly to right to score Fisk and the runners moved up on the error at home by Roof. Aparicio grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                          Evans brings home Cepeda

Holt grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth but Hisle singled to left. Carew singled to center but Killebrew hit into a double play to end the inning. Dave Goltz took over for the bottom of the sixth and Yaz grounded out to first to start. Smith grounded out to short but Cepeda got a base hit to left. Kennedy lined out to second to end the inning.

Oliva grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh but Darwin lined out to left. Braun grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the seventh as Fisk was hit with a pitch to start. Oglivie doubled to center but Evans grounded back to the mound. Griffin dropped down a safety squeeze bunt that scored Fisk and put runners at the corners. Unfortunately Aparicio lined a ball back to Goltz who threw Oglivie out at home. Ken Sanders came in to pitch and Yaz walked to load the bases, but Smith grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                                Griffin with the bunt

The Twins iced the game in the top of the eighth as Thompson walked to start. Roof flied out to center but Holt walked to chase Curtis. Bobby Bolin came in and got Hisle to pop up to first, but Carew walked to load the bases. Despite hitting .170 on the season, Kilebrew got a base hit to left to score Thompson to increase the lead. That was it for Bolin as Bob Veale came in to get Oliva to pop up to first to end the inning with the Twins ahead 6-3.

                                                          Killebrew drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the eighth as Cepeda flied out to center to start. Kennedy took strike three and Fisk struck out swinging to end the inning.

Darwin lined out to center to open the top of the ninth but Braun got a base hit to right. Thompson banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did try to rally in the bottom of the ninth when Oglivie doubled off the Monster to start. Evans ripped a base hit to center to score Ben and bring the tying run to the plate. Griffin took strike three and Aparicio flied out to right, but Yaz doubled to left to keep the inning alive. With the game on the line....Smith popped up to second to end the game. The Twins had won it 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Marty Pattin. He got knocked out in the third inning after being charged with 5 runs to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                                Jackass Pattin

The Good:

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.

Ben Oglivie was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Bob Veale tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 5.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 1 before leaving the game.

John Kennedy was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Doug Griffin was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but drove in 2 runs.

Luis Aparicio was just 1 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked.

John Curtis allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 5 innings.

Bobby Bolin allowed an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a kick in the pants, especially the end. The Sox did all that work to get back in the game only for Bolin to give up that sixth run. If it was a two run game in the ninth, there's no doubt Griffin would have bunted Evans to second if that's how things played out. Its a shame because the Sox showed heart to rally after being down 5-0 but it just wasn't enough. That's three bad games this month for Pattin and he better start improving or the Sox are going to be in trouble. The offense was pretty much held in check apart from some spurts here and there but those are the breaks. The Sox still need to address the bullpen since every one they put in there gives up runs. Trading Sparky Lyle looks pretty foolish right about now considering Danny Cater's regression and the bullpen woes. Its only April so the Sox have plenty of time to right the ship. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Twins when Lynn McGlothen takes the ball against Bill Hands of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Moret, Sox Down Indians in Game 2 (4/22/73)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 4 of their NBA East Finals series with the New York Knicks but the Boston Red Sox took the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians. Roger Moret (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was outstanding, allowing just an unearned run in 5 2/3 innings. The bats scored their first run on a balk then rallied for 4 more runs in the 5th inning. Bob Veale surrendered just a solo home run as he slammed the door to earn the save. The Sox avenged their Game 1 loss with a 5-2 win in Game 2 at Cleveland Stadium. 

                                               Mercy Rooney approves of the win

Steve Dunning got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper led off with a grounder to short. Mario Guerrero popped up to right and Carl Yastrzemski struck out swinging to end the inning. Moret got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Rusty Torres flied out to center to start. Leo Cardenas singled to left but Chris Chambiss lined out to left. Charlie Spikes walked but Ron Lolich forced him at second to end the inning. 

Reggie Smith flied out to left to start the top of the second inning and Orlando Cepeda popped up to first in foul territory. Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging to end the inning. John Ellis and George Hendrick stroked back to back base hits to left to begin the bottom of the second. Buddy Bell walked to load the bases but Jack Brohamer hit a bullet to Petrocelli who doubled off Ellis at third. Torres lined out to left to end the inning. 

Ben Oglivie singled to right to start the top of the top of the third but Doug Griffin grounded into a double play. Bob Montgomery popped up to second to end the inning. Cardenas walked to start the bottom of the third but Chambliss struck out swinging. Spikes lined out to center but Lolich walked. Ellis singled to right to load the bases but Hendrick popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. 

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth as Harper walked to start. Harper stole second and Guerrero walked as well. Yaz banged into a double play to move Harper to third and he scored on a balk to put Boston on top. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. 

                                                         Harper scores a run

Bell struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Brohamer doubled to center. Torres took strike three but Cardenas walked again. Chambliss lined out to center to end the inning. 

The Sox broke the game open in the top of the fifth as Cepeda singled to left to start. Petrocelli walked but Oglivie struck out swinging. Griffin lined out to right but Montgomery doubled to center to score Cepeda. Harper singled to right to score Petrocelli and chase Dunning from the game. Ray Lamb came in to pitch and Guerrero singled to right to move Harprt to third. Yaz caught everyone asleep with a safety squeeze bunt single to score Harper. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                       Montgomery drives in a run

Moret cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Spikes popped up to first to start. Lolich struck out swinging and Ellis popped up to right to end the inning.

Cepeda got a base hit to center to start the top of the sixth but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Petrocelli popped up to second but Lamb booted a grounder by Oglivie. Griffin grounded out to third to end the inning. The Indians got a run back due to shoddy defense in the bottom of the sixth as Hendrick lined out to left to begin. Bell popped up to second but Brohamer singled in the hole at second to chase Moret. Roger was excellent by being charged with just the 1 run in 5 2/3 innings. Bobby Bolin came in and Torres singled to center to bring up Cardenas. Montgomery had Brohamer picked off second but he threw the ball over the head of the FIRST baseman's head to move Brohamer to third on the error. Bolin had Torres picked off but he threw the ball away to score Brohamer on the error. Cardenas hit a routine grounder to Petrocelli who dropped an elbow on the ball and pinned it for yet another error. That was it for Bolin as Bob Veale came in to pitch and Chambliss lined out to short to end the inning with the Indians down 5-1 after 3 errors.

                                               Bolin, Petrocelli and Montgomery

Montgomery took strike three to start the top of the seventh and Harper lined out to second. Guerrero grounded out to third to end the inning. The Indians got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Spikes hit a home run all the way to Cameroon to start. Lolich singled to center but Ellis banged into a double play. Hendrick struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Yaz lined out to left to start the top of the eighth and Smith flied out to left. Cepeda got another base hit to center and Dwight Evans pinch ran for him. Petrocelli walked but Oglivie struck out swinging to end the inning. Rick Miller took over for Harper to start the bottom of the eighth and Bell struck out swinging to start. Brohamer walked but Torres lined out to third. Cardenas flied out to center to end the inning.

Griffin got a base hit to left to start the top of the ninth but Montgomery took strike three. Miller struck out swinging and Griffin was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Veale came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Chambliss grounded out to first to start. Spikes grounded out to short and Lolich flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

Hero of The Night is Roger Moret. He was charged with an unearned run in 5 2/3 gutty innings in the second game of a doubleheader.

                                                                      Hero Moret

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Mario Guerrero was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Orlando Cepeda was 3 for 4 with a run scored. 

Bob Veale allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings of work to earn the save. 

The Bad:

Rick Miller struck out in his only at bat.

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4

Bobby Bolin allowed an inherited runner to score, committed an error and gave up a hit without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and an error but walked twice and scored a run. 

Ben Oglivie was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4.

Bob Montgomery was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Dwight Evans ran for Cepeda in the top of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Red Sox to bounce back after the loss in Game 1. Moret pitched well bit good lord they need to clean up the errors. That seventh inning could have gotten a lot worse but they got lucky. Thankfully they were so far ahead they could afford to give up a run but that was bad. One thing is for sure is the bullpen is anything but automatic, that could be a problem moving forward. Still, the bats did enough to win and Cepeda is having the time of his life as the team's Designated Hitter. All in all it was a good win and the Sox hope the momentum carries over into the next game. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox return home to play the Minnesota Twins. Marty Pattin (1-2) gets the start against Dick Woodson of the Twins this Tuesday night at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Stun Sox in Game 1 (4/22/73)

Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of today's doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. The Sox took a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth but the Indians rallied to tie the game. The Sox got an rbi double by Luis Aparicio and a two run home run by Carl Yastrzemski in the top of the ninth off Jerry Johnson to give the Sox a 3 run lead. All of a sudden the Indians rallied against John Curtis in the bottom of the ninth after Luis Aparicio booted a grounder by Leo Cardenas. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ron Lolich hit a walkoff grand slam against Sonny Siebert (0-1, 7.71 ERA) to stun the Sox and give Cleveland the Game 1 8-7 victory at Cleveland Stadium.

                                              "Hello? Operator? We need bullpen help here!"

Brent Strom got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Harper popped up to third in foul territory to start. Luis Aparicio grounded out to third and Carl Yastrzemski took strike three to end the inning. Luis Tiant got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rusty Torres doubled to right to start. Torres moved to third on the Jack Brohamer grounder to first but Chris Chambiss popped up to second. Charlie Spikes grounded out to third to end the inning. 

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as Reggie Smith struck out swinging to start. Orlando Cepeda doubled to right and Rico Petrocelli belted his 5th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Fisk caught the Indians asleep with a bunt single but was immediately picked off. Doug Griffin popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                  Petrocelli goes yard

The Indians struck right back in the bottom of the second as Oscar Gamble hit a home run all the way to Utica, New York to cut the lead. Dave Duncan struck out swinging, George Hendrick popped up to first and John Lowenstein struck out swinging to end the inning with the Indians down 2-1.

                                                       Gamble hits a homer 

Dwight Evans took strike three to start the top of the third and Harper went down hacking. Aparicio grounded out to short to end the inning. Leo Cardenas grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third but Torres walked. Torres got picked off but Brohamer singled to right and Chambliss walked. Spikes popped up to left to end the inning. 

Yaz grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth but Smith singled off the glove of Strom. Cepeda grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gamble grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Duncan flied out to center. Hendrick flied out to right to end the inning. 

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Petrocelli reached on an error by Chambliss to start. Fisk dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Rico to second and Petrocelli scored on the double to center by Griffin to increase the lead. Evans flied out to right but Harper walked. Aparicio lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                           Griffin drives in a run

Tiant cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Lowenstein grounded out to first to start. Cardenas struck out swinging and Torres grounded out to second to end the inning. 

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth although Yaz popped up to short to start. Smith then launched his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Cepeda took strike three but Petrocelli singled to left. Fisk lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                         Home run Smith

The Indians struck back immediately in the bottom of the sixth as Brohamer hit a home run all the way to Lexington, Kentucky to cut the lead. Chambliss hit one up the elevator shaft but Spikes walked. Duncan popped up to short and Duncan lined out to left to end the inning with the Indians down 4-2.

                                                              Home run Brohamer

Griffin lined out to center to start the top of the seventh and Evans took strike three. Harper flied out to right to end the inning. The Indians rallied in the bottom of the seventh after Hendrick knocked Tiant out of the game with a base hit to right. Bob Veale came in and Buddy Bell pinch hit for Lowenstein. Bell walked and Cardenas dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Torres walked to load the bases and Walt Williams pinch hit for Brohamer. Williams singled to right to score Hendrick but Chambliss popped up to left. Bobby Bolin came in to pitch to Spikes and Charlie beat a roller to short to score Bell. John Curtis came in to pitch to Gamble but Ron Lolich pinch hit for Oscar. Lolich flied out to right to end the inning. 3 pinch hitters all got on base and the Indians tied the game 4-4.

                                                 Aspromonte can't miss today

Tom Ragland took over at second for the top of the eighth and Aparicio singled to center to chase Strom. Jerry Johnson came in to pitch and immediately struck Yaz out swinging. Smith got a base hit to center but Cepeda popped up to first in foul territory. Petrocelli walked to load the bases but Fisk lined out to third to end the inning. Duncan grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth and Hendrick also grounded out to short. Bell hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. 

The Sox surged ahead in the top of the ninth as Griffin walked to start. Ben Oglivie pinch hit for Evans and dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Doug to second. Harper grounded out to second to move Griffin to third and Aparicio doubled to center to score Griffin. Yaz crushed his third home run of the season to seemingly put the game away and Smith drew a walk. Cepeda ripped a base hit to left but Smith was foolishly thrown out at third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-5.

                                                            Home run Yaz

Rick Miller took over for Harper for the bottom of the ninth but Aparicio booted a grounder by Cardenas to start. The error turned out to be huge as Torres flied out to center but Ragland got a base hit to left. Chambliss walked to load the bases and Sox manager Eddie Kasko wanted Sonny Siebert to close the game out. Spikes struck out swinging which would have been the third out....but Lolich annihilated a grand slam all the way to the Grand Canyon to win the game. The Indians had stunned the Sox with a walkoff 9-8 victory in Game 1.

Jackass of the Night is Sonny Siebert. He allowed a walkoff grand slam to lose the game.

                                                                Jackass Siebert

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 3 for 4 with a walk and a home run.

Orlando Cepeda was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 3 with a walk, a 2 run homer and 2 runs scored.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3.

Doug Griffin was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Ben Oglivie was asked to drop down a bunt as a pinch hitter and he did.

Luis Tiant tossed 6 plus solid innings and was charged with 3 runs. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 3.

The Bad:

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Bob Veale allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Bobby Bolin allowed a hit to the only guy he faced.

John Curtis was charged with 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Luis Aparicio was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run score but his error in the ninth led to the grand slam.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but hit a 2 run homer.

Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller played left field in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

What a complete disaster. Not only did every move Ken Aspromonte make turn to gold but Kasko managed the bullpen like doo-doo. Bolin, Veale, Curtis and Siebert all allowed hits and runs to pinch hitters and that was long before the grand slam. The Sox lost a few runners on the bases and the Aparicio error was the difference in the game it turned out. The Sox are regretting trading Sparky Lyle for Danny Cater right about now since nobody in the bullpen can get an out. The offense scored 8 runs in the game and still lost, that's not a recipe for success. Still, its only one game and the Sox have another one to play to right the ship but its a bad look right now. 3 pinch hitters reached base in the seventh and the fourth hit the walkoff in the ninth. Tiant should have had a win but it was not meant to be. The Sox have no time to cry about the loss because they have Game 2 to play in a few minutes. Roger Moret gets the start in Game 2 against Steve Dunning of Cleveland. The game should start at 5:30 PM Eastern time at Cleveland Stadium.

Sox Snap Streak, Beat Indians (4/21/73)

Happy days are here again as the Boston Red Sox snapped their six game losing streak in style. The bad news was Lynn McGlothen (1-1, 10.61 ERA) was knocked out in the sixth inning after allowing 5 runs, the good news was the Boston bats woke up to hang 11 runs and 12 hits on the Cleveland Indians. The Sox blasted Indians starter Dick Tidrow and knocked him out in the first inning. Orlando Cepeda set the tone with a 3 run homer right off the bat. The Sox took a 6-2 lead but McGlothen allowed a 3 run home run to Oscar Gamble. Cepeda and Petrocelli hit back to back jacks in the seventh and Tommy Harper struck a two run bomb in the eighth to put the game away. It all added up to an 11-5 Red Sox victory at Cleveland Stadium.

                                                          Cyndi Wood approves of the win

The Sox jumped on Tidrow in the top of the first inning as Tommy Harper beat out a roller to third to start. Tidrow threw the pickoff throw away to allow Tommy to reach second and Harper moved to third on the grounder to third by Luis Aparicio. Carl Yastrzemski lined out to first but Reggie Smith walked. Cepeda then smashed his fourth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Rico Petrocelli and Carlton Fisk drew back to back walks and Ben Oglivie doubled to center to score both runners. Indians manager Ken Aspromonte cut his losses and yanked Tidwell in favor of Milt Wilcox. Doug Griffin struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                                  Oglivie drives in two runs

McGlothen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rusty Torres flied out to left to start. Jack Brohamer grounded back to the mound and Chris Chambliss flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Harper grounded out to short to start. Aparicio grounded out to second but Yaz drew a walk. Smith then doubled to left to score Yaz and took third on the throw home. Cepeda struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                              Smith drives in a run

The Indians struck back in the bottom of the second as Charlie Spikes and Dave Duncan stroked back to back base hits to left to start. Oscar Gamble walked to load the bases and Spikes scored when George Hendrick beat out a double play ball. Buddy Bell hit one up the elevator shaft and Leo Cardenas lined out to center to end the inning with the Indians down 6-1. 

                                                               Spikes scores a run

Petrocelli walked to start the top of the third but Fisk struck out swinging. Petrocelli took second on a wild pitch but Oglivie popped up to third. Griffin grounded out to second to end the inning. The Indians struck back in the bottom of the third as Torres hit a home run to the Fiji Islands to start. Brohamer flied out to left, Chambliss grounded out to second and Spikes hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Indians down 6-2.

                                                          Torres hits one out

Harper singled to left to start the top of the fourth but Aparicio hit one up the elevator shaft. Yaz lined out to center and Smith took strike three to end the inning. Duncan flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fourth before Gamble popped up to center. Hendrick walked but Bell popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Cepeda grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth before Petrocelli popped up to first. Fisk took strike three to end the inning. Cardenas flied out to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Torres grounded out to first. Brohamer lined out to center to end the inning.

Oglivie got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth before moving to second on the grounder to the mound by Griffin. Harper popped up to first and Aparicio grounded out to short to end the inning. Things got hairy in the bottom of the sixth as Chambliss lined out to center to start. Spikes singled in the hole at second, Duncan singled to left and Gamble hit a home run all the way to Mississippi to cut the lead. That was it for McGlothen who ran out of gas quickly after allowing 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings. Bill Lee came in to pitch and Hendrick popped up to first. Bell walked but Cardenas struck out swinging to end the inning with the Indians down 6-5.

                                                              Made one mistake to Gamble

With the lead shrinking the Sox bats stepped up in the top of the seventh with Mike Kilkenny on the mound. Yaz struck out swinging and Smith took strike three, but Cepeda launched his second home run of the night to increase the lead. Ed Farmer came in and Petrocelli greeted him with a solo home run to ice the game. Fisk grounded out to end the inning but the Sox got some breathing room and led 8-5.

                                                                  Petrocelli hits one out

Torres struck out swinging to open the bottom of the seventh before Brohamer grounded out to second. Chambliss walked but Spikes struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox poured it on in the top of the eighth as Oglivie singled in the hole at second to start. Griffin dropped down a bunt and Duncan tried to get Ben at second but Brohamer went OLE! on the throw and Oglivie came all the way around to score with Griffin making a mad dash to third. Harper made the Indians pay by belting his first home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. Tom Hilgendorf came in to pitch to Aparicio and Luis grounded back to the mound. Yaz grounded out to second and Smith popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-5.

                                                              Harper hits a homer

Rick Miller took over in left to start the bottom of the eighth and Duncan grounded out to short to start. Walt Williams pinch hit for Gamble and flied out to right before Hendrick grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cepeda got a base hit to left to start the top of the ninth and Dwight Evans came in to run for him. Petrocelli forced Evans at second but Fisk lined a base hit to center. Oglivie struck out swinging and Griffin forced Fisk at second to end the inning. Lee returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and Bell grounded out to third to start. Cardenas flied out to center and Torres flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had snapped their losing streak with an 11-5 win.

Hero of the Night is Orlando Cepeda. He hit two big home runs and drove in 4 total runs

                                                            Cepeda The Hero

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 3 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a home run and 2 runs scored.

Ben Oglivie was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Bill Lee tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the save.

The Bad:

Luis Aparicio was 0 for 5.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Doug Griffin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Lynn McGlothen got the win but allowed 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Rick Miller played left field in the top of the ninth.

Dwight Evans pinch ran for Cepeda.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox needed a win like that to prove that they can compete with other teams in the American League. Losing 6 straight games put them in a tailspin and the Sox are going to need a hot streak to climb out of their hole. The only drawback is McGlothen didn't look good and if the Sox are basically trying to go younger by replacing Ray Culp and Sonny Siebert with McGlothen and John Curtis, they're going to have to do better than that. Still, the bats came to play and the Sox are definitely reaping the benefits of the new designated hitter position. Orlando Cepeda has 5 home runs already this month and he doesn't have to run around the field at 35 years old now. Hopefully this team can be a juggernaut offensively with Harper as the speedster and the others as the boppers. The question will come down to the pitching, hopefully they have enough this season. It was a good win and hope the Sox can ride the momentum into their next game. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Cleveland Indians tomorrow with a doubleheader against the Tribe. Luis Tiant gets the ball in Game 1 taking on Brent Strom of Cleveland. The first game game begins at 1:05 PM at Cleveland Stadium.