Tiant got the ball in the top of the first inning and Al Bumbry popped up to first to start. Rich Coggins hit one up the elevator shaft and Bobby Grich flied out to right to end the inning. Palmer got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tommy Harper flied out to center to start. Rick Miller and Cecil Cooper drew back to back walks but Carl Yastrzemski lined out to center. Bob Montgomery grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Tommy Davis grounded out to second to start the top of the second but Don Baylor took strike three, Brooks Robinson flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Bernie Carbo struck out swinging to start. Doug Griffin walked, Terry Hughes singled to center and Mario Guerrero singled to center to score Doug. Harper hit a routine grounder that was booted by Robinson for an error to score Hughes. Miller flied out to left and Cooper popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.
Earl Williams struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Paul Blair struck out swinging. Mark Belanger flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Yaz flied out to center to start. Montgomery doubled to right before moving to third on the grounder to first by Carbo. Griffin got a base hit to center to score Montgomery but Hughes struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.
The Orioles fought back in the top of the fourth as Bumbry doubled to right to start. Coggins hit a home run all the way to the Azores and Grich smacked a triple to right. Davis hit a sac fly to right to score Grich with the tying run just like that. Baylor grounded out to short and Robinson popped up to third to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Guerrero tried to start a rally in the bottom of the fourth as he doubled to left to start. Harper grounded out to short and Miller hit a comebacker to Palmer who got Guerrero out in a run-down. Miller took second on the play but Cooper struck out swinging to end the inning.
Williams popped up to short to start the top of the fifth before Blair flied out to center. Belanger grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Yaz walked to start. Montgomery flied out to center but Carbo doubled to left to move Yaz to third. With the go-ahead run at third....Griffin hit a grounder to third and Yaz retreated but Carbo ran right into Robinson for the out although Doug made it to second. Hughes flied out to right to end the inning.
Bumbry flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Coggins lined out to center. Grich walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the sixth as Guerrero got a base hit to left to begin. Harper dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Guerrero to second. Miller walked but Cooper struck out swinging. Yaz grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
The O's rallied in the top of the seventh as Davis singled to left to start. Baylor flied out to center but Robinson drew a walk. Williams flied out to center but Blair ripped a base hit to center to score Davis with the go-ahead run. That was it for Tiant who allowed 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks. Diego Segui came in to pitch and Belanger grounded out to third to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 4-3.
The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Montgomery got a base hit to center to begin. Carbo walked and that was it for Palmer as Doyle Alexander came in to pitch. Griffin flied out to right but Hughes walked to load the bases. Guerrero drew a walk to score Montgomery and tie the game and a passed ball scored Carbo to put the Sox ahead. In what turned out to be the play of the game, Harper struck out swinging. One more run might have ended it. Grant Jackson replaced Alexander and Sox manager Darrell Johnson countered by sending Juan Beniquez to pinch hit for Miller. Beniquez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.
Beniquez took over in center with Dwight Evans taking over for Carbo in right to start the top of the eighth. Bumbry singled to right to start as Coggins hit a grounder to Griffin.....who did nothing with it and everyone was safe. Grich singled to left to load the bases but Davis popped up to second. Unfortunately Baylor hit a sac fly to left to score Bumbry to tie the game. Robinson popped up to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
Baylor ties the game again
Cooper struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth but Yaz singled to right. Montgomery flied out to right and Evans popped up to Grich in foul territory to end the inning.
Williams walked to start the top of the ninth and Enos Cabell pinch ran for him. Blair popped up a bunt to Cooper but Cabell stole second. Belanger struck out swinging but Bumbry was intentionally walked. Coggins grounded out to second to end the inning. Elrod Hendriks took over behind the plate with Cabell going to first and Baylor to left to start the bottom of the ninth. Griffin popped up to short to start before Hughes flied out to center. Guerrero struck out swinging to end the inning to send the game to extras.
The O's struck in the top of the tenth as Guerrero booted a grounder by Grich to start. Davis smacked a double to left to score Bobby with the go-ahead run. Baylor flied out to right and Robinson popped up to Cooper in foul territory, but Cabell was intentionally walked. Blair forced Cabell at second to end the inning with the O's up 6-5.
O's take the lead
The Sox answered in the bottom of the tenth although Harper flied out to left to start. Beniquez stepped up and clocked his first home run of the season to tie the game. Cooper got a base hit to center to put the winning run on but Yaz flied out to left. Bob Reynolds came in to pitch to Montgomery and Bob flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.
The O's scored again in the top of the 11th although Belanger popped up to first to start. Hendriks hit a ball off Segui for a base hit and Coggins walked to chase Segui. Dick Drago came in to pitch and Grich hit a double play ball to Guerrero. Guerrero flipped to Griffin for the force at second AND HE THREW THE BALL AWAY! Hendriks scored and the O's had the lead again. Davis grounded out to second to end the inning but the O's led 7-6.
"DAMMIT GRIFFIN!" - Drago
The Sox tried to rally one last time in the bottom of the 11th as Evans singled to center to start. Griffin dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Dwight to second but Hughes struck out swinging. Guerrero walked to put the winning run on.....but Harper struck out swinging to end the game. The O's had won it 7-6 in 11 innings.
Jackass of the Night is Doug Griffin, his error led to the game winning run to score.
The Good:
Rick Miller walked twice in four plate appearances.
Juan Beniquez was 1 for 2 with a home run.
Bob Montgomery was 2 for 6 with 2 runs scored.
Bernie Carbo was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Dwight Evans was 1 for 2.
Mario Guerrero was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis, a hit by pitch and a walk.
Dick Drago got the final two outs of the eleventh inning.
The Bad:
Tommy Harper was 0 for 6 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.
Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with a walk.
Terry Hughes was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Luis Tiant allowed 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3.
Diego Segui took the loss but was charged with only one earned run in 3 2/3 innings, being victimized by two errors.
Final Thoughts:
That game should have been a win for the Sox but bad defense sealed their doom. The error in the 10th and the error in the 11th led to big runs by the O's. You can't give a team like that multiple chances to win a game, because they will. Tiant didn't pitch that great but the lack of clutch hitting for most of the game was a big reason why the game wasn't broke open. The role players like Beniquez, Evans and Guerrero stepped up big time but the errors were just two much. If Griffin doesn't throw the ball away, this game might have kept going. Two years ago a disheartening loss ended up being the difference in the season so hopefully this won't be a game you kick yourself for come September. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the visiting Detroit Tigers. Bill Lee (0-1) takes on Lerrin LaGrow of Detroit at 3:30 PM at Fenway Park.
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