Fred Norman got the start for the Reds and Juan Beniquez led off the top of the first by popping up to center. Denny Doyle grounded out to second but Carl Yastrzemski dumped a single to right. Carlton Fisk was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Tiant came out in the bottom of the first and Pete Rose lined a single up the middle to start. Ken Griffey lined a double to the gap that scored Rose but Griffey was thrown out at third trying to stretch. Joe Morgan walked and advanced to second on the grounder by Tony Perez before scoring on the double into the gap by Johnny Bench. George Foster hit a rocket to third but Rico Petrocelli snared it and fired it first for the out to end the inning with the Reds ahead 2-0.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second inning as Fred Lynn whiffed on a high curveball to start. Petrocelli lined a broken bat single to left but Dwight Evans forced Rico at second on a grounder to short. Rick Burleson grounded out to third to end the inning. Dave Concepcion led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to third. Cesar Geronimo grounded out to second before Norman popped up to left to end the inning.
Tiant himself drew a walk to begin the top of the third before Beniquez lined a seeing eye single to right. The rally ended as Doyle lined out to center and Yaz banged into a double play to end the inning. Tiant cruised in the bottom of the third inning a Rose lined out to center to start. Griffey grounded back to the mound and Morgan lined out to a running Beniquez to end the inning.
The Sox exploded to take command in the top of the fourth inning as Fisk began with a single to left. Lynn lined a single to right before Petrocelli popped up to short. Evans tripled to the right field wall to tie the game and Burleson caught Foster asleep by stretching a double to score Lynn to give the Sox the lead. That was it for Norman as Pedro Borbon was brought in and Tiant singled to center to put runners at the corners. Perez bobbled a routine grounder by Beniquez to score Burleson with another run on the error. Doyle popped up to Rose in foul territory but Yaz blooped a single to center to score Tiant. Fisk popped up to center to end the inning but the Sox now led 5-2.
The Reds answered in the bottom of the fourth although Perez whiffed on a full count to start. Bench flied out to left but Foster hit a rocket to second. Doyle corralled it but threw the ball into the dugout which allowed Foster to reach second. The Sox made another mental error as Lynn, Beniquez and Burleson all ran into each other on a pop up by Concepcion. Technically it was ruled a double that scored Foster. Geronimo sliced a triple to left that went over the head of Beniquez to score Concepcion. Terry Crowley pinch hit for Norman and whiffed to end the inning but the Reds had fought back to make it 5-4.
Clay Carroll took over for the top of the fifth inning and Lynn grounded out to second quickly. Petrocelli whiffed but Evans drilled a fastball off Carroll into right for a single. Thankfully Carroll was ok and Burleson grounded into a force to end the inning. Tiant battled in the bottom of the fifth as Rose walked to start. Griffey flied out to the right field warning track before Morgan walked as well. Perez advanced the runners into scoring position with a grounder but Bench flied out to left to end the inning. Tiant was already over 100 pitches and it was just the fifth inning.
Tiant whiffed to start the top of the sixth inning before Beniquez grounded out to third. Doyle lined a ball up the middle for a base hit but Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning. Rick Miller came in for Beniquez for the bottom of the sixth as Foster popped up to center to begin. Concepcion popped up to left but Geronimo blooped a single to center. Darrel Cheney pinch hit for Carroll and whiffed to end the inning.
Rawly Eastwick cruised in the top of the seventh inning as Fisk popped up to first to start. Lynn grounded out to second before Petroceli also grounded out to second to end the inning. Tiant returned for the bottom of the seventh and Rose hit a rocket...right to Doyle for an out. Griffey grounded out to second and Morgan took Tiant to a full count before lining out to a running Lynn to end the inning.
Eastwick cruised in the top of the eighth inning as Evans flied out to center to start. Burleson grounded out to third and Tiant grounded out to short to end the inning. Somehow Tiant returned for the bottom of the eighth with 120 pitches on his arm and Perez flied out to left to begin. Bench whiffed but Foster singled up the middle. Concepcion flied out to right to end the inning.
Eastwick returned for the top of the ninth and Miller grounded out to second to begin. Doyle grounded out to second but Yaz drew a walk. Fisk popped up to short to end the inning. The exhausted Tiant came out to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth but Geronimo greeted him with a base hit to right. Last night's villain Ed Armbrister pinch hit for Eastwick and dropped down a bunt without interference this time to advance Geronimo to second. Rose drew a walk to put the winning run on first as Tiant was over 150 pitches. Sox manager Darrell Johnson let Tiant pitch to Griffey and Lynn made a great running over the shoulder catch to rob Ken of a walkoff double. That took the wind out of the Reds' sails as Morgan popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had held on to tie up the World Series with a 5-4 win.
Hero of the Night is Luis Tiant. He threw an amazing 163 pitches in his complete game win. He allowed 4 runs off 9 hits and 4 walks in 9 innings. He also was 1 for 3 with at the plate with a run scored.
The Good:
Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.
Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.
The Bad:
Rick Miller was 0 for 1 at the plate.
The Ugly:
Juan Beniquez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Denny Doyle was just 1 for 5 with an error.
Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Fred Lynn was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4.
Rick Burleson was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.
Final Thoughts:
Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are halfway to the World Series championship. Progsnosticators said the Big Red Machine was too loaded not to win the Series but the Sox are still hanging in there. They definitely are missing Jim Rice in left and at the plate but they just need two more wins and they're the champions, Rice or no Rice. Tiant has pitched his ass off in the series and may not have enough left in the tank to start Game 7. The Sox may have to win the series with Bill Lee and Rick Wise and that may be too much to ask. Still, the Sox won Game 4 on the road and guaranteed a Game 6 back in Fenway. Tomorrow night is the final game in Cincinatti with Don Gullet going for the Reds against Reggie Cleveland. Sox manager Darrell Johnson wants to push Lee back for Game 6 so Cleveland faces Gullet at 8 PM at Riverfront Stadium.
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