Tiant took the ball in the top of the first inning and Pete Rose lined out to a sliding Carl Yastrzemski to start. Ken Griffey drew a full count walk but Joe Morgan hit one up the elevator shaft. Johnny Bench whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against Reds starter Gary Nolan. Cecil Cooper popped up to center to begin but Denny Doyle almost beat out a grounder to first that Tony Perez bobbled. Yaz started the rally with a base hit to right before Carlton Fisk lashed a base hit to left. Fred Lynn lit the crowd up with a 3 run home run over the bullpens to put the Sox on top. Rico Petrocelli flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.
Tiant held the lead in the bottom of the second as Perez waived at strike three in the other batters box to start. George Foster popped up to Cooper in foul territory before Dave Concepcion popped up to center to end the inning. Dwight Evans took strike three on a curveball on the outside corner before Rick Burleson grounded out to first. Tiant hilariously struck out to end the inning.
Cesar Geronimo led off the top of the third by waiving at strike three before Darryl Chaney pinch hit for Nolan. Chaney flied out to the left field warning track but Rose blooped a single to center. Griffey grounded out to second to end the inning. Fred Norman took over for the bottom of the third and Cooper popped up to Concepcion to start. Doyle doubled down the right field line but Yaz popped up to second. Fisk was intentionally walked to get to Lynn and he walked to load the bases. Reds manager Sparky Anderson brought in Jack Billingham to pitch to Petrocelli and the gamble worked as Petrocelli chased strike three to end the inning. One more hit and the game would have been a rout.
Morgan led off the top of the fourth by grounding out to second to begin. Bench struck out on a slow curve but Perez stroked a line drive past the diving Doyle for a base hit. Foster hit a routine grounder to short but Doyle dropped the throw from Burleson for an error. Tiant recovered by getting Concepcion to pop up to first in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox blew a huge chance to ice the game as Evans led off the bottom of the fourth with a ground rule double into the right field bleachers to start. Burleson walked and Tiant popped up a bunt over the head of Perez, but Tony got the out at first. With runners in scoring position, Cooper grounded out to first to strand the runners. Doyle grounded out to second to end the inning.
Right on cue the Reds started the comeback in the top of the fifth inning although Geronimo flied out to right to start. Game 3's villain Ed Armbrister started the rally by pinch hitting for Billingham, drawing a walk. Rose singled to center to move Armbrister to third and Griffey lined a ball to the centerfield wall. Lynn crashed into it and the ball caromed into right. Both runners scored, Griffey made it to third with a triple and Lynn was knocked goofy. Lynn eventually got up and remained in the game as Morgan popped up to third. Bench then hit a rocket off the Monster for a single that scored Griffey and tied the game. Perez struck out to end the inning but the Reds tied it up 3-3.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth with Clay Carroll on the mound. Yaz tried to start a rally with a base hit to left but was erased on the Fisk force. Lynn popped up to left and Petrocelli grounded into a force to end the inning.
Tiant held the fort in the top of the sixth as Foster check swing grounded back to the mound to start. Concepcion flied out to right but Geronimo singled down the left field line off the barrier. Terry Crowley pinch hit for Carroll and hit a routine grounder to Burleson but nobody was at second base and everyone was safe. Rose grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro Borbon came in for the bottom of the sixth and Evans grounded out to second to start. Burleson drew a walk and Sox manager Darrell Johnson rolled the dice by letting Tiant hit. Tiant bunted foul for strike three and Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.
The gamble to let Tiant hit backfired in the top of the seventh as the Reds took the lead. Griffey led off with a seeing eye single into right before Morgan dumped a single to left. Tiant managed to get Bench to line out to Yaz at the wall before Perez moved Griffey to third with a fly out to right. Foster doubled off the centerfield wall to score both runners and give the Reds the lead. Concepcion grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 5-3 Reds.
Borbon returned for the bottom of the seventh and Doyle popped up to short to start. Yaz grounded out to second and Fisk grounded out to short to end the inning.
The end of Tiant came quickly in the top of the eighth when Geronimo pounded a home run just inside the Pesky Pole to start the inning. That was it for Tiant who ran out of gas after carrying the Sox on his back all year. Done after 7 innings and allowing 6 runs to one of the best offenses in baseball. Roger Moret came in and Sparky made the same mistake Johnson did by letting Borbon hit. Borbon grounded out to first before Rose grounded back to the mound. Griffey lined out to center to end the inning with the Reds 6 outs from the title, leading 6-3.
Borbon returned for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox pulled off a dramatic rally. Lynn lined one off the leg of Borbon for a base hit before Petrocelli drew a walk to chase Borbon. Rawly Eastwick came in and struck Evans out swinging on a full count. Burleson lined out to right and Sox manager Darrell Johnson sent Bernie Carbo to pinch hit for Moret. After swinging at two bad pitches, Carbo pounded a clutch 3 run home run into the centerfield bleachers to tie the game. Cooper whiffed badly but the Sox had tied it 6-6.
Carbo stayed in left field with Yaz moving to first to replace Cooper and Dick Drago on the mound for the top of the ninth. Morgan popped up to first to start before Bench grounded out to third. Perez also popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox blew their first chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth when Doyle walked and Yaz singled him to third to chase Eastwick. Wil McEnaney came in and intentionally walked Fisk to load the bases with nobody out. Lynn hit a pop up to left but for some reason Doyle took off for home where he was thrown out by Foster. Petrocelli grouned out to short to end the inning.
On to extras we go as Drago returned for the top of the tenth inning. Foster grounded out to short to start but Concepcion singled up the middle. Concepcion swiped second but Geronimo struck out swinging on a pitch out of the zone. Dan Driessen pinch hit for McEnaney and popped up to Carbo to end the inning. Pat Darcy came in for the bottom of the tenth and got Evans on a squibber back to him to start. Doyle popped up to short and Carbo went down swinging to end the inning.
The Reds blew their chance in the top of the eleventh inning as Rose was plunked to start. The alert Fisk gunned down Rose at second on a bunt attempt by Griffey before Evans made the defensive play of the game. Morgan hit a bullet headed to the right field corner when Evans jumped to catch it. Griffey had no idea the ball was caught and was headed home when he was doubled off to end the inning.
Rick Miller pinch hit for Drago to open the bottom of the eleventh by flying out to left to start. Doyle grounded out to short before Yaz also grounded out to short to end the inning.
Rick Wise came on for the top of the 12th inning for his first relief appearance all season. Bench led off by popping up to Fisk who fell down making the catch. Perez singled to center and Foster dumped a single to left. Concepcion flied out to right and Geronimo took strike three to end the inning. Darcy returned for the bottom of the 12th and Fisk led off by taking the first pitch high and inside. The second pitch Fisk launched toward the left field pole. Fisk frantically waived his arms to will the ball fair and it worked, the ball caromed off the pole for a walkoff home run to win the game. Dick Stockton announced "We will have a seventh game in the 1975 World Series." as the Sox celebrated their 7-6 Game 6 victory.
The Co-Heroes of the Night are Bernie Carbo and Carlton Fisk. Without the clutch, 2 out three run bomb by Carbo, the game never makes it to the 12th inning.
Hero Number 2 is Carlton Fisk for the walkoff home run to send the series to Game 7
The Good:
Carl Yastrzemski was 3 for 6 with a run scored.
Fred Lynn was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and a 3 run home run.
Roger Moret pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Dick Drago tossed 3 scoreless innings.
Rick Wise got the win with a scoreless 12th inning.
The Bad:
Cecil Cooper was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
Rick Miller was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Luis Tiant got lit up for 6 runs in 7 innings and was 0 for 2 at the plate.
The Ugly:
Denny Doyle was just 1 for 5 and got himself thrown out at the plate, but walked.
Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Dwight Evans was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
Rick Burleson was 0 for 3 with an error but walked twice.
Final Thoughts:
If that wasn't the greatest World Series game of all time then I don't know what is. The Sox essentially kept their season alive with 3 swings of the bat. The Lynn home run put them in the driver seat, the Carbo home run saved their asses and Fisk's homer sent the series to Game 7. Along the way Lynn nearly killed himself, Evans made one of the best catches since Willie Mays and Doyle made the biggest blunder of the night by trying to score on a pop up in the ninth. Pete Rose at one point during the game turned to Fisk and said "This is some kind of game huh?" The Sox missed Jim Rice big time in this series but they're still one win away from ending their 57 year drought. No matter what happens in Game 7, the Sox should be proud of themselves for getting this far. They crushed the 3-peat champion Oakland A's and are one win away from knocking off the Big Red Machine. Tomorrow night its winner take all as Don Gullet of the Reds goes up against Bill Lee at 8:00 PM at Fenway Park.
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