Yankees Pound Torrez, Sox (9/13/79)

What a difference 24 hours makes. After the Boston Red Sox beat the tar out of the New York Yankees last night, this time it was the Yankees to administer a whooping. The first 5 batters in the lineup pounded out 14 hits and 8 rbis, knocking Mike Torrez (14-12, 4.81 ERA) to kingdom come. The Sox committed 3 errors in the field and the Yankees as a team provided a 16 hit, 10 run attack that knocked the Sox further out of their fading playoff race with a 10-3 rout at Fenway Park.

                                            "THEY LOST TO THE YANKEES AGAIN!!"

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Torrez in the top of the first inning although Bobby Murcer struck out to start. Willie Randolph dropped down a bunt and catcher Mike O'Berry threw the ball into the Red Sox bullpen for an error to advance Willie to second. Oscar Gamble singled Randolph to third and Reggie Jackson doubled Willie home to give the Yankees the lead. Chris Chambliss grounded out to first to score Gamble with another run before Graig Nettles flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the frame against Yankees starter Ron Guidry although Rick Burleson led off with a strikeout. Ted Sizemore flied out to left but Fisk doubled off the Monster. Jim Rice singled home Fisk to cut the lead in half but Butch Hobson struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                        Rice drives in a run

Torrez recovered in the top of the second as Jim Spencer grounded out to first to start. Jerry Narron grounded out to second and Bucky Dent popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Dwight Evans walked to begin. Tom Poquette beat out an infield single to second but Jim Dwyer popped up to third. O'Berry walked to load the bases and Burleson beat out a double play ball to score Evans with the tying run. Sizemore popped up to third to end the inning but the Sox tied it 2-2.

                                                       Burleson ties it up

Torrez got Murcer to watch strike three go by to open the top of the third before Randolph grounded out to third. Gamble singled to right but Jackson struck out to end the inning. Guidry turned up the heat in the bottom of the third by striking out Fisk to start. Rice and Hobson both struck out as well to end the inning.

The Yankees broke it open in the top of the fourth although Chambliss grounded out to first to begin. Nettles struck out but Spencer drew a walk. The game turned when Narron hit a routine grounder to first but Dwyer threw himself on the ball for an error that allowed Spencer to reach third. The Yankees pounced as Dent singled home Spencer to give the Yankees the lead back. Murcer doubled home Narron and Randolph hit a bases clearing triple to knock Torrez out. The errors didn't help but Torrez was done after 3 2/3 innings and 7 charged runs. Allen Ripley came in and Gamble singled home Randolph but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-2.

                                                       "Not today Gamble" - Ripley

Evans struck out to open the bottom of the fourth before Poquette grounded out to second. Dwyer doubled to right and tried to score on the base hit by O'Berry but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

Jackson doubled to open the top of the fifth but was out at third on a grounder by Chambliss. Nettles doubled to left and Spencer was intentionally walked to load the bases. The gamble worked as Ripley got Narron to ground into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Burleson popped up to second to start. Sizemore flied out to left and Fisk struck out to end the inning.

Ripley got in trouble in the top of the sixth although Dent struck out to start. Murcer and Randolph stroked back to back singles but Gamble popped up to third. Jackson walked to load the bases but Chambliss popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox somehow rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Rice walked to start. Hobson singled Rice to third and Evans doubled home Rice to cut the lead. The rally ended when Guidry punched out Poquette, Dwyer and O'Berry to end the inning. The bottom of the order failed big time as the Sox still trailed 7-3.

                                                           Evans drives in a run

Ripley got the Yankees to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh inning as Nettles grounded back to the mound to start. Spencer grounded back to the mound and Narron grounded out to third to end the inning. Burleson lined out to left to begin the bottom of the seventh before Sizemore flied out to right. Fisk doubled to left but was thrown out at third on the grounder by Rice to end the inning.

Sox manager Ralph Houk left Ripley in too long as he ran out of gas in the top of the eighth inning. Dent struck out to start but Murcer and Randolph stroked back to back singles. Gamble singled to right and Murcer gunned it home. O'Berry ended up muffing the ball that allowed Murcer and Randolph to score while Gamble moved all the way to third. Jackson walked and Chambliss doubled home Gamble to chase Ripley. Bill Campbell came in and got Nettles to ground back to the mound and Spencer to ground out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 10-3.

                                                          A few batters too late

Fred Stanley took over at third as Guidry returned for the bottom of the eighth. Hobson flied out to right to start before Evans struck out. Poquette got a base hit to left but Dwyer flied out to center to end the inning.

Campbell returned for mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Narron struck out to start. Dent flied out to center and Murcer struck out to end the inning. Guidry finished off his complete game in the bottom of the ninth as O'Berry flied out to center to begin. Burleson lined out to left and Sizemore grounded out to short to end the game. The Yankees bitchslapped the Sox 10-3 at Fenway.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Torrez. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 7 runs in just 3 2/3 innings, although only 2 of the runs were earned.

                                                          Torrez is a Jackass


The Good:

Carlton Fisk was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jim Rice was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

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

Tom Poquette was 2 for 4.

Bill Campbell tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Ted Sizemore was 0 for 5.

Allen Ripley allowed 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched.



The Ugly:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

Butch Hobson was just 1 for 4.

Jim Dwyer was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Mike O'Berry was 1 for 3 with a walk but made 2 crucial errors.




Final Thoughts:

Well the bottom of the order was garbage in this one. O'Berry and Dwyer combined to go 2 for 7 and commit 3 errors between them. The Yankees capitalized on every mistake and shame on Torrez and Ripley for not getting the key outs even with the errors. It doesn't matter anyway as the Baltimore Orioles are so far ahead in the standings, all the Yankees and Sox can play for at this point is who finishes third between them. Torrez didn't have it but Ripley didn't help either, but again, nobody cares at this point. The loss drops the Sox to 81-62, 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for second place in the AL East. Speaking of the Orioles, the Sox now travel to Baltimore for a set against the AL East frontrunners. Steve Stone goes for the dirty birds up against Bob Stanley (15-9) tomorrow night at 7:50 PM at Memorial Stadium.

Sox Outslug Twins (8/15/79)

If the Sox hope to catch the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East crown, they're going to need to pitch a lot better the last two months of the season. Sox starter Mike Torrez held the mediocre Minnesota Twins to two runs in 7 innings of work. Then Torrez fell apart in the eighth inning and the Twins tied it against Tom Burgmeier to make the fans groan. Carl Yastrzemski stepped up with a 2 run bomb to give the Sox the lead back and Dick Drago (9-3, 3.00 ERA) slammed the door in the ninth inning. The Sox needed to outslug the Twins to win the game 9-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Dorothy Mays approves of the win

The Twins struck first in the top of the first inning as Butch Wynegar and Roy Smalley Jr struck back to back singles to start. Wynegar got caught in a run-down but Rob Wilfong tripled home Smalley. Mike Cubbage scored Wilfong with a sac fly to increase the lead before Ken Landreaux grounded out to second to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                         Damn you Smalley

Twins starter Roger Erickson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rick Burleson singled to start. Burleson moved to second on the Carlton Fisk grounder then to third on the Fred Lynn grounder. Jim Rice flied out to center to end the inning.

The Twins beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the second as Glenn Adams grounded out to first to start. Danny Goodwin grounded out to second and Hosken Powell grounded out to short to end the inning. Carl Yastrzemski lined out to right to start the bottom of the second before Bob Watson singled to right. Watson took second on a balk and Butch Hobson singled him to third, but Jack Brohamer hit into a double play to end the inning.

Ron Jackson popped up to third to start the top of the third before Wynegar singled to right. Smalley Jr forced Wynegar at second and Wilfong singled to right. Cubbage grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the third as Dwight Evans grounded out to short to start. Burleson struck out but Fisk doubled to left. Lynn singled home Fisk to cut the lead and moved to second on another balk. Rice lined out to right to end the inning but the Sox were on the board trailing 2-1.

                                                         Lynn drives in a run

Landreaux singled to center to start the top of the fourth but Adams struck out. Goodwin beat out an infield single to short but Powell grounded into a double play to end the inning. Yaz singled to right to start the bottom of the first but Watson struck out and Hobson banged into a double play to end the inning.

Jackson doubled to left to start the top of the fifth and moved to third on the Wynegar ground out. Smalley struck out but Wilfong walked. Cubbage popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox roared back in the bottom of the fifth although Brohamer flied out to left to start. Evans popped up to second but Burleson singled. Fisk hit a routine grounder to Cubbage who went OLE! and everyone was safe. Lynn singled home Burleson to tie the game and Rice pulverized his 32nd home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Yaz flied out to center to end the inning but it was 5-2 Red Sox.

                                                           3 run bomb for Rice

Landreaux grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth before Adams singled to right. Adams moved to second on another balk and Goodwin walked. Powell hit into another double play to end the inning. Watson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth before Hobson popped up to second. Brohamer got a hit to center but Evans lined out to short to end the inning.

Torrez cruised in the top of the seventh as Jackson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Wynegar took strike three and Smalley Jr grounded out to short to end the inning. Mike Bacsik took over on the mound for the bottom of the seventh and Burleson's bunt attempt was snuffed out by the catcher to start. Fisk struck out and Lynn grounded out to first to end the inning.

The walls closed in on Torrez in the top of the eighth although Wilfong grounded out to second to start. Cubbage singled, Landreaux doubled and Adams singled home both runners to cut the lead and chase Torrez. Jose Morales pinch hit for Goodwin and Dave Edwards pinch ran for Adams as Tom Burgmeier was brought in. Edwards moved to third on the Morales grounder and Powell singled him home to tie the game. Dick Drago came in and Jackson flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                  Why didn't Zimmer take him out after 7?

The Sox got the lead back instantly in the bottom of the eighth as Rice singled to left and Yaz crushed his 20th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead back. Mike Marshall came in to pitch and Watson flied out to right. Hobson lined out to right but Brohamer singled. Evans doubled Brohamer to third and Burleson scored both runners with a double to ice the game. Fisk grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-5.

                                                            Burleson ices it

Drago returned for the top of the ninth to close out the game. Wynegar grounded out to first but Smalley Jr and Wilfong drew back to back walks. Cubbage singled to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate but Landreaux popped up to center. Willie Norwood pinch hit for Edwards and struck out to end the game. The Sox had survived to beat the Twins 9-5.

Hero of the Night is Carl Yastrezmski. His 2 run homer in the eighth gave the Sox the lead they wouldn't give up.

                                                                 Yaz the Hero

The Good:

Rick Burleson was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Fred Lynn was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with 2 total runs scored and a 3 run home run.

Jack Brohamer was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Dick Drago tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Carlton Fisk was just 1 for 5 but scored 2 runs.

Bob Watson was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Butch Hobson was just 1 for 4.

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

Mike Torrez cruised through 7 innings but was charged with 5 runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Tom Burgmeier allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

Good win but holy moly the Sox have pitching woes. Its bad enough Dennis Eckersley is having a down year compared to last year but what's with Torrez falling apart in the eighth inning? Still, if he was running out of gas, why didn't Sox manager Don Zimmer pull him sooner? Still, no sense being grouchy when the offense stepped up to win the game. Everyone pitched in one way or another and the Sox managed to score 9 runs. The rbis from Lynn and Burleson were just as important as the Yaz and Rice homers to put the Twins away. Hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum into a long winning streak so they can catch the Baltimore Orioles. The win improved the Sox to 73-44, 5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to continue their winning ways when they welcome the Chicago White Sox to Fenway for a set. 25 year old rookie John Tudor makes his ML debut tomorrow up against Mike Prolly of the ChiSox. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Error Leads to Angels Win Over Sox (7/10/79)

Yet another game this year has been decided by an error. The Boston Red Sox had a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth against the California Angels but a blunder by Jim Dwyer led the way for a stunning 4-3 victory by the Angels, denying the Sox to gain ground on the Baltimore Orioles. The loss in Anaheim Stadium was costly in more ways than one.

                                                             "Dwyerrrrrrrrr'

The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning. Rick Burleson was hit by Jim Barr to begin the game and was moved to second on the Jack Brohamer ground out. Fred Lynn slammed a single to score Burelson with the game's first run. Jim Rice singled and Carl Yastrzemski hit a routine grounder to Dickie Thon at second but he booted it, everyone was safe. Bob Watson made Dickie pay by doubling home both Lynn and Rice to give the Sox a three run lead just like that. Butch Hobson failed to score Yaz when his pop up to right was too shallow and Dwight Evans whiffed to end the inning. The Sox had 3 runs on 3 hits.....and would have just two more hits the rest of the game.

                                           Lynn gets the rally started

Unfortunatey Bob Stanley (10-6, 3.38 ERA) couldn't keep the Angels off the board in the bottom of the first inning. Old pal Rick Miller singled but Stanley picked him off first. Carney Lansford and Dan Ford hit back to back singles but Don Baylor beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Willie Aikens walked to load the bases then Brian Downing was apparently hit on the belt, forcing in a run. Sox manager Don Zimmer sprinted out of the dugout screaming like a banshee that the ball never hit Downing and when the umpire told him to go away, Zimmer started tearing his clothes off and had to be carried out by the police before he caused further ruckus. When action resumed Joe Rudi grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                        "I've had it up to HEREEEEE WITH YOU!" - Zim

Gary Allenson led off the top of the second inning by popping up to first. Burleson struck out but Brohamer walked. Lynn flied out to left to end the inning. The Angels struck again in the bottom of the second inning. Jim Anderson doubled to start and Thon sacrificed him to third. Miller singled home Anderson but Lansford hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up by just one, 3-2.

Both pitchers settled into a groove as Rice lined out to center to start the top of the third inning. Yaz hit a comebacker to the mound and Watson grounded out to short to end the inning. Ford grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third, but Baylor singled. Aikens banged into a double play to end the inning.

Hobson hit a comebacker to the mound to open the top of the fourth before Evans grounded out to third. Allenson popped up to third to end the inning. The Angels beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as Downing, Rudi and Anderson all grounded out to short to begin and end the inning.

Burleson flied out to center to start the top of the fifth before Brohamer grounded out to first. Lynn grounded out to second to end the inning. Thon grounded out to third to open the bottom of the fifth before Miller lined out to short. Lansford grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox got their first hit since the first inning when Rice singled to lead off the top of the sixth. They couldn't capitalize as Yaz lined out to center, Watson flied out to center and Hobson flied out to right to end the inning. The Angels continued to fall victim to Stanley's sinker in the bottom of the sixth as both Ford and Baylor grounded out to short. Aikens flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the seventh inning as Evans grounded out to short to start. Allenson flied out to center but Burleson somehow singled. Rick swiped second but Brohamer grounded out to third to end the inning. Downing flied out to right to begin the bottom of the seventh before Rudi hit a routine grounder to Hobson. Butch fired to first and Watson dropped the ball, allowing Joe to reach. All of a sudden the enraged Zimmer ran half naked from the clubhouse onto the field screaming at Watson, chasing Bob all the way into the clubhouse, forcing Jim Dwyer to take over at first. Anderson singled and Willie Davis pinch hit for Thon only to beat out a double play ball. With runners at the corners, Stanley got Miller to hit a comebacker to end the inning with the lead intact.

                                               Stanley keeping the Sox in front

Anderson moved to second base with Bert Campaneris now taking over at short to begin the top of the eighth. Lynn walked but Rice banged into a double play. Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox pissed the game away in the bottom of the eighth inning. Stanley froze Lansford for strike three before Ford and Baylor stroked back to singles. All of a sudden Zimmer escaped the clutches of the police, grabbed a bat and ran on the field to attack Stanley. Stanley wouldn't back down and ended up chasing Zimmer all the way into the clubhouse, leaving no one to pitch. Tom Burgmeier ran out of the bullpen before anyone could make a real decision. Aikens hit a routine grounder to first but Dwyer went OLE! and Ford scored all the way from second with the tying run. Had he made the play, it could have been an inning ending double play. Butch Hobson then picked Dick Drago's name out of Burleson's hat so Dick came in to pitch. Right on cue Downing slammed a single to score Baylor with the go-ahead run. Rudi popped up to third and Anderson grounded out to third to end the inning but the Angels now led 4-3.

                                              This guy manages better than Zimmer

The Sox had one last chance to take the game in the top of the ninth against closer Mark Clear. Dwyer at least drew a walk to somewhat make up for his error but the idiotic Zimmer decided to have the man that hit 40 homers in 1977 (Hobson) drop down a bunt to advance Jim to second. Evans grounded out and even though Dwyer was on third, there was now 2 out. Allenson went to bat but Zimmer tackled him to the ground and demanded Tom Poquette pinch hit. No one knew why this was a good idea and sure enough, Poquette flied out to right to end the game. The Angels had won it 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Jim Dwyer for allowing the error in the eighth.

                                                       Dwyer you Jackass



The Good:

Rick Burleson was 1 for 3 with a stolen base, a run scored and was hit with a pitch.

Fred Lynn was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bob Watson was 1 for 3 with 2 rbi's.



The Bad:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4.

Butch Hobson was 0 for 3.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3.

Tom Poquette made the last out.

Dick Drago allowed the go-ahead run to score.



The Ugly:

Jack Brohamer was 0 for 3 but walked.

Bob Stanley went 7 2/3 innings and look the loss allowing 4 runs, but the final 2 runs were due to an error and the bullpen. He really should have had his 11th win.

Tom Burgmeier faced one man and he reached, but only because Dwyer couldn't make the play.




Final Thoughts:

That was a sucker punch to the go-nads after how well Stanley had pitched in this game. The lunatic Zimmer cost them another game by taking away Bob Watson's bat only for Jim Dwyer's glove to let them down. This all coming after that outburst in the first inning just makes it seem like this team wins in spite of Zim more often than not. He can't blame Bill Lee, Jim Wiloughby, Fergie Jenkins or Lee's other cronies anymore, its all on him now. The worst part about the loss is that the Orioles lost too meaning the Sox could have gained a game on the O's had they won. As it is the Sox are 52-32, still 3 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox go after the Angels once again as Dennis Eckersley goes one on one with Dave Frost at 7:30 PM at Anaheim Stadium.

Disco Denny Lit Up By Yankees, Remy Lost (7/1/79)

Dennis Eckersley may very well be the ace of the Boston Red Sox but he pitched like absolute garbage this afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Reportedly Eckersley was spotted at the infamous Studio 54 last night so its possible he wasn't his sharpest. Eck allowed FIVE...yes FIVE home runs to the New York Yankees as the Yankees knocked off the Sox 6-5. What's worse, Jerry Remy was injured on a collision at the plate and had to be carried out.

                                  Who thought THIS would be the downfall of the Sox today

Things went bad right from the start as Jerry Remy tripled to open the game, but Randolph made a great diving catch to rob Rick Burelson of a hit. Remy broke for home and collided with catcher Jerry Narron. Remy was hurt and had to be carried out on a stretcher as a sign of what was to come. Fred Lynn popped to short to end the inning but losing Remy was not good.

                                                         Poor Remy

The Yankees pounced on the shaken up Sox and starter Eckerseley in the bottom of the first inning with Jack Brohamer moving to second with Butch Hobson taking Remy's spot in the order while playing third. Roy White flied out but Randolph pounded a home run to give the Yankees the lead. Graig Nettles flied out to center and Reggie Jackson grounded out to second to end the inning, although it was 1-0 Yankees.

The Sox struck back in the top of the second inning as Rice was hit with a pitch and he scored on the double by Carl Yastrzemski. Bob Watson walked but was stranded as Brohamer flied out to right. Evans whiffed and Bob Montgomery popped up to second to end the inning, but it was tied 1-1.

                                                         Yaz ties it up

Eckersley ran into some trouble in the bottom of the second inning as Chris Chambliss singled to start the inning. Jim Spencer whiffed but Bobby Murcer singled. Narron struck out and Bucky Dent grounded to short to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the third inning but could not score. Hobson flied out to right but Burelson doubled. Lynn flied out to center but Rice walked. Yaz struck out to end the inning, what a waste. White grounded out to open the bottom of the third but Randolph singled. The alert Eck picked off Randolph and got Nettles to ground out to first to end the inning.

The Sox surged ahead in the top of the fourth inning although Watson struck out to begin. Brohamer clobbered a solo home run off Yankees starter Catfish Hunter to give the Sox the lead. Evans grounded out to short and Montgomery lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                    Jack makes it 2-1 Sox

The Yankees immediately tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Jackson grounded out to first and Chambliss struck out, but Spencer blasted a solo home run to tie the game. Murcer popped up to left but it was now 2-2.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth inning although Hobson flied out to center to start. Burelson grounded out to second but Lynn belted a solo home run to give the Sox the lead back. Rice flied out to left to end the inning but it was now 3-2 Sox.

                                                  Lynn gives the Sox the lead back

The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fifth inning as Narron worked a leadoff walk. Dent flied out to right but White clobbered a 2 run home run to put the Yankees back on top. Randolph flied out to left and Nettles struck out but it was now 4-3 Yankees.

Once again the Sox battled back in the top of the sixth inning although Yaz flied out to start. Watson singled but Brohamer lined out to second. Evans walked to chase Hunter as Ron Davis was brought in only for Montgomery to single home Watson to tie the game. Hobson singled in Evans to give the Sox the lead back. Burelson struck out but it was 5-4 Sox.

                                     Hobson comes off the bench and puts Boston in front

As usual Eckersley coughed up the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Jackson pounded a home run, New York's fourth, to tie the game immediately. Eck recovered to get Chambliss to ground out to second, Spencer to fly out to left and Murcer to strike out to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

This time the Sox failed to answer in the top of the seventh as Lynn popped to short to start. Rice struck out and Yaz lined out to second to end the inning. Eckersley returned for the bottom of the seventh and guess what Narron did....he homered to give the Yankees the lead. Dent popped up to short but Red Sox manager Don Zimmer stumbled out of the dugout, beer cans falling out of his pocket to make the pitching change. Tom Burgmeier replaced Eck and got White to fly out. Randolph watched strike three go by to end the inning but the Yankees led 6-5, nice going Eck.

                                         Juror Number 3 dislikes blown leads

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the eighth inning when Watson singled to put the tying run on. Jim Dwyer pinch ran for Watson but Brohamer flied out. Evans walked to chase Davis and put the go-ahead run on first. Tom Poquette was going to pinch hit for Montgomery, but when the Yankees brought in Jim Kaat, Sox manager Don Zimmer sat Poquette in favor of Carlton Fisk. Both Fisk and Hobson popped up to first to end the inning. Nice going fellas. Gary Allenson took over behind the plate with Dwyer now at first to open the bottom of the eighth. Nettles hit a routine grounder to Dwyer who tossed his glove away and tried to catch it bare handed, instead the ball went off his hands and rolled away for an error. Jackson singled and Chambliss sacrificed them into scoring position. Lou Pinella pinch hit for Spencer and was intentionally walked to load the bases. Rookie Chuck Rainey was brought in to pitch to pinch hitter Thurman Munson and somehow got him to bang into a double play to end the inning.

Kaat remained in the game to close it out in the top of the ninth. Burelson hit a comebacker to the mound but Lynn walked. Lynn was erased on the force by Rice and with the tying run on....Yaz grounded out to end the game. The Yankees held on to win it 6-5.

Jackass of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He allowed not one, not two, not three, not four but FIVE home runs in this game. I'm sure Catfish Hunter would have taken him deep as well if there was no DH. The Sox put runs on the board so shame on Eck for being flat as a pancake today.

                                 Disco Denny didn't have it, the Jackass



The Good:

Jerry Remy was 1 for 1 before leaving the game.

Bob Watson was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Dwight Evans walked twice in 4 plate appearances and scored a run.

Bob Montgomery was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Tom Burgmeier pitched a full scoreless inning.

Chuck Rainey got the final two outs in the bottom of the eighth.



The Bad:

Jim Dwyer committed an error in the 9th inning.

Carlton Fisk was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Butch Hobson was 1 for 4 with an rbi after coming in for Remy.

Rick Burelson was just 1 for 5.

Fred Lynn was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored.

Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Carl Yastzremski was just 1 for 5 but walked and drove in a run.

Jack Brohamer was just 1 for 4 but scored a run and drove one in.



Honorable Mention:

Tom Poquette was penciled in to pinch hit for Montgomery before he was replaced by Fisk.

Gary Allenson caught the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

Maybe Eckersley should stay in his hotel room and watch Barnaby Jones instead of going out and doing the boogie woogie before a huge game against the Yankees. The team is reeling with a serious world series hangover and the Sox NEED to win these games to get closer to Baltimore in the division standings. Hopefully the Sox can come back tomorrow. The loss dropped the Red Sox to 47-28, 5.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow Joel Finch of the Red Sox takes on Tommy John of the Yankees.

Sox Tame Tigers Late (6/27/79)

Better late than never for the Boston Red Sox in tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers. Rookie Joel Finch dueled Pat Underwood to a 0-0 tie after 6 innings. Finch then allowed a home run to Champ Summers to give the Tigers the lead in the bottom of the seventh. The Sox tied the game in the top of the ninth and Butch Hobson drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. Bob Stanley (8-5, 3.55 ERA) slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and the Sox had beaten the Tigers 3-1 at Tigers Stadium.

                                                   Michelle Drake approves of the win

Underwood got the ball in the top of the first and Jerry Remy took strike three to start. Rick Burleson popped up to second and Fred Lynn lined out to short to end the inning. Finch got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Ron LeFlore singled to right to start. LeFlore was doubled off first on the line drive by Rusty Staub to second and Steve Kemp grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jim Rice took strike three to start the top of the second but Bob Watson drew a walk. Watson stole second on the Carl Yastrzemski strikeout but Butch Hobson struck out to end the inning. Jason Thompson grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Lance Parrish popped up to third. Champ Summers grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Dwight Evans popped up to first to start. Gary Allenson grounded out to second and Remy struck out to end the inning. Aureilo Rodriguez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third but Bubba Trammell singled to right and took second when Evans airmailed the throw back to the infield. Dave Machemer hit a grounder to short and Trammell was thrown out at third. Machemer was then picked off of first to end the inning.

Burleson was plunked to start the top of the fourth but Lynn flied out to right. Rice singled to left to move Burleson to third but Jim was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Watson lined out to short to end the inning. Finch got in trouble in the bottom of the fourth although LeFlore struck out to start. Staub doubled to right and Kemp walked, but Thompson flied out to right. Parrish walked to load the bases but Summers struck out to end the inning.

Yaz grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth before Hobson flied out to left. Evans lined out to center to end the inning. Rodriguez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Trammell grounded out to third. Machemer and LeFlore both drew walks but Staub grounded out to first to end the inning.

Allenson doubled to left to open the top of the sixth and moved to third on the Remy sacrifice bunt. He was stranded as Burleson struck out and Lynn popped up to short to end the inning. Kemp singled to left to start the bottom of the sixth but Thompson flied out to right. Parrish banged into a double play to end the inning.

Rice struck out to open the top of the seventh but Watson walked. Yaz struck out but Watson moved to second on a wild pitch. Hobson grounded out to third to end the inning. The Tigers finally tagged Finch in the bottom of the seventh as Summers hit a home run into Lake Ontario to give the Tigers the lead. Rodriguez flied out to right but Trammell singled to second to chase the rookie. Finch was tough but got no run support as he allowed just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings. Bob Stanley came in and Machemer screwed up a bunt, getting Trammell thrown out at second. LeFlore grounded out to short to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 1-0.

                                                            Good work Finch

The Sox wasted no time tying the game up in the top of the eighth with Mark Wagner now playing second base. Evans singled to right and Allenson dropped down a bunt to advance Dwight to second but ended up beating it out. Remy then dropped down a bunt of his own to advance the two runners. Dave Tobik came in to pitch and Burleson scored Evans with a sac fly to tie the game. Lynn flied out to center to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                         Burleson ties it up

Stanley cruised in the bottom of the eighth as Staub flied out to left to start. Kemp grounded out in front of the plate and Thompson struck out to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the ninth as Rice doubled to left to start. Watson walked but Yaz lined out to second. Hobson put the Sox on top with a double to center to score Rice and chase Tobik. Milt Wilcox came in to pitch and Tom Poquette pinch hit for Allenson. Poquette scored Watson with a sac fly for the big insurance run. Remy grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                 Herculean sac fly by Poquette

Stanley came back to close out the bottom of the ninth with Mike O'Berry behind the plate and Stan Papi in for Burleson at short. Parrish flied out to left and Summers flied out to center, but Rodriguez beat out an infield single to short. John Wockenfuss pinch hit for Trammell and hit a swinging bunt single. Mike O'Berry threw the ball away to advance the runners into scoring position. Jerry Morales pinch hit for Wagner and flied out to left to end the gane. The Sox had won it 3-1.

Hero of the Night is Butch Hobson. His rbi double in the top of the ninth put the Sox up for good.

                                                         Hobson is the Hero

The Good:

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bob Watson walked 3 times and scored a run.

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

Gary Allenson was 1 for 2.

Tom Poquette hit a sac fly in his only at bat.

Joel Finch tossed 6 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and walked 4 while striking out 2.

Bob Stanley got the win by tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Fred Lynn was 0 for 4.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike O'Berry made an error in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but dropped down a crucial bunt in the top of the ninth.

Rick Burleson was 0 for 2 but was hit by pitch and drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Stan Papi played short in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That's how you fight to the bitter end. The Sox could have easily packed it in after being held scoreless through 7 innings but they fought back when it mattered. They did it with small ball too with timely bunts rather than towering home runs. Hobson saved the day big time and kudos to Stanley for keeping the Tigers off the board after Finch left. Finch seems like a breath of fresh air after the Sox lost Luis Tiant to the Yankees and dumped Bill Lee on the Expos. It would be completely unfair to expect Finch to replicate Tiant or Lee but for him to be good would help tremendously if the Sox want to beat out the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles this season. The O's look like they won't go away so the Sox are gonna have to bear down if they want to win the AL East this year. The win improved the Sox to 45-26, 4 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to take two of three from Detroit when they send Steve Renko (5-2) to the mound against Jack Billingham of the Tigers. The game begins at 9:00 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Sox Homer Parade Tames Tigers (6/20/79)

As the weather heats up, so do the Boston Red Sox bats. Tonight the Sox took their frustrations out on the Detroit Tigers by pounding out 14 hits and 13 runs with SIX home runs. Mike Torrez (7-4, 4.81 ERA) survived a shaky first inning to go the distance. When the dust cleared the Sox steamrolled the Tigers 13-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Ernie Shore approves of the win

The Tigers struck first in the contest with a big top of the first. Ron LeFlore and Rusty Staub drew back to back walks before Steve Kemp beat out a double play ball. Jason Thompson singled home LeFlore but Lance Parrish struck out swinging. Champ Summers doubled home Kemp and Thompson but Aurelio Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Tigers up 3-0.

                                                           LeFlore starts the rally

Steve Baker got the start for Detroit and Jerry Remy led off with a walk. Rick Burleson popped up to right before Fred Lynn took strike three. Jim Rice grounded out to third to end the inning.

Torrez recovered in the top of the second as Alan Trammell flied out to center to start. Mark Wagner grounded out to second but LeFlore doubled to left. Staub flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second to start. Carlton Fisk walked before moving to second on the Bob Watson grounder. Dwight Evans whiffed to end the inning.

Torrez cruised in the top of the third as Kemp flied out to left to start. Thompson grounded out to first before Parrish struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Butch Hobson doubled to right to begin. Hobson moved to third on the grounder by Remy but Burleson flied out to right. Lynn crushed his 17th home run of the lead to put the Sox back in it. Rice walked then Yaz cracked his 12th homer of the year to put the Sox ahead. Fisk lined out to center to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

                                                           Lynn and Yaz deliver

Torrez got Summers swinging to start the top of the fourth before Rodriguez grounded out to short. Trammell singled to right but Wagner grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fourth as Watson singled to center to begin. Evans walked and Hobson beat out an infield single to load the bases. Remy lined out to left but Watson made a mad dash home to score a run. Burleson banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                         Herculean sac fly by Remy

LeFlore singled to start the top of the fifth before moving to second on the Staub grounder. Kemp grounded back to the mound before Thompson lined out to left to end the inning. Aurelio Lopez came in for the bottom of the fifth and Lynn doubled to start. Rice grounded out to third before Yaz lined out to left. Fisk grounded out to first to end the inning.

Torrez cruised in the top of the sixth as Parrish watched strike three go by to begin. Summers popped up to first and Rodriguez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the sixth as Watson croaked his first home run as a member of the Red Sox to begin. Evans then smashed his 9th home run of the year to go back to back. Hobson walked but Remy flied out to left before Burleson doubled home Butch with another run to chase Lopez. Fernando Arroyo came in and Lynn grounded out to second. Rice grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                    Watson and Evans go back to back

Torrez got in trouble when Trammell singled to open the top of the seventh and Wagner walked. LeFlore beat out a double play ball but Staub didn't and the Sox were out of the inning. The relentless offense kept up the pace in the bottom of the seventh although Yaz flied out to left to start. Fisk doubled to left and Watson beat out an infield single. Evans doubled home Fisk and Hobson cleared the bases with his 9th bomb of the year to run up the score. Remy grounded out to short and Burleson flied out to left to end the inning but the score was now 12-3.

                                                              Hobson hits one out

Sox manager Don Zimmer emptied the bench in the top of the eighth as rookie Gary Allenson took over for Fisk behind the plate, Jim Dwyer took over at first for Yaz, Larry Wolfe took over for Remy at second, Jack Brohamer took over at third for Hobson, Stan Papi took over at short for Burleson and Tom Poquette took over for Lynn in center. Kemp grounded out to first to start before Thompson grounded out to first as well. Parrish flied out to right to end the inning. The Tigers emptied their bench in the bottom of the eighth as Kip Young took over on the mound, Ed Putman took over behind the plate, Phil Mankowski took over at third and Lynn Jones took over in left. Poquette grounded out to short before Rice popped up to second. Dwyer wrapped up the scoring with his first home run of the year to increase the lead. Allenson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 13-3.

                                                             Home run Dwyer

Torrez came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Summers grounded out to second to start. Mankowski took strike three but Trammell singled to center. Wagner flied out to end the game. The Sox had beaten the Tigers to a pulp 13-3.

Hero of the Night is Mike Torrez. He tossed a complete game allowing just the three runs off 5 hits and 4 walks.

                                                         Torrez is the Hero



The Good:

Fred Lynn was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Jim Dwyer homered in his only at-bat.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Bob Watson was 3 for 4 with a solo home run and 3 runs scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Butch Hobson was 3 for 3 with a walk including a 3 run homer and 3 total runs scored.



The Bad:

Tom Poquette was 0 for 1 in his only plate appearance.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 1 at the plate.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run.

Rick Burleson was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Jim Rice was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run homer.



Honorable Mention:

Larry Wolfe played second base in the final two innings.

Stan Papi played shortstop in the final two innings.

Jack Brohamer played third base in the final two innings.




Final Thoughts:

That was a massacre for sure and it was nice to see Torrez pitch well. The key to this season is if they have enough pitching to win the division for the first time since 1975. Not having Bill Lee and Luis Tiant sucks but hopefully Steve Renko and Bob Stanley can replace their production from last year. The bats are still hot and the acquisition of Bob Watson has been huge already. The Sox are only a few games behind the Orioles and they need to win as many games as they can to compete with Baltimore. As for this game, great win...hope they can do it again tomorrow. The win improved the Sox to 40-25, 3.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to take 3 of 4 from the Tigers when they send Dennis Eckersley (7-3) up against Jack Morris of the Tigers at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Blast Indians on Opening Day (4/5/79)

That's one way to get off on the right foot. After the 1978 season came to a crashing halt at the hands of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox came back with a flurry to begin the 1979 season. Riding the hot hand of ace Dennis Eckersley (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitching 7 shut-out innings, the Sox smashed the Cleveland Indians 7-1. Home runs by Jim Rice, Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn paced the offense against old pal Rick Wise as the Sox won their season debut in front of 34,433 fans at Fenway Park.

                                                   Pete Clemenza approves of the win

Eck took the mound in the top of the first and began the season by getting Toby Harrah to hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Jim Norris doubled to center but Eck came back to strike out both Bobby Bonds and Andre Thornton to end the inning. Old friend Rick Wise got the start in the bottom of the first and Jerry Remy grounded out to second to start. Rick Burleson flied out to right but Fred Lynn walked. Jim Rice singled to left but Carl Yastrzemski popped up to third to end the inning.

Eck pitched a clean top of the second as Gary Alexander grounded out to second to begin. Ted Cox grounded out to short and Duane Kuiper flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox wasted a chance to crack Wise in the bottom of the second as George "Boomer" Scott walked to begin the frame but was picked off. That came into play as Alexander muffed a pop up by Jack Brohamer and Jack made the Indians pay by doubling to right. Brohamer moved to third on a grounder by Dwight Evans but Bob Montgomery looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Indians threatened in the top of the third inning although Tom Veryzer grounded out to third to begin. Horace Speed struck out but Harrah walked and stole second.  Norris singled Harrah to third but Bonds whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Remy singled and stole second to start. Burleson grounded back to the mound but Lynn walked. Rice then crushed a three run bomb to give the Sox the lead. Yaz flied out to left and Scott grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                          Rice puts the Sox on top

Eck kept pace in the top of the fourth as Thornton grounded out to third to begin. Alexander and Cox both flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning. Brohamer flied out to right but Evans belted his first home run of the year to extend the lead. Somehow Montgomery tripled to center but Remy looked at strike three. Veryzer went OLE! on a ground ball by Burleson and Montgomery scored on the error. Lynn popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                           Evans adds to the lead

There was no stopping Eck in the top of the fifth inning as Kuiper grounded out to third to begin. Veryzer popped up to short but Speed walked. Harrah grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox were finally tamed in the bottom of the fifth as Rice whiffed to start before Yaz popped up to second. Scott grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Eck got in trouble in the top of the sixth as Norris walked and stole second to begin. Bonds popped up to third but Thornton walked. Alexander popped up tp short but Norris took third on a wild pitch. Cox flied out to center to end the inning. Wise came out briefly in the bottom of the sixth but Brohamer chased him with a triple. Victor Cruz replaced Wise but Evans whiffed. Montgomery singled home Brohamer to add to the lead. Remy popped up to left and Burleson whiffed to end the inning but it was 6-0 Sox.

                                                   Montgomery makes it 6-0

Eckersley came back for one more inning in the top of the seventh and Kuiper grounded out to second to start. Veryzer walked but was erased on the force by Speed. Harrah grounded out to third to end the inning. Eckersley was outstanding in tossing 7 shut-out innings allowing just 2 hits while striking out 4. Lynn wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to begin the frame. Rice whiffed but Yaz singled only to be erased on a strike em out, throw em out double play by Scott to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-0.

                                                         Lynn finishes off the Indians

Dick Drago got the call to pitch the top of the eighth and Norris watched strike three go by to start. Bonds whiffed and Thornton grounded out to short to end the inning. Sid Monge took over for the bottom of the eighth and Brohamer nearly went yard but was robbed at the wall in right. Evans popped up to first but Montgomery doubled to left. Remy whiffed to end the inning.

Drago came back to finish off the game but was tagged in the top of the ninth. Alexander walked and Remy went OLE! on a ground ball by Cox. Kuiper lined out to center as both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Veryzer singled home Alexander and Wayne Cage pinch hit for Speed...only to bang into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won Opening Day going away 7-1.

Hero of the night is Dennis Eckersley. With everyone on offense contributing, Eck gave them the cushion with 7 shutout innings where he allowed 2 hits and 5 walks while striking out 4.

                                                         Dennis The Hero


The Good:

Fred Lynn was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored including a solo home run.

Jim Rice was 2 for 4 with a 3 run home run.

Jack Brohamer was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bob Montgomery was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.



The Bad:

Rick Burleson was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Jerry Remy was just 1 for 5 with an error but stole a base and scored a run

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

George Scott was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Dwight Evans was just 1 for 4 but the hit was a solo home run.

Bob Stanley allowed a run in 2 innings of work.



Final Thoughts:

Nothing like a win on Opening Day to start the year off right. Virtually nothing went right last year beginning with the collapse and ending with the departures of Luis Tiant and Bill Lee. Whether Steve Renko can replace Lee's production is up in the air but losing the beloved Tiant is going to hurt. Still, a win is a win and there's 161 games to go to find out what this team is made of. Eck looked great and the offense was clicking so hopefully they can keep this up all year. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Saturday afternoon in Cleveland against these same Indians. Mike Torrez makes his season debut for Boston opposite Rick Waits of Cleveland at 3:00 PM Eastern Time at Cleveland Stadium.