Sox Rally For First Win (4/12/81)

It was a good day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics swept the Bulls in Game 4 of their second round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox had a role reversal of opening day. The Chicago White Sox led 3-0 going into the bottom of the seventh of today's matinee game but the Boston Red Sox pulled off a huge rally. Four outs away from a second straight defeat, Jim Rice mashed a go-ahead grand slam to put the BoSox ahead. The White Sox made it interesting in the ninth but the BoSox held on by the skin of their teeth to post their first win of the season 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Terry Duerod approves of the win

The White Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first against Frank Tanana making his Red Sox debut. Ron LeFlore walked and swiped second before moving to third on the sacrifice bunt by Mike Squires. Once again Carlton Fisk made the BoSox pay for letting him go with a double to score LeFlore to put Chicago up early. Greg Luzinski whiffed before Chet Lemon looked at strike three to end the inning. Lemon was so offended he started tearing off all his clothes and shouted invectives at the umpire before he was hauled off by security. Lemon was out of the game but the White Sox were up 1-0.

Rusty Kuntz replaced Lemon as White Sox starter Richard Dotson cruised in the bottom of the first inning. Jerry Remy walked but Dave Stapleton banged into a double play. Dwight Evans walked but Rice grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Tanana settled down in the top of the second inning as Wayne Nordhagen whiffed to start. Jim Morrison (not THE Jim Morrison) grounded back to the mound before Tony Bernazard also grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Boston did nothing in the bottom of the second as Tony Perez grounded out to second, Carney Lansford flied out to center and Glenn Hoffman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Tanana got Bill Almon to line out to third to start the top of the third. LeFlore grounded out to short and Squires flied out to center to end the frame. The Sox had a chance to score when Gary Allenson drew a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the third before Rick Miller sacrificed him to second. A balk was called on Dotson to move Allenson to third but Remy flied out to left. Stapleton whiffed to end the inning.

The White Sox threatened in the top of the fourth but Fisk lined out to short to start. Luzinski and Kuntz stroked back to back singles but the alert Allenson picked Kuntz off of first. Nordhagen flied out to center to end the inning. The Red Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fourth as Evans looked at strike three, Rice flied out to center and Perez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Morrison lined out to third to start the top of the fifth before Bernazard hit a routine grounder to Lansford. Carney kicked the ball over to second and disco danced for an error although Bernazard was erased on the Almon force. Almon swiped second but LeFlore grounded out to third to end the inning. Lansford flied out to right to begin the bottom of the fifth before Hoffman flied out to left. Allenson whiffed to end the inning.

Squires singled to start the top of the sixth but Fisk banged into a double play. Luzinski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the sixth as Miller flied out to left, Remy flied out to center and Stapleton grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Tanana ran out of gas in the top of the seventh inning as Kuntz singled to center to begin. Nordhagen whiffed but Morrison doubled. Bernazard was intentionally walked to load the bases and Almon made the BoSox pay with a base hit to center to score Kuntz and Morrison. That was it for Tanana who lasted 6 1/3 innings while allowing 3 runs, not bad but didn't get any run support. Mark Clear made his Sox debut by getting LeFlore to bang into a double play to end the inning with Chicago ahead 3-0

                                                          Good debut by Tanana

The lead held in the bottom of the seventh with Harold Baines taking over for Nordhagen in right. Evans beat out an infield single to third but was erased on the force by Rice. Perez singled Rice to third before Lansford hit a fly ball to left. Rice broke for home but was gunned down to end the inning.

Clear returned for the top of the eighth and got Squires to ground out to third to start. Fisk singled to left but Luzinski popped up to first. Kuntz walked but Baines flied out to center to end the inning. After being dormant all day, the BoSox offense exploded in the bottom of the eighth. Hoffman grounded out to short and Allenson grounded out to second, but Miller doubled and Remy singled home Rick to put the BoSox on the board. Ed Farmer replaced Dotson and Stapleton got a base hit to left. Evans walked to load the bases and Rice lit up the crowd with a grand slam to give Boston the lead just like that. Perez whiffed to end the inning but the BoSox were 3 outs from victory and led 5-3.

                                                          Way to go Rice

The White Sox made it interesting in the top of the ninth as Morrison led off with a 5,000 foot home run to cut the lead to one. Bernazard grounded out to second before Bob Molinaro pinch hit for Almon. Molinaro walked but was doubled off first when LeFlore lined to short to end the game. The BoSox had survived and had won it 5-4.

Hero of the Night is Jim Rice. His eighth inning grand slam was the difference in the game.

                                                           Rice the Hero

The Good:

Jerry Remy was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with a run scored.'

Frank Tanana pitched well in his debut, tossing 6 1/3 innings of 3 run ball.

Mark Clear got the win with 2 2/3 innings of 1 run ball.

The Bad:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Now that's more like it. After the White Sox stunned the Red Sox in Friday's opener, it was good to see Boston get some payback in a similar fashion today. Rice hitting the grand slam was big as the offense had done virtually nothing all game. With Lynn and Fisk gone, the bottom of the order is a bonafide black hole for now. Maybe the Sox can make an in-season trade to improve, otherwise their offense isn't going to scare too many people. Tanana looked good in his debut even if he ran out of gas. The Sox are gonna need Clear to pitch well out of the bullpen if Bob Stanley falters. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox are back in action against the Baltimore Orioles. 22 year old rookie Steve Crawford makes his season debut opposite Tim Stoddard at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.