Sox Win Greatest Game of All Time, Force Game 7 (10/21/75)

In what was arguably the greatest baseball game ever played, the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds put on a clinic for 12 innings. The Red Sox forced a Game 7 in the World Series by winning an instant classic. The Sox took a 3-0 lead in the first inning but the Reds fought back to take a 6-3 lead going into the eighth. Bernie Carbo cracked a pinch hit 3 run homer to tie the game and Carlton Fisk walked it off in the 12th inning. The Big Red Machine may win the World Series after all but the Sox took it to them tonight with a 7-6 Game 6 win at Fenway Park.

                                                   One more win to the championship

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.

                                                        Sox on top

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.

                                                          Down goes Lynn

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.

                                                     Foster doubles in a pair

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.

                                                  Didn't look good for the Sox

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 ties it up

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.

                                                      YERRRR OUT!

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.

                                                     What a catch

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.

                                                      What a win

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 1: Carbo

Hero Number 2 is Carlton Fisk for the walkoff home run to send the series to Game 7

                                                  Hero 2: Fisk


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.

Reds Take Game 3 Amidst Controversy (10/14/75)

The Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds have taken Game 3 of the 1975 World series and a 2 games to 1 lead but not without some controversy. The Reds took a 5-1 lead but the Sox rallied with an rbi from Fred Lynn and home runs from Bernie Carbo and Dwight Evans to send the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth with Cesar Geronimo on first Ed Armbrister dropped down a bunt but failed to get out of the way of Carlton Fisk. Fisk had to bump Ed out of the way and hurry a throw to center that got away. Interference was NOT called and two batters later Joe Morgan ended the game with a rocket to center to give the Reds a 6-5 Game 3 victory at Riverfront Stadium.

                                            "Get out of the way you idiot!" - Fisk

Gary Nolan got the start for the Reds in the top of the first inning and Cecil Cooper grounded out to first to start. Denny Doyle also grounded out to first before Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to second to end the inning. Rick Wise took the mound in the bottom of the first and Pete Rose greeted him with a routine ground out to second. Ken Griffey also grounded out to second before Joe Morgan flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the second as Carlton Fisk put the Sox on top with a solo blast to left to begin. Fred Lynn flied out to center but Rico Petrocelli hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short. Dwight Evans flied out into the right field corner before Rick Burleson grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                     Fisk checks the bat for termites before hitting one out

Could Wise pitch with the lead in the bottom of the second? YES! Tony Perez flied out to center before Johnny Bench grounded out to deep third. George Foster drew a full count walk and took off for second. Doyle went OLE! on Fisk's throw and Foster went to third on the error charged to Fisk. Dave Concepcion lined out to a running Evans to end the inning.

Wise himself led off the top of the third with a fly out to left. Cooper popped up to left before Doyle popped up to third to end the inning. Cesar Geronimo led off the bottom of the third by grounding out to second to start. Nolan grounded out to first and Rose grounded out to second to end the inning.

Yaz hit a grounder to first to start the top of the fourth but Fisk drew a walk. Lynn singled to right that advanced Fisk to third but was thrown out at first after overruning the bag. Morgan robbed Petrocelli of an rbi single to end the inning. The Reds struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Griffey flied out to center to begin. Morgan also flied out to center but Perez walked and stole second. Bench then crushed a 2 run bomb halfway to Columbus to give the Reds the lead. Foster grounded out to Petrocelli to end the inning but the Reds were up 2-1.

                                              Bench puts the Reds on top

Pat Darcy took over for the top of the fifth as the scoreboard at Riverfront Stadium said that Nolan left the game due to a stiff neck. Evans grounded out to short to start but Burleson singled in the hole at short. Burleson was erased on the force by Wise before Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning. Wise suddenly fell victim to the longball as both Concepcion and Geronimo struck back to back jacks to put the Reds up by 3 runs just like that. Wise struck out Darcy but Rose chased Wise by motoring around for a triple on a jack to the centerfield wall. Wise had lasted just 4 1/3 innings giving up 5 runs including 3 home runs. Jim Burton was brought in and he walked Griffey to put runners at the corners before Morgan hit a sac fly to center to score Rose with another run. Griffey swiped second and Sox manager Darrell Johnson had enough of Burton. Reggie Cleveland was brought in to strike out Perez to end the inning with the Reds ahead 5-1.

                                                     The Reds poured it on

The Sox needed to rally and they started in the top of the sixth although Doyle popped up to Rose in foul territory to start. Yaz and Fisk drew back to back walks before a wild pitch moved both guys into scoring position. Lynn scored Yaz with a sac fly to cut into the lead before Petrocelli grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

Cleveland held the fort in the bottom of the sixth and whiffed Bench to start. Foster flied out to left and Concepcion grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the seventh as Evans lined a base hit up the middle to start. Clay Carroll came in for Darcy and got Burleson to bang into a double play. Bernie Carbo pinch hit for Cleveland and clubbed a solo home run to left to cut into the lead. That was it for Caroll as Will McEnaney came in to pitch to Cooper. Cecil popped up to short to end the inning but it was 5-3 Reds.

Jim Willoughby came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and got Geronimo to fly out to deep center to begin. McEnaney himself beat out an infield single to second when Cooper dropped the throw by Doyle, but was doubled off first when Rose hit a scorcher to third for a double play to end the inning.

McEnaney cruised in the top of the eighth as Doyle grounded out to first to start. Yaz whiffed and Fisk was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the mound to end the inning. Willoughby returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Griffey to ground out to second to start. Morgan grounded out to second and Perez whiffed to end the inning.

Down to their final 3 outs the Sox needed to rally but it didn't look good when Lynn whiffed to start the top of the ninth. Petrocelli and Reds manager Sparky Anderson pulled McEnaney to have the right hander Rawley Eastwick pitch to Dwight Evans. The gamble backfired as Evans belted a two run home run to left to tie the game. Burleson dropped a single to center to put the go-ahead run on and moved to second on the Willoughby sacrifice bunt. That was it as Cooper flied out to center to end the inning but it was tied 5-5.

                                                       Evans ties it up

Willoughby returned for the bottom of the ninth and made the Reds beat the ball in the dirt. Bench grounded out to third, Foster grounded out to short and Concepcion grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to take the lead in the top of the tenth when Doyle beat out an infield single up the middle to begin. Yaz blasted one deep to center but Geronimo caught it at the wall. 5 more feet it was gone. Fisk banged into a double play to end the inning. The Reds finally ended it in the bottom of the 10th but not without some help from the umpires. Geronimo singled up the middle before Ed Armbrister pinch hit for Eastwick. Armbrister dropped down a bunt but failed to get out of Fisk's way, Fisk had to throw Ed out of the way and hurry a throw to second that sailed into center. Geronimo made it to third and Armbrister to second as the entire Sox team went berserk. Sox manager Darrell Johnson kicked and screamed that Armbrister interfered with Fisk and Fisk himself had to be restrained from attacking the umpire. With the comissioner of baseball Bowie Kuhn sitting right behind home plate, the umpires shrugged and said play ball. Roger Moret replaced Willoughby and intentionally walked Rose to load the bases with nobody out. Merv Rettenmund pinch hit for Griffey but Moret did manage to strike him out. Morgan ended the game with a base hit to deep center to give the Reds the victory. The Sox fought hard but couldn't beat the umps and the Reds as Cincinnati hung on to win Game 3 by a score of 6-5.

                                                  Good grief


Jackass of the Night is unfortunately Roger Moret. He was brought in with men on second and third with nobody out then gave up a walk (intentional) and a base hit to end the game.

                                                            Moret the Jackass


The Good:

Fred Lynn was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a 2 run homer in the ninth.

Rick Burelson was 2 for 4.

Bernie Carbo hit a pinch hit home run in the 7th inning.

Reggie Cleveland tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Cecil Cooper was 0 for 5.

Rick Wise lasted just 4 1/3 innings and allowed 5 runs including 3 home runs.



The Ugly:

Denny Doyle was just 1 for 5.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Carlton Fisk was 1 for 3 with 2 walks including a solo home run but made 2 costly errors including the Armbrister play.

Jim Burton allowed an inherited runner to score, walked a man and allowed a stolen base in 1/3 of an inning but allowed none of his own runs.

Jim Willoughby took the loss but allowed just the controversial run in 3 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

God damned National League umpires. The Big Red Machine doesn't need any help from the umpires to win games but tonight they got a huge assist. The Armbrister play is going to be talked about for a long time and with good reason. How in the world do you stand right in front of the catcher and NOT get called for interference? Still, the play didn't end the game and Moret still had to get Morgan out so no sense blaming the game entirely on that play. Wise pitched like crap and it took a clutch home run by Evans just to send it to extra innings. This World Series is shaping up to be one of the greats because the first 3 games were great nailbiters. The Sox need to rally tomorrow night and they better with Louis Tiant taking the mound opposite Fred Norman at 8 PM Eastern time at Riverfront Stadium.

Wise, Sox Shut Down Royals (4/22/74)

When the Boston Red Sox shipped out Reggie Smith and Ken Tatum for Rick Wise (2-1, 2.66 ERA) and Bernie Carbo, they were hoping they'd get the 16 game version of Wise. So far he's been as good as advertised, especially in tonight's game against the Kansas City Royals. Wise held the Royals to just 1 run through six solid innings before giving way to Diego Segui. Meanwhile Carl Yastrzemski carried the offense with two home runs and three total rbis to outscore the Royals by himself. Segui earned his second save of the season as the Sox beat the Royals 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Cyd Charisse approves of the win

Wise got the ball in the top of the first inning and Freddie Patek struck out swinging. Cookie Rojas also went down hacking and Jim Wohlford grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox jumped on Nelson Briles as Tommy Harper singled to left to start. Doug Griffin doubled off the Monster to score Harper and Bernie Carbo dropped down a bunt but was called out for interference. Carl Yastrzemski singled to right to score Griffin and promptly stole second. Rico Petrocelli and Cecil Cooper walked to load the bases but Rick Miller forced Yaz at home. Bob Didier forced Cooper at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                 Griffin drives in a run

John Mayberry flied out to center to start the top of the second before Hal McRae struck out swinging. Tony Solaita singled to center and Vada Pinson singled to right before Buck Martinez walked to load the bases. Fernando Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Mario Guerrero grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second and Harper took strike three. Apparently Griffin got hurt the previous inning and Dick McAuliffe pinch hit for him. Dick grounded out to second to end the inning.

Patek flied out to center to start the top of the third before Rojas grounded out to third. Wohlford doubled to left and Mayberry flied out to center to end the inning. 

                                                                "They can't hit me" - Wise

Carbo flied out to right to start the bottom of the third and Yaz grounded out to first. Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning.

McRae grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth before Solaita was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Pinson grounded out to first to end the inning. Cooper doubled to right to start the bottom of the fourth and was sacrificed to third by Miller. Didier flied out to right and Cooper ran for home....but stopped and tried to go back to third, being thrown out by Briles to end the inning.

Martinez hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fifth before Gonzalez flied out to right. Patek flied out to center to end the inning. Guerrero walked to start the bottom of the fifth before Harper popped up to first. That was it for Briles as Gene Garber came in to pitch and got McAuliffe to ground into a double play to end the inning.

The Royals fought back in the top of the sixth as Rojas singled to center and Wohlford doubled to center to score him. Mayberry grounded out to second to move Wohlford to third but McRae walked. Solaita struck out swinging and Pinson grounded out to first to end the inning with the Royals down 2-1.

                                                                Wohlford drives in a run

The Sox answered in the bottom of the sixth as Carpo popped up to third to start. Yaz then belted his fifth home run of the season to increase the lead. Petrocelli walked and Cooper got a base hit to right but Miller moved the runners over with a grounder to first. Didier was intentionally walked to get to Guerrero. Mario forced Didier at second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                              Home run Yaz

Diego Segui came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Martinez doubled off the Monster to start. Gonzalez popped up to first but Patek singled to center. Patek swiped second but Rojas took strike three. Wohlford flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt to start the bottom of the seventh as Harper grounded out to short to start. McAuliffe grounded out to short and Carbo grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Mayberry flied out to left to start the top of the eighth before McRae caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single. Solaita lined out to right and Pinson grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Yaz led off the bottom of the eighth with his second home run of the game to increase the lead but Petrocelli singled to center. Joe Hoerner came in to pitch with Juan Beniquez coming in to run for Rico. Cooper forced Beniquez at second then was promptly thrown out trying to steal. Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Terry Hughes took over at third to start the top of the ninth and Martinez flied out to left to start. Frank White pinch hit for Gonzalez and took strike three. Patek struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

Hero of The Night is Carl Yastrzemski. He hit two home runs and drove in three runs to outscore the Royals singlehandedly.

                                                                    Hero Yaz

The Good:

Doug Griffin was 1 for 1 with an rbi and a run scored before leaving.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Cecil Cooper was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Rick Wise got the win by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Diego Segui got his second save with 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Dick McAuliffe was 0 for 3.

Bernie Carbo was 0 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Tommy Harper was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Bob Didier was 0 for 2 but walked.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Juan Beniquez pinch ran for Rico Petrocelli

Terry Hughes played third base in the later innings.

Final Thoughts:

Tough to lose Griffin and Wise left the game relatively early but the Sox came out the winners. Getting Wise was the key to this season because if Luis Tiant and Bill Lee pitch well, Rick would be the third starter they've been desperate for since Gary Bell in 1967. Yaz came up big with two home runs and having Petrocelli back helps out big time. The only possible thing to complain about is the Sox are still without Carlton Fisk and Mario Guerrero isn't hitting at all. Still, its only April and the Sox are winning games. Diego Segui did well today as well so complaining about things isn't really worth it. Still, the Sox need to go on a huge winning streak if they want to jump out to first place early. Dick Drago (1-0) gets the start tomorrow against the Royals with Al Fitzmorris as his opponent. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Six Run Sixth Dooms Sox (4/18/74)

It was bad news all around for the city of Boston as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their NHL Semifinal series and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox. Doc Medich and Rick Wise (1-1, 3.14 ERA) battled to a 0-0 tie through five innings when Wise imploded in the bottom of the sixth. The Yankees scored three runs off Wise before Sox manager Darrell Johnson lifted him for Diego Segui. Mike Hegan hit a backbreaking three run home run to put the game out of reach. The Sox managed to scratch out one run against Medich as he went the distance for the Yankees. It all added up to a 6-1 loss to the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

        `                                              "Only one run against Medich???"

Medich got the ball in the top of the first inning and Juan Beniquez walked to start. Cecil Cooper struck out swinging but Beniquez stole second. Bernie Carbo struck out swinging and Carl Yastrzemski was intentionally walked. The returning Rico Petrocelli popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Wise got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roy White lined out to right to start. Mike Hegan struck out swinging but Thurman Munson walked. Bobby Murcer flied out to left to end the inning.

Dwight Evans took strike three to start the top of the second before Bob Montgomery grounded out to short. Doug Griffin singled to center but Mario Guerrero flied out to center to end the inning. Ron Blomberg doubled to left to start the bottom of the second before moving to third on the Graig Nettles grounder to second. Duke Sims struck out swinging and Gene Michael grounded out to second to end the inning.

Beniquez grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Cooper flied out to center. Carbo grounded out to second to end the inning. Jim Mason walked to begin the bottom of the third but White popped up to second. Hegan hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. 

Yaz grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Petrocelli flied out to right. Evans grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Murcer singled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Blomberg banged into a double play. Nettles singled to center but Sims flied out to left to end the inning.

Montgomery grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the fifth but Griffin singled to center. Guerrero grounded into a double play to end the inning. Michael grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth before Mason doubled to center. White and Hagan drew back to back walks to load the bases but Munson hit a rocket to Guerrero. Mario flipped to second for the double play to end the inning. 

Beniquez took strike three to start the top of the sixth but Cooper singled to center. Cooper got thrown out trying to steal and Carbo popped up to right to end the inning. The Yankees exploded in the bottom of the sixth as Murcer singled to center to start. Blomberg doubled to left and Nettles hit a sac fly to center to score Murcer. Sims doubled to right to score Blomberg and Michael doubled to right to score Sims. That was it for Wise who lasted just 5 1/3 innings while being charged with four runs off 8 hits and 4 walks. Mason walked but White struck out swinging...only for Hegan to hit a three run home run to Nepal to ice the game. Munson singled to left but Murcer grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 6-0.

                                                               "Aye carumba" - Segui

Elliott Maddox came in to play right field in the top of the seventh as Yaz popped up to third to start. Petrocelli flied out to left and Evans flied out to center to end the inning. Dick McAuliffe took over for Petrocelli to start the bottom of the seventh and Maddox struck out swinging to begin. Nettles beat out a roller to third but Sims struck out swinging. Michael grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Montgomery grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth and Griffin flied out to center. Guerrero popped up to first to end the inning. Lance Clemons made his Sox debut in the bottom of the eighth as Mason popped up to short to start. White grounded out to second and Hegan popped up to short to end the inning.

Medich returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Beniquez struck out swinging to begin. Cooper flied out to center but Carbo belted his second home run of the season. Yaz grounded out to first to end the game. The Yankees had won it 6-1.

Jackass of the Night is Rick Wise. He got hammered in the sixth inning and was charged with 4 runs in just 5 1/3 inning to take the loss.

                                                                Jackass Wise

The Good:

Doug Griffin was 2 for 3.

Lance Clemons pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth.

The Bad:

Diego Segui allowed 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 3.

Mario Guerrero was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Juan Beniquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and stole a base.

Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bernie Carbo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Dick McAuliffe played third in the final two inning.

Final Thoughts:

What turned into a pitcher's duel turned into a rout within one inning. Wise was doing well but fell apart in the sixth inning and the home run allowed by Segui ended the game right then and there. The Sox got just 4 hits and 2 walks against Medich so even if Segui didn't give up the home run, they still would have lost. For the first time, the loss of Carlton Fisk reared its ugly head as the bottom of the order did absolutely nothing. Still, a game where the entire offense but Doug Griffin was shut down will happen throughout the course of a season. Just have to tip your cap and move on. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when they return home to play the Cleveland Indians. Reggie Cleveland (0-1) gets the ball opposite Dick Tidrow of Cleveland. The game begins at 3:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Wise, Sox Bash Tigers (4/13/74)

It was a great night for Boston sports as the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of their NHL Quarterfinal series and the Boston Red Sox dominated the Detroit Tigers. The Sox blitzed Detroit starter Bill Slayback for six runs in the bottom of the first inning to chase him immediately. Carl Yastrzemski and Bernie Carbo added to the lead later in the game but the story was Rick Wise (1-0, 1.00 ERA). When the Sox unloaded Reggie Smith to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Sox were hoping Wise would be the 17 game winner he was back in 1971. So far he lived up to his billing as he tossed a complete game 6 hitter, holding the Tigers to just one run. If Luis Tiant is the ace of the rotation, Wise definitely put the American League East on notice as the Sox beat the Tigers 8-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Andre Savard approves of the win

Wise took the mound in the top of the first inning and Ed Brinkman struck out swinging to start. Aurelio Rodriguez grounded out to second but Jim Northrup doubled to left. Al Kaline grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox hammered Bill Slayback in the bottom of the first as Tommy Harper doubled to left to start. Rick Miller walked but Cecil Cooper struck out swinging. Carl Yastrzemski popped up to left but Bob Montgomery got a base hit to left to score Harper with the game's first run. Bernie Carbo doubled to left to score both runners and Dick McAuliffe was intentionally walked to get to Doug Griffin. Doug made Slayback pay with a triple into the right field corner and Mario Guerrero singled to center to score Doug. That was it for Slayback as Tigers manager Ralph Houck shook his head and brought in Luke Walker to pitch. Harper forced Guerrero at second to end the inning but it was 6-0 Red Sox.

                                                     Montgomery gets the rally going

Willie Horton struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Norm Cash walked. Mickey Stanley grounded into a double play to end the inning. Miller walked to start the bottom of the second but Cooper popped up the bunt attempt to Walker. A wild pitch moved Miller to second and Yaz ripped a base hit to left to score Rick. Yaz moved to second on a grounder to the mound by Montgomery and Carbo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up by a touchdown 7-0.

                                                                 Yaz drives in a run

Bill Freehan popped up to right to start the top of the third before Gary Sutherland grounded out to short. Brinkman flied out to center to end the inning. McAuliffe popped up to center to start the bottom of the third and Griffin grounded out to short. Guerrero grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rodriguez popped up to right to start the top of the fourth before Northrup flied out to center. Kaline popped up to right to end the inning. Harper struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Miller grounded out to second. Cooper also grounded out to second to end the inning.

Horton hit a routine grounder to Guerrero who threw himself on the ball and wrestled with it for an error to start the top of the fifth. Cash flied out to center but Stanley beat out a roller to third. Freehan forced Stanley at second to put runners at the corners but Sutherland popped up to right to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Yaz singled to right to start. Juan Beniquez pinch ran for Yaz and Montgomery singled to center. Carbo ripped a base hit to left to score Beniquez but Montgomery was thrown out at third. McAuliffe popped up to second and Griffin flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 8-1.

                                                               Carbo drives in a run

Brinkman grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth before Rodriguez also grounded out to third. Northrup singled in the hole at short but Kaline forced him at second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Guerrero grounded out to third to start. Harper singled to center but Miller popped up to third. Cooper beat out a roller to short and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Beniquez walked but Montgomery flied out to center to end the inning.

The Tigers struck back in the top of the seventh as Horton popped up to short to start. Cash singled to right but Stanley doubled off the Monster. Guerrero fell down catching a pop up by Freehan and Cash scored on the "sac fly". Sutherland struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers down 8-1.

                                                    Not Mario's best day in the field

John Knox came in for Brinkman, old pal Ben Oglivie came in for Horton and Dick Sharon took over for Stanley to start the bottom of the seventh. Carbo struck out swinging, McAuliffe flied out to left and Griffin grounded out to third to end the inning.

Knox grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Rodriguez took strike three. Northrup flied out to left to end the inning. Jim Ray came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Guerrero grounded out to third to start. Harper doubled to left but Miller popped up to left. Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.

Wise returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Kaline doubled to center to start. Oglivie struck out swinging and Cash popped up to third. Sharon struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-1.

Hero of the Night is Rick Wise. He tossed a compete game six hitter allowing just one run.

                                                             Hero Wise

The Good:

Tommy Harper was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with an rbi.

Juan Beniquez walked and scored a run as a pinch runner.

Bob Montgomery was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Bernie Carbo was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Rick Miller was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored two runs.

Cecil Cooper was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Dick McAuliffe was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Doug Griffin was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Mario Guerrero was just 1 for 4 with an error but drove in a run

Final Thoughts:

For years the Sox had no one to go with Ray Culp and Sonny Siebert and it took until both of them were gone for Rick Wise to show up. Still, better late than never as Wise was outstanding. He took command of this game early and it was never in doubt. The Sox getting 6 runs in the first effectively ended the game but it was good to see the Sox add to the lead. Montgomery isn't as prolific a catcher as Carlton Fisk but he's filling in admirably. Carbo has been stepping it up at the plate recently and the hope is that continues. The Sox do have some work to do in the bottom of the order but as long as the top is hitting, they'll win some games. The Sox look to make it three in a row against the Tigers tomorrow afternoon when "The Dominican Dandy" Juan Marichal takes the mound against Tigers ace Mickey Lolich. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.