Red Sox Beat Yankees in 10 Innings (9/17/70)

This season might be a lost year for the Boston Red Sox but beating the New York Yankees is never not funny. For seven innings it was a pitcher's duel as Mel Stottlemyre and Gary Peters battled with the Yankees holding a slim 1-0 lead on a Thurman Munson rbi in the first inning. In the top of the eighth, Tony Conigliaro hit a bases clearing single and his brother Billy drove him in with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. A Roy White two run triple and a Ron Hansen rbi grounder tied the game in the bottom of the inning and the game went to extras. In the top of the tenth, Tom Satriano knocked in George Scott to put the Sox ahead. Vicente Romo closed out the bottom of the tenth with a little help from Billy C gunning Jim Lyttle out at third to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 5-4 in ten innings.

                                                    Mary Tyler Moore approves of the win

Mel Stottlemyre got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews led off with a liner to left. Reggie Smith popped up to first and Carl Yastrzemski walked. Tony Conigliaro popped up to first to end the inning. Gary Peters got the ball in the bottom of the first and Horace Clarke doubled to left to start. Thurman Munson got a base hit to center to score Clarke just like that. Roy White forced Clarke at second and moved to second on a Danny Cater ground out to short. Bobby Murcer struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                            Munson drives in a run

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning as Rico Petrocelli was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. George Scott grounded out to third and Billy Conigliaro grounded out to second to end the inning. John Ellis popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Ron Woods flied out to center. Gene Michael struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bob Montgomery grounded out to short to begin the top of the third inning before Peters grounded out to second. Andrews struck out swinging to end the inning. Stottlemyre walked to start the bottom of the third but Clarke grounded into a double play. Munson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Smith got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but Yaz moved him over to second with a grounder to the mound. Tony C grounded out to short to move Smith to third but Petrocelli took strike three to end the inning. White flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Cater grounded out to short. Murcer popped up to second to end the inning.

Scott got a base hit to center to start the top of the fifth before Billy C lined out to center. Montgomery forced Scott at second and Peters popped up to short to end the inning. It looked like Ellis had struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Montgomery muffed the ball, allowing Ellis to take first. Woods walked but Michael screwed up the bunt by Peters forcing Ellis at third. Woods and Michael pulled off a double steal but Stottlemyre popped up to second. Clarke popped up to short to end the inning.

Andrews popped up to first to begin the top of the sixth before Smith flied out to center. Yaz walked and Tony C hit a rocket to the right field wall, but Yaz got thrown out at home to end the inning. Munson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth before White grounded back to the mound. Cater singled to left but Murcer struck out swinging to end the inning.

Petrocelli grounded out to third to begin the top of the seventh before Scott got a base hit to right. Billy C popped up to second and Montgomery watched strike three go by to end the inning. Ellis flied out to center to start the top of the seventh before Woods tripled into the centerfield gap. Michael popped up to first and Stottlemyre popped up to short to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the top of the eighth as Peters walked to start. Andrews walked and that was it for Stottlemyre. Lindy McDaniel came in to pitch and Smith got a base hit to center to load the bases with nobody out. Yaz popped up to third but Tony C got a base hit to center. Peters and Andrews scored easily but Murcer booted the ball to allow Smith to score. Petrocelli was intentionally walked and Scott hit a routine grounder to McDaniel....booted for another error to load the bases. Billy C hit a sac fly to left to score Smith and increase the lead, but Montgomery took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                                   Sox surge ahead

The Yankees answered in the bottom of the eighth as Clarke singled to right to start. Munson singled to center and White tripled home both runners to chase Peters. Gary ended up allowing 4 runs in 7 innings and Gary Wagner came in to pitch. Cater popped up to first and Sox manager Eddie Kasko brought in Sparky Lyle to face Murcer. Yankees manager Ralph Houk countered by pinch hitting Ron Hansen for Murcer. Hansen grounded out to short but White scored to tie the game. Ellis grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                         Left him in one batter too late

Jim Lyttle came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Joe Lahoud pinch hit for Lyle. Lahoud got a base hit to right and Andrews dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Joe to second. Smith foolishly tried to bunt with two strikes and fouled it off for strike three and Yaz was intentionally walked. Tony C struck out swinging to end the inning. Bobby Bolin came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Woods struck out swinging to start. Michael flied out to center and Curt Blefary pinch hit for McDaniel. Blefary walked and Jerry Kenney pinch ran for him. Kenney stole second and Clarke was intentionally walked to set up a force. Munson flied out to center to end the inning.

Jack Aker came in to pitch the top of the tenth inning and Petrocelli flied out to center to start. Scott got a base hit to center and Billy C was hit by a pitch. Tom Satriano pinch hit for Montgomery and got a base hit to right to score Scott. Mike Fiore pinch hit for Bolin and Michael blew a double play ball for an error to load the bases. Andrews popped up to third and Smith forced Fiore at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                          Scott scores the go-ahead run

Vicente Romo came in to close out the bottom of the tenth and White grounded out to second to start. Cater took strike three but Lyttle got a base hit in the hole at short. Ellis got a base hit to left but Billy C threw out Lyttle at third to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

Hero of the Night is Tom Satriano. He came off the bench to deliver the crushing blow in the tenth inning.

                                                             Hero Satriano

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 2 for 6 with a run scored.

Carl Yastrzemski walked three times in 5 plate appearances.

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

George Scott was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Gary Wagner retired the only man he faced.

Joe Lahoud got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Bobby Bolin got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Vicente Romo earned his 6th save with a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

Bob Montgomery was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch, drove in a run and threw out a runner at third.

Gary Peters allowed 4 runs in 7 innings off 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. He was 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored at the plate.

Sparky Lyle allowed an inherited run to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

Yay, they beat the Yankees, hooray hooray. Unfortunately the Sox are just playing out the string at this point and the only thing they can look forward to is finishing ahead of the Yankees. The Sox are six games out with 12 to play so it seems unlikely they'll catch New York. Just playing for pride at this point and at least this was a good comeback win. The Conigliaro brothers got it done at the plate and in the field and Satriano got the knockout blow for his moment in the sun. If only the Sox played with this kind of fire most of the season. Still, a win is a win even if the season is basically over. The win improved the Sox to 77-73, already eliminated from playoff contention. The Sox return home for a three game set with the Washington Senators beginning tomorrow. Ken Brett (7-8) takes on Joe Coleman of Washington. The game begins at 1:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Thrash Sox in Game 2 (9/7/70)

Well so much for the feel good win of Game 1. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians in the first game of today's doubleheader but got creamed in Game 2. Dean Chance held the offense to just two runs in 7 innings of work. Cal Koonce (3-6, 3.55 ERA) got lit up for 6 runs in just 4 innings. Chuck Hartenstein and Dick Mills each got tagged for runs and the Indians cruised to an easy 8-2 victory at Cleveland Stadium.

                                          "Hey Koonce, yeah you...you stink!" - BB

The Sox did manage to strike first in the top of the first although Mike Andrews popped up to first to start. Joe Lahoud grounded out to first but Carl Yastrzemski clobbered his 37th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Tony Conigliaro followed with his 29th homer of the year to increase the lead. Billy Conigliaro grounded out to short to end the inning. As sad as this sounds, the Sox would have just 2 hits the rest of the game but led 2-0.

                                                          Back to back jacks

Koonce made the Indians beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the first as Graig Nettles grounded out to second to start. Eddie Leon grounded out to short and Vada Pinson grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

John Kennedy grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Luis Alvarado flied out to center. Tom Satriano grounded out to second to end the inning. The Indians struck back in the bottom of the second although Ken Harrelson grounded out to short to start. Duke Sims walked and Ted Uhlaender singled him to third. Roy Foster walked to load the bases and Larry Brown cleared them with a triple to give the Indians the lead. Chance whiffed and Brown was picked off by the alert Satriano to end the inning but the Indians led 3-2.

                                                   Brown gives the Indians the lead

The Sox went quietly in the top of the third as Koonce flied out to right to start. Andrews singled to left but Lahoud banged into a double play to end the inning. Nettles grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third but Leon singled to center. Pinson struck out and Harrelson grounded into a force to end the inning.

Yaz grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Tony C flied out to right. Billy C struck out to end the inning. Sims walked to begin the bottom of the fourth but was forced at second by Uhlaender. Foster caught the Sox asleep with a bunt singled and Uhlaender moved to third on the fly ball Brown. Chance grounded into a force to end the inning.

Kennedy got a base hit to center to start the top of the fifth but Alvarado hit into a double play. Satriano popped up to short to end the inning. The Indians iced it in the bottom of the fifth when Nettles walked to start. Leon singled to right and Pinson smashed a 500,000 foot home run to chase Koonce. Chuck Hartenstein came in and Harrelson singled to right. Chuck Hinton pinch ran for Harrelson but Sims grounded into a double play. Uhlaender singled to right and scored on the double to left by Foster. Brown was intentionally walked and Chance struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 7-2.

Dick Schofield pinch hit for Hartenstein to start the top of the sixth but grounded out to second to start. Andrews took strike three and Lahoud grounded out to first to end the inning. Dick Mills got tagged in the bottom of the sixth as Nettles singled to right to start. Leon sacrificed Graig to second and he moved to third on the Pinson grounder. Hinton singled home Nettles to wrap up the scoring. Sims grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

Chance cruised in the top of the seventh as Yaz flied out to center to start. Tony C grounded out to third and Billy C flied out to right to end the inning. Uhlaender singled to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Foster flied out to right. Brown walked and John Lowenstein pinch hit for Chance only to fly out to center. Nettles struck out to end the inning.

Vince Colbert came in for the top of the eighth and Kennedy grounded out to short to start. Alvarado struck out and Satriano flied out to center to end the inning. Leon doubled to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Pinson flied out to right. Hinton lined out to short but Sims walked. Uhlaender took strike three to end the inning.

Mike Fiore pinch hit for Mills to start the top of the ninth and grounded out to second to start. Andrews popped up to first but Lahoud walked. Yaz walked but Tony C lined out to second to end the game. The Indians had won it 8-2.

Jackass of the Night is Cal Koonce. The Sox offense did nothing after the first inning but Koonce giving up 6 runs didn't help.

                                                       Koonce you Jackass



The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

John Kennedy was 1 for 3.



The Bad:

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Tom Satriano was 0 for 3.

Dick Schofield was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Chuck Hartenstein allowed a run in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Joe Lahoud was 0 for 3 but walked.

Tony Conigliaro was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Dick Mills allowed a run in 3 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Good thing there are only 22 games left in this season. Watching the Sox throw guys like Koonce out to pitch while the Baltimore Orioles have four starters that could be an ace anywhere else is frustrating. The offense isn't really exciting apart from Yaz, Tony C and Reggie Smith either. The magic of 1967 is long gone and they have a long way to go to get back to the top. Koonce sucked today and using their bench in the second game because of the doubleheader wasn't going to yield much results. Still, the bright side is the season is almost over. Hopefully the Sox can make some moves in the off-season to shore up this mess and draft well. Say what you will about Dick Williams but he got the most out of the homegrown players on the 67 Sox. Hopefully Eddie Kasko can improve on this mediocre year with the right personnel. The loss dropped the Sox to 72-68, 17 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Ken Brett (6-7) goes for the Sox up against Steve Hargan of the Indians at 8:05 PM at Cleveland Stadium.

Twins Outslug Red Sox (8/16/70)

Just when it looked like the Boston Red Sox was building momentum following a three game winning streak, they had to blow it with a horrendous loss to the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox knocked Minnesota starter Luis Tiant out in the second inning but Gary Peters (11-10, 4.28 ERA) got rocked for 5 runs in less than 5 innings. The Sox clawed their way back to trail 6-5 in the eighth but Cesar Tovar hit s 3 run home run off Chuck Hartenstein to ice the game. Jerry Moses went yard for the Red Sox but the terrible pitching led to a 9-6 defeat at the hands of the Twins at Fenway Park.

                                                                  Angry fans

The Twins wasted no time getting to Peters in the top of the first inning as Cesar Tovar walked to start. Danny Thompson struck out swinging but Harmon Killebrew walked. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Tony Oliva doubled to left to score Tovar and Killebrew. Brant Alyea struck out and was caught in a rundown before Bob Allison struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                                  Twins strike first

The Sox answered in the bottom of the first against Luis Tiant as Mike Andrews doubled to left to start. Reggie Smith grounded out to first to move Andrews to second and Carl Yastrzemski doubled to center to score Mike. Tony Conigliaro grounded out to short and Rico Petrocelli flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                                 Yaz drives in a run

Leo Cardenas singled to center to start the top of the second before George Mitterwald grounded out to third to move Cardenas to second. Tiant grounded out to first to move Cardenas to third and Tovar grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as George Thomas doubled to left to start. John Kennedy got a base hit to center to score Thomas but Tom Satriano struck out swinging. Peters got a base hit to center and that was it for Tiant. Bert Blyleven came in to pitch and Andrews grounded out to short to move the runners over. With a chance to go-ahead....Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                             Kennedy drives in a run

Thompson popped up to first to start the top of the third before Killebrew grounded out to short. Oliva struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Yaz grounded out to first to start. Tony C doubled to left but Petrocelli took strike three. Thomas walked and Kennedy doubled home Tony C. Satriano was intentionally walked and Peters took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                            Another RBI for Kennedy

The lead lasted about 8 seconds in the top of the fourth when Alyea hit a home run all the way to Jupiter to start. Allison walked but Cardenas flied out to left. Mitterwald then hit a home run all the way into the Red Sea to put Minnesota back on top. Sox manager Eddie Kasko had enough of Peters after allowing 5 runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Ed Phillips came in and Blyleven drew a walk. Tovar grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Twins up 5-3.

                                                                  Peters doesn't last long

The Sox inched closer in the bottom of the fourth although Andrews struck out swinging to start. Smith crushed his 17th home run of the season to cut the lead but Yaz grounded back to the mound. Tony C lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                               Smith jacks one

Thompson hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fifth but Killebrew singled to left. Oliva hit a bullet to Yaz who doubled off Harmon to end the inning. Petrocelli popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Thomas popped up to second. Kennedy reached on an error but Satriano grounded out to second to end the inning.

Alyea took strike three to start the top of the sixth before Allison doubled to left. Cardenas grounded out to short and Mittenwald was intentionally walked. Blyleven took strike three to end the inning, Rich Reese took over at first to start the bottom of the sixth and Dick Schofield pinch hit for Phillips. Schofield singled to right but Andrews took strike three. Smith flied out to center and Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning.

Chuck Hartenstein came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Tovar was hit with a pitch to start. Tovar got caught stealing second and Thompson popped up to short. Killebrew then hit a home run all the way to Bombay, India to increase the lead. Oliva singled to left but Alyea took strike three to end the inning with the Twins ahead 6-4.

                                                                 Killebrew hits one out

Jim Holt came in for Alyea to start the bottom of the seventh and Tony C smacked his 22nd home run of the season to cut the lead. Petrocelli grounded out to third, Thomas grounded out to second and Petrocelli lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                                           Home run for Conigliaro

Naturally Hartenstein crapped his pants in the top of the eighth as Reese singled to center to start. Cardenas dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second and Mitterwald flied out to right. For some reason Sox manager Eddie Kasko had pinch hitter Charlie Manuel intentionally walked to get to Tovar. Tovar ended up hitting a home run all the way to Tampa, Florida to ice the game. Thompson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 9-5.

                                                               That'll do it

Stan Williams took over on the mound for the bottom of the eighth and Satriano struck out swinging to begin. Jerry Moses pinch hit for Hartenstein and belted his sixth home run of the year to cut the lead. Andrews popped up to short and Smith grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 9-6.

                                                           That's how you pinch hit

Sparky Lyle came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Killebrew struck out swinging to start. Oliva lined out to left and Holt struck out swinging to end the inning. Frank Quilici came in for Killebrew to start the bottom of the ninth and Yaz walked to start. Tony C struck out swinging, Petrocelli forced Yaz at second and Thomas lined out to second to end the game. The Twins had won it 9-6.

Jackass of The Night is Chuck Hartenstein. He allowed four runs including the backbreaking 3 run home run to put the game out of reach.

                                                        Jackass Hartenstein

The Good:

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

John Kennedy was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Dick Schofield got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Jerry Moses hit a pinch hit home run.

Ed Phillips tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Sparky Lyle pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Gary Peters took the loss allowing 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings. He allowed 4 hit and 3 walks while striking out 4. He was 1 for 2 at the plate with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a home run.

 Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

George Thomas was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Tom Satriano was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Not much needs to be said at this point. The Red Sox are spinning their tires while the Baltimore Orioles are just a month and change away from the World Series really. If anyone thought the Sox could compete, they couldn't. Its a shame the Sox can't match arms with Baltimore because the bats weren't the problem. The Sox might have won this game if Hartenstein didn't pee down his leg. Smith, Tony C and Moses all hit a home run, its a shame it all went for naught. The Sox are just playing out the string at this point since Baltimore is the heavy favorite to repeat as American League champions. The loss dropped the Sox to 60-56, 14 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in the Chicago White Sox for a three game set beginning tomorrow afternoon. Cal Koonce (1-5) goes for the BoSox against Bart Johnson of the ChiSox at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Tigers Stun Sox Late (8/8/70)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox had the Detroit Tigers beat. Vicente Romo was knocked out in the 7th inning and Chuck Hartenstein (1-2, 5.74 ERA) coughed up the lead to tie the game at 4 apiece. Carl Yastrzemski belted his 30th home run of the year to put the Sox on top, but then came the ninth inning. Old pal Dalton Jones walked and then Dick McAuliffe belted a two run bomb to put the Tigers ahead. The Sox did get the tying run on against Tom Timmermann in the bottom of the ninth but Billy Conigliaro struck out to end the game. The Tigers had won the game 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                     "Hartenstein..."

Romo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dick McAuliffe struck out swinging to start. Mickey Stanley grounded out to short and Al Kaline grounded out to third to end the inning. McLain got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mike Andrews grounded out to third to start. Reggie Smith flied out to right but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Tony Conigliaro struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Jim Northrup popped up to short to start the top of the second and Norm Cash took strike three. Bill Freehan popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli singled to left to open. Billy Conigliaro got a base hit to center and John Kennedy doubled to left to score Petrocelli. Tom Satriano grounded out to first to score Billy C and move Kennedy to third. Romo hit a sac fly to right to score Kennedy but Andrews struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                   Big rbis from Kennedy

The Tigers answered in the top of the third as Don Wert to right to start. Cesar Gutierrez grounded out to second to move Wert to third but McLain popped up to right. McAuliffe doubled to center to score Wert to cut the lead. Stanley walked but Kaline struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers down 3-1.

                                                             Tigers get a run back

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the third as Smith's bunt attempt was snuffed out by McLain. Yaz singled to left and Tony C singled to center to move Carl to third. Petrocelli beat out a double play ball to score Yaz but Billy C flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                              Petrocelli drives in a run

Northrup doubled to center to start the top of the fourth but Cash popped up to second. Freehan flied out to right and Wert struck out swinging to end the inning. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth but Satriano singled to right. Romo hit a bullet to Wert but his throw to double off Satriano went wide, putting Tom at second. Andrews walked but Smith popped up to third to end the inning. 

The Tigers struck back in the top of the fifth as Gutierrez struck out swinging to start. McLain grounded out to short but McAuliffe walked. Stanley then hit a home run all the way to central Arkansas to cut the lead. Kaline flied out to right to end the inning with the Tigers down 4-3.

                                                                  Tigers inch closer

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Yaz grounded out to short to start. Tony C's bunt attempt was snuffed out by McLain but Petrocelli got a base hit to center. Billy C also got a base hit to center but Kennedy popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Northrup got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth but Cash grounded into a double play. Freehan walked but Wert grounded out to short to end the inning. Satriano flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Romo popped up to first. Andrews got a base hit to left but Smith grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Tigers struck again in the top of the seventh as old pal Dalton Jones pinch hit for Gutierrez to start. Jones grounded out to first and Gates Brown pinch hit for McLain. Brown walked and MacAuliffe doubled to right to chase Romo. Vicente got tagged for four runs in 6 2/3 innings, not the greatest. Chuck Hartenstein came in and Stanley grounded out to short to score Brown, tying the game. Kaline grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                             "Aye carumba!" - Romo

Daryl Patterson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yaz greeted him with his 30th home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Tony C grounded out to short and Petrocelli grounded out to third, but Billy C walked. Kennedy got a base hit to right but Satriano forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                              Yaz puts Boston ahead

Northrup grounded out to first to start the top of the eighth but Cash doubled to right. Freehan flied out to center and Wert hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Sox manager Eddie Kasko foolishly allowed Hartenstein to hit to start the bottom of the eighth and he took strike three right down the middle. Andrews popped up to third and George Thomas pinch hit for Smith. Thomas popped up to third to end the inning.

Hartenstein returned to close out the top of the ninth and Jones walked to start. Russ Nagelson pinch hit for Patterson and took strike three. McAuliffe then hit a home run into the Charles River to put the Tigers on top. Eddie Kasko's decision to let Chuck hit backfired and he brought in Gary Wagner to pitch. Stanley flied out to center and Kaline took strike three to end the inning with the Tigers up 6-5.

                                                         One man wrecking crew

Tom Timmermann came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Yaz grounded out to second to start. Tony C struck out swinging but Petrocelli got a base hit to right. Billy C struck out swinging to end the game. The Tigers had won it 6-5.

Jackass of The Night is Chuck Hartenstein. He allowed the tying run to score in the seventh and gave up the two run home run to lose the game.

                                                             Jackass Hartenstein

The Good:

Carl Yastrzesmki was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Billy Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

John Kennedy was 2 for 4 with a rbi and a run scored.

Gary Wagner got the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

George Thomas was 0 for 1.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Tony Conigliaro was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Tom Satriano was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Vicente Romo was charged with 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings and was 0 for 2 at the plate, but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Another tough loss which has been a microcosm of the season. The starting pitching and offense has been good enough to compete but the relief pitching has been awful. Not that anyone's touching the Baltimore Orioles this season but how many games have they lost in the later innings this season? Eddie Kasko had Gary Wagner ready to go for the ninth but he stuck with Hartenstein. Having him hit might have cost them the game because a hit by a pinch hitter might have gotten them another run, plus Wagner might have saved the game. Instead, Hartenstein blows it and its another bad loss in a season full of them. Not even a healthy Jim Lonborg could have saved this season from disaster. Just too many bad games and a historic Orioles team in the way. Not much you can do but play out the string in the final two months and hope for the best next year. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-54, 14.5 games behind the O's for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Tigers when Ray Culp (11-10) takes on Mickey Lolich of Detroit. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Turn Tables on Sox (6/20/70)

After the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees yesterday, today it was the Yankees turn to stick it to the Sox. The Yankees bats pounded out 15 hits and 8 runs, knocking out Sox starter Mike Nagy (1-1, 4.67 ERA) in 4 innings. The Sox bullpen didn't do Nagy any favors by allowing 4 runs of their own. Mel Stottlemyre went the distance for the Yankees as the Bombers knocked out the Sox 8-3 at Fenway Park.

                                               Joel doesn't like bad pitching

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Nagy in the top of the first inning. Horace Clarke struck out to begin the game but Jerry Kenney singled to center. Kenney swiped second and Bobby Murcer singled to right. Tony Conigilaro booted the ball in right which allowed Kenney to score and advance Murcer to third. A wild pitch by Nagy allowed Murcer to score another run. Roy White popped up to third but Danny Cater and Curt Blefary stroked back to back singles. Rob Hansen popped up to first to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

                                                          Dammit Tony

The Sox answered in the bottom of the first against Stottlemyre as Mike Andrews led off by dumping a base hit to left. Reggie Smith flied out to center but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Tony C struck out but Rico Petrocelli singled home Andrews to cut the lead. George Scott struck out to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                            Petrocelli drives in a run

The Yankees countered in the top of the second as Jake Gibbs flied out to center to begin. Stottlemyre walked and Clarke flied out to left. Kenney doubled home Stottlemyre to increase the lead. Murcer walked but White flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.

Billy Conigliaro grounded out to second to open the bottom of the second before Jerry Moses grounded out to short. Nagy struck out to end the inning.

The Yankees kept up the attack in the top of the third inning as Cater popped up to second to begin. Blefary grounded back to the mound but Hansen singled to right. Gibbs doubled home Hansen to push the Sox down further. Stottlemyre popped up to second but it was now 4-1 Yankees.

Andrews walked to begin the bottom of the third but Smith grounded out to second. Andrews moved to second on the out then to third on the grounder by Yaz. Tony C flied out to center to end the inning.

Nagy finally kept the Yankees off the board in the top of the fourth as Clarke popped up to second to begin. Kenney took strike three but Murcer doubled to left. White grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox had a chance to come back in the bottom of the fourth although Petrocelli flied out to center to start. Scott flied out to right but Billy C walked and Moses singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Sox manager Eddie Kasko had rookie Mike Derrick pinch hit for Nagy... only to strike out to end the inning.

                                                That's not how you pinch hit, Derrick

Lee Strange came in for the top of the fifth inning and got hammered as well. Cater singled and Blefary was hit with a pitch to start the inning. Hansen singled home Cater and moved Blefary to third, Blefary scoring on the sac fly by Gibbs. Stottlemyre popped up to short but Clarke singled Hansen to third. Kenney flied out to center to end the inning but the game was in hand for the Yankees 6-1.

                                                        Nice relief Lee

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the fifth as Andrews grounded out to third to start. Smith grounded out to first and Yaz popped up to short to end the inning.

Strange cruised in the top of the sixth as Murcer popped up to third to start. White flied out to left and Cater grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the sixth although Tony C lined out to left to start. Petrocelli smashed his 12th home run of the season to cut the deficit. Scott singled but Billy C forced him at second and Moses lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                        Home run Rico

Strange came back for the top of the seventh and Blefary popped up to third to start. Hansen lined out to center but Gibbs singled to left. Stottlemyre took strike three to end the inning. Jim Lyttle took over for Blefary with Dick Schofield pinch hitting for Strange to begin the bottom of the seventh. Dick grounded out to first before Andrews flied out to right. Smith doubled to left but Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                              Not the best pinch hitting by Schofield

Jose Santiago took over for the top of the eighth and the Yankees got to him too. Clarke flied out to left but Kenney walked. Murcer popped up to third but White doubled home Kenney. Cater singled home White to increase the lead. Lyttle took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 8-2.

                                                             Bad relief Jose

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Tony C flied out to right to start. Petrocelli lined out to center and Scott struck out to end the inning.

Santiago came back for the top of the ninth and Hansen flied out to center to begin. Gibbs popped up to short but Stottlemyre singled to center. Clarke grounded out to first to end the inning. Stottlemyre came back to complete the game but the Sox had one last raspberry to blow in the bottom of the ninth. Billy C of all people smashed his 5th home run of the year just to stick it to the Yankees. Moses grounded out and Tom Satriano pinch hit for Santiago, only to fly out to left. Andrews popped up to short to end the game. The Yankees had won it 8-3.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Nagy. He got lit up for 4 runs in just 4 innings in a clear sophomore slump to take the loss.

                                                           Jackass Nagy


The Good:

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis and a home run.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.



The Bad:

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Derrick struck out as a pinch hitter.

Dick Schofield grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Tom Satriano was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter

Lee Strange allowed 2 runs in 3 innings of work.

Jose Santiago allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked.

George Scott was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jerry Moses was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

If you wonder why the Sox are a game under .500, the regression of Nagy has to be one of the main reasons. Lots of fans thought he was going to be the second coming of Jim Lonborg but it hasn't worked out this season. The offense has been fine for the most part but the Sox simply dont have the pitching to match some of the great teams in baseball. Maybe they can make a trade but as of right now it doesnt look good moving forward this season. The loss dropped the Sox to 30-31, 10 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for 1st place in the American League East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox are back in action against the Yankees with Gary Peters going for the Sox up against Fritz Peterson at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Perry, Twins Hold Off Sox (6/12/70)

Its been that kind of season for the Boston Red Sox. After winning 8 out of 10 games including the possible win of the season against the Chicago White Sox, the Sox come back from an off-day and lay an egg against the Minnesota Twins. Jim Perry held the Sox bats to just one run in 6 innings and the Twins bullpen allowed just one run the rest of the way. Meanwhile Gary Peters (3-7, 5.33 ERA) got tagged for 3 runs in 5 innings. The Sox did cut the lead to 1 but Cal Koonce imploded in the bottom of the eighth and the Twins scored two big insurance runs. Ron Perrranoski slammed the door and the Twins had beaten the Sox 5-2 at Metropolitan Stadium.

                                                               "Damn you Koonce"

Perry got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews got a base hit to left to start. Dick Schofield grounded into a double play but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Yaz was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Peters got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cesar Tovar flied out to right to start. Rod Carew grounded out to third but Harmon Killebrew walked. Tony Oliva flied out to right to end the inning.

Reggie Smith grounded out to second to start the top of the second but Leo Cardenas booted a grounder by Rico Petrocelli for an error. Petrocelli was thrown out at second trying to steal when George Scott struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins struck first in the bottom of the second as Rick Renick grounded out to short to start. Schofield booted a grounder by Brant Alyea. Cardenas got a base hit to left but George Mitterwald flied out to right to move Alyea to third. Perry beat out a roller to third to score Alyea and Tovar walked to load the bases. Carew flied out to left to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                                Perry drives in a run

Billy Conigliaro struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Tom Satriano took strike three. Peters got a base hit to right but Andrews lined out to left to end the inning. Peters got in trouble in the bottom of the third as Killebrew walked to start. Oliva walked but Renick popped up to short. Alyea  struck out swinging but Cardenas got a base hit to left to load the bases. Mitterwald flied out to center to end the inning.

Schofield walked to start the top of the fourth and he was thrown out at second trying to steal. Might want to stop running on Mitterwald. Yaz flied out to left and Smith popped up to first to end the inning. Perry popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Tovar struck out swinging. Carew lined out to left to end the inning.

Petrocelli flied out to right to open the top of the fifth but Scott grounded out to short. Billy C lined out to short to end the inning. The Twins finished off Peters in the bottom of the fifth as Killebrew popped up to second to start. Oliva singled to left but Renick flied out to left. A wild pitch moved Oliva to second but Alyea doubled to left to score Tony. Jim Holt ran for Alyea and Cardenas got a base hit up the middle to score him. Mitterwald forced Cardenas at second to end the inning with the Twins up 3-0. Peters was done after 5 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits and 4 walks.

                                                                Not his best stuff

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Satriano blasted his first home run of the season to start. Mike Derrick pinch hit for Peters and struck out swinging, begging the question why didn't Sox manager Eddie Kasko just let Peters hit there? Andrews and Schofield both got base hits to left but Yaz lined out to right. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                                 Satriano's first of the year

Lee Strange came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Charlie Manuel pinch hit for Perry. Manuel popped up to short and Tovar grounded out to short. Carew grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh with Stan Williams now on the mound for Minnesota. Petrocelli got a base hit to center and Scott lined out to right. Conigliaro popped up to short but Satriano beat out a roller to third. Mike Fiore pinch hit for Strange and ripped a base hit to center to score Rico, moving Satriano to third. Ron Perranoski came in to face Andrews with the tying run at third. Andrews struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                            Fiore drives in a run

Cal Koonce came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Killebrew singled to center to start. Oliva hit a bullet to Koonce who doubled off Harmon. Rich Reese pinch hit for Renick and grounded out to second to end the inning.

Schofield led off the top of the eighth with a grounder to short. Yaz struck out swinging and Smith grounded out to short to end the inning. The Twins iced the game in the bottom of the eighth as Holt walked to start. Cardenas got a base hit to left and Mitterwald also got a base hit to left to score Holt with the insurance run. Sox manager Eddie Kasko brought in Sparky Lyle to stop the bleeding and Perranoski struck out swinging. Tovar lined out to left but Carew doubled to left to score Cardenas. Killebrew was intentionally walked and Frank Quilici ran for him. Oliva flied out to center to end the inning but the Twins were up 5-2.

                                                               Carew ices it

Petrocelli grounded out to third to start the top of the ninth but Scott got a base hit to left. Conigliaro grounded out to third to move Scott to second and Jerry Moses pinch hit for Satriano. For some stupid reason Moses tried to bunt and popped it up to Perranoski to end the game. The Twins had won it 5-2.

Jackass of The Night is Cal Koonce. He allowed 2 runs in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 2 for 4.

Tom Satriano was 2 for 3 with a home run.

Mike Fiore singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

Lee Strange pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jerry Moses was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mike Derrick struck out as a pinch hitter.

Gary Peters got tagged for 3 runs in 5 innings off 6 hits and 4 walks.

The Ugly:

Dick Schofield was 1 for 3 with a walk but committed an error.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

George Scott was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sparky Lyle allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a kick in the pants. The Sox are clearly in a different bracket compared to teams like the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles. Jim Perry didn't even pitch that great but him and the bullpen shut down the Sox. Not having Tony Conigliaro hurt but at the same time, Cal Koonce and Sparky Lyle allowing the final two runs hurt even more. The Sox just can't seem to play consistent baseball either on the field or on the mound. Peters dropped to 3-7 and if he was supposed to be your big off-season acquisition to topple the Orioles, he failed big time so far. He got outpitched by Jim Perry in this one. Still, its only June and the Sox have another two months to go on a run. Beating teams like the Twins and Orioles are crucial for them to get back in the race.....if they can. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-27, 9.5 games behind Baltimore for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Ray Culp (4-6) takes on Jim Kaat of Minnesota. The game begins at 2:00 PM at Metropolitan Stadium.