Sox Rebound, Defeat A's (7/29/70)

The Sox needed this win today big time. After the Oakland A's defeated Vincente Romo yesterday, the Sox needed Ray Culp (11-9, 2.93 ERA) to deliver a big game and he did. Culp came through with a complete game 5 hitter where he allowed just one run while striking out 12. On offense it was the George Thomas show who drove in 3 of the 4 runs Culp would need for the victory. The season has been mediocre as it gets but at least today was a good day as the Sox beat the A's 4-1 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                      Tina Louise approves of the win

Diego Segui got the ball for the A's in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews led the game off with a base hit to center. Reggie Smith banged into a double play and Carl Yastrzemski's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Sal Bando to end the inning. Culp got the ball in the bottom of the first and Bert Campaneris led off with a double to left. Rick Monday flied out to center,  Felipe Alou took strike three and Bando struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tony Conigliaro began the top of the second with a double to right but Rico Petrocelli flied out to right. George Thomas and John Kennedy both grounded out to third to end the inning. Don Mincher struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Reggie Jackson flied out to center. Dave Duncan struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jerry Moses flied out to left to open the top of the third and Culp grounded out to short. Andrews also grounded out to short to end the inning. Dick Green singled to left to start the bottom of the third and was sacrificed to second on the bunt by Segui. Campaneris grounded back to the mound and Monday struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth although Smith flied out to left to begin. Yaz got a base hit and swiped second, but Tony C popped up to short. Petrocelli walked but Thomas doubled to left to score both runners. Kennedy grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                                               Thomas drives in a pair

Culp stayed strong in the bottom of the fourth as Alou grounded out to short to start. Bando struck out swinging but Mincher walked. Jackson flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Moses struck out looking to start. Culp struck out swinging and Andrews flied out to right to end the inning. Duncan singled to left but was doubled off first on a bullet to Petrocelli by Green. Segui struck out swinging to end the inning.

Smith flied out to center to start the top of the sixth but Yaz singled to left. Tony C grounded into a double play to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Campaneris hit a home run into the Pacific Ocean to start. Monday popped up to third in foul territory and Alou grounded out to short but Bando walked. Bando was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the A's down 2-1.

                                                                Bert hits one out

Petrocelli singled to left to start the top of the seventh and moved to second on the grounder to short by Thomas. Kennedy flied out to center but Moses was intentionally walked. Culp flied out to center to end the inning. Mincher flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Jackson lined out to right, but Duncan walked. Steve Hovley pinch ran for Duncan and Tommy Davis pinch hit for Green, striking out swinging to end the inning.

Frank Fernandez took over behind the plate and Tony La Russa took over at second for the top of the eighth and Andrews stuck out swinging to start. Smith popped up to short and Yaz popped up to third to end the inning. Joe Rudi pinch hit for Segui to start the bottom of the eighth and struck out swinging. Campaneris struck out swinging and so did Monday.....but Moses muffed the ball and Monday took first. Alou flied out to left to end the inning. Great work by Culp so far!

                                                                Culp pitched a great game

The Sox pounced on Marcel Lachemann in the top of the ninth as Tony C singled to left to begin. Petrocelli singled to center, Thomas singled home Tony C to increase the lead and Rico took third on the hit. Bob Locker came in to pitch and Kennedy struck out swinging. Moses grounded out to short but Petrocelli scored to wrap up the scoring. Culp took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                          Tony C scores a run

Culp returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth but Bando singled and took second on a wild pitch. Mincher flied out to right but Bando took third on the grounder to second by Jackson. Fernandez struck out swinging to end the game. Culp went the distance and the Sox had won it 4-1.

Hero of the Night is George Thomas. He drove in 3 runs to help the Sox win the game.

                                                      Thomas The Hero

The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Ray Culp tossed a complete game 5 hitter, allowing just 1 run while striking out 12.

The Bad:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 4.

John Kennedy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jerry Moses was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

If the Sox can't catch the Baltimore Orioles, the least they could do is finish in second place. If they had a bit more offense in the bottom of the order this team could go a long way in the future. As for this game, Culp was outstanding and is a microcosm of the season really. Some days they're not good, some days they are....this was one of the good days. The offense wasn't much but George Thomas stepped up to be the hero today. Its too bad the Sox have been inconsistent all season because a healthy trio of Jim Lonborg, Sonny Siebert and Ray Culp could have been something special. There's still 2 months left in the season to catch Baltimore but it doesn't look good right now. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it two in a row against the A's when they send Cal Koonce (0-4) to the mound against Catfish Hunter of the A's. The game begins at 10:30 PM at Oakland Coliseum.

A's Beat Romo, Sox (7/28/70)

As the Boston Red Sox "July swoon" comes to a close with a very disappointing month, the latest chapter is Vicente Romo is undefeated no more. The Oakland Athletics got to Romo for 5 runs in 5 innings to give the A's the lead. The Sox offense rallied for 4 runs against Oakland starter Chuck Dobson but the indomitable Mudcant Grant stymied the Sox the rest of the way. The Sox continued their slide this month as the A's took the game 6-4 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                               "Romo you imbecile!"

Dobson took the mound in the top of the first and Mike Andrews led off by flying out to center. Reggie Smith singled to center and moved to second on a passed ball before Carl Yastrzemski drew a walk. Tony Conigliaro flied out to right and Rico Petrocelli flied out to center to end the inning. Romo got the ball and cruised in the bottom of the first as Bert Campaneris flied out to right to begin. Rick Monday lined out to left and Felipe Alou grounded out to short to end the inning.

George Thomas drew a walk to begin the top of the second but John Kennedy flied out to center. Jerry Moses struck out and Romo flied out to right to end the inning. Sal Bando walked to start the bottom of the second but Don Mincher took strike three. Reggie Jackson walked but Dave Duncan struck out. Dick Green grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as Andrews walked to start. Smith singled to right but was erased on the Yaz force. Tony C flied out to left but Petrocelli clubbed his 17th home run of the year to put Boston on top. Thomas grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.

                                                      Number 17 for Rico

Romo got Dobson to take strike three to begin the bottom of the third and Campaneris lined out to right. Monday beat out an infield single to third but Alou grounded into a force to end the inning.

Kennedy flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Moses struck out. Romo beat out an infield single to third but Andrews grounded out to short to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Bando singled and Mincher smashed a 50,000 foot home run to put the A's back in it. Then Jackson hit a 5,000 foot home run to tie the game just like that. Duncan lined out to left, Green struck out looking and Dobson grounded out to third to end the inning but the A's had tied it 3-3.

                                                Jackson ties it up

Smith put the Sox back on top instantly in the top of the fifth with his 14th home run of the season. Yaz popped up to third, Tony C grounded out to third and Petrocelli popped up to first to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

                                              Smith goes yard

The A's clawed back in the bottom of the fifth although Campaneris hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Monday grounded back to the mound but Alou beat out an infield single to short. Bando made the Sox pay by bashing a 5 million foot home run into the Pacific Ocean to give the A's the lead. Mincher struck out to end the inning but the A's had regained the lead and chased Romo 5-4.

                                                      "Damn that Bando"

Thomas popped up to second to start the top of the sixth before Kennedy struck out. Moses drew a walk and Dick Schofield pinch hit for Romo, taking a walk as well. Marcel Lachemann came in for Dobson to pitch to Andrews and Mike grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ken Brett was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and he struck out both Jackson and Duncan to start. Green walked but Tommy Davis pinch hit for Lachemann. Brett got Davis to strike out to end the inning.

If the Sox had to rally, they would have to do it against arguably the best relief pitcher in baseball in Mudcat Grant in the top of the seventh. Smith singled to right but Yaz flied out to left. Tony C forced Smith at second but Petrocelli singled to put the tying run at second. Thomas struck out to end the inning. Brett cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Campaneris flied out to left to start. Monday struck out and Alou flied out to center to end the inning. Brett retired 4 of the 7 batters he faced by strike out, not bad.

                                               Brett keeps the Sox in it

The Sox could do nothing against Grant in the top of the eighth as Kennedy flied out to center to start. Moses flied out to left and Mike Fiore pinch hit for Brett only to line out to second to end the inning. The A's hit the kill shot in the bottom of the eighth against Sparky Lyle as Bando walked to start. Joe Rudi pinch hit for Mincher and dropped down a bunt. Kennedy threw out Rudi at first but Yaz turned and fired the ball into the first base dugout for no apparent reason to score Bando with the insurance run. Jackson took strike three and Duncan grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 6-4 Oakland.

                                           "What the hell was THAT, Yaz??" - SL

Grant finished off the Sox in the top of the ninth as Andrews flied out to left to start. Smith popped up to third but Yaz singled to center. Tony C flied out to left to end the game. The A's had won it 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Vicente Romo. He got slammed for 5 runs in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 3 home runs and 2 walks while striking out 5.

                                                         Jackass Romo


The Good:

Reggie Smith was 4 for 5 with a home run.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 4 including a 3 run home run.

Dick Schofield walked as a pinch hitter

Ken Brett tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 5.

John Kennedy was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Fiore was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Sparky Lyle allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.



The Ugly:

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

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked and scored.

George Thomas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jerry Moses was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

The way the Baltimore Orioles are going, even if the Sox were to be on a hot streak it seems like there would be no way to catch them. The bottom line is the O's have the starting rotation the Sox don't. Jim Lonborg didn't revert to 1967 form and the others just aren't good enough. The Sox still have 2 months to turn it around but they're falling dangerously behind. The error by Yaz should never have happened and the offense went cold after the fourth inning. Mudcat Grant has found new life as a reliever after strong-arming the Minnesota Twins to the AL pennant 5 years ago, not much you can do with him. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-48, 11.5 games behind the O's for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the A's. Ray Culp (10-9) takes on Diego Segui at 10:30 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Brett Outduels Stottlemyre as Sox Take Game 1 (6/28/70)

The Boston Red Sox have to play a doubleheader today against the New York Yankees and they opened the salvo by taking game 1 on the back of Ken Brett (2-2, 3.31 ERA). Brett held the Yankees in check for 8 solid innings to earn the win. The Sox offense got to Mel Stottlemyer for 4 runs including a Carl Yastrzemksi 3 run home run in the top of the third. There's another game to be played but the Sox took this one 5-3 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                Mariska Veres approves of the win

Stottlemyre cruised in the top of the first inning as Mike Andrews grounded back to the mound to start. Reggie Smith flied out to center and Carl Yastrzemski grounded out to first to start. Brett got in trouble in the bottom of the first as Horace Clarke drew a leadoff walk. Bobby Murcer struck out but Clarke swiped second. Roy White and Danny Cater drew back to back walks to load the bases but Thurmon Munson flied out to center. John Ellis flied out to center to end the inning.

Tony Conigliaro drew a walk to begin the top of the second inning but Rico Petrocelli lined out to center. George Scott and Billy Conigliaro both popped up to second to end the inning. Ron Woods singled to left to begin the bottom of the second but was doubled off first on the Gene Michael to short. Stottlemyre singled to left but Clarke lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the third inning although Jerry Moses grounded out to third. Brett singled to center to start the rally and Andrews got a base hit to left. Smith singled to right to score Brett and Yaz cleared the bases with his 17th home run of the season to put the Sox up big early. Tony C singled to left but Petrocelli banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                         Yaz hits it out

Brett cruised in the bottom of the third as Murcer flied out to right to start. White lined out to left but Cater singled to right. Munson popped up to second to end the inning.

Stottlemyre matched Brett in the top of the fourth as Scott flied out to center to begin. Billy C and Moses both flied out to left to end the inning. Brett got Ellis to ground back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Woods flied out to left. Michael lined out to short to end the inning.

Brett himself grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth inning before Andrews struck out. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. Stottlemyre struck out to begin the bottom of the fifth before Clarke flied out to left. Murcer grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the sixth although Yaz flied out to right to start. Tony C grounded back to the mound but Petrocelli singled to center. Cater booted a Scott ground ball which allowed him to reach first but got picked off to end the inning. White flied out to center to open the bottom of the sixth before Cater lined out to left. Munson singled to center but Ellis popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Billy C flied out to right to begin the top of the seventh but Moses beat out an infield single. Brett banged into a double play to end the inning. Brett made up for the DP by getting Woods to line out to left to start. Michael singled to center and Ron Hansen pinch hit for Stottlemyre. Brett struck out Hanson and Clarke popped up to short to end the inning.

John Cumberland was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and Andrews popped up to first to start. Smith lined out to left but Yaz singled to left....just to get thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Brett ran out of gas in the bottom of the eighth as Murcer belted a 750,000 foot home run into the Long Island Sound to put the Yankees on the board. White grounded out to third and Cater popped up to short but Munson crushed a 9,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Ellis popped up to short to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-2.

                                                    The spot where Murcer's homer landed

The Sox got a big insurance run in the top of the ninth although Tony C grounded out to third to start. Petrocelli flied out to right but Scott blasted his 8th home run of the season to increase the lead. Billy C grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                       Scott with the big home run

Brett tried to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth but Woods homered to chase him. He went 8 innings and allowed 3 runs before being replaced by Sparky Lyle. Michael struck out and Curt Blefary pinch hit for Cumberland, drawing a walk. Clarke popped up to second and Murcer grounded into a force to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 5-3.

Hero of the Night is Ken Brett. He held the Yankees to 3 runs in 8 innings of work. He allowed 8 hits while striking out 3. He was also 1 for 3 at the plate with a run scored.

                                                          Brett The Hero



The Good:

Carl Yastrzemski was 2 for 4 with a 3 run home run.

Tony Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jerry Moses was 1 for 3.

Sparky Lyle earned his 11th save with a scoreless 9th.



The Bad:

Billy Conigliaro was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Rico Petrocelli was just 1 for 4.

George Scott was just 1 for 4 but the hit was a home run.




Final Thoughts:

That's a good start to today to take the opening game of a doubleheader. Brett pitched a great game and Lyle held the fort in the ninth inning. The Sox are gonna need more games like this from Brett if they have any hope of coming close to the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox offense is as good as anyone in the American League but the pitching needs to get a lot better if they hope to compete going forward. As for this game, great win. The win improved to 34-34 with Game 2 to be played mere hours from now. Ray Culp (6-7) goes for the Sox up against Stan Bahnsen at 3:45 PM at Yankee Stadium.

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.

Royals Walkoff Red Sox (6/15/70)

The Jekyll and Hyde season continued for the Boston Red Sox as Mr. Hyde showed up in this one. This time the Red Sox suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Royals. The Royals took a 4-3 lead after 5 innings as Sox starter Mike Nagy clearly didn't have his best stuff. Still, the Sox rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth and one in the ninth against Ken Wright to put Boston on top 6-4. Then Sparky Lyke put the tying runs on and Cal Koonce (0-3, 3.91 ERA) was brought in to stop the bleeding in the bottom of the ninth. George Scott made a crucial error and an Amos Otis rbi single ended the game. The Royals had stunned the Sox 7-6 at Municipal Stadium.

                                                      "That ninth inning....."

The Sox wasted no time getting to Royals starter Jim Rooker to start the top of the first as Mike Andrews got a base hit to left to start. George Thomas grounded into a double play but Carl Yastrzemski got a base hit to right. Reggie Smith got a base hit to right and Pat Kelly booted the ball. Yaz scored but Smith was thrown out at third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                  Yerrrr out

Nagy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kelly grounded out to short to start. Amos Otis popped up to first and Joe Keough grounded out to short to end the inning.

Rico Petrocelli led off the top of the second by striking out swinging. George Scott lined out to second and Billy Conigliaro took strike three to end the inning. Bob Oliver popped up to first to start the bottom of the second and Ed Kirkpatrick hit one up the elevator shaft. Lou Piniella got a base hit to left but Paul Schaal flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Jerry Moses got a base hit to center to start. Nagy dropped down a bunt to move Jerry to second and Andrews got a base hit to left to score Moses. Jackie Hernandez booted a grounder by Thomas for an error and Yaz beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Smith lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                 Good work Andrews

Hernandez flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Rooker struck out swinging. Kelly struck out swinging as well to end the inning.

Petrocelli walked to start the top of the fourth but Scott grounded into a double play. Conigliaro walked and Hernandez booted a grounder by Moses for an error. Nagy grounded out to first to end the inning. The Royals struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Otis grounded out to short to start. Keough flied out to center but Oliver got a base hit to left and Kirkpatrick hit a home run all the way to St. Louis to tie the game. Piniella grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                    Royals tie it up

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Andrews walked to start. Thomas grounded out to short to move Mike to second and Yaz struck out swinging. Smith got a base hit to left to score Andrews to put Boston back in front. Petrocelli lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                              Another rbi for Smith

The Royals answered in the bottom of the fifth as Schaal flied out to left to start. Hernandez flied out to left but Rooker doubled to center. Suddenly Kelly hit a home run all the way to Wisconsin to put Kansas City in the lead. Otis caught Thomas asleep with a bunt single but got picked off to end the inning with the Royals up 4-3. That was it for Nagy who allowed a pair of two run home runs and was done after just five innings.

                                                                     Not good enough

Scott flied out to center to start the top of the sixth but Conigliaro hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Moses flied out to center and Don Pavletich pinch hit for Nagy. Pavletich took strike three to end the inning. Vicente Romo came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Keough grounded out to second to start. Oliver singled in the hole at short but Kirkpatrick grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Andrews got a base hit to right to start the top of the seventh but Thomas struck out swinging. Yaz lined out to center and Smith forced Andrews at second to end the inning. Piniella struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Schaal walked. Schaal stole second and Hernandez walked as well. Rooker and Kelly both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth as Petrocelli walked to start. Scott got a base hit to left to move Rico to third and Petrocelli scored when Conigliaro beat out a double play ball. Moses got a base hit to right and Dick Schofield pinch hit for Romo. Schofield also beat out a double play ball to score Conigliaro. Andrews walked but Thomas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                          Schofield puts Boston on top

Sparky Lyle came in to pitch the bottom of the the eighth and Otis walked to start. Keough dropped down a bunt to move Otis to second and Amos moved to third on a liner to center by Oliver. Kirkpatrick grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to break the game open in the top of the ninth as Yaz popped up to third to start. Smith got a base hit to center and Petrocelli got a base hit to left to move Smith to third, chasing Rooker. Ken Wright came in to face Scott and George struck out swinging. Petrocelli stole second and Hernandez made his third error by throwing wide of the plate, allowing Smith to score. Conigliaro and Moses both walked to load the bases and Auerlio Monteagudo came in to face Lyle. Lyle popped up a bunt to Monteagudo to end the inning with the Sox up 6-4.

                                                      Good chain reaction by Petrocelli

Lyle came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and the floodgates opened. Piniella got a base hit to right and Schaal got a base hit to center to put the tying runs on. Sox manager Edie Kasko panicked and brought in Cal Koonce to finish the game. Hernandez dropped down a bunt and Scott threw the ball away for an error to score Piniella. Billy Sorrell pinch hit for Monteagudo and was intentionally walked to set up a double play. Kelly hit a sac fly to left to score Schaal to tie the game, moving Hernandez to third. Otis ended matters with a base hit to left to score Hernandez and win the game 7-6 for the Royals.

Jackass of The Night is George Scott. His ninth inning error led to the winning runs scoring.

                                                               Nice throw, Jackass

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 3 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Reggie Smith was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.

Billy Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, rbi and a run scored.

Jerry Moses was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Dick Schofield drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

Vicente Romo tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

George Thomas was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Don Pavletich struck out as a pinch hitter.

Mike Nagy was tagged for 4 runs in just 5 innings off 6 hits.

Sparky Lyle was charged with 2 runs in an inning of work.

Cal Koonce took the loss by allowing 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Bad teams find a way to lose and the Red Sox did just that. Not only did they blow a two run ninth inning lead but Scott throwing the ball away was the key. If they get Hernandez at first, the Kelly sac fly only makes it 6-5 and if Otis gets a base hit, the game would have only been tried. As usual, the problem with the Red Sox is pitching. Lyle's ERA is 5.47 and Koonce is 3.91. Hell Nagy gave them nothing today and his is 4.11. The Sox are trying to outslug everyone and its not working. They're not going to beat the Minnesota Twins or Baltimore Orioles if they keep trotting out Mike Nagy, Gary Peters and a broken down Jim Lonborg. The loss dropped the Sox to 27-29, 9.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Royals when Gary Peters (3-7) takes on Bill Butler of Kansas City. The game begins at 8:00 PM eastern time at Municipal Stadium.

Culp Outpitches Kaat, Sox Defeat Twins (6/13/70)

In one of the few brightspots in this mediocre season for the Boston Red Sox, Ray Culp (5-6, 2.81 ERA) defeated Minnesota Twins ace Jim Kaat in today's game against the Minnesota Twins. The Twins took a 3-1 lead early but the Sox came through with four runs in the 6th and one in the 7th to take a commanding lead. The Twins rallied in the bottom of the ninth but the Sox held on to come back to .500 on the season with a 6-4 win at Metropolitan Stadium.

                                                      Greta Garbo approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Kaat in the top of the first inning although Mike Andrews flied out to center to start. George Thomas doubled to right and moved to third on the Carl Yastrzemski ground out. A wild pitch scored Thomas to give the Sox the lead and Reggie Smith doubled to right. Rico Petrocelli flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              Thomas scores a run

The Twins wasted no time tying the game in the bottom of the first against Culp. Cesar Tovar beat out an infield single but Culp threw the ball away, allowing Tovar to reach second on the error. Rod Carew took strike three but Tony Oliva moved Tovar to third with a grounder. A wild pitch scored Tovar to tie the game before Harmon Killebrew walked. Rich Reese singled to center and Jim Holt walked to load the bases, but Leo Cardenas grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

George Scott singled to center to start the top of the second but Billy Conigliaro popped up to first. Jerry Moses popped up to third in foul territory as a wild pitch moved Scott to second. Culp grounded out to third to end the inning. The Twins struck again in the bottom of the second as Paul Ratliff walked to start. Ratliff was erased on the force by Kaat and Tovar singled to left. Carew singled to right and Kaat motored around, only to score when catcher Jerry Moses muffed the ball for an error. Oliva singled home Tovar with another run but Killebrew banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                        Catch the damn ball Jerry!

Andrews tried to start a rally with a base hit to to center to start the top of the third before moving to second on the grounder by Thomas. Andrews moved to third on the grounder by Yaz but Smith lined out to center to end the inning. Reese doubled to right to start the bottom of the third and moved to third on the grounder by Holt, but Cardenas popped up to third. Ratliff flied out to right to end the inning.

Kaat cruised in the top of the fourth as Petrocelli flied out to right to start. Scott and Billy C both grounded out to short to end the inning. Culp matched Kaat in the bottom of the fourth as Jim himself grounded out to short to start. Tovar lined out to left and Carew flied out to left to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the fifth as Moses flied out to left to start. Culp lined out to right and Andrews grounded out to short to end the inning. Culp got Oliva to ground out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Killebrew lined out to short. Reese lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox came to life in the top of the sixth inning as Thomas doubled to right to start. Yaz singled him home to cut the lead. Smith doubled to left to chase Kaat after just 5 innings. Bill Zepp came in and managed to get Petrocelli to line out to right and Scott to strike out, but Billy C singled home Yaz and Smith to put the Sox on top. Moses singled to right and Culp helped his own cause with a base hit up the middle to score Conigliaro. Andrews grounded into a force to end the inning but the Sox rallied to take a 5-3 lead.

                                                       What a rally by Yaz and the Sox

Culp did his job in the bottom of the sixth as Holt grounded back to the mound to start. Cardenas struck out and Ratliff lied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Thomas singled to start. Yaz walked and but Smith hit a double play ball to second. Yaz was forced but Cardenas threw the relay throw away. Thomas scored and Smith moved to second. Petrocelli grounded out to short and Scott grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                        Smith helps the Sox rally...sort of

Charlie Manuel pinch hit for Zepp to begin the bottom of the seventh and took strike three to start. Tovar grounded out to third but Carew motored around for a triple. Oliva grounded out to first to end the inning.

Stan Williams took over on the mound for the top of the eighth inning and Billy C struck out to start. Moses flied out to center and Culp grounded out to third to end the inning. Culp gave up a single to Killebrew to start the bottom of the eighth but he was erased on the force by Reese. Holt banged into a double play to end the inning. At this point Culp had pitched 8 innings of 3 run ball, well done.

                                                         "Eat my dust, Kaat!"

The Sox failed to add anymore runs in the top of the ninth as Andrews popped up to short to start. Thomas got plunked and moved to second on the Yaz grounder, but Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. Culp returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth but got no help from his defense. Petrocelli booted a routine grounder by Cardenas to start and a single by Ratliff chased Culp. Sox manager Eddie Kasko brought in Vicente Romo to pitch to pinch hitter Rick Renick. Renick walked to loaded the bases with nobody out, but Tovar could only score Cardenas with a sac fly. Kasko wanted Sparky Lyle to pitch to Carew. The gamble worked as Lyle punched out Carew and Oliva grounded into a force to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 6-4.

                                                        "Had em all the way!" -


Hero of the Night is Billy Conigilaro. He put the Sox up for good in the 6th inning with a 2 run single.

                                                          Billy C is the Hero


The Good:

George Thomas was 3 for 4 with a hit by pitch and 3 runs scored.

Reggie Smith was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Ray Culp tossed 8 innings of 4 run (3 earned) ball to get the win. He allowed 9 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. He was also 1 for 4 at the plate with an rbi.

Sparky Lyle earned his 9th save of the year by getting the final two outs of the ninth.



The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4.

Vicente Romo allowed a walk and an inherited runner to score in the two batters he faced.



The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 5.

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

George Scott was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jerry Moses was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Sox especially with Sparky Lyle able to hold on at the end. If only the Sox had someone else besides Sonny Siebert and Culp to pitch well. If Jim Lonborg could revert back to 1967 form, this would be a dangerous team. Culp did well against a high powered Twins offense and good on the Sox for getting to Kaat in the 6th inning. Culp and Conigliaro driving in runs helped big time. All in all it was a good win and hopefully more of these are on the way. The win improved the Sox to 27-27, 8.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox play the Twins in the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon when the Sox send Sonny Siebert (5-3, 3.54 ERA) to the mound to take on Bert Blyleven at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Metropolitan Stadium.