White Sox Edge Red Sox (4/18/81)

If you told me before the game Frank Tanana (0-1, 3.14 ERA) would toss a complete game and only allow 2 runs, I would have asked how much did the Boston Red Sox win by? Turns out they didn't as the Chicago White Sox did one better. Steve Trout of the ChiSox outpitched Tanana by allowing just 1 run in 7 2/3 innings. LaMarr Hoyt slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the BoSox bats were silenced 2-1 at Commiskey Park.

                                    "Pitching a complete game and losing only happens in..The Twilight Zone"

Trout took the mound in the top of the first and Dwight Evans led off with a grounder back to the mound. Dave Stapleton grounded out to short but Carl Yastrzemski doubled to left. Jim Rice flied out to left to end the inning. Tanana got in trouble in the bottom of the first although Bill Almon grounded out to short to start. Tony Bernazard tripled to center but Tanana got a big out when Carlton Fisk struck out swinging. Greg Luzinski walked but Chet Lemon took strike three to end the inning.

Bernazard booted a grounder by Perez for an error to open the top of the second but Carney Lansford grounded into a double play. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to second to end the inning. Lamar Johnson flied out to left to begin the bottom of the second and Wayne Nordhagen flied out to center. Jim Morrison hit a routine grounder to Hoffman who threw his hat at the ball and laughed at it for an error. Morrison stole second but Rusty Kuntz grounded out to short to end the inning.

Gary Allenson flied out to right to begin the top of the third but Rick Miller was hit with a pitch. Evans hit into a double play to end the inning. Tanana had no control in the bottom of the third as Almon walked to start. Bernazard flied out to right and Fisk flied out to left, but Luzinski walked. Lemon walked to load the bases but Johnson grounded into a force to end the inning.

Stapleton grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Yaz did as well. Rice singled in the hole at second but Perez flied out to right to end the inning. Nordhagen grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Morrison flied out to left. Kuntz flied out to right to end the inning.

Lansford walked to open the top of the fifth and was sacrificed to second by Hoffman. Allenson hit one up the elevator shaft and Miller grounded out to third to end the inning. The White Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Almon singled to center to begin. Bernazard sacrificed him to second and who else but Fisk pounded a home run all the way to Lake Michigan to give the White Sox the lead. Luzinski walked and Lemon singled to to left, but Greg was doubled off at second on the liner by Johnson to end the inning with the ChiSox ahead 2-0.

                                                      Fisk does it again for the White Sox

The Sox tried to rally when Evans singled to center to start the top of the sixth but Stapleton forced Dwight at second. Yaz banged into a double play to end the inning. Nordhagen grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Morrison popped up to short. Kuntz flied out to center to end the inning.

Harold Baines took over for Nordhagen to start the top of the seventh and Rice grounded out to short to start. Perez also grounded out to short but Lansford walked. Hoffman grounded into a force to end the inning. Tanana got in a big jam in the bottom of the seventh as Almon singled to center to start. Bernazard dropped down a bunt to advance him to second and Fisk was intentionally walked. Luzinski singled to left to load the bases and Richard Dotson pinch ran for him. Tanana came up big by getting Lemon to ground into a double play to end the inning.

The BoSox blew a huge chance to tie the game in the top of the eighth as Allenson singled to left to start. Joe Rudi pinch hit for Miller and doubled Allenson to third. Reid Nichols pinch ran for Rudi and Evans walked to load the bases. All Stapleton could do was score Allenson with a sac fly to cut the lead. Yaz beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and LaMarr Hoyt was brought in to face Rice. Jim flied out to left to end the inning with the Red Sox down 2-1.

                                                              Allenson scores a run

Tanana returned to complete his outing in the bottom of the eighth as Johnson singled to start. Mike Squires pinch ran for Johnson but Baines struck out swinging. Morrison forced Squires at second and Kuntz flied out to left to end the inning. Tanana went the distance but the two run bomb to Fisk ended up being the difference in the game.

                                                           Frank deserved better

Perez struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth and Lansford flied out to left. Gary Hancock pinch hit for Hoffman and grounded out to first to end the game. The White Sox had edged the Red Sox 2-1.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Tony Perez. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and left a man on base back when it was a tied game.

                                                          Jackass Perez

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Carney Lansford walked twice in four plate appearances.

Gary Allenson was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Joe Rudi doubled as a pinch hitter.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Frank Tanana tossed a complete game allowing just 7 hits and 2 runs. His mistake to Fisk was the difference in the game.

The Bad:

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 2 with an error.

Gary Hancock was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4.

Rick Miller was 0 for 1 but was hit with a pitch.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols pinch ran for Rudi and played center in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox have three losses this season and Carlton Fisk struck the decisive blow in two of them. How the BoSox let him slip away is one of the biggest cataclysms in Red Sox history and that includes selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Sox GM Haywood Sullivan is going to get an earful from the Boston faithful for this blunder until the end of time if Fisk continues down the Hall of Fame path he was on. Still, Fisk's home run would have been a mere annoyance if the Sox bats weren't silenced by the immortal Steve Trout. The same guy who lost 16 games last year blinded the Red Sox in this one. Its a shame because Tanana pitched a hell of a game, too bad he has nothing to show for it. The BoSox look to rebound tomorrow in the rubber game of this set when Steve Crawford looks to make it two good starts in a row. His opponent will be Ross Baumgarten of the White Sox and the game begins at 3:30 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Red Sox Beat Up White Sox (4/17/81)

It looks like the Boston Red Sox offense is finally about to heat up. After putting seven runs on the board against the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox managed to plate eight of them in today's game against the Chicago White Sox. Dennis Eckersley (1-0, 3.75 ERA) was painfully average in today's start by allowing 3 runs in just 5 innings. Mark Clear wasn't much better in relief but the offense was the story today. Rick Miller drove in three runs, Carney Lansford cracked his first home run of the year and Gary Allenson drove in two runs of his own. The offense pounded out 14 hits and 8 runs as the Red Sox beat the White Sox 8-5 at Commiskey Park.

                                                         Joe Dobson approves of the win

Richard Dotson got the start for the White Sox and Jerry Remy led off the top of the first by grounding out to second to start. Dwight Evans struck out but Carl Yastrzemski walked. Jim Rice flied out to right to end the inning. Eck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ron LeFlore led off with a grounder to short. Mike Squires popped up to short and old friend Carlton Fisk doubled to left. Greg Luzinski hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the second as Tony Perez walked to start. Carney Lansford smashed his first home run of the year to give the BoSox the lead. Glenn Hoffman grounded back to the mound but Gary Allenson doubled to left. Rick Miller singled Allenson home to increase the lead. Remy banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

                                                             Lansford hits one out

Eck cruised in the bottom of the second as Chet Lemon popped up to first to start. Harold Baines grounded out to first and Jim Morrison grounded out to third to end the inning.

Evans flied out to center to start the top of the third before Yaz grounded out to second. Rice flied out to center to end the inning. The White Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Tony Bernazard doubled to right to start. Bob Almon singled Tony to third and he scored on the LeFlore hit to left. LeFlore came up lame and Rusty Kuntz pinch ran for him. Squires scored Almon with a sac fly but Fisk hit one up the elevator shaft. Luzinski took strike three to end the inning but the lead was trimmed 3-2.

                                                             Bye bye LeFlore

The BoSox struck again in the top of the fourth as Perez grounded out to third to start. Lansford singled to center and Hoffman reached on an error by Squires. The runners moved over on the grounder by Allenson and Miller singled home both runners to increase the lead. Fransisco Barrios came in for Dotson and Miller swiped second. Remy grounded back to the mound to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-2.

                                                            Hoffman scores a run

Lemon singled to start the bottom of the fourth but Baines grounded into a double play. Morrison grounded out to third to end the inning.

The BoSox threatened in the top of the fifth although Evans took strike three to start. Yaz popped up to short but Rice and Perez hit back to back singles. Lansford struck out to end the inning. The White Sox got a run back instantly in the bottom of the fifth as Bernazard hit a home run all the way to Ottawa, Canada to cut the lead. Almon popped up to first and Kuntz took strike three, but Squires doubled to left. Fisk popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with the White Sox down 5-3. That was it for Eckersley who has seen better days, going just 5 innings while allowing 3 runs.

                                                      Not Eck's best stuff

Hoffman grounded out to short to begin the top of the sixth but Allenson and Miller stoked back to back base hits. Remy lined out to center and Evans flied out to center to end the inning. Mark Clear came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Luzinski singled to right to start. Lemon walked and Baines singled to right to load the bases with nobody out. Clear got Morrison to hit a bullet to Lansford who tagged the bag to force Lemon then fired home get Luzinski at home for the double play. Bernazard grounded out to first to end the inning.

Ed Farmer came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Red Sox tagged him too. Yaz and Rice drew back to back walks and Perez singled home Carl to increase the lead. Lansford singled to center to load the bases but Hoffman popped up to second. Allenson doubled home Rice and Perez to ice the game. Kevin Hickey relieved Farmer and Miller flied out to center. Remy also flied out to center to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 8-3.

                                                              Allenson drives in a pair

Almon singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh and swiped second. Kuntz struck out, Squires popped up to short and Fisk popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

The BoSox went quietly in the top of the eighth as Evans flied out to right to start. Yaz grounded out to first and Rice grounded out to short to end the inning. All of a sudden the ChiSox got home run crazy in the bottom of the eighth. Luzinski hit a home run all the way to Sri Lanka and Miller had to climb the wall to rob Lemon of a home run. Baines then hit a home run all the way to Mongolia to chase Clear. Tom Burgmeier came in and got Morrison to ground out to short and Bernazard fouled off a bunt for strike three to end the inning with the ChiSox down 8-5.

                                                     Keep the ball in the yard, will ya?

Dennis Lamp took the mound for the top of the ninth and Perez grounded back to the mound to start. Lansford and Hoffman stroked back to back singles but Allenson banged into a double play to end the inning. Burgmeier returned for the bottom of the ninth and Almon hit a routine grounder to Hoffman to start. Glenn dove on the ball like a grenade for an error and Wayne Nordhagen pinch hit for Kuntz. Nordhagen banged into a double play and Lamar Johnson pinch hit for Squires. Johnson grounded out to second to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 8-5.

Hero of the Night is Rick Miller. He was 3 for 4 with a stolen base and 3 total rbis.

                                                   Miller The Hero

The Good:

Tony Perez was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Carney Lansford was 4 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Gary Allenson was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Tom Burgmeier tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 5.

Dwight Evans was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Mark Clear allowed 2 home runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 5 with an error but scored a run.

Dennis Eckersley lasted just 5 innings and allowed 3 runs.

Final Thoughts:

If this is what the offense is projected to be the whole season, they're in very good hands. Of course they have to stay healthy which is a problem for some of them. If only they didn't lose Carlton Fisk because 1-6 is as good as anyone and Fisk would make 7. Although Gary Allenson had a good game tonight that was badly needed. The top four hitters was just 1 for 17 at the plate and it was the bottom of the order that got it done this time. Every now and then you're going to need the light hitting players to step up and this was one of them. It remains to be seen how long the offense can last without Fisk and Fred Lynn but so far so good. Eckersley was perfectly mediocre and Clear was looking fine until the home runs. The BoSox look to make it two in a row over the White Sox when they send Frank Tanana to the mound up against Steve Trout of Chicago tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 2:15 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Rainout News (4/16/81)

Tonight's game between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles has been rained out. The game will be played as apart of a doubleheader on July 12th.

On this day in Basebawful history:

1915 - Red Sox tie A's

1970 - Sox sweep Yankees

1971 - Sox edge Tigers

1973 - Sox rally falls short against Detroit

1974 - Stottlemyre, Yankees beat Sox

The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against Carlton Fisk and the Chicago White Sox. Dennis Eckersley looks for his first win of the year against Richard Dotson. The game begins at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Yaz Returns, Sox Beat Orioles (4/15/81)

Welcome back Carl Yastrzemski! After missing the first few games of the season, Carl returned with a bang in today's game against the Baltimore Orioles. In front of a paltry crowd of just 8,925 paying customers, Yaz drove in 3 runs in support of the pitching side. Mike Torrez left the game in the third inning but Bob Stanley (1-1, 2.08) was there to pick up the pace. Stanley tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings in relief to pick up the win. Tony Perez homered for the Sox and they enjoyed a 7-2 win in front of almost nobody at Fenway Park.

                                                       Teri Peterson approves of the win

Torrez got the ball in the top of the first and Al Bumbry flied out to left to start. Rich Dauer singled to center but Jim Dwyer banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to O's starter Dennis Martinez in the bottom of the first. Dwight Evans led off with a single and Dave Stapleton singled him to third. Carl Yastrzemski made his season debut by grounding out to second but Evans scored to give the Sox the lead. Jim Rice grounded out to short but Tony Perez smashed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Carney Lansford doubled to left and Glenn Hoffman singled him home. Gary Allenson flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                          Perez hits his first home run

The O's struck back in the top of the second as Eddie Murray popped up to short to start. John Lowenstein hit a routine grounder to Perez who threw himself on the ball and wrestled with it for an error. Terry Crowley moved Lowenstein to second with a grounder and Dan Graham singled him home to cut the lead. Rick Dempsey flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 4-1.

                                                                Graham drives in a run

Rick Miller doubled to right to start the bottom of the second but Evans grounded out to short. Stapleton grounded out to third but Yaz walked. Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Torrez was chased quickly in the top of the third as Mark Belanger singled to left to start. Bumbry struck out swinging but Dauer singled to center. Dwyer singled to right to score Belanger and Sox manager Ralph Houk had seen enough. Bob Stanley was brought in to keep things from getting out of hand and he got Murray to bang into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                    Torrez doesn't last very long

Perez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third and Lansford flied out to right. Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lowenstein singled to center to begin the top of the fourth but was thrown out by the alert Allenson trying to steal. Crowley popped up to short and Graham lined out to first to end the inning.

                                                          "Where the hell are YOU going?"

The Sox chased Martinez in the bottom of the fourth as Allenson grounded out to short to start. Miller singled to left and Evans singled him to third. Evans moved to second on the grounder by Stapleton and Yaz singled home both runners to increase the lead. That was it for Martinez as Sammy Stewart came in to get Rice to fly out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                         Yaz drives in a pair

Dempsey walked to start the top of the fifth but was erased on the force by Belanger. Belanger moved to second on the ground out by Bumbry and Dauer lined out to second to end the inning. Perez popped up to first in foul territory to star the bottom of the fifth but Lansford doubled to left. Hoffman took strike three to end the inning.

Stanley cruised in the top of the sixth as Dwyer grounded out to second to begin. Murray grounded out to short and Lowenstein struck out swinging to end the inning. Miller flied out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth and Evans flied out to center. Stapleton also flied out to center to end the inning.

The O's threatened in the top of the seventh as Crowley singled to center to start. Graham struck out swinging but Dempsey walked. Ken Singleton pinch hit for Belanger and moved the runners over with a grounder. Bumbry flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox got some help from bad defense to score in the bottom of the seventh with Wayne Krenchicki now at short. Yaz grounded out to second but Rice singled to center. Perez flied out to center and Lansford hit a routine fly to Dwyer...DROPPED FOR AN ERROR! Rice scored and the Sox had another run. Hoffman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                                    Thanks Jim

Stanley cruised in the top of the eighth as Dauer grounded out to third to start. Dwyer grounded out to short and Murray flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the eighth as Allenson walked to start. Miller singled to center but Evans forced Allenson at third. Stapleton hit a bullet to short who doubled off Miller to end the inning.

Stanley came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Lowenstein grounded out to first to start. Crowley and Graham struck back to back singles but Dempsey banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-2.

Hero of the Night is Bob Stanley. He tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings in relief of Torrez to pick up the win.

                                                             Stanley The Hero

The Good:

Dwight Evans was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk and 3 total rbis.

Carney Lansford was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rick Miller was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Mike Torrez lasted just 2 1/3 innings and allowed 2 runs.

The Ugly:

Dave Stapleton was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4 with an error but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good win by the Sox and a tremendous effort by Bob Stanley. He was pressed into action in the third inning and was virtually unhittable the rest of the way. The offense was a collective effort but good to see Yaz back driving in runs. Perez made an error but made up for hit with a 2 run home run. Torrez leaving in the third inning is concerning because Stanley can't bail him out every time. The Sox have a chance to topple the New York Yankees this season if the pitching can hold up. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Friday afternoon in Chicago. Dennis Eckersley gets the start for the Red Sox against Richard Dotson of the White Sox. The game begins at 2:15 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Off-Day News (4/14/81)

On this day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History: 

1915 - Pennock, A's blank Sox

1930 - Sox win Opening Day

1970 - Sox crush Yankees in Fenway Opener

1971 - Senators rally past Sox

1973 - Sox drop Yankees

1974 - Sox smash Tigers

Palmer, O's Shut Down Sox (4/13/81)

For 8 innings, 23 year old Boston Red Sox rookie Steve Crawford (0-1, 0.00 ERA) matched future Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles ace Jim Palmer to a 1-1 draw. Thanks to some really bad defense, the Orioles scored 5 un-earned runs off Crawford and reliever Tom Burgmeier to put the game away. The Red Sox bats went silent against Palmer and the Orioles rode a 4 run ninth inning to beat the Sox 5-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                  "I hate bad defense!" - Colonel Potter

Crawford cruised in the top of the first inning as Al Bumbry took strike three to start. Old pal Jim Dwyer whiffed and Ken Singleton went down swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the frame although Jerry Remy grounded out to third to start. Dave Stapleton walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal. The caught stealing turned out big as Dwight Evans bashed his second home run of the year to put Boston on top. Jim Rice flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. Sadly that would be the only run they'd score the rest of the game.

                                                          Evans puts the Sox ahead.

Eddie Murray struck out swinging to start the top of the second before John Lowenstein flied out to left. Doug DiCinces singled to left and Rick Dempsey walked, but Mark Belanger lined out back to Crawford to end the inning. Tony Perez struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second but Carney Lansford singled to center. Glenn Hoffman banged into a double play to end the inning.

Rich Dauer grounded out to third to start the top of the third but Bumbry grounded out to first. Dwyer singled to right but was caught stealing second to end the inning. Gary Allenson popped up to short to begin the bottom of the third but Rick Miller walked. Remy banged into a double play to end the inning.

Singleton singled to center to start the top of the fourth but Murray flied out to left. Lowenstein singled to right but DiCinces banged into a double play to end the inning. Stapleton flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Evans singled to right. Rice took strike three and Perez whiffed to end the inning.

The Orioles struck back in the top of the fifth as Dempsey singled to center to start. Dempsey moved to second on the Belanger grounder and to third on a passed ball. Dauer singled Dempsey home to tie the game. Bumbry banged into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Dauer ties it up

Lansford doubled to left to begin the bottom of the fifth but Hoffman flied out to left. Allenson grounded out to third and Miller grounded out to second to end the inning.

Crawford got Dwyer to fly out to left to open the top of the sixth but Singleton struck out swinging. Murray doubled to left but Lowenstein flied out to center to end the inning. Remy lined out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Stapleton walked. Evans popped up to first and Rice flied out to center to end the inning.

Crawford got the O's to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh as DeCinces grounded out to short to start. Dempsey grounded back to the mound and Belanger grounded out to second to end the inning. Perez walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Sox manager Ralph Houk sent Reid Nichols to pinch run for him. Lansford dropped down a bunt to advance Reid to second but Hoffman popped up to second. Allenson walked but Miller flied out to left to end the inning.

Crawford cruised in the top of the eighth as Dauer grounded out to third to start. Bumbry grounded out to second and Dwyer flied out to right to end the inning. Tim Stoddard replaced Palmer in the bottom of the eighth and Remy grounded out to short to start. Stapleton singled to left but was thrown out at second on the strikeout by Evans to end the inning.

The Sox turned into a comedy of errors in the top of the ninth to blow the game. Singleton doubled to left to chase Crawford after 8 outstanding innings. Tom Burgmeier came in and Wayne Krenchicki pinch ran for Singleton. Murray hit a routine grounder to Hoffman who dove on the ball and swam on it for an error. Gary Roenicke pinch hit for Lowenstein and beat out an infield single to third to load the bases. Burgmeier did manage to get DeCinces flied out to left and Dempsey to pop up to short, but Jose Morales pinch hit for Belanger. Morales lashed a base hit to center to score Krenchicki and Murray to give the O's the lead. Lenn Sakata pinch ran for Morales and took off for second. Allenson fired there and he was safe, Roenicke taking off for home....safe! The Sox were humiliated and the O's had iced the game. Dauer doubled home Sakata to wrap up the scoring. Bumbry grounded out to first to end the inning with the O's up 5-1.

                                                              Crawford deserved better

Rice tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to start the bottom of the ninth and Gary Hancock pinch hit for Nichols, striking out swinging. Lansford forced Rice at second and Hoffman struck out swinging to end the game. The Orioles had won it 5-1.

Jackass of the Night is Tom Burgmeier. He was felled by some piss-poor defense but he still allowed 3 hits and 4 runs.

                                                             Tom Jackass

The Good:

Dave Stapleton was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Dwight Evans was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Carney Lansford was 2 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Steve Crawford was outstanding, being charged with 2 runs in 8 innings of work. Its too bad the Sox couldn't score for him.

The Bad:

Jerry Remy was 0 for 4.

Gary Hancock struck out as a pinch hitter.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

The Ugly:

Jim Rice was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Perez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked.

Rick Miller was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Reid Nichols pinch ran for Tony Perez.

Final Thoughts:

The game was a classic pitcher's duel for 8 innings but completely fell apart in the ninth. Steve Crawford went toe to toe with Jim Palmer and did very well. If he can pitch like that down the road, the Sox are in good hands. There's no shame in being beaten by Jim Palmer and its encouraging to see Crawford hang in there. The defense in the ninth was garbage but its April and its only one game. Hopefully this was just a hiccup and the Sox can bounce back Wednesday against the Orioles. Mike Torrez makes his season debut opposite Dennis Martinez of the O's. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

                                                    Terry Duerod approves of the win

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                          Good debut by Tanana

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

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

                                                          Way to go Rice

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

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

                                                           Rice the Hero

The Good:

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

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

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

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

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

The Bad:

Carney Lansford was 0 for 3.

Glenn Hoffman was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

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

Tony Perez was just 1 for 4.

Gary Allenson was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

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