Sox Rally To Defeat McNally, Orioles (4/22/70)

Better late than never for the Boston Red Sox to eek out a win. Tonight Jim Lonborg and Dave McNally of the Baltimore Orioles locked in a pitcher's duel through 6 innings and a 2-2 tie. Boog Powell and Paul Blair gave Baltimore the lead in the first inning but Mike Andrews and Reggie Smith tied the game in the third. The O's knocked Lonborg out in the top of the seventh and Vicente Romo (1-0, 0.00) got a crucial double play to get out of the inning. Carl Yastrzemski broke the deadlock by driving in Smith in the seventh and the Sox tacked on 2 more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Romo slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox won a big game against last year's AL champs 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                            Hank Finkel approves of the win

The O's got to Lonborg quickly in the top of the first inning as Don Buford and Mark Belanger stroked back to back singles to start. Both runners moved over on the Frank Robinson grounder to the mound and Buford scored on the sacrifice fly by Boog Powell. Paul Blair singled home Belanger to increase the lead and stole second. Brooks Robinson grounded out to short to end the inning with the O's up 2-0.

                                                            Powell puts Baltimore on top

The Sox blew an early rally against McNally in the bottom of the first as Mike Andrews singled to center to start. Reggie Smith walked and Carl Yastrzemski beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. George Scott did not beat out a double play ball to end the inning.

Davey Johnson singled to center to begin the top of the second but Andy Etchebarren struck out looking. McNally struck out swinging and Buford flied out to right to end the inning. Rico Petrocelli flied out to center to begin the bottom of the second and Tony Conigliaro flied out to right. Luis Alvarado got a base hit to center but Gerry Moses struck out swinging to end the inning.

Belanger took strike three to start the top of the third and Frank Robinson singled to left. Powell struck out swinging and Blair grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Lonborg doubled to right to start. Andrews doubled off the Monster to score Lonborg and moved to third on a wild pitch. Smith got a base hit to left to score Andrews but was erased at second on a force by Yaz. Carl moved to second on the grounder to third by Scott but Petrocelli grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                   Andrews drives in a run

Brooks Robinson grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth but Johnson flied out to center. Etchebarren singled to right but McNally struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Tony C flied out to center to begin. Alvarado hit one up the elevator shaft and Moses struck out swinging to end the inning.

Buford struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Belanger popped up to second. Frank Robinson singled to left but Powell flied out to left to end the inning. Lonborg singled to left to start the bottom of the fifth but was doubled off first on a line drive to center by Andrews. Smith popped up to third to end the inning.

Lonborg cruised in the top of the sixth as Blair grounded out to third to start. Brooks Robinson lined out to left and Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Yaz grounded out to first to start. Scott singled to center but Petrocelli flied out to right. Tony C got a base hit to left and Alvarado walked to load the bases, but Moses forced Alvardo at second to end the inning.

The O's knocked out Lonborg in the top of the seventh although Etchebarren grounded out to short to start. Somehow McNally walked and Buford walked as well to chase Lonborg. Vicente Romo came in and got Belanger to ground into a double play to end the inning. Lonborg did well but only went 6 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs.

                                                         Gentleman Jim couldn't get the win

The Sox naturally rallied once Lonborg was gone in the bottom of the seventh as Romo flied out to right to start. Andrews flied out to center but Smith singled to center. Smith stole second and Yaz singled him home to give the Sox the lead. Scott grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                             Yaz puts the Sox ahead

Frank Robinson singled to center to start the top of the eighth and moved to second on a grounder to second by Powell. Blair flied out to center and Brooks Robinson popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox got some insurance in the bottom of the eighth as Petrocelli singled to left to start. Tony C moved Petrocelli to second with a grounder to the mound and Alvarado scored Rico with a double to left. That was it for McNally as Dave Leonhard came in to pitch and Moses got a base hit to left. Alvarado scored but Moses was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Romo watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox up 5-2.

                                                      Moses drives in a run but gets thrown out

Romo came back to close out the top of the ninth and Johnson struck out swinging to start. Dave May pitch hit for Etchebarren and ripped a base hit to right before Terry Crowley pinch hit for Leonhard. Crowley forced May at second and Buford singled to right. Merv Rettenmund pinch hit for Belanger but flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

Hero of the Night is Carl Yastrzemski. He knocked in the go-ahead run in the seventh to put Boston up for good.

                                                             Hero Yaz

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Reggie Smith was 2 for 3 with a walk, stolen base, rbi and a run scored.

Luis Alvarado was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jim Lonborg tossed 6 1/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7. He was 2 for 2 with a run scored at the plate as well.

Vicente Romo got the win with 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

George Scott was just 1 for 4.

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

Tony Conigliaro was just 1 for 4.

Gerry Moses was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

After getting hoodwinked out of a win because of rain the other night, beating the Orioles straight up today was a big victory. Lonborg matched McNally every step of the way but just couldn't finish. The key to the game was the bottom of the order getting it done with Alvarado, Moses and Lonborg getting hits and scoring runs. Moses has been as good as any catcher in the league so far and everyone seems to get at least one hit or walk per game. A balanced offense is going to win many games this year but the question is can they prevent runs from scoring? Today they did as they held the defending AL champs to just 2 runs with great pitching from Lonborg and Romo. The Orioles won 109 games last year and are the team to beat this year, the Sox have to be able to beat them consistently to have any chance of competing this year. It was a good win and after yet another off-day, the Sox return to action Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers. Sonny Siebert goes for the Sox against Lew Krausse of the Brewers at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Orioles Edge Sox in Rain Shortened Showdown (4/20/70)

Boston Red Sox fans are not very happy with mother nature right now. Today was a big showdown between the defending AL Champion Baltimore Orioles and the Red Sox. The Orioles jumped out to a quick lead over Sox starter Ray Culp (1-2, 4.29 ERA) but the Sox got 2 runs against Jim Palmer to take the lead. The O's tied it in the top of the fourth a nd Boog Powell hit a home run in the top of the sixth to give the O's the lead. One inning later, the game was called on account of rain. It was a bitter pill for Sox fans to swallow to lose a game against a division rival like that. As it stands, the Orioles defeated the Sox 3-2 in 6 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                   "MLB handed the Orioles the win?"

Culp got tagged in the top of the first inning as Don Buford flied out to center to start. Mark Belanger tripled into the centerfield triangle and scored on the Frank Robinson ground out to third to give the O's the lead. Boog Powell grounded out to second to end the inning but Baltimore led 1-0.

                                                        Robinson drives in a run

Palmer got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Andrews drew a walk to start. Reggie Smith flied out to right and Carl Yastrzemski popped out to first. George Scott struck out swinging to end the inning.

Paul Blair popped up to first to start the top of the second and Brooks Robinson grounded out to second. Davey Johnson hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Rico Petrocelli walked to start. Tony Conigliaro singled to left and Luis Alvarado singled home Petrocelli to tie the game. The rally ended as Conigliaro got picked off and Gerry Moses popped up to first. Culp singled to right to move Alvarado to third and Andrews popped up to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                     Alvarado ties it up

Andy Etchebarren struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Palmer flied out to center. Buford also flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Smith popped up to second to start. Yaz walked and took second on a wild pitch before moving to third on another wild pitch. Scott popped up to second but Petrocelli walked. Tony C atoned for his baserunning blunder with a base hit to left to score Yaz to put Boston on top. Alvarado struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                           Conigliaro drives in a run

The O's struck again in the top of the fourth as Belanger struck out swinging to start. Frank Robinson doubled to left and Powell slammed a single to center to score Robinson to tie the game. Blair flied out to center but Brooks Robinson singled to left. Johnson forced Robinson at second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                  Powell drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Moses lined out to center to start. Culp struck out swinging but Andrews walked. Smith walked but Yaz flied out to left to end the inning.

Etchebarren lined out to short to start the top of the fifth and Palmer flied out to center. Buford flied out to left to end the inning. Scott grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth and Petrocelli flied out to center. Tony C walked but Alvarado popped up to third to end the inning.

The O's took the lead in the top of the sixth as Belanger flied out to left to start. Frank Robinson grounded out to third but Powell hit a home run all the way to Barbourville, Kentucky to give Baltimore the lead. Blair took strike three to end the inning but the O's had the lead 3-2.

                                                     That damn Powell again

The Sox had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth when Moses singled to center to start, but Culp banged into a double play. Andrews popped up to second to end the inning.

Brooks Robinson doubled to left to open the top of the seventh when umpire Jerry Neudecker ran around in the circle flailing his arms to signify a rain delay. With the rain not supposed to let up, the game was called and Baltimore were declared the winners 3-2.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Ray Culp. Not only did he give up the lead in the top of the sixth, he hit into a key double play in the bottom of it to take the loss.

                                                         Jackass Culp

The Good:

Mike Andrews walked twice in four plate appearances.

Rico Petrocelli walked twice and scored a run.

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

Luis Alvarado was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Gerry Moses was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

George Scott was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Reggie Smith was 0 for 2 but walked.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 2 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was a tough game to lose considering its a division rival and it was shortened by rain. In a one run game someone can get a piece of one, somebody can walk, steal and score on a bloop, there's many possibilities. With the Sox looking up to Baltimore in the standings, a game like this hurts because they had gotten to Palmer for a few runs and didn't get a chance to deliver a knockout punch. Culp wasn't pitching that bad either but gave up too many runs against a damn good team. The only thing the Sox can do is shake it off and come back the next game. The offense was doing very well until the game was called and hopefully they can do it again on Wednesday when Sox ace Jim Lonborg (2-0) takes on Dave McNally of the Orioles. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Tigers Maul Lee, Lolich Cruises (4/18/70)

Its hard to crack Detroit Tigers ace Mickey Lolich as it is, give him a 4 run cushion before the fans can get to their seats and just forget it. Bill Lee (0-1, 6.75 ERA) was not ready for primetime as the Tigers smacked him around in the first few innings. Dick McAuliffe put the Tigers on top with a 2 run bomb two batters into the first inning and Lee was knocked out in the second inning. The Sox bullpen only allowed just 1 run after Lee left but the Sox bats couldn't crack Lolich. The key to the game was the top of the fourth when Rico Petrocelli drew a bases loaded walk to cut the lead 4-1 and bring the tying run to the plate. Both Tony Conigliaro and Luis Alvarado failed to get another run in and that was that. Lolich ended up tossing a complete game 10 hitter to beat the Red Sox 5-1 at Tiger Stadium.

                                             "Kasko, why did you start Lee?" - Jack Lemmon

Lolich got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Andrews popped up to first to start. Reggie Smith doubled to right but Carl Yastrzemski struck out swinging. George Scott walked but Rico Petrocelli popped up to second to end the inning. The Tigers wasted no time getting to Lee in the bottom of the first as Mickey Stanley doubled to right to start. McAuliffe then hit a home run all the way to Milan, Italy to give the Tigers the lead. Al Kaline grounded out to short but Willie Horton singled to left. Jim Northrup beat out a squibber to the mound but Bill Freehan flied out to right. Don Wert singled to center and Smith did a cannonball on the ball for an error to score Horton. Smith did manage to nab Northrup at home to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 3-0.

                                                             McAuliffe puts Detroit on top

Tony Conigliaro popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the second before Luis Alvarado singled in the hole at short. Gerry Moses and Lee both struck out swinging to end the inning. Lee got knocked out in the bottom of the second as Cesar Gutierrez singled to center to start. Lolich dropped down a bunt to move Gutierrez to second and Cesar moved to third on the Stanley grounder. McAuliffe walked and that was it for Lee. Sox manager Eddie Kasko was about to be sick as he pulled Lee after just 1 2/3 innings. Ed Phillips came in and Kaline singled home Gutierrez to increase the lead. Horton flied out to center to end the inning. Lee was tagged for 4 runs in just 1 2/3 innings, brutal.

                                                                Kaline drives in a run

Elliott Maddox replaced Wert for the top of the third and the Sox had their only real really of the day. Andrews walked and Smith singled to left, but Yaz struck out swinging. Scott was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Petrocelli walked home Andrews to cut the lead. With the tying run at first base....Tony C flied out to right and Alvarado popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance and trailed 4-1.

                                                         Petrocelli drives in a run

Phillips cruised in the bottom of the third as Northrup popped up to third to start. Freehan took strike three and Maddox grounded out to third to end the inning.

Moses lined out to first to start the top of the fourth and Phillips grounded out to second. Andrews walked but Smith took strike three to end the inning. Gutierrez hit a routine grounder to Alvarado who jumped up and down on the ball and wagged his finger back and forth at it for an error to start the bottom of the fourth. Lolich hit one up the elevator shaft but Stanley hit a little roller to third for a single. McAuliffe lined out to center and Kaline flied out to left to end the inning.

Yaz tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth with a single in the hole at second but Scott banged into a double play. Petrocelli singled to center but Tony C grounded out to third to end the inning. Horton was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the fifth but Northrup took strike three. Freehan walked and Petrocelli booted a grounder by Maddox to load the bases. Phillips struck out Gutierrez swinging and Lolich flied out to right to end the inning.

Alvarado popped up to first to start the top of the sixth but Moses doubled to left. Billy Conigliaro pinch hit for Phillips and singled Moses to third, but Andrews banged into a double play to end the inning. Ray Jarvis came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Stanley singled to center to start. Stanley moved to second on a wild pitch but McAuliffe grounded out to third. Kaline struck out swinging and Horton grounded out to short to end the inning.

Smith popped up to third to open the top of the seventh but Yaz took strike three. Scott struck out swinging to end the inning. Northrup was hit to start the bottom of the sixth and moved to second on the Freehan grounder to short. Maddox grounded out to third and Gutierrez grounded out to first to end the inning.

Petrocelli singled to left to start the top of the eighth but was forced at second by Tony C. Alvarado singled to right but Moses lined out to left. Don Pavletich pinch hit for Jarvis and popped up to second to end the inning. Ken Brett came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and somehow walked Lolich to begin. Stanley dropped down a bunt to move Lolich to second and McAuliffe walked. Kaline doubled home Lolich to ice the game and Horton was intentionally walked to load the bases. Northrup and Freehan both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 5-1.

                                                      How do you walk the pitcher, Brett?

Andrews singled to left to start the top of the ninth but Smith grounded into a double play. Yaz grounded out to first to end the game. The Tigers had won it 5-1.

Jackass of the Night is Bill Lee. He put the Sox in a 4 run hole they couldn't climb out of early in the game.

                                                                    Jackass Lee

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Reggie Smith was 2 for 5.

Rico Petrocelli was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Luis Alvarado was 2 for 4.

Billy Conigliaro singled as a pinch hitter.

Ed Phillips tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Ray Jarvis tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 4.

Don Pavletich was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ken Brett allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

George Scott was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Gerry Moses was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Hard to beat Lolich when he's on and he was on today. Not getting to him early cost the Sox the game considering Lee laid an egg today. Tony C and Alvarado failing to get a runner home in the third was the difference in the game. Maybe they could have cracked Lolich or got him rattled enough to get to him for more runs later. As it was, the Sox couldn't get a clutch hit to save their lives. Time and time again they failed with men on base and it was an epidemic by the end. On the other side of the ball, the Sox committed 3 errors but pitched well once Lee was gone. Phillips and Jarvis tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings to keep the Sox in it but they couldn't generate any offense against an elite pitcher. The good news is Lolich is one of the best so its only going to get better from here. Tomorrow night the Sox look to rebound when they send Ray Culp (1-1) up against Earl Wilson of the Tigers. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Tigers Walkoff Sox in 11 Innings (4/17/70)

Its a shame the Boston Red Sox bullpen picked today to give up a game after being solid for much of April. The Boston Red Sox took a 2-1 lead over the Detroit Tigers thanks to a Reggie Smith home run and shut down pitching by Gary Peters. In the bottom of the eighth Jerry Moses bobbled a bunt by Ike Brown which led to the tying run scoring. The Sox did manage to extend the game to the eleventh inning but Jim Northrup doubled home Al Kaline to hand Ken Brett (0-1, 1.93 ERA) and the Red Sox a frustrating 3-2 loss at Tigers Stadium.

                                                        Joel to Jerry Moses

The Sox wasted no time getting to Tigers starter Joe Niekro in the top of the first as Mike Andrews singled to center to start. Reggie Smith blasted his second home run of the season to put the Sox up early. Carl Yastrzemski struck out swinging, George Scott grounded out to second and Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. The Sox would have just 4 hits the rest of the game.

                                                         Smith with the early home run

The Tigers responded in the bottom of the first against Peters as Mickey Stanley doubled to left to start. Dick McAuliffe dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Stanley to third and he scored on the Al Kaline grounder to third. Willie Horton grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 2-1.

                                                             Kaline drives in a run

Tony Conigliaro grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Luis Alvarado popped up to short. Jerry Moses flied out to right to end the inning. Jim Northrup hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the second before Bill Freehan walked. Don Wert struck out swinging and Cesar Gutierrez forced Freehan at second to end the inning.

Peters popped up to third to start the top of the third and Andrews flied out to center. Smith was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning. Niekro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Stanley grounded out to short. McAuliffe walked and Kaline singled to left, but Horton grounded out to short to end the inning.

Yaz lined out to left to start the top of the fourth and Scott popped up to right in foul territory. Petrocelli  lined out to left to end the inning. Northrup walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Freehan singled to center. Wert popped up to short, Guitierrez popped up to first and Niekro struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tony C grounded out to short to begin the top of the fifth but Alvarado singled in the hole at second. Moses flied out to right and Peters grounded out to first to end the inning. Stanley grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the fifth and McAuliffe took strike three. Kaline walked but Horton forced Al at second to end the inning.

Andrews flied out to right to start the top of the sixth and Smith flied out to center. Yaz walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Northrup grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the sixth but Freehan and Wert drew back to back walks. Gutierrez singled to right and Freehan made a mad dash for home. Conigliaro fired home....OUT! Freehan was out and Niekro grounded into a force at second to end the inning.

                                       "You know better than to run on me, Freehan" - Tony C

Scott singled to center to start the top of the seventh but Petrocelli hit into a double play. Tony C lined out to short to end the inning. Peters ran out of gas in the bottom of the seventh although Stanley grounded out to short to start. McAuliffe doubled to right and moved to third on a Kaline grounder to short, but Horton was intentionally walked. Northrup was plunked and that was it for Peters after 6 2/3 innings of 1 run ball. Ray Jarvis got Freehan to ground back to the mound to end the inning.

Alvarado hit a routine grounder to third but Wert booted it for an error to start the top of the eighth. Moses popped up to third and Jarvis dropped down a bunt to move Alvarado to second. Andrews grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The bottom fell out in the bottom of the eighth as Wert doubled to left to start. Gates Brown was sent to pinch hit for Guitierrez but Sox manager Eddie Kasko called in Sparky Lyle to pitch. Tigers manager Mayo Smith countered by having Elliott Maddox to pinch run for Wert and Jim Price to pinch hit for Brown. Price walked and Ike Brown pinch hit for Niekro. Brown dropped down a bunt but Moses dropped it allowing everyone to be safe on the error. Stanley hit a double play ball to third and Alvarado forced Price, but Mickey beat out the throw to first to score Maddox with the tying run. Both runners moved over on the McAuliffe grounder to third but Kaline walked to reload the bases. Vicente Romo came in for Lyle and got Horton to ground back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                            Dammit Moses!

Ken Szotkiewicz came in to play short and Fred Lasher came in to pitch the top of the ninth as Smith walked to start. Smith swiped second but Yaz made a big out with a swinging strikeout. Scott singled in the hole at second but Smith had to stop at third. Petrocelli hit a grounder to third but Smith was thrown out at home. Tony C popped up to short to end the inning. Northrup grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the ninth and Freehan popped up to short. Maddox struck out swinging to end the inning and send the game to extras.

The Sox ran themselves into another out in the top of the tenth as Alvarado hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Moses lined out to center and Mike Derrick pinch hit for Romo. Derrick did manage a base hit to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

                                                                      Dammit Derrick!

Ken Brett took over for the bottom of the tenth and Szotkiewicz struck out swinging to start. Lasher went down hacking and Stanley grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew their final rally in the top of the eleventh as Andrews flied out to center to start. Smith was hit with a pitch and Yaz walked, but Scott banged into a double play to end the inning. The game finally ended in the bottom of the eleventh although McAuliffe struck out swinging to start. Kaline walked but Horton popped up to first. Northrup then doubled to left to score Kaline with the winning run. The Tigers walked off the Red Sox in 11 innings 3-2.

Jackass of the Night is Ken Brett. He gave up the rbi double to Northrup to lose the game.

                                                              Ken Jackass

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 run homer and a stolen base.

George Scott was 2 for 5.

Mike Derrick singled as a pinch hitter.

Gary Peters tossed 6 2/3 innings of 1 run ball.

Vicente Romo tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jerry Moses was 0 for 4 with an error.

Ray Jarvis was charged with a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 with with 2 strikeouts and a caught stealing but walked twice.

Tony Conigliaro was 0 for 4 but threw out a runner at home.

Luis Alvarado was just 1 for 4.

Sparky Lyle allowed an inherited runner to score in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was one of the most frustrating games of the season because the Sox had their chances all day to get some runs but either hit into a double play or ran themselves into outs. Yaz and Derrick getting thrown out trying to steal and Smith getting thrown out at home all added up to the loss. Neither Jarvis or Lyle could put away the Tigers and the error by Moses hurt big time. The breaks went the Tigers way and it ruined a great start by Peters in a game the Sox needed to win. The offense couldn't get much done with just 6 hits in 11 innings but they still could have won the game with one clutch hit here or there. The Sox can't afford to lose games like this if they have any chance of competing with Baltimore this season. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Bill Lee makes his first start of the season against Tigers ace Mickey Lolich. The game begins at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Sox Rally Leads To Sweeping Yankees (4/16/70)

It was a great night for Boston sports. First the Boston Bruins eliminated the New York Rangers in Game 6 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox rallied to sweep the New York Yankees out of Fenway. Sonny Siebert got knocked out in the third inning by the Bronx Bombers and the Sox trailed 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. Reggie Smith tied the game with an rbi single and Carl Yasztremski beat out an infield single to put the Sox ahead. The Sox tacked on more runs and never looked back. Vicente Romo earned his first save of the season by slamming the door in the ninth and the Sox had won the game 8-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Fred Stanfield approves of the win

Siebert got the ball in the top of the first inning and Horace Clarke led off with a fly out to right. Thurman Munson walked and Roy White singled to center before Bobby Murcer singled to center to load the bases. Curt Blefary banged into a double play to end the inning. Yankees starter Stan Bahnsen got Mike Andrews to ground back to the mound to start the bottom of the first. Reggie Smith flied out to right but Carl Yastrzemski singled to left. Yaz swiped second but George Scott flied out to center to end the inning.

Danny Cater doubled to right to start the top of the second but Jerry Kenney lined back to Siebert. Gene Michael flied out to right and Bahnsen grounded out to first to end the inning. Rico Petrocelli flied out to left to begin the bottom of the second but Tony Conigliaro walked. Luis Alvardo lined back to the mound and Jerry Moses flied out to center to end the inning.

The Yankees pounced on Siebert in the top of the third as Clarke singled to right to begin. Munson flied out to right but White doubled to left. Murcer singled home both men to put the Yankees on top and Blefary drew a walk. Cater singled to left to score Murcer and send Blefary to third. Sox manager Eddie Kasko knew something was wrong and pulled Siebert before the game got out of hand. Siebert would be charged with 4 runs in just 2 1/3 innings. Lee Strange came in and Kenney singled home Blefary and Michael walked to load the bases. Bahnsen popped up to short and Clarke grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-0.

                                                            Not today Siebert

The Sox roared back in the bottom of the third inning although Strange struck out swinging to start. Andrews cracked his first run of the season to cut the lead and Smith singled to center. Yaz walked but Scott flied out to center. Petrocelli then smashed a three run home run to tie the game, but Tony C popped up to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                   Home runs from Andrews & Petrocelli

Munson flied out to center to start the top of the fourth inning but White walked. White stole second but Murcer struck out swinging. Blefary flied out to left to end the inning. Alvarado grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Moses grounded out to first. Strange struck out swinging to end the inning.

Cater struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Kenney walked. Michael flied out to right and Bahnsen struck out swinging to end the inning. Andrews doubled to left to open the bottom of the fifth and Smith moved him to third with a grounder to second. Scott flied out to right to end the inning.

The Yankees struck back in the top of the sixth although Clarke flied out to left to start. Munson walked and took second on a wild pitch before moving to third on a fly ball to center by White. Murcer walked and Blefary singled to right to score Munson with the go-ahead run. Cater forced Blefary at second to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 5-4.

                                                      Blefary gives the Yankees the lead

Petrocelli flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Tony C singled to center. Alvarado grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Kenney grounded back to the mound to start the top of the seventh before Michael walked. Bahnsen dropped down a bunt to move Michael to second but Clarke lined out to second to end the inning. The Sox came out swinging in the bottom of the seventh although Moses swung at air for strike three to start. Dick Schofield pinch hit for Strange and singled to second to chase Bahnsen. Jack Aker came in and Andrews singled to right. Smith lashed a base hit to right to score Schofield to tie the game and Yaz beat out a fielder's choice to score Andrews with the go-ahead run. Yaz and Smith went for a double steal and Munson heaved the ball away, Smith scoring another run. Scott walked to put runners at the corners and Petrocelli scored Yaz with a sac fly to increase the lead. Tony C popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-5.

                                                       Schofield gets the rally started

Vicente Romo came in for the top of the eighth and Munson popped up to short to begin. White lined out to right and Murcer flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the eighth as Alvarado grounded back to the mound to start. Moses and Romo both grounded out to short to end the inning.

Romo came back to close out the top of the ninth and Blefary grounded out to first to start. Cater grounded out to short and Kenney grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-5 to sweep the Yankees.

Hero of the Night is Reggie Smith. He drove in the tying run, stole a base and scored the insurance run in the seventh.

                                                             Reggie Hero

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Carl Yastrzemski was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 stolen bases, an rbi and 2 total runs scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with a 3 run homer and 4 total rbis.

Tony Conigliaro was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Dick Schofield singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Lee Strange got the win by allowing just 1 run in 4 2/3 innings.

Vicente Romo earned the save with 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 4.

Jerry Moses was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sonny Siebert allowed 4 runs while lasting just 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

George Scott was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was a nice comeback win but that was an absolute stinker by Siebert. If the Sox have any hope of contending this season, they need Siebert to step up and be an ace along with Jim Lonborg and Ray Culp. Today was not going to cut it but at least the Sox were able to win the game. Lee Strange did the best he could to limit the mess Siebert created and Romo slammed the door once the Sox took the lead. Andrews is starting to heat up and it was nice to see 6 of the 9 hitters all contribute one way or another. Kudos to Dick Schofield for coming off the bench ice cold and getting the rally started in the seventh. Beating the Yankees isn't exactly as important as it would have been 6 years ago but the Sox need to win these games to keep pace with Baltimore. The Sox now travel to Detroit to play a set with the Tigers. Tomorrow Gary Peters takes the mound for the Sox up against Joe Niekro of the Tigers at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Tiger Stadium.

Lonborg, Sox Down Yankees (4/15/70)

If Jim Lonborg (2-0, 1.84 ERA) is back to where he was 3 years ago, the Boston Red Sox may have a chance against the Baltimore Orioles this season. Lonborg was outstanding in his second straight start to begin the season, holding the New York Yankees to just 2 runs in almost eight innings of work. The Sox offense were led by a balanced attack including Lonborg himself with the team's only home run. Carl Yastrzemski drove in 2 runs as well, Sparky Lyle earned his second save and the Sox cruised to a 6-2 victory over the Yankees at Fenway Park.

                                                     Christine Koren approves of the win

Lonborg got the ball in the top of the first inning and Horace Clarke singled to right to start. Clarke was thrown out trying to steal second by the alert Jerry Moses and Gene Michael struck out swinging. Roy White grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Yankees starter Bill Burbach in the bottom of the first. Mike Andrews singled in the hole at short to start and Reggie Smith walked. Carl Yastrzemski dropped a base hit to right that scored Andrews and moved Smith to third. Reggie scored on the sac fly by George Scott and Yaz swiped second. Rico Petrocelli struck out swinging but Yaz took third on a wild pitch. A ball got away from Yankees catcher Jake Gibbs but Yaz was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                        Yerrrrr out!

Bobby Murcer grounded back to the mound to start the top of the second and Curt Blefary grounded out to first and Danny Cater lined back to Lonborg to end the inning but started clutching his hamstring. Cater had to be hauled off in a wheelbarrow and dumped outside the building and John Ellis came in to play first in the bottom of the second. Tony Conigliaro grounded out to short and Luis Alvarado popped up to second, but Jerry Moses walked. Lonborg grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Jerry Kenney grounded out to short to start the top of the third and Jake Gibbs flied out to left. Burbach took strike three to end the inning. Ellis dropped a pop up by Andrews for an error to start the bottom of the third but Smith lined out to right and Yaz banged into a double play to end the inning.

Clarke flied out to left to start the top of the fourth and Michael grounded out to second. White walked and stole second but Murcer struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Scott grounded out to third to start. Petrocelli walked and Tony C singled him to third, but some idiot knocked the ball out of Kenney's glove on a pop up by Alvarado for a fan interference out. Moses singled to left to score Petrocelli to increase the lead. Lonborg struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                               Rbi single by Moses

Blefary singled to center to start the top of the fifth but he was forced at second by Ellis. Ellis was forced at second by Kenney and Gibbs grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Andrews singled to left to start. Smith dropped a base hit to right to move Andrews to third and a wild pitch moved Reggie to second. Yaz grounded out to second but Andrews scored to increase the lead. Scott grounded out to third but Petrocelli singled to center to score Smith. Tony C flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                          Petrocelli drives in a run

Frank Tepedino pinch hit for Burbach and grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth. Clarke grounded out to second but Michael singled to center. White grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the sixth against Ron Klimkowski although Alvarado lined out to left to start. Moses grounded out to third but Lonborg cracked his first home run of the season to add to the lead. Andrews singled in the hole at short but Smith grounded out to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 6-0.

                                                   Driving in more runs than he's allowed

Lonborg got Murcer to fly out to right to start the top of the seventh and Blefary flied out to center. Ellis popped up to second to end the inning. Yaz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Scott struck out swinging. Petrocelli grounded out to third to end the inning.

Lonborg ran out of gas in the top of the eighth as Kenney singled to center to start. Gibbs doubled to left and Pete Ward pinch hit for Klimkowski. Ward took strike three but Kenney scored on a wild pitch and Gibbs moved to third. Clarke grounded out to second to score Gibbs to cut the lead and Michael doubled to right to chase Lonborg. Jim was tough, allowing just 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings of work. Sparky Lyle came in and White grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees down 6-2.

                                              "Here I come to save the dayyyyyy" - Lyle

Lindy McDaniel came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Tony C grounded out to third to start. Alvarado popped up to short but Moses doubled to left. Lyle bunted foul for strike three to end the inning.

Lyle returned to close out the top of the ninth and Murcer flied out to center to start. Blefary grounded out to second and Ellis grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-2.

Hero of the Night is Jim Lonborg. Not only did he throw 7 2/3 innings of 2 run ball to earn the win, he hit a home run to aid his own cause.

                                                             Hero Lonborg

The Good:

Mike Andrews was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Reggie Smith was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Rico Petrocelli was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Jerry Moses was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Sparky Lyle got the save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Luis Alvarado was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but stole a base and drove in 2 runs.

George Scott was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Tony Conigliaro was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

That was a hell of a game pitched by Lonborg and hopefully he's finally healthy after 2 straight disappointing seasons. The Sox are gonna need him to get back to where he was in 1967 if they have any hope of staying with Baltimore this season. Its early but its good to see the offense look balanced from top to bottom the way Moses is hitting. Andrews had 3 hits and came around to score twice and hopefully that keeps up. Once again, this team is going to live or die by its pitching because the offense is going to be there. Lonborg stepping up early helps but can the other starters keep up? We'll find out tomorrow afternoon when the Sox look to sweep the Yankees out of Fenway. Sonny Siebert goes for the Sox up against Stan Bahnsen of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Yankees in Fenway Opener (4/14/70)

What a day for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins defeated the New York Rangers in Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox smacked around the New York Yankees in the first game at home this season. Ray Culp (1-1, 4.20 ERA) went the distance for Boston, scattering 11 hits and a walk while striking out 7. Culp held the Yankees to three runs while the Sox blasted Fritz Peterson for 4 runs and Joe Verbanic for 4 off of him as well. George Scott, Tony Conigliaro and Reggie Smith all homered for Boston as they enjoyed a relatively easy 8-3 win over the Yankees in the first game of the season at Fenway Park.

                                                        Ed Westfall approves of the win

Culp got the ball in the top of the first and Horace Clarke led off with a base hit to center. Horace moved to second on a grounder by Frank Tepedino but Danny Cater popped up to second. Bobby Murcer was intentionally walked and John Ellis struck out swinging to end the inning. Peterson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Andrews flied out to center to start. Reggie Smith popped up to second but Yaz got a base hit...only to get thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second as Curt Blefary lined out to right to start. Jerry Kenney lined out to center but Gene Michael doubled to left. Peterson lined a base hit to center to score Michael with the game's first run. Clarke doubled Fritz to third but Tepedino flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 1-0.

                                                       The damn pitcher drove in a run

George Scott flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and Rico Petrocelli did the same. Tony Conigliaro grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cater grounded out to third to start the top of the third but Murcer struck out swinging. Ellis flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Luis Alvarado doubled to center to start. Jerry Moses singled Luis to third but Culp took strike three. Andrews beat out a double play ball to score Luis and tie the game. Smith hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                          Andrews ties it up

Blefary grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth and Kenney hit a routine grounder to Andrews who dove on the ball and dryland swam on it for an error. Michael struck out swinging and Peterson singled to center. Kenney tried for home but was thrown out by Smith to end the inning. The Sox hit some longballs in the bottom of the fourth although Yaz grounded out to first to start. Scott belted his first home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Petrocelli grounded out to third but Tony C smashed his first home run of the season as well. Alvarado singled to center but Moses grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                             George & Tony go yard

The Yankees fought back in the top of the fifth as Clarke flied out to left to start. Tepedino singled to right. Cater then whalloped a home run all the way to Lake Ontario to tie the game. Murcer took strike three but Ellis singled to left. Blefary took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                 Cater ties it up

The Sox re-took the lead in the bottom of the fifth although Culp grounded out to second to start. Andrews popped up to short but Smith smashed his first home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Yaz walked and Scott singled to third to chase Peterson. Joe Verbanic came in and Petrocelli grounded out to third to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-3.

                                                         Smith's first homer of the season

Culp got stronger in the top of the sixth inning as Kenney grounded out to second to start. Michael grounded out to second and Verbanic struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Tony C doubled to left to start. Alvarado grounded out to short but Moses singled home Tony to add to the lead. Culp grounded out to second and Andrews grounded out to short to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-3.

                                                           Moses drives in a run

Clarke flied out to center to start the top of the seventh before Tepedino grounded out to first. Cater struck out swinging to end the inning. Smith tripled into the right field corner to start the bottom of the seventh and scored on a passed ball. Yaz popped up to second and Scott popped up to short, but Tony C popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

Murcer flied out to right to start the top of the eighth and Ellis flied out to left. Blefary singled to center but Kenney was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Alvarado walked to begin the bottom of the eighth and Moses was plunked. Culp dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but Andrews popped up to second. Smith doubled both runners home to wrap up the scoring and Yaz took strike three to end the inning with Boston ahead 8-3.

                                                    Alvarado scores a run

Culp came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Michael lined out to right to start. Pete Ward pinch hit for Verbanic and got a base hit to left before Clarke got a base hit to center. Tepedino banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

Hero of the Night is Ray Culp. He went the distance, allowing 3 runs off of 11 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

                                                           Culp The Hero

The Good:

Reggie Smith was 3 for 5 with a home run, 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.

George Scott was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Tony Conigliaro was 2 for 4 with a home run and two total runs scored.

Luis Alvarado was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jerry Moses was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch, rbi and run scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Mike Andrews was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

Carl Yastrzemski was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

After dropping two of three to the Washington Senators, knocking around the Yankees was the tonic the Sox needed to get back on track. Everyone on offense contributed and Culp going the distance saved the bullpen for tomorrow. As mentioned already, if the Sox have any hope of contending with the Baltimore Orioles this season, they're going to need Culp to step up and be a 20 game winning ace. The Sox offense was well balanced and that was not going to be a concern going into the season. The Sox are going to bop their way back into games and take big leads if the pitching can hold the other teams down. Culp had the Yankees off balance all day and hopefully this momentum can continue as the year goes on. Tomorrow Jon Lonborg (1-0) goes for the Sox against Bill Burbach of the Yankees as the Sox look to make it two in a row. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.