February 18, 2017

The Sensational 70s - Ousted Orioles Goose Egged in Wildcard


Boston's Luis Tiant tiptoed around 9 hits in 6.1 innings of work and the bullpen backed his scoreless outing tacking on 2.2  more innings of shutout baseball to guide the '75 Red Sox to a 3-0 American League Wildcard win over the 1979 Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore was handcuffed by Tiant managing only one hit in ten trips with runners in scoring position. Besides the sixth inning, the O's had a hit in every inning off Tiant, but Louie seemed to be able to effectively locate his pitches when the chips were down keeping the ball away from the barrel of the bat.


Baltimore threatened right off the bat in the first with one out singles from Pat Kelly and Ken Singleton. Slugging left fielder Gary Roenicke, who drilled 38 homers in the campaign, was sawed off for a weak pop up to first on an infield fly rule, and Tiant got Eddie Murray on a lazy fly out to right to end the inning.

Jim Rice continued his torrid hitting streak by belting a two-run homer to deep center in the third inning off Oriole starter Mike Flanagan. Flanagan nearly retired Boston in order but a Cecil Cooper grounder glanced off the outstretched glove of Baltimore shortstop Kiko Garcia for an infield single. This gave Rice a chance, and he made Flanagan pay for the only runs the Red Sox would need.

The Orioles again applied pressure in the fourth putting runners on the corners with one out. Tiant struck out Baltimore second baseman Bill Smith on an inside fastball, and Rick Dempsey flew out to center to douse another scoring opportunity.

The fifth inning was Tiant's most impressive dance with danger. Kiko Garcia doubled high off the Green Monster to start things off, and after an Al Bumbry fly out, Pat Kelly laced a single to center. A charging Fred Lynn kept Garcia from trying to score, but Lynn overthrew the cutoff man and Kelly wisely hightailed it to second. Boston intentionally walked Singleton to load the bases and would take their chances with Gary Roenicke. Tiant again beat Roenicke on an inside fastball causing him to pop out to first for a second time on an infield fly. Eddie Murray was retired on a ground out to Rico Petrocelli.


Boston lifted Tiant in the seventh after a one-out single by Kiko Garcia who moved into scoring position on a ground out. Baltimore made Tiant labor as he tossed 95 pitches, but the O's big bats just couldn't find the range on his offerings.

The Sawx bullpen then went into action. Jim Burton came on to get lefty Pat Kelly on a weak grounder back to the mound. Dick Pole then came on and struck out Ken Singleton to conclude Baltimore's last threat. Boston added insurance in the home half of the seventh on a Dwight Evans sacrifice fly after Boston loaded the bases with only one out. That closed the book on Flanagan who really only made one mistake back in the third to Jim Rice which cost him the game.  He was very efficient in a 6 inning 72 pitch outing pounding the strike zone and pitching to contact
Boston now moves on the ALDS against the 1978 New York Yankees who swept Boston in the final series of the regular season. The other ALDS series sees two clubs from 1977 as the Kansas City Royals will battle the Texas Rangers.

Oh, and ICYMI I added my first post on the 2017 Red Sox, so check it out here.

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