June 07, 2017

The Sensational 70s - Cowens' Clunker Costs Crowns





A harmless fly ball off the bat of Rico Petrocelli clanked off the glove of Royals' Al Cowens in the seventh inning to cap the fourth and final lead change and the Red Sox hung on for a wild 10-9 barnburner win. Boston now leads the ALCS 2-1 over the '77 Royals.

It was a game of duck n' chuck as both clubs' starters were battered early and often. In 9.1 combined innings pitched between Boston's Luis Tiant and Kansas City's Jim Colburn, they allowed 14 hits, 11 earned runs and 7 free passes. Unlike Tiant, Colburn was unable to survive the fifth as he issued 6 of those 7 walks which led to his undoing as three of those baserunners scored. To make matters worse, Colburn has only pitched 9.1 innings in two starts this post-season and has issued 9 walks to go along with a miserable 9.64 ERA.

The scoreboard read 7-6 after only five innings with Tiant on the winning side of things as Carlton Fisk made up for his second-inning miscue with a RBI single to put Boston in front for the second time. Tiant would not see the sixth as Boston manager Darrell Johnson had enough after he surrendered a 6-4 lead in the top of the fifth on a RBI ground rule double by Al Cowens and a two-out RBI single by Tom Poquette. 

Both starters were under siege immediately. Kansas City had pounced on Tiant in the first on back to back two-out doubles by John Mayberry and Darrell Porter for a 3-0 lead. Mayberry remained red hot as his two-run double, along with a RBI single in the eighth gives him 8 RBI so far in this ALCS to compliment his blistering .500 batting average.Boston roared back on a two-run homer by Fred Lynn in the home half of the first to narrow the Royals' lead to 3-2, Kansas City added an unearned run in the second as Frank White advanced to second on a two-base throwing error by Carlton Fisk. Hal McRae brought him in with a RBI single.With his three hits in this game, McRae raised his playoff batting average to .433 tying Darrell Porter for second on the Royals.

The Red Sox came within a run of the Royals once again in the third on a Dwight Evans solo homer making the score 4-3. Then Boston then pulled in front for the first time in a   three-run third on the strength of a looping jam shot two-run single from Carl Yastrzemski to give Boston that 6-4 lead that Tiant was unable to hold.

After a scoreless sixth, the Royals came up with two more clutch two-out RBI in the top of the seventh to erase the Red Sox 7-6 lead. Kansas City totaled six two-out RBI in the contest as Boston pitchers were unable to put Royals' hitters away. The Red Sox sent lefty Tim Burton came on to nullify John Mayberry and he also got Darrell Porter to fly out. Tom Poquette kept the Royals afloat with a double off Burton, so Boston countered with Jim Willoughby who has been their top reliever out of the pen in these playoffs. Uncharacteristically, Willoughby walked Freddie Patek and was nicked with back to back RBI singles by Frank White and George Brett giving the Royals an 8-7 advantage.

This see-saw affair continued as Boston came right back in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead for good. On three consecutive hits, they loaded the bases off Royals' reliever Larry Gura. Doug Bird was summoned by Kansas City manager Whitey Herzog, and he struck out Dwight Evans. Carlton Fisk then drove an outside fastball from Bird over the head of Royals' right fielder Al Cowens and it one-hopped the fence for a ground-rule double scoring two runs. Fisk is now second on the Red Sox in these playoffs in RBI (8) and batting average (.333). 

Cowens' misplay of Petrocelli's routine fly ball for Boston's tenth run proved to be very costly. Kansas City picked up a run on Mayberry's RBI single in the top of the eighth off Boston closer Dick Drago to close the gap to 10-9, but they couldn't come all the way back this time going down in order in the ninth.

Despite Willoughby's struggles in this one, both he and Drago have tossed 12 innings combining for 3 wins, 5 saves and a 2.25 ERA. Boston's Dick Pole has also helped solidify the pen pitching 5.2 innings and posting a 1.59 ERA  with 6 strikeouts.

Game 4 will see Boston send Roger Moret up against former Red Sox Andy Hassler as Kansas City will try to even up the series ensuring a return trip to Kauffman Stadium. The highlights below the scorecard focus on the big hits produced by Lynn, Yastrzemski and Fisk



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