A YEAR OF REBUILDING
...
Carl Yastrzemski
leads the Sox back
with a walk-off double in the ninth
September 16, 1966
... Carl Yastrzemski doubled home two runs
with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Red Sox a
5 to 4 walk-off victory over the California Angels.
Things had looked bleak in the Angels' half of the eighth inning.
With the score tied at two apiece, two outs, and runners on second
and third, Bobby Knoop was at bat. Lee Stange gave him a fastball
that Knoop turned into a triple. The Angels were up 4-2.
But in the Sox half of the eighth, Yaz led off with his 15th homer
into the left field nets off Jack Sanford, to gain back a run.
Down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Lenny Green, pinch-hitting for
Mike Ryan, drew a walk. Lew Burdette came in to pitch, replacing
Minnie Rojas. George Smith tried unsuccessfully to bunt Ryan over
three times and was called out on strikes. Burdette then made Jose
Tartabull look weak with two pitches that went for strikes. But he
then watched Jose bloop a base hit into left field. After he got Foy
to pop up, Burdette watched Yaz hit a line drive into left center to
end the game.
Yaz got the first of his three hits in the first inning with a double
to center. Tony Conigliaro brought him home with a base hit and he
scored on George Scott's double to left center, for the second run.
The Angels tied the game in the seventh inning on singles by Bob
Rodgers and Bubba Morton, followed by a line drive into the left
field corner that ricocheted pas Yaz.
The Sox' winning streak moved to four straight. As a result, they
moved into eighth place, one-half game ahead of the Yankees, who lost
to Minnesota. |