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JOHN WYATT |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 6 ...
"THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"
Paul Blair's HR beats the Sox, 8-5
May
16, 1967 ... Paul Blair bombed a three run,
pinch-hit home run in the eighth-inning that gave the Orioles and 8
to 5 win over the Red Sox. He took the first pitch to him from John
Wyatt into the left-field screen.
The Sox went into the eighth-inning with a 5 to 4 lead, which came on Carl
Yastrzemski's bases empty home run in the seventh inning. However, Wyatt, after
pitching his way out of the jam in the seventh by striking out Frank Robinson
with two men on faltered in the eighth and surrendered the winning runs. Boog
Powell and Brooks Robinson opened up the eighth with a sharp single to center.
Wyatt battled back and got Dave Johnson and pinch-hitter Charlie Lau on easy
infield pop-ups. Blair came to the plate and rifled the first pitch he saw, on a
line into the left-field screen above the scoreboard, giving the Orioles a 7 to
5 lead. Baltimore picked up another run in the ninth-inning.
The game started with Darrell Brandon pitching for the Sox against Tom
Phoebus. Brandon pitched six innings and although he allow just three hits, left
the game with the score tied at 4 to 4.
The Sox opened up the scoring with an unearned run in the first inning. It
came when Joe Foy walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and
scored when shortstop Mark Belanger bobbled a ground ball by George Scott.
Wildness helped the Orioles go in front 2 to 1 in the second. Brandon, after
Brooks Robinson had singled, walked both Johnson and Phoebus, with two outs, to
load the bases. Belanger then blooped a single into short center field to score
the two runners.
George Scott's hot bat helped the Sox bounced back in the third with two
runs, to take a 3 to 2 lead. With Foy on base, Scott blasted the first of his
two triples and the game, off the bullpen railing in center. Tony Conigliaro
then beat out an infield hit to short that scored him.
In the fifth inning, Frank Robinson recaptured the lead when he homered off
the left-field tower in left with two outs and Russ Snyder on base. The Sox
chased Phoebus in the sixth to tie the game 4-4. Conigliaro led off the inning
with a base hit. He was forced on a sacrifice attempt by Rico Petrocelli, who
was in turn wiped out on a fielder's choice, leaving Mike Andrews as the base
runner. Andrews then stole second and scored on a single to left by Mike Ryan.
The Sox went ahead 5 to 4 in the seventh, as Yastrzemski bashed a home run
over the Sox bullpen into the bleachers. But it was enough as Baltimore
chargeback against Wyatt with Blair triggering the attack. It was his second
straight loss for Wyatt, who started the season with nine relief appearances
without giving up and earn run. Wyatt has surrendered 10 runs in his last three
innings, after pitching 20 innings without giving up an earned run.
Tony Conigliaro played in his last game before entering the Army reserves for
16 days. |
