|
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 6 ...
"THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"
The Sox win
more than they could lose
September
10, 1967 ... Gary Bell pitched a four hitter
to beat the Yankees, 9 to 1, giving the Red Sox their 82nd victory.
At the beginning of spring training, Dick Williams predicted that the
Red Sox would win more than they would lose, and today that
prediction came true. The victory put Boston in second place, one
half game behind the Twins. The win was Bell's 12th against 11
losses. He started well when he joined the Red Sox, trailed off, and now his
pitching as good as ever. He resorted almost exclusively to his curveball,
feeling his fastball had nothing. But the Yankees pitchers had nothing at all,
curveball or fastball.
George Scott drove in two runs with two doubles the left-field. He hit the
first one of his doubles in the opening inning off Al Downing. Jerry Adair had
walked and Carl Yastrzemski had singled before George hit the ball into the
corner, to score Adair. Yaz scored when Ken Harrelson made an infield out.
Downing and Bell pitched scoreless into the fourth inning. But in the fourth,
Harrelson hit his 12th home run of the year (third for the Red Sox) just to the
left of the flagpole and it caromed into the seats. After Petrocelli struck out,
Reggie Smith singled. Mike Ryan fanned and Gary Bell singled to move Reggie to
third. Bell and Smith tried to work a double steal and, as Bell broke for
second, catcher Jake Gibbs threw the ball back to Downing on the mound and
Reggie was trapped between third and home. But in the rundown, catcher, Jake
Gibbs lost the throw from thirdbaseman Charlie Smith and Reggie slid into the
plate safely.
The Yankees scored in the first inning and then went to sleep while the Red
Sox pounded out 15 hits, including a triple with the bases loaded by Ryan. When
Mike came to bat in the sixth inning, with the Sox ahead 4 to 1, he was facing
Jim Bouton. Harrelson had singled to left and Rico Petrocelli had hit a double.
Reggie was given an intentional walk to load the bases and that brought up Ryan.
Mike hit one hard down the third-base line and Smith totally missed the ball,
allowing it to roll all the way to the wall in left field. Tom Tresh banged into
the cement trying to get, it and all three runs scored.
New York's production has been appalling. In 18 games against the Red Sox
this season, the Yankees have hit only four home runs. |
