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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 6 ... May 13, 1967 ... John Wyatt hadn't allowed a run in 18 1/3 innings the season. He went into this game in the seventh inning and protected a 5 to 4 lead for 1 2/3 innings. Then he lost it all in the ninth. He hit a batter, gave up a double to Jim Northrup, a home run to Bill Freehan, got an infield out, another double by Dick Tracewski, a home run by pitcher Earl Wilson, another hit batter, a double by Al Kaline and finally a fly ball for six runs. The Tigers were now ahead 10-5. The Red Sox came back with three runs in the bottom of the ninth, only to lose a game 10 to 8. The Sox had scored a run in the first inning when José Tartabull and Joe Foy singled. Tartabull went to third and scored when George Scott hit a ground ball past third base. But the Tigers came back in the second on a single, a walk, an error by Mike Andrews and a ground ball by Ray Oyler, to tie up the game off ox starter, Dennis Bennett. The Sox picked up single runs in the fourth and fifth off Tigers starter, Joe Sparma, with three singles, in the fourth and a home run by Foy the next inning, giving the Red Sox a 3 to 1 lead. Detroit tied the game again in the sixth on a walk, a double by Norm Cash, another walk and a single to left by Dick McAuliffe. But the Red Sox went ahead by two in the sixth inning when Rico Petrocelli doubled, Mike Ryan walked, Dalton Jones, pinch-hitting for Bennett, singled and José Tartabull sent a long fly to right, making it 5 to 3 in favor of Boston. Back-to-back doubles by Willie Horton and Jim Northrup opened up the seventh for the Tigers. Dan Osinski was on the mound for the Red Sox and Bill Freehan hit a line drive to left-center, that brought Dick Williams out of the dugout and John Wyatt into the game. The next two men were easy outs for Wyatt and he had put out another fire. He breezed through the eighth-inning and went into the ninth with the Red Sox leading 5 to 4. Then the walls came crashing down on him. Finally in the Red Sox ninth, after Tartabull popped out and Foy singled, Yastrzemski walked and George Scott struck out for the third time in the game. Tony Conigliaro lofted one to centerfield, that the wind got a hold of, and went out of reach in the fielders, allowing Tony to end up on third-base with two runners scoring. Rico Petrocelli then got a double on a pop fly to right that fell among three players, driving in the third run. Don Demeter, pinch-hitting for Andrews grounded out to end the game. For John Wyatt it was his first bad day of the season. He came on the seventh and pitched out of the jam by getting Norm Cash and Jerry Lumpe to ground out. The eighth was easy for him but the ninth wasn't. During the bombardment, Dick Williams didn't make a move in the dugout nor did he come out to talk to Wyatt. He just left him in the game. |
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