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THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 6 ...
"THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"
The Sox slide
back into 2nd place,
.001 out of 1st
September
7, 1967 ... Jim Lonborg scattered three hits
and struck out ten, taking the league lead with 210 Ks. He won his
19th game at Fenway Park, as the Red Sox topped the Yankees, 3 to 1
to move into second place in the American League. The Sox trail the
league-leading Twins by one percentage point, as Minnesota beat the
Orioles 4 to 2. Rico Petrocelli supported Lonborg with three hits,
including his 14th home run and two RBIs. Lonborg drove in the other with a
ground rule double, one of his two hits in the game.
Lonborg found himself in trouble in the opening inning when Jake Gibbs
singled and he walked Tom Tresh with one out. Joe Pepitone hit a line drive to
Carl Yastrzemski and a fly to deep center by Steve Whitaker ended the threat.
The Yankees did not have another base runner until Tom Tresh homered into the
Sox bullpen, to lead off the seventh inning.
Petrocelli gave Lonborg the lead against Mel Stottlemyre, with a bases empty
home run in the second inning. The Red Sox doubled their lead in the sixth and
they could have scored more. George Scott started the inning with an infield
single. Then Reggie Smith slammed a line drive to right-center which Steve
Whitaker flagged down after a long run. Scott was running to third and had to
backtrack, but didn't make it back in time. Ken Harrelson followed with a double
to the wall in center and Rico Petrocelli drove him home with a double off the
scoreboard in left field.
The Red Sox scored their final run in the ninth-inning against Dooley Womack.
Harrelson slapped a one out ground ball to shortstop John Kennedy, who threw it
into the Red Sox dugout for a two base error. After Petrocelli was walked
intentionally and Elston Howard struck out, Lonborg slapped a double on one hop
into the stands down the right-field line, driving home José Tartabull who had
run for Harrelson. That put the Sox up 3 to 1.
Lonborg stole his first base in organized baseball in the seventh inning
after reaching first, on a wild pitch third strike by Stottlemyre. He was
running when Dalton Jones swung and missed on a three and two pitch, and slid
under shortstop Ruben Amaro's tag.
Mickey Mantle received a standing ovation when he pinch-hit for Stottlemyre
in the eighth. However, he took a third strike to end the inning. |
