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Reggie's walk-off sends the fans home happy
May 22,
1969
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Just when it looked like the fans would have to sit at Fenway Park in
a cold dark evening, Reggie Smith hit one of Hoyt Wilhelm's
knuckleball's over second base, to drive in a ninth inning winning
run, for a 4 to 3 walkoff victory over the California Angels. The
Red Sox had Syd O'Brien on third and there were two outs. O'Brien had come in to
run for Dick Schofield, who had walked open the inning. Mike Andrews moved him
along with a bunt and Dalton Jones had grounded out, sending him to third.
Carl Yastrzemski was the next batter and since he had two hits already, it
was decided to intentionally walk him. So up came Reggie and he waved at one of
the knuckleball's and fouled it off. Then he just laid the bat on the next
fluttering ball that came over the plate and drilled it in the centerfield.
The Red Sox had looked to be on the road to losing this game, when the Angels
put up a 3 to 0 lead in the first half of the fifth inning and their
right-hander pitcher, Tom Murphy, hadn't given up a base hit.
Sox rookie pitcher, Mike Nagy, was wild and had given up with three runs. The
Angels had scored a run in the third on three singles. In the fourth inning, Yaz
kept the Angels from scoring again. Aurelio Rodriguez walked with one out and
stole second base. He then tried to score on Tom Satriano's short single to
left, but Yaz picked it up and threw him out easily at home.
When Nagy got wild in the fifth, giving up four walks in the inning, with an
error by George Scott, when he cut in front of Rico Petrocelli and couldn't make
the play, the Angels added two more. Then Nagy was then yanked in favor of Bill
Landis.
The three runs looked huge, but in the bottom of the fifth after two men were
out, Mike Andrews and Dalton Jones walked and Yaz singled hard into right field,
to score Andrews. Reggie Smith then drew a walk and Rico Petrocelli was hit in
the back with a slow curve to score another run. Jim McGlothlin was now brought
in to get the side out.
The Angels held the one run lead until the seventh inning. Jones walked to
open and Yaz hit another hard single to right, sending him over to third. But
Lou Johnson threw wildly to second base and Jones was able to score the tying
run.
Ray Jarvis, who came in the sixth inning had a wonderful moment when speedy,
Sandy Alomar was on third in the ninth with two outs. He had walked and been
sacrifice along and went to third on an infield out. With a 3-0 count on Rick
Reichardt, Jarvis threw three pitches asked him to strike him out and end the
inning. |
