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FRED LYNN'S DIVING CATCH |
THE "GOLD DUST TWINS" AND
A SEASON TO REMEMBER
...
The Sox shut down the Yankees
twice
July 27, 1975
...
Bill Lee
and Rogelio Moret both pitched six-hit shutouts as the Red Sox swept
a doubleheader from the Yankees, 1 to 0 and then 6 to 0. The double
victory pushed the Yankees 10 games behind the AL East leading Red
Sox, most likely eliminating them from the pennant chase.
In the opener, Rick Miller's single to center off Catfish
Hunter, scored Fred Lynn with the only run of the game in the ninth
inning, to end a tense pitcher's duel. With one out, Lynn
reached when Jim Mason couldn't handle his high hopper. Lynn stole
second to put himself in scoring position before Miller ripped a line
drive into center. The victory raised Bill Lee's record to 13-6, the
second best record in the majors.
Until Miller's dramatic game winning hit, Hunter had given up only a
single to Lynn in the fourth inning and a double to Denny Doyle in
the eighth.
The Yankees threatened Lee but couldn't break thru. They loaded the
bases in the fifth inning on three hits, but Lee escaped the jam by
getting a force out at the plate, then striking out Bobby Bonds and
getting Rick Dempsey to pop up. In the next inning, after a leadoff
double by Roy White, Thurman Munson unsuccessfully tried to sacrifice
him over, bunting the ball back to Lee, who got White at third. Then
after letting two men reach, Lee got a fly ball and a grounder to end
the inning unscathed.
After the first out in the ninth, Graig Nettles hit a shot to deep
left center. Lynn made a diving stab and caught the liner, bouncing
off the ground and rolling over, as Rice jumped over him to not get
taken out.
Outside of those two innings, Lee was never in trouble. In addition
to the five hits in those two innings, the only other hit off him was
a harmless single in the eighth. When Bob Heise dove and caught Chris
Chambliss' little foul pop to end the game, he then spiked the ball
as the Sox players swarmed the mound as if they had just won the
World Series.
In the second game, the Yankees never showed up against Moret, who
coasted to his sixth win. Jim Rice (.305 BA) whacked four hits and
drove in two runs to spearhead the Sox attack. Juan Beniquez doubled
to lead-off the game against Tippy Martinez and scored one out later
on Rice's infield single. Then in the third inning, Carl Yastrzemski
blasted his 12th homer of the year. Rice then singled again and
eventually scored on Carlton Fisk's sacrifice fly.
Rice and Doug Griffin both doubled in the fourth inning, driving in
runs, and building the Sox lead to 5-0. Lastly, after Lynn doubled in
the seventh inning, Rice drove him in with another base hit. |
