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VIDA BLUE |
THE "GOLD DUST TWINS" AND
A SEASON TO REMEMBER
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Vida Blue almost baffles the Sox
August 11,
1975 ...
For seven innings, Vida Blue held the Sox in check,
but then needed help from three relievers, following a long ball
attack in the eight inning by Sox batters. The A's however held on to
win and split the four game series with Boston, 4 to 3.
Blue blanked the Sox on five hits and struck out nine, in the first
seven innings. He struck out the side in the third inning and allowed
only one runner to reach third base until the eighth. As fast as Blue
was bringing it, he lost it just as quickly. He hadn't given up an
extra base hit in 16 2/3 innings or a homer in 44 1/3 innings.
Down 4-0, Fred Lynn led off the inning with a towering home run over
the right field fence. Jim Rice drilled a single into center and
Carlton Fisk hit a bullet out to right-center for another home run.
Rollie Fingers was then summoned from the Oakland bullpen to get the
next three batters. He was helped by Claudell Washington who was
driven back to the fence by Rico Petrocelli and had to make a
shoe-top diving catch to get Rick Burleson's line drive.
Paul Lindblad replaced Fingers after Cecil Cooper dumped a soft liner
into left center for a double to start the ninth. Cooper moved to
third on a fly ball and Bob Montgomery pinch hit and grounded out to
Phil Garner with a drawn-in infield. When Lindblad walked Fred Lynn,
Jim Todd came on and got Jim Rice who drilled a ball down the right
field line to end the game.
The A's got to Rogelio Moret for seven hits, including three doubles.
He left after giving up two hits and a walk to the first three
batters in the sixth inning. The A's scored single runs in the
second, fourth and fifth innings. |
