Sox 67

For the first time since Opening Day, a Sox story appeared on the front page of the Globe. The occasion was a Memorial Day doubleheader sweep over the Angels, Boston’s third in the month of May. 32,012 were in attendance, the biggest crowd in 5 years. The fans were realizing that Dick Williams’ kids might be the real thing.

The scores were 5-4 and 6-1, but the most important was the way they won-rallying from a 4-0 deficit in game 1 and seeing erratic hurler Dennis Bennett throw a complete game in the nightcap.

The bullpen was a major part of the first contest, shutting out California for the last 6 innnings after the visitors had piled up a 4-run lead against starter Jose Santiago. Boston tied it with 4 in the sixth against local guy Jack Sanford. Hot-hitting Mike Andrews doubled in Don Demeter for the first tally, reliever Pete Cimino later walked in a run and a very costly throwing error by Don Mincher scored two more to tie the contest.

The top ot the eighth saw a bizarre play which helped the Sox. Mincher doubled off reliever and eventual winner Dan Osinski, and was run for by rookie Don Wallace. Wallace reached third on a wild pickoff throw, but when Bob Rodgers flied to left, Wallace started for home a second too early. Realizing this, he went back to the bag. Jose Tartabull had a weak arm, but it didn’t matter- the contest remained tied. Pinch hitter Tony Horton then doubled in Reggie Smith with the winning run in the bottom half; closer John Wyatt preserved the victory. Wallace, one of the few major leaguers with both a bachelors and masters degrees, reportedly was very distraught after the game. He would soon be back in the minors, never to return. Bennett breezed in game 2,surrendering only 5 hits. Rico Petrocelli led the hit parade with 3 safeties and 2 rbi’s.

The Townies were winning in all different ways. The following night against Minnesota, before a more normal crowd of 12,000, saw more strange baseball, including a suicide squeeze bunt with the bases loaded for the winning run. Carl Yastrzemski gave the Sox a 2-0 lead with a pair of homers, his ninth and tenth, and a perfect squeeze play by Mike Ryan scored George Scott with the winner. The Twins made it close with 2 in the eighth, but Wyatt again calmed things down for the save. Bucky Brandon picked up his second win against 5 losses.

Dean Chance, one of the league’s top hurlers, then salvaged a game for Minnesota with a five-hit 4-0 shutout as fading Billy Rohr saw his record fall to 2-3. But, as would happen all year, Jim Lonborg proved the stopper. Gentleman Jim came within 5 outs of a no-hitter, settling for a 3-hit performance in a 2-1 decision over Cleveland. The runs came on another Yaz homer, which seemed to be a daily occurrence. Indians catcher Duke Sims, sporting a .175 average, would double with one out in the eighth for the first hit, but after giving up a run, Lonny got by with the complete-game win.

Also around this time, Sox GM  Dick O’Connell engineered a trade, obtaining utility infielder Jerry Adair from the White Sox in exchange for disappointing reliever Don Mc Mahon. Adair would be a “super-sub” in the Sox pennant run.

Boston was now in the heady neighborhood of third place, 4 1/2 games behind the Tigers. Yaz, Tony C and Andrews were all among the top 10 hitters. The Yankees were ninth, two games out of the cellar.