Fenway Flashback: 1975 - Angels’ Big Inning Swamps Sox
August 13, 1975
August 13, 1975: Angels’ Big Inning Swamps Sox
As the sun rose over California and August slogged on, the Red Sox found themselves smack in the middle of their 15-game West Coast road trip. Though exhausted, Darryl Johnson’s club had managed to go 5–2 so far, increasing their lead in the East and tying the A’s for home field advantage. Still, with eight days to go before flying home, the Sox couldn’t afford to lose focus.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
After taking Game 1 of the three-game set at the “Big A,” Boston turned to reliable righty Reggie Cleveland, hoping he could get back to his winning ways after dropping two of his last three starts. The Angels countered with right-hander Ed Figueroa, seeking his third consecutive victory.
Lineup for the 71–46 AL East–leading Red Sox:
• Bernie Carbo (RF)
• Denny Doyle (2B)
• Carl Yastrzemski (DH)
• Fred Lynn (CF)
• Jim Rice (LF)
• Carlton Fisk (C)
• Cecil Cooper (1B)
• Rick Burleson (SS)
• Bob Heise (3B)
Game Recap
Boston jumped out early, scoring single runs in each of the first two innings. In the first, Fred Lynn doubled home Denny Doyle, who had singled, to make it 1–0. After Cleveland faced only three batters in the bottom of the inning, Boston looked poised to take control in the second. Carlton Fisk led off with a single, moved to third on Cecil Cooper’s base hit, and scored on Rick Burleson’s double-play grounder. The rally ended there, and unfortunately, so did Boston’s offense until the ninth.
The Angels cut the lead in half in the second when first baseman, Bruce Bochte and third baseman, Dave Chalk hit back-to-back doubles. In the third, the floodgates opened. Cleveland allowed two baserunners before surrendering a game-tying double to Mickey Rivers. Jerry Remy scored on a wild pitch, and veteran Adrian Garrett doubled home another run. Dave Collins followed with a single, ending Cleveland’s night.
Jim Burton came on in relief and was nearly out of the inning, but an error by Burleson extended the frame for light hitting shortstop Mike Miley, who singled home two crushing runs. By the time Remy flied out to left, six runs had crossed the plate, and California held a commanding 7–2 lead.
The Angels tacked on another unearned run in the sixth when Remy scored from third on a Carlton Fisk throwing error while attempting to cut down Rivers on his 61st stolen base of the year.
Boston salvaged a small measure of pride in the ninth. Yaz doubled with two outs and scored on Rice’s RBI single, making the final 8–3.
Pitching Notes
• Reggie Cleveland (L, 9–9) delivered his shortest start of the seaon: 2.1 IP, 6 runs (5 earned), 6 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts.
• Jim Burton: 3.2 IP, 2 unearned runs, 5 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts.
• Diego Seguí: 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout in mop up duty.
Player Notes and Season Stats
• Jim Rice: 2-for-4, RBI
• Carlton Fisk: 2-for-4, run scored
Despite collecting 10 hits, Boston failed to mount a serious threat after the second inning. The loss kept them from taking sole possession of first place in the American League, as Oakland also fell to the Yankees for the second straight day. But Baltimore’s Jim Palmer tossed a complete-game shutout over Kansas City, trimming the Red Sox’s division lead back to six games.
With their energy dwindling and pitching faltering, the Sox would need to regroup quickly to avoid giving up more ground.
Stay tuned as we wrap up the series with the Angels and continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
Image courtesy of https://baseballhall.org/discover/cardcorner-1975-topps-ed-figueroa