September 5, 1975: Brewers Top Sox in Series Opener
With the Sox beginning the second leg of their road trip in Milwaukee, they held an eight-game lead over the Orioles after sweeping them in Baltimore and had pulled even with Oakland for homefield advantage. The four-game series in Middle America offered the Brewers, once only 4.5 games back at the All-Star break but now 22.5 out, a chance to play the spoiler.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
Boston turned to left-hander Bill Lee in the opener, while the Brewers countered with right-hander Pete Broberg.
Boston’s lineup:
Cecil Cooper (DH)
Denny Doyle (2B)
Carl Yastrzemski (1B)
Fred Lynn (CF)
Jim Rice (LF)
Carlton Fisk (C)
Dwight Evans (RF)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Rico Petrocelli (3B)
Game Recap
Both teams came out swinging, trading runs in the first inning. Boston struck first when Carl Yastrzemski singled home Denny Doyle with one out. But Milwaukee answered quickly. Third baseman, Don Money singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on Hank Aaron’s RBI single. Aaron himself came around on right fielder, Sixto Lezcano’s two-run homer, giving the Brewers a 3–1 lead.
From there, the starters settled in, keeping both lineups quiet until the sixth, when Milwaukee added insurance. Second baseman Pedro Garcia connected for his fifth home run of the season, extending the lead to 4–1.
Broberg kept Boston in check until the ninth, when the Sox scratched across an unearned run thanks to a Garcia error and a Burleson RBI single. But the rally ended there, sealing the Brewers’ victory.
Pitching Notes
Bill Lee (17–8) took the loss, working 5.2 innings and allowing four earned runs on eight hits, two walks, and five strikeouts.
Diego Seguí provided 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out two.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Carl Yastrzemski: 1-for-4, RBI
Rick Burleson: 1-for-4, RBI
Boston managed just six hits against Broberg, who earned the complete game victory.
The loss, combined with Baltimore’s sweep of a doubleheader against the Yankees, trimmed Boston’s lead in the AL East to 6.5 games. Fortunately, Oakland and Vida Blue fell to Gaylord Perry and the Rangers, 4–2, keeping the Red Sox tied with the A’s for the league’s best record.
Manager Darryl Johnson hoped his club would rebound on Saturday and get back to its winning ways.
Stay tuned as we continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
Image courtesy of https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/inside-pitch/the-braves-trade-henry-aaron