Fenway Flashback: 1975 - Fatigue Shows, but Sox Salvage Split with Chicago
August 17, 1975
August 17, 1975 (Game 1): White Sox Walk Their Way Past Wise
Thirty-four straight games in thirty-one days since the All-Star break without a single day off was almost at an end for the Red Sox. All that remained was a Sunday doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, after which they would finally get a much-needed rest day before heading to Kansas City to close out their grueling 15-game road trip. Entering the twin bill, Boston was 7–5 on the trip, still holding the Orioles at arm’s length in the AL East and tied with Oakland for the league’s best record. But they knew there was still work to do.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
The opener featured Rick Wise for Boston against Chicago lefty Terry Forster.
Darryl Johnson stacked his lineup with right-handed bats:
Juan Beníquez (LF)
Doug Griffin (2B)
Carl Yastrzemski (1B)
Jim Rice (LF)
Carlton Fisk (C)
Fred Lynn (CF)
Dwight Evans (RF)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Bob Heise (3B)
Game Recap
Boston grabbed the early lead in the second when Fisk doubled and scored on a Dwight Evans single. But Wise didn’t have his best stuff. In the bottom half, he walked two men, watched Jerry Hairston bunt them over, and then gave up a sacrifice fly to Bucky Dent. After another walk, Jorge Orta singled home two runs, giving Chicago a 3–1 advantage.
Both pitchers worked around traffic until the sixth, when Wise’s control betrayed him again. Carlos May drew a walk and scored on a Deron Johnson double, stretching the White Sox lead. An inning later, Pat Kelly tacked on an RBI single, and the White Sox never looked back.
Boston scratched across another run in the eighth on Evans’ second RBI single of the day, but Chicago answered immediately in the bottom half. The Sox dropped the opener, 6–2.
Pitching Notes
Rick Wise (16–7) lasted 6.2 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits, a season-high eight walks, and three strikeouts.
Jim Burton surrendered one run in two-thirds of an inning.
Diego Seguí pitched the final two-thirds, allowing one hit and one walk with a strikeout.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Carlton Fisk: 3-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 runs scored
Dwight Evans: 3-for-3, 2 RBI
Jim Rice: 2-for-4 in his first game back after being hit by a pitch in the finale of the Angels’ series.
August 17, 1975 (Game 2): Doyle Delivers in Extras as Sox Salvage Split
The Red Sox collected 12 hits in the opener but lacked timely hitting. With the loss, Boston needed Reggie Cleveland to step up in the nightcap.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
The second game featured veteran righty Reggie Cleveland against future Hall of Famer Jim Kaat, renowned for his fielding as much as his pitching.
Darryl Johnson shuffled things again for Game 2:
Juan Beníquez (LF)
Doug Griffin (2B)
Carl Yastrzemski (1B)
Jim Rice (LF)
Dwight Evans (RF)
Cecil Cooper (DH)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Bob Montgomery (C)
Bob Heise (3B)
Game Recap
Boston once again scored first, thanks largely to Cecil Cooper’s legs. He singled in the second, stole second, advanced on a throwing error, and scored on Burleson’s RBI single. In the third, Beníquez doubled and came home on a Griffin single to make it 2–0.
Chicago answered in the fourth, stringing together a walk and four singles off Cleveland to grab a 3–2 lead. Jerry Hairston capped the rally with an RBI single.
Dwight Evans knotted things back up in the sixth with his 11th homer of the season, and from there, the game tightened. With fatigue clearly a factor, Johnson went deep into his bullpen strategy. Bill Lee was summoned in the eighth to retire the dangerous left handed hitting, Carlos May, then Jim Willoughby took over and pitched 3.1 brilliant innings, allowing just two baserunners.
In the 11th, Boston finally broke through against Goose Gossage. With two outs, Burleson singled, Fred Lynn walked, and Denny Doyle delivered the game-winning RBI single. The Sox held on for a hard-fought 4–3 victory.
Pitching Notes
Reggie Cleveland went 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, five walks, and four strikeouts.
Bill Lee retired the only batter he faced.
Jim Willoughby (4–1) earned the win with 3.1 innings of one-hit relief.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Dwight Evans: 2-for-4, HR (11), RBI, run
Rick Burleson: 2-for-5, RBI, run
Cecil Cooper: 2-for-5, run, stolen base
Doug Griffin: 2-for-4, RBI
The split left the Sox 8–6 on the trip with one series remaining. They maintained a 6.5-game lead over Baltimore, though they dropped a half-game behind Oakland in the race for home field. Still, escaping with the nightcap victory allowed Boston to board their plane to Kansas City with momentum and the promise of a long-awaited day off.
Going to Kansas City, Kansas City here we come! So 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/hall-of-fame-game/1975