September 2, 1975: Fisk Returns as Sox Salvage Finale
With their lead over Baltimore at its narrowest point since mid-August and their deficit to Oakland now two games, the Red Sox entered September looking sluggish. The offense and pitching seemed to be working different shifts, when they hit, they couldn’t pitch, and when they pitched, the bats went silent. As they prepared for the finale against the Yankees, as well as the close of their homestand, Boston needed a win to build momentum before heading to Baltimore for a pivotal two-game set.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
Both teams turned to veteran right-handers. Boston gave the ball to Reggie Cleveland, while New York countered with Pat Dobson.
Darryl Johnson was finally able to get catcher Carlton Fisk and third baseman Bob Heise back into his lineup for the finale:
Cecil Cooper (DH)
Denny Doyle (2B)
Carl Yastrzemski (1B)
Fred Lynn (CF)
Jim Rice (LF)
Carlton Fisk (C)
Dwight Evans (RF)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Bob Heise (3B)
Game Recap
As in the opener, the Yankees struck first. In the top of the second, first baseman Chris Chambliss homered off Cleveland to give New York a 1–0 lead.
Boston answered in a big way in the third. Heise singled with one out and scored on Cooper’s 16th double of the year. Doyle followed with an RBI single to plate Cooper, and after Yaz and Lynn walked to load the bases, Rice struck out for the second out. That set the stage for Fisk’s triumphant return. The Boston catcher ripped a two-run single, scoring Doyle and Yaz to give the Sox a 4–1 lead.
Cleveland retired the Yankees in order in the fourth, and Boston extended its lead in the bottom half. Evans and Burleson singled, and Heise sacrificed them into scoring position. Sparky Lyle relieved Dobson but gave up a sacrifice fly to Cooper, making it 5–1.
In the fifth, Lynn doubled and scored on Fisk’s second two-out RBI hit of the night, stretching the lead to 6–1. Boston added another run in the sixth when Cooper drove in Burleson, who had doubled, pushing the margin to 7–1.
Cleveland dominated until the eighth, when the Yankees mounted a rally. Bobby Bonds and Roy White singled, and with two outs, Yankee Captain, Thurman Munson blasted his 10th home run of the season into the netting above the Green Monster, cutting the lead to 7–4. Johnson turned to Jim Burton, who walked Graig Nettles but struck out Chambliss to end the threat.
In the ninth, Dick Drago came on and handled the Yankees with little trouble, earning the save and sealing a much-needed Red Sox victory.
Pitching Notes
Reggie Cleveland (10–9): 7.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, win
Jim Burton: 0.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
Dick Drago: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 9th save
Player Notes and Season Stats
Carlton Fisk: 2-for-4, 3 RBI in his return
Cecil Cooper: 2-for-4, double (16), 2 RBI, run scored
Denny Doyle: 2-for-3, RBI, run scored
Jim Rice: 2-for-4
Rick Burleson: 2-for-4, double, run scored
The win allowed Boston to close the homestand at .500. With California beating Oakland 4–1, the Sox trimmed their deficit in the homefield race to one game. Baltimore split a doubleheader in Cleveland, allowing Boston to pick up a half-game and extend their AL East lead to six.
With a little more momentum in their sails, the Sox headed south for a two-game showdown with the Orioles, followed by stops in Milwaukee and Cleveland.
Stay tuned as we continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
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