Fenway Flashback: 1975- Fred Lynn Walk Off
July 8, 1975
July 8, 1975: Fred Lynn Walk-Off
Following their 6–3 win over the Minnesota Twins the night before, and a 5–2 victory by the Yankees over the Texas Rangers, the Red Sox maintained their thin, one-game lead in the American League East. The race remained tight as Boston looked to not only hold off the Yankees but also the Milwaukee Brewers who were as only one game out entering the day.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
Game two of the three-game series featured a matchup of right handers: the Red Sox sent out the ever-reliable Luis Tiant (11–8), while the Twins countered with Bill Campbell (2–4).
The Red Sox lineup for July 8 was:
Bernie Carbo (RF)
Rick Miller (CF)
Carl Yastrzemski (1B)
Jim Rice (LF)
Cecil Cooper (DH)
Carlton Fisk (C)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Doug Griffin (2B)
Bob Heise (3B)
Fred Lynn, still recovering from a sore wrist suffered a few games earlier in Milwaukee, began the game on the bench for the fourth straight day.
Game Recap
Boston got off to a hot start, scoring single runs in each of the first two innings. Both teams added a run in the third, giving the Red Sox a 3–1 lead. The Sox padded their cushion with two more runs in the fifth, but the Twins chipped away with two in the seventh and tied it in the eighth.
With the game knotted at 5–5 entering the bottom of the ninth, manager Darrell Johnson sent Fred Lynn up to pinch hit and he delivered in dramatic fashion. Lynn singled to right field, driving in the winning run and giving the Red Sox a thrilling 6–5 victory.
Pitching Notes
Luis Tiant went seven solid innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs, issuing just one walk while striking out three. He was in line for the win before the Twins rallied off Dick Drago, who pitched just a third of an inning and gave up two earned runs on two hits and two walks. Jim Burton came in to try to save the Sox but, although he didn’t allow anyone to reach base, he did allow an inherited runner to score in two-thirds of an inning.
After Boston failed to score in the bottom of the eighth inning, Reggie Cleveland came on to pitch a scoreless ninth, striking out two of the three batters he faced, thus earning his fifth win of the season after Lynn’s heroics.
Player Notes and Season Stats
The offense was a team effort, with five Red Sox players collecting multiple hits:
Bernie Carbo: 2-for-4 with a run scored
Carl Yastrzemski: 2-for-4
Jim Rice: 2-for-5 with a run with a run scored
Rick Burleson: 2-for-4 with a run scored
Bob Heise: 2-for-4 with a run scored
The Sox didn’t go deep in this one, but they made their hits count. RBIs were credited to Carbo, Rice (55), Burleson, Heise, and Lynn (59).
The Red Sox now sit at 45–37, continuing to hold off the surging competition. The Yankees remained one game back after beating the Texas Rangers 4–0 behind a complete-game, seven-hit shutout by future Hall of Famer and 1975 Cy Young Award runner-up Catfish Hunter. The Brewers, on the other hand, suffered a 9–1 thrashing at the hands of the Kansas City Royals, thanks to a complete game by their promising rookie Dennis Leonard.
With the series finale against Minnesota looming, every game counts as Boston eyes its first postseason berth since 1967.
Stay tuned as we follow the rollercoaster ride of the 1975 Red Sox, day by day.