Fenway Flashback: 1975 - Leonard Outduels Tiant as Sox Drop Finale
August 20, 1975
August 20, 1975: Leonard Outduels Tiant as Sox Drop Finale
The end of the road trip was finally in sight, and though the Red Sox had enjoyed their first day off in over a month, they were eager to return home to Fenway Park. The trip had been a success, Boston entered the finale in Kansas City with a 9–5 record, but the team hoped to secure a mini-sweep of the Royals and maintain its hold on both the AL East and home field advantage.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
The finale featured a battle of old and new: veteran right-hander Luis Tiant for Boston against the Royals’ talented young righty, Dennis Leonard.
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)
Bob Heise (3B)
Game Recap
Like the previous night, both pitchers kept the offenses quiet through two innings before the Sox struck first in the third. With two outs, Cecil Cooper doubled and scored on Denny Doyle’s RBI single, giving Boston a 1–0 lead.
The Royals answered quickly. In the bottom of the fourth, John Mayberry ripped his 27th double of the season and scored on a single by the Royals’ gifted third baseman, George Brett. Al Cowens followed with an RBI single to give Kansas City a 2–1 lead. The Royals padded their advantage in the fifth when Amos Otis tripled and came home on another Mayberry double, his second of the game.
Leonard did the rest, holding Boston’s bats to just two more hits the rest of the way. In the ninth, he retired Rice, Fisk, and Evans in order to finish off the complete game.
Pitching Notes
Luis Tiant (15–12) pitched well in defeat, going eight innings and allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Boston’s offense managed only six hits against Leonard, with Cecil Cooper providing half of them.
Cecil Cooper: 3-for-4, double, triple, run scored
Denny Doyle: 1-4, RBI
Standings Update
The loss closed the book on Boston’s exhausting but productive 9–6 road trip. Despite the finale setback, the Sox finished stronger than when they started. Baltimore and Oakland both won, keeping the standings tight. Boston returned home tied with the A’s for the league’s best record and still seven games ahead of the Orioles in the AL East. With a 10-game homestand awaiting them, and another showdown with Baltimore looming in early September, the Sox looked forward to some home cooking and renewed energy.
Stay tuned as the Sox “ship up to Boston,” and we continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
Image courtesy of https://www.royalsreview.com/2022/6/7/23151769/a-look-back-at-dennis-leonard