Fenway Flashback: 1975 - Lynn Drives Sox Past Brewers for Series Win
August 7, 1975
August 7, 1975: Lynn Drives Sox Past Brewers for Series Win
With Boston back in the win column after Jim Willoughby’s stellar relief outing the night before, the Sox entered Thursday’s finale in Milwaukee looking to secure the short two-game sweep. The Orioles remained hot, taking on the Tigers in Detroit, and had cut the AL East lead to seven games. Milwaukee, meanwhile, was clinging to faint playoff hopes, sitting 15.5 games behind Boston in the standings.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
Darryl Johnson handed the ball to steady right-hander Rick Wise, who was chasing his eighth consecutive win. The Brewers countered with Jim Slaton, a fourth-year righty who had already beaten Boston twice in 1975.
Boston rolled out its familiar starting nine:
Bernie Carbo (RF)
Denny Doyle (2B)
Carl Yastrzemski (1B)
Fred Lynn (CF)
Jim Rice (LF)
Carlton Fisk (C)
Cecil Cooper (DH)
Rico Petrocelli (3B)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Game Recap
Both teams went scoreless in the first, but Boston looked ready to break through in the second, only for Jim Rice to be thrown out at the plate to end the inning. The Brewers seized the momentum in the bottom half when light-hitting left fielder Mike Hegan belted a solo home run to give Milwaukee a 1–0 lead. It was only his 44th home run in 10 years.
The Sox wasted no time responding in the third. Rico Petrocelli doubled, Rick Burleson singled, and Bernie Carbo walked to load the bases. Denny Doyle came through with a two-run single to give Boston the lead. Later in the inning, Fred Lynn laced his 30th double of the season to score Carbo and extend the advantage to 3–1.
Wise and Slaton kept things quiet until the seventh. Lynn struck again, driving in Carbo with an RBI single to make it 4–1. Hegan answered in the bottom half with his second homer of the game, trimming the lead to 4–2.
Milwaukee threatened in the eighth, but with two on and two out, Wise got Hank Aaron to ground out, ending the rally. From there, the Brewers never mounted another serious threat.
Pitching Notes
Rick Wise (15–6) was in complete command, going the distance for his eighth straight win. He allowed 2 earned runs on 8 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Boston’s offense was paced by a hot night from the middle of the order:
Fred Lynn: 3-for-4, 2 doubles (31), 2 RBI (82)
Denny Doyle: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
Rico Petrocelli: 1-for-3, double, run scored
Bernie Carbo: 1-for-3, 2 runs scored
With the loss, Milwaukee’s AL East hopes were effectively extinguished. Boston maintained its seven-game cushion over Baltimore, who outlasted Detroit in extra innings. Out West, Oakland snapped its three-game losing streak with a 10–1 win over Texas, keeping the Sox one game back in the battle for the league’s best record.
Boston now heads west for a wraparound series in Oakland that could determine the all-important home field advantage in the American League Championship Series.
Stay tuned as we go California Dreaming and continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
Image courtesy of https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/08/03/sports/fred-lynn-jarren-duran-red-sox/