Fenway Flashback: 1975 - Sox Even Series in Oakland Behind Lee's Strong Start
August 9, 1975
August 9, 1975: Sox Even Series in Oakland Behind Lee’s Strong Start
After a dramatic opener in Oakland that saw the A’s grab a two-game edge in the race for home field advantage, the Red Sox entered Saturday knowing they needed to answer back. With Baltimore riding a six-game winning streak and slicing Boston’s AL East lead to six games, this matchup carried weight well beyond October seeding.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
Darryl Johnson handed the ball to Bill “Spaceman” Lee, hoping the crafty lefty could quiet Oakland’s big bats. The A’s countered with former Red Sox All-Star righty, Sonny Siebert, now in his third year with the defending World Champions.
Boston stacked the lineup with left-handed hitters and defense to cover the Coliseum’s vast outfield:
Bernie Carbo (DH)
Denny Doyle (2B)
Cecil Cooper (1B)
Fred Lynn (CF)
Jim Rice (LF)
Carlton Fisk (C)
Dwight Evans (RF)
Rico Petrocelli (3B)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Game Recap
The Sox once again jumped out to an early lead, but this time they didn’t let Oakland hang around. In the second inning, Fred Lynn singled, stole second, and scored on Carlton Fisk’s RBI hit.
Boston broke the game open in the third. Rick Burleson singled, and Bernie Carbo doubled him home. Carbo then scored ahead of Denny Doyle’s two-run homer, his fourth of the season. Cecil Cooper followed with a solo shot to make it back-to-back home runs and a sudden 5–0 lead.
In the fifth, Fisk put the game out of reach with a two-run blast scoring Cooper. Lee kept the A’s off the board until the seventh, when Joe Rudi singled and Sal Bando homered to trim the deficit to 7–2. But that was all Oakland could muster.
Dick Drago took over for the final two innings, retiring six of the seven batters he faced to close out the win and knot the series at one game apiece.
Pitching Notes
Bill Lee (15–6) worked 7 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits, with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.
Dick Drago pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief, giving up just 1 hit and striking out 1 Athletic.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Boston’s offense collected 11 hits on the day:
Carlton Fisk: 2-for-3, HR (6), 3 RBI, run scored
Cecil Cooper: 2-for-5, HR (12), 2 runs, RBI
Fred Lynn: 2-for-5, run scored
Denny Doyle: 1-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, run scored
Bernie Carbo: 1-for-4, double, RBI, run scored
Rick Burleson: 1-for-4, run scored
The win pulled Boston back within one game of Oakland in the race for the league’s best record. Baltimore kept the pressure on with their seventh straight victory, defeating the White Sox 12–6, leaving the Sox’ AL East lead at six games.
The stage was now set for a crucial Sunday matchup that had all of New England ready to tune in to Ken Coleman and Ned Martin’s broadcast from the Coliseum.
Stay tuned as we continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
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